FRISCO, Texas (Jan. 4, 2022) – The nation's best offensive player resides in the Big Sky Conference, as Montana State’s Tommy Mellott was named the 2024 Stats Perform FCS Walter Payton Award winner at the annual national awards banquet on Saturday evening in Frisco, Texas.
Mellott, whose Bobcats play for a national title on Monday night, finished first over Cam Miller of North Dakota State and Targhee Lambson of Southern Utah.
Mellott is the 10th Walter Payton Award recipient from the Big Sky and first since Eastern Washington’s Eric Barriere won the honor in 2021. Mellott is the first player from Montana State to win the Walter Payton Award, as the Butte native also swept the Walter Camp and ADA Offensive Player of the Year honors last week.
The Walter Payton Award, in its 38th season and 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.
The Big Sky Offensive MVP and a consensus First Team All-America pick, Mellott led the Bobcats to a 15-0 season, a No. 1 national ranking, and a berth in Monday's FCS Championship Game. He enters Monday as the FCS leader in pass efficiency with more than 2,500 pass yards and 29 touchdowns against only two interceptions.
Mellott has accounted for an FCS-best 258 points this year, which includes 915 rush yards and 14 rushing touchdowns. The 2024 Walter Payton Award winner is the only active FCS player with at least 3,000 career rushing yards and 3,000 career passing yards.
Mellott made history by becoming the first player ever to win both the Walter Payton Award and the Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete Award during their collegiate careers. The Doris Robinson Award honors an FCS-level student-athlete who exemplifies excellence on the field, in the classroom and across the community.
In addition to Mellott’s award win on Saturday night, Brent Vigen was officially honored at the banquet as the 2024 Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year.
Walter Payton Award Winners for the Big Sky
2024: Tommy Mellott, Montana State
2021: Eric Barriere, Eastern Washington
2015: Cooper Kupp, Eastern Washington
2011: Bo Levi Mitchell, Eastern Washington
2005: Erik Meyer, Eastern Washington
1996: Archie Amerson, Northern Arizona
1995: Dave Dickenson, Montana
1993: Doug Nussmeier, Idaho
1991: Jamie Martin, Weber State
1989: John Friesz, Idaho
2024 Walter Payton Award Top 3 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
Follow the Big Sky Conference (@BigSkyConf) on X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok for all of the latest news around the league and use the hashtag #ExperienceElevated to stay connected.