SAN DIEGO – San Diego quarterback
Reid Sinnett was one of 16 players added to the 2019 STATS FCS Walter Payton Award watch list on Wednesday.
Considered the "Heisman of the FCS," the Walter Payton Award is given to the top offensive player from the FCS level. Sinnett joins teammate
Michael Bandy, who was selected in the preseason after his consensus All-American season last year, on the 41-nominee midseason watch list.
In his first season as a starter, Sinnett is the FCS leader in passing efficiency and completion percentage while he is among the top four in passing touchdowns (3rd), passing yards per game (3rd), points responsible for (3rd) and total offense (4th). The redshirt senior's current passing efficiency (186.4) ranks as the fifth-best in FCS history with three weeks remaining in the regular season.
Bandy, meanwhile, has followed up his All-American campaign by putting himself in the conversation as one of the top receivers in the FCS once again. The senior is top-five in the country in receiving yards per game, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns as he has 55 catches, 906 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns in eight games.
Sinnett and Bandy help make USD one of seven schools with multiple players on the midseason list.
The Walter Payton Award is voted on by a national panel of 150 sports information and media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries. Past recipients include Steve McNair, Tony Romo, Brian Westbrook, Jimmy Garoppolo and Cooper Kupp.
The winner of the honor is announced on January 10, 2020, which is the night before the FCS Championship game in Frisco, Texas.
San Diego, in the midst of the nation's longest active conference winning streak at 34 games, travels to Florida this week to play at PFL foe Stetson on Saturday at 9 a.m. PT/12 p.m. ET.
2019 STATS FCS Walter Payton Award Midseason Watch List:
Tyrie Adams, QB (Western Carolina)
Troy Andersen, ATH (Montana State)
Kenji Bahar, QB (Monmouth)
Michael Bandy, WR (San Diego)
Eric Barriere, QB (Eastern Washington)
Grant Breneman, QB (Colgate)
Case Cookus, QB (Northern Arizona)
Zerrick Cooper, QB (Jacksonville State)
Kevin Davidson, QB (Princeton)
Tom Flacco, QB (Towson)
Chase Fourcade, QB (Nicholls)
Pete Guerriero, RB (Monmouth)
Felix Harper, QB (Alcorn State)
A.J. Hines, RB (Duquesne)
Cade Johnson, WR (South Dakota State)
Noah Johnson, QB (Alcorn State)
Reed Klubnik, WR (Yale)
Trey Lance, QB (North Dakota State)
Jake Maier, QB (UC Davis)
Jah-Maine Martin, RB (North Carolina A&T)
Caylin Newton, QB (Howard)
Bryce Nunnelly, WR (Chattanooga)
Aaron Parker, WR (Rhode Island)
Josh Pearson, WR (Jacksonville State)
Alex Ramsey, RB (VMI)
Kurt Rawlings, QB (Yale)
James Robinson, RB (Illinois State)
Chris Rowland, WR/KR (Tennessee State)
Shane Simpson, RB (Towson)
Reid Sinnett, QB (San Diego)
Breylin Smith, QB (Central Arkansas)
Daniel Smith, QB (Villanova)
Ryan Stanley, QB (Florida A&M)
Nathan Stewart, WR (Sam Houston State)
Pierre Strong, Jr., RB (South Dakota State)
Charlie Taumoepeau, TE (Portland State)
Kevin Thomson, QB (Sacramento State)
Adam Trautman, TE (Dayton)
De'Shawn Waller, RB (Alcorn State)
Aaron Winchester, QB (Central Connecticut State)
Bailey Zappe, QB (Houston Baptist)
