Kennesaw State quarterback Chandler Burks was named to the preseason watch list for the 2018 Walter Payton award.

Burks, from Douglasville, was a finalist for last season’s Walter Payton Award which is given annually to the most impressive offensive player in the Division I- Football Championship Subdivision of college football.

The winner is determined by a national panel of media and college sports information directors.

Earning Big South Offensive Player of the Year and Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors last year, Burks finished his junior season with the Owls rushing for 1,103 yards and 18 touchdowns and passing for 1,307 yards and nine touchdowns with three interceptions— becoming the first Kennesaw State player to rush and pass for over 1,000 in a single season.

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Georgia State Panthers and Georgia Bulldogs players are seen battling at half-court during the first half of an exhibition opener game at the Georgia State Convocation Center, Wednesday, October 15, 2025, in Atlanta. 
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