BILLINGS — Running backs Eli Gillman from Montana and Adam Jones of Montana State on Tuesday were named to the Stats Perform preseason watch list for the 2025 Walter Payton Award.
The award is given to the most outstanding offensive player in the Football Championship Subdivision at the end of the season. MSU quarterback Tommy Mellott was last year's winner.
Jones, an incoming sophomore out of Missoula Sentinel, was named Big Sky Conference freshman of the year in 2024 after rushing for 1,172 yard and 14 touchdowns last season — both MSU freshman records. He was a Jerry Rice Award finalist last season for FCS freshman of the year.
Jones enters the 2025 campaign as the Big Sky's preseason offensive MVP.
Gillman, a junior from Dassel, Minn., ranks fifth in Montana program history with 28 rushing touchdowns and seventh with 2,137 rushing yards. He rushed for 1,104 yards as a sophomore in 2024. Gillman won the Jerry Rice Award at the end of the 2023 season when he rushed for 968 yards.
Gillman, like Jones, was named to the Big Sky's preseason all-conference team ahead of the 2025 campaign.
Jones and Gillman are two of 30 players named to the initial Walter Payton Award watch list by Stats Perform.
It has been 20 years since a running back won the Payton (Colgate's Jamal Branch in 2003), and only one non-quarterback has won the award since 2004 (Eastern Washington WR Cooper Cupp in 2015).
Following is the list of the 30 names on the preseason watch list for 2025:
Quarterbacks
Aidan Bouman, South Dakota, R-Sr., 6-5, 225
Jaden Craig, Harvard, Sr., 6-2, 215
Quincy Crittendon, Samford, Sr., 5-11, 200
Taron Dickens, Western Carolina, R-So., 5-11, 180
Victor Gabalis, Tarleton State, Sr., 6-3, 210
Ethan Greenwood, LIU, R-Jr., 6-0, 193
JaCobian Morgan, Jackson State, Grad, 6-4, 227
Derek Robertson, Monmouth, R-Sr., 6-2, 200
Ralph Rucker IV, Bucknell, Fifth Year, 6-0, 210
Sam Vidlak, Stephen F. Austin, Sr., 6-1, 207
Running backs
Mari Adams, Davidson, Sr., 5-11, 210
David Avit, Villanova, So., 6-0, 220
Jamar Curtis, Sacramento State, Sr., 5-8, 169
Roland Dempster, Stony Brook, R-Sr., 6-0, 225
Eli Gillman, Montana, R-Jr., 6-0, 208
Steve Hall, Lindenwood, So., 5-9, 195
Elijah Howard, Central Connecticut State, Sr., 5-11, 176
Adam Jones, Montana State, R-So., 6-1, 200
Kevon King, Norfolk State, Sr., 5-11, 200
Julius Loughridge, South Dakota State, Sr., 6-0, 215
Charles Pierre Jr., South Dakota, R-Jr., 5-10, 205
Travis Terrell, Jackson State, So., 5-8, 165
Wenkers Wright, Illinois State, Sr., 6-1, 205
Wide receivers
Marquis Buchanan, Rhode Island, R-So., 6-4, 175
Kylon Harris, Stephen F. Austin, Sr., 5-11, 160
Bryce Lance, North Dakota State, R-Sr., 6-3, 209
Samuel Musungu, Cornell, Jr., 6-1, 192
Treyvhon Saunders, Colgate, Sr., 5-10, 190
Daniel Sobkowicz, Illinois State, Sr., 6-3, 205
Jalen Walthall, UIW, R-Sr., 6-2, 180
