A trio of Missouri Valley Football Conference student-athletes have been named finalists for both the Payton and Buchanan Awards.

Payton Award Finalists from the MVFC
FB Hunter Luepke, North Dakota State
RB Jaleel McLaughlin, Youngstown State
LT Cody Mauch, North Dakota State



Buchanan Award Finalists from the MVFC
DT Caleb Sanders, South Dakota State
LB Zeke Vandenburgh, Illinois State
DE Spencer Waege, North Dakota State

North Dakota State has three players among the finalists for national player of the year honors in the FCS.  The finalists were announced Tuesday, Nov. 22, by Stats Perform.  NDSU FB Hunter Luepke and left tackle Cody Mauch are finalists for the Walter Payton Award, presented annually to the top offensive player in the FCS, and Bison defensive end Spencer Waege is a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award, the defensive player of the year award.

South Dakota State DT Caleb Sanders is also a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award.  The senior from Glenwood, Iowa, leads the Jackrabbits with five sacks and ranks second on the squad with six tackles for loss. He has totaled 24 tackles on the season, 14 of which have been solo stops.

And Illinois State senior LB Zeke Vandenburgh is also a finalist for the Buchanan Award. He becomes the first Redbird to be named a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award since 2013, when defensive end Colton Underwood finished in the Top 20 in the annual vote. Vandenburgh is No. 1 in the FCS in sacks per game (1.40) and tackles-for-loss per game (2.1). His 14 total sacks also rank first among all players in the FCS, while he ranks second in total tackles-for-loss with 21.0. He leads the Missouri Valley Football Conference in both of those categories as well and ranks third in total tackles. 

Youngstown State RB Jaleel McLaughlin was a two-time finalist for the Harlon Hill Award, which is presented to the top player at the Division II level, now adds being a finalist for the FCS's top offensive award to his outstanding collegiate resume.  In his five-year NCAA career, which includes two years at Notre Dame (Ohio) prior to coming to YSU, he rushed for an NCAA all-division record of 8,166 yards on 1,250 carries while scoring 79 touchdowns. In his three seasons as a Penguin, he rushed for 3,418 yards on 535 attempts and had 30 touchdowns.

Notably, North Dakota State has had six previous finalists for the Walter Payton Award, including quarterback Trey Lance as the 2019 winner. Mauch is the only offensive lineman among this year's finalists and the second all-time from NDSU joining Joe Haeg, who was 13th in the voting in 2015.  NDSU has had nine previous finalists for the Buck Buchanan Award. Defensive end Kyle Emanuel was the 2014 award recipient.

PAYTON AWARD
The Payton Award, which was first presented in 1987 and in its 36th season, is named for legendary running back Walter Payton, who starred at Jackson State as part of his Hall of Fame career. Affectionately known as the Heisman of the FCS, its past recipients include Steve McNair, Tony Romo, Brian Westbrook, Jimmy Garoppolo, Cooper Kupp and Trey Lance.

• Walter Payton Award Finalists

BUCHANAN AWARD
The Buchanan Award, first presented in 1995 and in its 28th season, is named for legendary defensive lineman Junious "Buck" Buchanan, who starred at Grambling State as part of his Hall of Fame career.  A national media panel will select the Buchanan Award winner, with voting based on the regular season. The recipient will be announced at the FCS National Awards banquet on Jan. 7 in Frisco, Texas – on the eve of the national championship game.

• Buck Buchanan Award Finalists

A national media panel will select the Payton Award winner, with voting based on the regular season. The recipient will be announced at the FCS National Awards banquet on Jan. 7 in Frisco, Texas – on the eve of the national championship game.