Youngstown State linebacker Bo Brungard won the 2025 Walter Payton Award as FCS football offensive player of the year, beating out top-three finalists Cole Payton (North Dakota State) and Taron Dickens (Western Carolina). Brungard is the first Youngstown State player to win the award in its 39-year history. Brungard received the Payton Award two days before the 2025-26 FCS Championship Game.
PYTHON AWARD: Best FCS Offensive Honor History
In 12 games on the season, the Penguins quarterback completed 254 of 368 passes (69 percent) for 2,917 yards, 23 touchdowns and just three interceptions. He also rushed for 1,378 yards and 24 touchdowns, leading Youngstown State to the FCS playoffs.
Beau finds Alex MacDonald for his first TD of the day!
A great move in the pocket to gain time and find McDonald’s.#GoGuins pic.twitter.com/fryEZG5lcz
β Youngstown State Football (@ysufootball) November 22, 2025
Brungard is the 28th quarterback to win the Payton Award since the award was created in 1987. Payton has won the award in each of the last 10 seasons and 21 of the last 22 seasons, with the exception of Cooper Cup’s 2015 win in 2015.
π£οΈ “How did he see Austin Bray?”
πΊESPN+#GoGuins pic.twitter.com/pqdBTOvOWI
β Youngstown State Football (@ysufootball) November 15, 2025
As the 2025 Walter Payton Award winner, Brungard joins the ranks of FCS greats Steve McNair (Alcorn State, 1994), Adrian Peterson (Georgia Southern, 1999), Brian Westbrook (Villanova, 2001) and Tony Romo (East Cooper, Washington, 2001). 2015) and above.
MORE AWARDS: The History of the Buck Buchanan Award | History of the Jerry Rice Award
The best moments
Check out Brungard’s best moments of 2025 below.
Houdini Brungard doing what he does best! π§π#GoGuins pic.twitter.com/gC84tSRHdM
β Youngstown State Football (@ysufootball) November 1, 2025
DOES NOT REACH π
The Penguins lead 14-0!#GoGuins pic.twitter.com/ptzcjvjeD4
β Youngstown State Football (@ysufootball) November 22, 2025
One of those backyard dream plays.
Brungard π Waltersπ Brungard#GoGuins pic.twitter.com/ktPH1ErO51
β Youngstown State Football (@ysufootball) October 25, 2025

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