URI's Farrell, Buchanan Chosen To Preseason Watch List For Walter Payton Award
Rob Washburn
http://Walter Payton Award's 40th Anniversary Kicks Off With Preseason Watch List | Opta Analyst
RICHMOND, Va. (July 14, 2026) – Rhode Island senior quarterback
Devin Farrell and Rams’ senior wide receiver
Marquis Buchanan were selected to the 30-player preseason watch list for the Walter Payton Award, which is presented by Stats Perform and annually honors the national offensive player of the year in FCS football.
Farrell earned first-team All-CAA honors in 2025 after completing 267-of-410 passes for 3,745 yards and 24 touchdowns. He added 78 yards and 3 TD’s on the ground. The passing yardage and touchdown totals were the third-most in URI history as he ranked seventh nationally in passing yards per game (267.5 ypg), 13
th in pass efficiency and 13
th in total offense.
Buchanan received first-team All-America accolades in 2025 after making 78 receptions for 1,337 yards and eight touchdowns. The 1,337 receiving yards were the most of any player in FCS football and his 78 catches were the 5
th-most in URI history. Buchanan enters his final season with 202 receptions for 3,099 yards and is on pace to enter the CAA’s career top 10 in both categories.
The Walter Payton Award celebrates its 40
th anniversary in 2026. Farrell and Buchanan were both finalists for the award in 2025 after helping lead Rhode Island to its second straight CAA title and the second round of the FCS playoffs.