The Eastern Washington University football program knows a thing or two about the Walter Payton Award.
 
Junior quarterback Eric Barriere has been selected by STATS as one of 25 players in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision to be selected to the Walter Payton Award Watch List, it was announced on Wednesday (July 31).
 
Barriere took over as EWU's starter midway through the 2018 season and helped lead the Eagles to the cusp of the NCAA Division I title, going 8-1 as a starter before EWU fell in the title game. He passed for 24 touchdowns and rushed for another eight in a total of 14 games played as a sophomore.
 
He is joined on this year's watch list by fellow Big Sky Conference players Troy Andersen (Montana State), Case Cookus (Northern Arizona), Jake Maier (UC Davis) and Charlie Taumoepeau (Portland State). The Eagles don't play MSU or UC Davis in the regular season, but will host Northern Arizona on Nov. 2 and Portland State three weeks later.
 
Also on the list were a pair of players from Jacksonville State, which EWU plays on Sept. 14 at Jacksonville, Ala.
Junior quarterback Zerrick Cooper passed for JSU school records of 3,416 yards and 32 touchdowns in 2018, and senior wide receiver Josh Pearson was the FCS co-leader and set the school record with 17 touchdown receptions in 2018. Both players were first team All-Ohio Valley Conference performers last season.
 
Eastern has previously had three Walter Payton Award Winners – wide receiver Cooper Kupp in 2015, quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell in 2011 and quarterback Erik Meyer in 2005. The Eagles are the only FCS program with three Payton winners since 2000.
 
In 2016, Kupp and Gage Gubrud were second and third, respectively, in the voting. Gubrud, who was an All-American in 2016 and a starter in both 2017 and 2018, was on the preseason watch list the past two seasons. In both 2013 and 2014, Vernon Adams Jr. was the runner-up for the Payton Award.
 
In June, Barriere earned first team honors on the Hero Sports Preseason FCS All-America team. In 2018, Gubrud suffered a foot injury five games into the season and Barriere took his place for the final 10 contests. EWU won eight of those games to finish 12-3 overall and 7-1 in the Big Sky Conference to share the league title with Weber State and UC Davis.
 
Barriere was extremely productive throwing the ball, finishing 13th in FCS in passing efficiency (146.9), 29th for passing yards overall (2,450) and 13th in touchdown passes with 24 after setting school and FCS Playoff records with seven versus Maine on Dec. 15. He was ninth with 198 total points responsible for and was 26th in average per game (14.14).
 
He also finished 45th in total offense per game (218.8). Barriere averaged 6.2 per carry and finished with 613 yards on the ground to break the school record of 606 set by Gage Gubrud in 2016.
 
In his 19-game career (9-2 as a starter), Barriere has completed 60.8 percent of his passes (205-of-337) for 2,588 yards, 25 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, and has rushed 117 times for 661 yards and nine more TDs. He had a passing efficiency rating of 146.9 as a sophomore and a 143.9 mark in his career to rank fifth-best in school history.
 
Eastern finished as the only school to rank in the top 20 in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision in total offense, rushing and passing. The Eagles averaged 528.2 yards on offense to rank third in FCS, including 255.9 rushing (10th) and 272.3 passing (20th). Eastern was also ranked fourth in scoring (43.1). The Eagles as a team finished the 2018 season with a school-record 6.62 average per rush on the season to break the previous record of 6.41 set in 2001. The Eagles set team records for rushing yards (3,839) and rushing touchdowns (41).
 
In addition, earlier this year Barriere was productive in his first spring as the starter, completing 63.3 percent of his passes (31-of-49) for 451 yards and four touchdowns in three spring scrimmages. He was the quarterback for five of the 11 touchdowns the offense scored.
 
Barriere and his teammates report for preseason practices beginning Aug. 1, with the first practice together taking place on Aug. 4. The first practice with media availability of players and coaches is Monday, Aug. 5 at 3 p.m. (interviews at 2:35 p.m.). Eastern will practice four weeks leading up to the team's opener at Washington on Aug. 31, and the home opener the next week on Sept. 7 versus Lindenwood.

 
 

More on the Walter Payton Award Watch List . . .

 
The race for the Heisman of the FCS is on as a preseason watch list of 25 players was announced for the 2019 STATS FCS Walter Payton Award on Wednesday. It included at least one player from all 13 FCS conferences.
 
The Payton Award, given to the offensive player of the year in college football's Division I subdivision and first awarded in 1987, has watched past winners such as Steve McNair, Tony Romo, Brian Westbrook, John Friesz, Brian Finneran, Jimmy Garoppolo and Cooper Kupp move on to the NFL.

