The Walter Payton Award is presented to the FCS national offensive player of the year and boasts a rich history of recipients. Montana State’s Tommy Mellott is the 2024 recipient.
During his first season at Montana State in 2021, quarterback Tommy Mellott earned the nickname “Touchdown Tommy” for his varied way of producing points – passing, rushing, even receiving.
But there are many ways to describe Mellott.
Leader. Winner. Champion.
Walter Payton Award recipient has been added to the list.
Mellott was named the national offensive player of the year in Division I FCS college football Saturday night at the Stats Perform FCS National Award Banquet in Frisco, Texas. He was one of 35 finalists for the 38th annual Walter Payton Award, winning a close national vote over North Dakota State quarterback Cam Miller, the runner-up, and Southern Utah running back Targhee Lambson.
Mellott, a 6-foot, 208-pound senior from Butte, Montana, has helped fuel No. 1 Montana State’s 15-0 season and run to the FCS championship game, where they will face NDSU and Miller Monday night. The Big Sky Conference offensive player of the year has completed 190 of 276 passes (68.8%) for 2,564 yards and 29 touchdowns against just two interceptions, giving him an FCS-leading 180.1 passer rating. He’s rushed for 915 yards and 14 TDs.
Yes, he’s still Touchdown Tommy, of course.
Mellott attended the national awards banquet for the second consecutive year. Last January, he received the 2023 FedEx Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete Award, presented annually to an FCS student-athlete who excels on the playing field, in the classroom and across the community.
Miller and Lambson, like Mellott, were named to the Stats Perform FCS All-America first team. Miller ranks second nationally in completion% (72.6), pass efficiency (179.2) and total touchdowns (41), while Lambson leads the FCS in rushing yards per game (160.2; 1,922 yards in 12 games).
The Walter Payton 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, Cooper Kupp and Trey Lance.
2024 Walter Payton Award Voting
Following is a breakdown of the voting results. A first-place vote was worth five points, a second-place vote four points, a third-place vote three points, a fourth-place vote two points and a fifth-place vote one point. The final number is the combined point total.
- 1. Tommy Mellott, QB, Montana State: 16-12-3-4-2-147
- 2. Cam Miller, QB, North Dakota State: 14-8-8-2-1-131
- 3. Targhee Lambson, RB, Southern Utah: 5-9-11-7-7-115
- 4. Zach Calzada, QB, UIW: 5-4-5-4-7-71
- 5. Lan Larison, RB, UC Davis: 5-4-5-4-2-66
- 6. Derek Robertson, QB, Monmouth: 2-4-5-6-8-61
- 7. Miles Hastings, QB, UC Davis: 3-4-3-5-2-52
- 8. Kayvon Britten, RB, Tarleton State: 1-2-1-5-7-33
- 9. Efton Chism III, WR, Eastern Washington: 1-1-1-6-6-30
- 10. Mark Gronowski, QB, South Dakota State: 2-1-2-1-0-22
- 11. Maverick McIvor, QB, Abilene Christian: 0-2-2-2-1-19
- 12. Paxton DeLaurent, QB, Southeast Missouri: 0-1-2-3-1-17
- 13. Eric Phoenix, QB, South Carolina State: 1-1-1-0-1-13
- 14. Jacob Clark, QB, Missouri State: 1-0-2-0-1-12
- 15. ShunDerrick Powell, RB, Central Arkansas: 0-1-1-1-0-9
- 16. Dwayne McGee, RB, Mercer: 0-0-1-2-1-8
- 17. J’Mari Taylor, RB, North Carolina Central: 0-0-1-2-0-7
- 18. Charles Grant, OT, William & Mary: 0-1-0-0-2-6
- 19. Ralph Rucker IV, QB, Bucknell: 0-0-1-1-0-5
- T20. Daniel Richardson, QB, Florida A&M: 0-1-0-0-0-4
- T20. Jalen Walthall, WR, UIW: 0-0-0-0-4-4
- 22. Irv Mulligan, RB, Jackson State: 0-0-1-0-0-3
- 23. Elijah Howard, RB, Central Connecticut State: 0-0-0-1-0-2
- T24. Hope Adebayo, RB, St. Thomas: 0-0-0-0-1-1
- T24. Jamar Curtis, RB, Lafayette: 0-0-0-0-1-1
- T24. Cole Gonzales, QB, Western Carolina: 0-0-0-0-1-1
- T27. Mari Adams, RB, Davidson: 0-0-0-0-0-0
- T27. Jeff Caldwell, WR, Lindenwood: 0-0-0-0-0-0
- T27. Jaden Craig, QB, Harvard: 0-0-0-0-0-0
- T27. Jermaine Corbett, RB, Merrimack: 0-0-0-0-0-0
- T27. Roland Dempster, RB, Stony Brook: 0-0-0-0-0-0
- T27. Malachi Hosley, RB, Penn: 0-0-0-0-0-0
- T27. Antonio Martin Jr., RB, Southeastern Louisiana: 0-0-0-0-0-0
- T27. Sam Vidlak, QB, Stephen F. Austin: 0-0-0-0-0-0
- T27. Jameson Wang, QB, Cornell: 0-0-0-0-0-0
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