The FCS Daily Dose is a blog-style article series featuring an assortment of news, rumblings, quick hitters, and commentary on various topics.
A new Daily Dose will be published multiple times a week.
10 Most Valuable FCS Players In 2024
Many important players are suiting up in the FCS this fall that are integral to their team’s success. Football is a team game, sure, but individual play for these guys will determine how good their squad is.
This list isn’t naming the 10 best players. It’s naming the 10 most important players.
We looked at individuals on teams with national expectations. Players whose play/health/clutch moments are individually most valuable for their program’s success in 2024.
10. Central Arkansas DE David Walker
UCA has all the talent to be a playoff team and win games in the bracket. The Bears finished 7-4 last season, losing two UAC games by two points.
A bulk of the team returns in 2024. The offense won’t have trouble scoring points, led by quarterback Will McElvain, standout running backs ShunDerrick Powell and Darius Hale, and four starting offensive linemen.
The defense is the unit that needs to go from pretty good to great for UCA to be a Top 10 FCS team. David Walker is the man to lead that charge. An elite defensive end, Walker recorded 66 tackles, 22 tackles for loss, and 12 sacks in 2022. Last year, he had 57 tackles, 18 TFLs, and 8.5 sacks. If Walker can put together a Buck Buchanan Award season, it will take UCA’s defense to another level, and the team to another level to reach its full potential.
9. William & Mary RB Bronson Yoder
W&M’s offense regressed in 2023 after its 2022 quarterfinal run. Bronson Yoder’s injury played a big part in that regression.
He returns this fall, though, looking to replicate a 2022 season that saw 1,255 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns. The Tribe also returns its multi-year starting quarterback, top four rushers, top three pass-catchers, and four offensive linemen who started at least five games last year.
William & Mary is expected to bounce back and be a playoff contender, receiving plenty of preseason Top 25 love. Yoder will play a crucial role in the Tribe returning to its 2022 form.
8. Western Carolina QB Cole Gonzales
WCU looks primed for a breakout season after a 7-4 finish last year. Plenty of offensive weapons are back after averaging 37.5 points per game, which ranked No. 4 in the FCS. And the defense returns eight of its top 11 tacklers.
The Catamounts would have likely made the 2023 playoffs if Cole Gonzales didn’t get hurt early in the regular-season finale. The SoCon Offensive Player of the Year totaled 2,803 yards passing, 28 touchdowns, and eight interceptions.
Gonzales is viewed as a top quarterback in the FCS. If he delivers on that hype, WCU will be a scary team this fall.
7. Chattanooga QB Chase Artopoeus
Chattanooga is the preseason favorite to win the SoCon and could potentially be a team that makes noise in the playoffs, similar to Furman last year.
The defense returns seven starters and should be a solid unit. An explosive offense looks promising as well. Chase Artopoeus leads the way at quarterback. In 10 starts last year after transferring from UCLA, he went 187/298 passing (63%) for 2,672 yards, 20 touchdowns, and seven interceptions.
If Artopoeus can perform as one of the better signal-callers in the FCS, the Mocs could be that southern team to threaten the typical northern powers in the playoff bracket.
6. Idaho QB Jack Layne
Idaho will have a tough defense this fall, returning eight starters and 13 of its 18 players who tallied at least 250 snaps last year. But its offense has question marks after losing its star quarterback and running back to the FBS and its two All-Conference receivers to the NFL.
Interestingly, some Idaho fans didn’t seem too worried when First Team All-Big Sky quarterback Gevani McCoy entered the portal and landed at Oregon State. That’s because there is plenty of hype behind new starting QB Jack Layne. Layne has two starts in the last two seasons due to McCoy getting injured, highlighted by going 20/26 passing for 275 yards and six touchdowns against Idaho State last fall.
If Idaho wants to continue its rise as an FCS program, Layne needs to deliver on the hype.
5. South Dakota QB Aidan Bouman
USD leaned on its No. 8 FCS scoring defense last year. Its offense was efficient, but not too explosive as it averaged 24 points per game to rank No. 73. With six of the top 11 tacklers gone but most of the starting offense back, the Coyotes will need to up their scoring.
Bouman will be a key part of USD’s 2024 success. Last year, he threw for 2,551 yards, 15 touchdowns, and six interceptions. His 156.7 passing efficiency ranked 11th in the FCS, and PFF graded Bouman as the No. 9 overall FCS QB.
Some wonder if the 2023 breakout season was a one-time thing for the Yotes. If Bouman and the offense can elevate their play, USD looks to be an FCS contender again.
4. North Dakota State QB Cam Miller
Miller is a veteran, entering his final season at NDSU with 40 starts. He has a 31-9 record, a national championship ring, another national championship appearance, and a semifinal appearance.
