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Armanti Edwards, Appalachian State, Senior, 6-0, 184, Quarterback

Edwards is attempting to become the first two-time winner of the Payton Award after claiming the honor in 2008 as a junior. The quick and elusive signal- caller piled up 3,682 yards rushing and 7,101 yards passing in his first three seasons, including 941 yards rushing and 2,902 yards passing last season. Edwards came in as a true freshman to win the starting QB job at Appalachian State and helped the Mountaineers capture their second straight national title. The poised, unflappable performer became one of a handful of quarterbacks to run for 1,000 yards and pass for 2,000 in his freshman year, posting 1,153 yards rushing and 2,251 yards passing. He also was only the second freshman to take his team to a national title game, joining Chad Pennington of Marshall, and was the first to win it. Despite being sidelined for four whole games and half of another with a chipped bone in his shoulder, Edwards came back to drive ASU to another national title as a sophomore with 1,948 yards passing, 1,588 yards rushing. He was a first-team All-American as a junior after being a second-team pick as a sophomore.

Chris Evans, Samford, Junior, 6-2, 218, Running Back

Evans established himself as one of the top running backs in FCS last season as he helped Samford make the difficult transition to the Southern Conference and post a winning season with a 6-5 record. He logged his second straight 1,000-yard season, rushing for a school-record 1,284 yards and 14 touchdowns, while averaging 4.9 yards-per-carry. An all-around back, Evans was second on the team with 26 pass receptions. For his efforts, he earned first team All- Southern Conference honors. Evans galloped for a career-high three TDs and had 134 yards in a 30-7 win over Chattanooga. Evans ranked 12th nationally with over 116 yards rushing per game. As a freshman in 2007, he rushed for 1,033 yards and five TDs and earned a place on the OVC all-newcomer team. That season, he rushed for a career-high 212 yards against Austin Peay. He also returned 16 kickoffs for 384 yards. In his first two seasons, Evans piled up 2,317 yards rushing, 19 TDs and 11 100-yard rushing games.

Will Ford, South Carolina State, Senior, 5-11, 185, Running Back

Ford has been the offensive spark plug for a South Carolina State team that won its first MEAC championship since 1994 and advanced to the playoffs for the first time since 1982 last season. He rushed for 1,499 yards and averaged 6.1 yards per carry with 13 touchdowns for a Bulldog team that finished 8-0 in the conference and 10-3 overall. For his efforts, Ford earned first-team All- MEAC honors and was a second-team All-American. He was first in the MEAC in rushing and 13th nationally with an average of 115 yards per game. In 2007, Ford rushed for 1,433 yards and averaged 6.6 yards per carry with four touchdowns. He set the school single-game record for rushing with 322 yards in 2007 during a 51-7 victory over North Carolina A&T, one of seven games with over 100 yards rushing. In his first three years with the team, Ford has rushed for 2,251 yards with 24 total touchdowns. Ford was a Payton Award finalist in 2008, finishing 12th. He rushed for 752 yards, a 6.7-yard average and 10 TDs as a freshman and led the team with 20 kickoff returns for 517 yards and a 25.9 average, including one return for a 90-yard TD against Coastal Carolina.

Pat Grace, Northern Iowa, Senior, 6-2, 240, Quarterback

Grace replaced graduated Payton Award runner-up Eric Sanders as the Northern Iowa quarterback last season and didn't miss a beat, leading the Panthers to a share of the Missouri Valley Conference championship and to within a few seconds of the NCAA Division I title game. In 2008, he passed for 2,041 yards and 14 touchdowns while completing 62% of his passes en route to earning second-team All-MVFC honors. The dual-threat quarterback also rushed for 618 yards and 11 TDs. He came back from a mid-season knee injury to play some of his best ball down the stretch. Grace passed for a career-high 255 yards and added 84 yards rushing in a 36-34 first-round playoff win over New Hampshire, and had a career-high 99 yards rushing in a 31-17 victory over Illinois State. He finished the season ranked 15th nationally in passing efficiency and 40th with 221 yards of total offense per game. In his first three seasons, two as a backup to Sanders, Grace has 2,247 yards passing with 30 total touchdowns.

