North Dakota State wide receiver and return specialist Christian Watson has been named to the 2021 Walter Payton Award watch list as announced Wednesday, Aug. 4. The award is presented annually by Stats Perform to the top offensive player in the NCAA Division I Football Championship subdivision.

Watson, a senior from Tampa, Florida, was a first team All-America kickoff returner in the 2020-21 season and was named to the All-Missouri Valley Football Conference first team as a receiver.

Watson led the Bison with 896 all-purpose yards and made a team-high 19 receptions for 442 yards and one touchdown in 10 games last year. He averaged 33.8 yards per kickoff return, including a 100-yard touchdown at Northern Iowa and a 94-yard touchdown at Sam Houston.

There are 35 players on the preseason watch list. More players can join the list during the regular season, and a national media panel will select the winner following the season.

First awarded in 1987, the award has watched past winners such as Steve McNair, Tony Romo, Brian Westbrook, Jimmy Garoppolo, Cooper Kupp and former NDSU quarterback Trey Lance move on to the NFL.