More players can join the watch list during the 2019 season. A national panel of over 150 sports information and media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries will select the winner following the regular season.
Also this season, STATS will present the Buck Buchanan Award (FCS defensive player of the year), Jerry Rice Award (FCS freshman player of the year), Eddie Robinson Award (FCS coach of the year) and Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
 
 
Named to this year's preseason watch list were:
 
Tyrie Adams, Western Carolina, QB, R-Sr., 6-2, 180
Dual-threat leads all active FCS signal callers with 9,389 yards of total offense; Southern Conference standout accounted for 26 touchdowns as a junior
 
Troy Andersen, Montana State, ATH, Jr., 6-3, 215
All-around player was on the All-Big Sky first team as a quarterback last year (1,421 yards and 21 touchdowns on ground); will be utilized in different ways offensively while also playing linebacker in 2019
 
Kenji Bahar, Monmouth, QB, R-Sr., 6-3, 190
Fourth-year starter has accounted for 6,114 yards of total offense and 47 touchdowns in career; led Big South in most passing categories in 2018, including yards (2,626), TD passes (20) and efficiency (139.6)
 
Eric Barriere, Eastern Washington, QB, R-Jr., 6-0, 200
Guided EWU to the national championship game after setting FCS playoff record with seven touchdown passes in semifinals; accounted for 31 total TDs in 10 starts
 
Michael Bandy, San Diego, WR, Sr., 5-11, 190
Led the FCS in receiving yards (1,698); set San Diego record with 324 receiving yards in Pioneer Football League title-clinching win over Davidson
 
Grant Breneman, Colgate, QB, Jr., 6-1, 220
2017 Patriot League rookie of the year and then the first-team all-league QB in 2018, leading the Raiders to the FCS quarterfinals; has rushed for 708 yards in first two seasons
 
Case Cookus, Northern Arizona, QB, R-Sr., 6-4, 205
Won 2015 STATS FCS Jerry Rice Award with FCS freshman record 37 touchdown passes; two-time All-Big Sky first-team selection has 74 career TD passes
 
Zerrick Cooper, Jacksonville State, QB, R-Jr., 6-4, 230
Passed for JSU school records 3,416 yards and 32 touchdowns in 2018; named to All-Ohio Valley Conference first team
 
Tom Flacco, Towson, QB, R-Sr., 6-1, 208
No. 1 among returning FCS quarterbacks in total offense (332.8) in 2018; voted CAA Football offensive player of the year
 
Chase Fourcade, Nicholls, QB, Sr., 6-0, 190
2018 Southland player of the year who guided Nicholls to share of conference title; fourth-year starter has 7,728 career passing yards
 
A.J. Hines, Duquesne, RB, Sr., 5-11, 225
Has surpassed 1,000 rushing yards three times to total 3,849 in his career (most among active players); 2016 STATS FCS Jerry Rice Award winner and three-time All-Northeast Conference first-team selection
 
Cade Johnson, South Dakota State, WR, R-Jr., 5-10, 175
Tied for FCS high and set school record with 17 touchdown receptions; set South Dakota State mark with 839 kick return yards in 2017
 
Noah Johnson, Alcorn State, QB, R-Sr., 6-0, 195
2018 SWAC offensive player of the year and championship game MVP; one of only two FCS quarterbacks with 2,000 passing and 1,000 rushing yards in 2018 (Adams)
 
Reed Klubnik, Yale, WR, Sr., 6-3, 200
With a banner season in 2018, Klubnik ranked fifth in the FCS in receiving yards per game (114.3), catching 73 passes for 1,143 yards and nine touchdowns; also led the team in receptions in 2016
 
Jake Maier, UC Davis, QB, R-Sr., 6-0, 200
The Big Sky offensive player of the year led UC Davis to its best FCS season; passed for more yards (3,932) and touchdowns (34) than any returning player in the subdivision
 
Caylin Newton, Howard, QB, Jr., 6-0, 195
Dual-threat signal caller was named MEAC offensive player of the year as a sophomore; ranked seventh in the FCS in total offense (313.3 yards per game)
 
Bryce Nunnelly, Chattanooga, WR, Jr., 6-2, 190
All-Southern Conference standout ranked seventh nationally in receiving yards per game (112.5); had 11 receptions of at least 40 yards
 
Aaron Parker, Rhode Island, WR, Sr., 6-3, 191
All-CAA wideout has led URI in receiving yards and touchdown receptions in three straight seasons; had six games with at least 100 receiving yards and scored 11 times as a junior
 
Josh Pearson, Jacksonville State, WR, R-Sr., 6-4, 205
Was the FCS co-leader and set the school record with 17 touchdown receptions; All-OVC first-team honoree had 67 receptions for 1,123 yards
 
James Robinson, Illinois State, RB, Sr., 5-10, 220
Led the Missouri Valley Football Conference in rushing (1,290 yards, 117.3 per game); rushed for 184 yards and two touchdowns in FBS win over Colorado State
 
Shane Simpson, Towson, RB/RS, R-Sr., 5-9, 200
Ranked second in the FCS in all-purpose yards per game in 2018 and sixth in 2016; two-time All-CAA first-team selection has 4,414 career all-purpose yards, ranking No. 1 among active players
 
Nathan Stewart, Sam Houston State, WR, Sr., 6-0 180
Has surpassed 1,000 receiving yards in each of his three seasons; leads all active FCS players in receptions (182), receiving yards (3,715) and TD receptions (31)
 
Charlie Taumoepeau, Portland State, TE, Sr., 6-3, 245
Flashed NFL potential with at least 125 receiving yards and two touchdown catches in back-to-back games against FBS opponents to open junior season; earned first-team All-Big Sky honors
 
Adam Trautman, Dayton, TE, R-Sr., 6-6, 253
Consistent pass-catching threat with NFL size has caught the attention of next-level scouts; enters final season with 108 career receptions for 1,379 yards and 17 touchdowns
 
De'Shawn Waller, Alcorn State, RB, Sr., 5-10, 210
All-SWAC newcomer of the year was eighth in the FCS in rushing yards per game (121.5); rushed for 177 yards and three TDs in SWAC championship game and 167 yards in Celebration Bowl