Cameron Higgins, Weber State, Junior, 6-2, 195, Quarterback

Higgins started every game at QB as a redshirt sophomore, setting school records with 4,460 passing yards and 36 touchdowns while completing 66% of his passes and throwing just 13 interceptions. For his efforts, he was named a Sports Network third team All-American. Higgins finished the campaign ranked third nationally in passing efficiency and fourth in total offense, also setting school records with 4,383 of total offense and 38 combined touchdowns. The then-sophomore tossed at least four touchdowns five times during the 2008 season, and in a 17-10 win over Northern Colorado, threw for a season-high 413 yards with two touchdowns. For his career, Higgins has thrown for 6,419 yards and 53 touchdowns. Higgins became a starter in the fourth game of the 2007 season and proceeded to pass for 1,959 yards and 17 TDs. He completed 56% of his passes and threw just nine interceptions that year.


Terrell Hudgins, Elon, Senior, 6-2, 234, Wide Receiver

After an electrifying 2007 campaign, Hudgins again put up solid numbers last year, catching 86 passes for 1,116 yards and 10 TDs. Hudgins finished fourth in the country in receptions per game (7.2) and 15th in receiving yards per game (93) in 2008, including a season-high 13 catches for 199 yards and a touchdown in a 22-20 win over Georgia Southern. He now has 10 double-figure reception games during his career. In 2007, he caught 117 passes - just three catches off the NCAA single-season record of 120 by Brown's Stephen Campbell (2000) - for 1,474 yards and 18 touchdowns, including 16 grabs each in contests against Liberty and Furman. Hudgins led FCS in receptions per game (10.7), receiving yards per game (134 yards), receiving yards and tied for the lead in TD receptions in that season. For his career, Hudgins has caught 272 passes for 3,617 and 36 touchdown, with six double-digit reception games to his credit. Hudgins finished 11th in Payton Award voting in 2007, and 15th in 2008. As a redshirt freshman, Hudgins grabbed 69 passes for 1,027 yards and eight scores.


Bryant Lee, Southern, Senior, 6-2, 200, Quarterback

Lee became the signal-caller for Southern University at the end of the 2006 season and hasn't looked back. In 2008, the dual-threat threw for 2,682 yards and 20 TDs while completing 62% of his passes and also running for 534 yards and six touchdowns. Nationally, Lee ranked eighth nationally with 292 yards of total offense per game and was 28th in passing efficiency. For his efforts, he earned first-team All-SWAC honors. Top games for the then-junior included a career-high 407-yard effort against Florida A&M, and a 116-yard rushing performance in a 45-14 win over Texas Southern. In 2007, Lee completed 66% of his passes for 2,326 yards and 23 TDs, including an effort in a 56-7 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff in which he threw for 278 yards and four TDs, while rushing for two more scores. Lee made an impact in his first start as a redshirt freshman in 2006, rushing for 102 yards and two TDs and throwing for 138 yards and another score in a 34-17 victory against Texas Southern. In his first three seasons, the quarterback has piled up 5,579 yards and 61 total touchdowns.


David McCarty, Albany, Senior, 6-1, 190, Runningback

McCarty has established himself as one of the most consistent running backs at the FCS level over the course of the past two seasons. After rushing for 1,503 yards and 13 touchdowns in his sophomore season, McCarty exploded with 1,852 yards - a new school record - and 13 TDs as a junior in 2008 to help Albany win the NEC title before prevailing in the Gridiron Classic. He ranked second nationally in yards per game behind 2008 Payton Award finalist Herb Donaldson of Western Illinois. McCarty, who rushed for 100 or more yards in 11 of 12 games last season, including four 200-plus-yard performances, saved his best effort of the year for last, rushing for a career-high 271 yards and four touchdowns in a 28-0 win over Jacksonville in the Gridiron Classic. McCarty was also a solid receiver during the campaign, with 27 catches for 356 yards and four TDs as he earned third-team All-American honors. In 2007, the back earned honorable mention status on the Sports Network Division I FCS All- America Team. For his career, McCarty has 3,353 yards rushing, good for first all-time at Albany and 26 touchdowns.