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Bridgewater, NJ — Ness Davis (Athens, GA/Athens Christian (Arkansas-Pine Bluff), a redshirt junior running back at Duquesne, was named to the Stats Perform Walter Payton Award Watch List, the organization announced on Tuesday morning.
 
A 40th anniversary celebration brings even more excitement to the Walter Payton Award, which is presented annually to the national offensive player of the year in Division I FCS college football.
 
The iconic award, affectionately known as the Heisman of the FCS, is named for legendary running back Walter Payton, who starred at Jackson State as part of his Hall of Fame career. Past recipients include Steve McNair, Tony Romo, Brian Westbrook, Jimmy Garoppolo and Cooper Kupp. Youngstown State quarterback Beau Brungard, the 2025 winner, returns this season, seeking to become the third two-time recipient after quarterbacks Armanti Edwards (Appalachian State, 2008-09) and Jeremiah Briscoe (Sam Houston State, 2016-17). 
 
All 13 FCS conferences are represented on the watch list, which includes 10 past finalists. Davis is one of 30 players to make the cut for the preseason list.
 
Davis ran his way to All-NEC Second Team recognition as a redshirt sophomore in 2025 after he finished third in the league with 927 rushing yards on 144 carries. The Athens, GA native also ranked fourth in his first-ever NEC campaign with 64 yards per carry, a mark that was the 11th-best mark in the FCS. 
 
Davis, who ran for a pair of touchdowns last year, eclipsed the 100-rushing yard plateau five times, including a 102-yard performance at Akron and a career-best 179-yard effort at Robert Morris. He closed out his debut season on The Bluff with four NEC Offensive Player of the Week awards. 
 
Davis was also ranked No. 19 on Hero Sports’ list of “Top Returning Running Backs in the FCS.