A dang good resume.
But there is still some meat left on the bone.
Miller was great for most of last year, finishing with 2,688 yards passing, 19 TDs, and four interceptions while adding 629 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground.
Miller’s next step in his progression is to be at his best in the biggest games. Whether it was the 2022 semifinals against UIW, the 2023 second round at Montana State, the first three quarters in the 2023 semifinals at Montana, or games against SDSU, Miller hasn’t been at his strongest.
While NDSU likes its backup QB Cole Payton, Miller is still arguably the most valuable player on the Bison roster. If they retake their throne atop the FCS, it will be due to Miller going from great to elite throughout the season, and delivering his best performances in the biggest moments.
3. Montana WR Junior Bergen
Bobby Hauck was in heaven last December. Not only because his Griz squad reached the FCS national championship game, but also because they used defense and special teams to get there.
Bergen was already a legend in Montana. But he became a legend nationally in the playoff run.
In Montana’s 35-28 overtime win over Furman in the quarterfinals, Bergen started the game with a 99-yard kickoff return touchdown. He later gave the Griz a 28-21 lead with a 59-yard punt return TD.
The next week in a 31-29 double-overtime win over NDSU, Bergen’s 47-yard punt return touchdown extended Montana’s lead to 16-9 in the fourth quarter.
You could make the case that Fresno State transfer quarterback Logan Fife or redshirt freshman QB Keali’i Ah Yat could go here as the team’s most valuable player. If Montana gets quality QB play, it has the offensive weapons and defensive strength to be back in Frisco. But the Grizzlies may not ask much of their QB this year — Just play within the system, take care of the ball, and the talent around you will handle the rest.
Bergen’s presence on the team is massive, a literal difference-maker as a standout wide receiver and returner.
2. South Dakota State QB Mark Gronowski
“HOW IS THE 2023 WALTER PAYTON AWARD WINNER NOT NO. 1!?” asks a person with poor online reading comprehension who skips intros with important context.
Is Gronowski incredibly valuable in SDSU’s hopes of a three-peat? Obviously. Is he the best player in the FCS? Yes. Is he the most important player in the FCS when it comes to team success? Maybe not. It might be the player named below. That’s because the Jackrabbits are very confident backup quarterback Chase Mason could lead them in another run if he had to. If the player below is out, his team goes from a national title threat to a squad that still could make the playoffs, but it likely bows out early.
Gronowski, of course, is a central figure in the FCS landscape.
The 2023 Walter Payton Award winner and back-to-back FCS national championship game Most Outstanding Player could become the most accomplished quarterback in FCS history. The storyline of whether he’ll enter the transfer portal was a major talking point at the start of this offseason. And with a lot of offensive talent gone from last year’s squad, Gronowski will shoulder more pressure to help lead SDSU to a three-peat.
1. Montana State QB Tommy Mellott
Mellott was lighting up NDSU’s defense with his arm and legs in last year’s second-round playoff matchup. He was 12/16 passing for 209 yards and two touchdowns while tallying 150 yards and two more scores on the ground. But a run up the middle late in the game resulted in a lower-body injury. Mellott exited the game, didn’t return, and MSU lost 35-34.
Mellott also got banged up against SDSU in the 2022 semifinals. And the year prior, he suffered an injury early in the national championship game against NDSU.
He missed a handful of 2022 and 2023 regular-season games due to injury as well. In those scenarios, the dynamic Sean Chambers stepped in and MSU’s offense didn’t miss a beat. But Chambers’ eligibility is done. And confidence in MSU’s backup quarterback scenario is iffy.
If Mellott can stay healthy and parlay his 2023 playoff performance into this fall, the Bobcats have the talent and experience to be celebrating on the Frisco stage in January. He is incredibly gifted physically. He’s just been snakebit by injuries. If Mellott gets sidelined again, especially late in the season, another early playoff exit is more realistic.
Mellott is the most important individual in the FCS for his team’s success.
Senior Bowl Announces 2025 Watchlist
The Senior Bowl, the top all-star game for NFL Draft prospects, announced its 2025 Watchlist. Around 60 2024 FCS players were named, which is 10+ more than the 2024 Watchlist.
The list of FCS players mentioned can be found here.
Past Daily Doses
How Many FCS Teams Have 3-Peated? How Many Fell 1 Title Short Of A 3-Peat? … READ MORE
FCS Teams Playing The Worst FBS Teams In 2024 + FCS Championship Game Tickets … READ MORE
Celebration Bowl Date Moved Up A Week + Idaho, South Dakota Schedule Home-and-Home … READ MORE
