The United Athletic Conference has placed four athletes on preseason award lists from Stats Perform with three on the Walter Payton Award Preseason Watch List and one on the Buck Buchanan Award Preseason Watch List, it was announced Tuesday.
Collin Hurst, a new face to West Georgia this season, was named to the 2026 Walter Payton Award Preseason Watch List after leading Presbyterian to one of its greatest seasons in program history. Hurst was named the PFL Offensive Player of the Year after leading the league in completions (197), passing yards (2,684), passing touchdowns (26), QB efficiency rating (168.3) and passing yards per game (223) The junior out of Davie, Florida led the Blue Hose to a ranking as high as No. 16 in the AFCA Coaches Poll last season and ranked in the top-10 in the country in efficiency rating (6th), passing touchdowns (9th). This is his second consecutive season making the preseason watch list for the Walter Payton Award.
Austin Peay’s Chris Parson garnered his second consecutive Walter Payton Award Preseason List after starting all 12 games with the Govs last season. Parson led an offense that ranked 4th in red zone offense (0.935), 10th in team passing efficiency (160.43), 13th in the country in total offense (451.1) , 14th in passing offense (264.7) and 15th in scoring offense (35.1). Along with being named the UAC Offensive Player of the Week six times, Parson was also selected as a 2025 Walter Payton Award Finalist.
Tylan Hines out of Tarleton State earns a spot on the 2026 Walter Payton Award Preseason Watch List after a massive comeback from injury last season. In the final four games of the season, Hines amassed 490 yards on the ground with three scores on 78 carries. He recorded a season-high 215 rushing yards and a touchdown in the Texans’ win over Austin Peay to capture a share of the UAC Championship
To view the full Walter Payton Award Preseason watch list, click HERE.
2026 Walter Payton Award Preseason Watch List
Quarterbacks
*Collin Hurst, West Georgia, Jr., 5-10, 190 (United Athletic Conference)
*Chris Parson, Austin Peay, R-Jr., 5-11, 224 (United Athletic Conference)
Running Backs
Tylan Hines, Tarleton State, Sr., 5-7, 180 (United Athletic Conference)
Kaden Smith from EKU earned a spot on the 2026 Buck Buchanan Award Watch List after starting in 11 games for the Colonels with 77 total tackles, 37 of them coming as solo efforts. The junior out of Campbellsville, Kentucky recorded 4.5 tackles for loss over the season. Smith had a breakout game against Nicholls where he recorded a 16-yard pick-six and had eight total tackles in the game, earning him UAC Defensive Player of the Week honors.
To view the full Buck Buchanan Award preseason watch list, click HERE.
2026 Buck Buchanan Award Preseason Watch List
Linebackers
Kaden Smith, Eastern Kentucky, Jr., 6-2, 222 (United Athletic Conference)
Requests for interviews should be directed to:
Claire Johnson, Senior Director, Strategic Communications & Content
Unisun Sports /
claire.johnson@asunsports.org
About the United Athletic Conference
The United Athletic Conference (UAC) was established in 2023 as a single-sport football conference through a partnership between the Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN) and the former Western Athletic Conference. In 2026, the ASUN and UAC formed Unisun Sports to further strengthen the conference, which now features eight football-playing member institutions: Abilene Christian University (Abilene, Texas), Austin Peay State University (Clarksville, Tenn.), the University of Central Arkansas (Conway, Ark.), Eastern Kentucky University (Richmond, Ky.), the University of North Alabama (Florence, Ala.), Tarleton State University (Stephenville, Texas), the University of West Georgia (Carrollton, Ga.) and the University of West Florida (Pensacola, Fla.).