University of Richmond Athletics
Udinski & Herres Named To Walter Payton Award Watch List
08/03/2022 | Football
RICHMOND, Va. – University of Richmond football graduate quarterback Reece Udinski (North Wales, Pa.) and graduate wide receiver Jakob Herres (Easton, Pa.) have been named two of the 35 players selected on the preseason Walter Payton Award Watch List, which Stats Perform presents to the national offensive player of the year in college football's Division I subdivision.
Udinski and Herres are two of only three CAA Football student-athletes (Juwan Farri, RB, Monmouth) on the initial watch list and the only quarterback and wide receiver from the conference chosen. The Spiders are one of just five programs in the country that has multiple members on the preseason watch list, joining the likes of South Dakota State (3), Montana State (2), UIW (2) and Stephen F. Austin (2).
Udinski is a graduate transfer most recently from Maryland but spent the majority of his career at VMI. He brings a wealth of experience to the program, having played 39 games in his career, including 27 starts at VMI, and passing for almost 8,000 yards in his collegiate career. He spent the 2021 season as the backup quarterback at Maryland, appearing in four games for the Terrapins, including the Pinstripe Bowl victory over Virginia Tech.
Udinski was a star at VMI, playing in 35 games in his career and making 27-straight starts prior to an injury during the spring 2021 season. He finished his Keydet career first in program history and sixth all-time in Southern Conference history with 7,877 career passing yards. He was 783-of-1,268 passing in his career while throwing for 48 touchdowns and rushing for four scores.
Udinski started the first four games of the spring season, winning all four to launch the Keydets into their NCAA FCS Playoff campaign. He was 124-of-172 for 1,087 yards in the first four games, passing for seven scores and only recording two interceptions before suffering a season-ending injury.
Udinski was named Second Team All-Southern Conference in 2019 when he passed for 3,276 yards on 306-of-479 passing. He finished the year with 19 touchdowns while only throwing five interceptions all season. His 3,276 yards passing in the Air Raid offense set a VMI single-season passing record while his completion percentage of 63.9 percent was the best in program history. He opened the year with an FCS-record 368 consecutive passes without an interception and posted 11 games with 200 yards passing or more.
In his first season as a starter in 2018, Udinski passed for 3,082 yards on 302-of-523 passing. He set VMI records for completions, attempts and total plays, while also tying the program record with 20 touchdowns through the air. He established VMI single-game records for passing yards with 491 against Western Carolina while his 72 pass attempts are the second-most in a game in SoCon history.
Herres is a graduate transfer from VMI and was named preseason All-America earlier this week by Stats Perform. He was a finalist for the Walter Payton Award in 2020. During his VMI career, he has caught 226 passes for 3,006 yards and 26 touchdowns – all of which are tops among active NCAA FCS wide receivers heading into the 2022 season.
Herres earned Second Team All-Southern Conference honors during the 2021 fall season, batting through injuries to play in eight games, catching 47 passes for 500 yards and five touchdowns. He finished his Keydet career with catches in 28-straight games. He ended his VMI career just eight receptions shy of the program record and only 85 yards from the top spot in the record books.
Herres' best season came in the spring 2021 season when he helped the Keydets make the NCAA FCS Playoffs. He was named the SoCon Offensive Player of the Year and was a consensus First Team All-America selection. He was one of 16 finalists for the Stats Perform Walter Payton Award, given to the national FCS Offensive Player of the Year. He finished fourth overall in the voting for the Walter Payton Award and was named the Virginia Offensive Player of the Year by the Touchdown Club of Richmond. Herres spent the past two seasons working under current Spider offensive coordinator Billy Cosh.
Herres led the SoCon with 80 receptions for 978 yards and eight touchdowns in eight games. He averaged 12.2 yards per catches and 122.2 yards per game, both numbers leading the SoCon. He was named the SoCon Player of the Month in April after posting three games with 100 yards receiving or more, including the Keydets FCS playoff game against top-ranked JMU. In that game, he caught 13 passes for 171 yards and a touchdown.
Walter Payton Award Preseason Watch List
Quarterback
Nic Baker, Southern Illinois, Jr., 5-9, 194
Tim DeMorat, Fordham, Gr., 6-4, 220 (2020 and 2021 Finalist)
Nick Howard, Dartmouth, Sr., 6-2, 230.
Parker McKinney, Eastern Kentucky, R-Jr., 6-3, 208
Tommy Mellot, Montana State, So., 6-0, 195
Shedeur Sanders, Jackson State, So., 6-2, 215
Lindsey Scott Jr., UIW, Sr., 5-11, 220
Trae Self, Stephen F. Austin, Sr., 6-4, 190
Jason Shelley, Missouri State, Sr., 5-11, 197 (2021 Finalist)
Xavier Shepherd, Kennesaw State, Jr., 6-0, 205 (2021 Finalist)
Reece Udinski, Richmond, Gr., 6-4, 220
Running Back
Jake Chisholm, Dayton, Sr., 5-9, 191 (2021 Finalist)
Isaiah Davis, South Dakota State, Jr., 6-1, 220
Juwon Farri, Monmouth, R-Sr., 5-10, 195 (2020 Finalist)
Ailym Ford, Chattanooga, Jr., 5-9, 213
Narii Gaither, Gardner-Webb, Sr., 5-10, 181
Ulonzo Gilliam Jr., UC Davis, Sr., 5-9, 189
Malik Grant, Sacred Heart, Sr., 5-9, 200 (2021 Finalist)
Julien Gums, Nicholls, Sr., 5-10, 230
Darius Hale, Central Arkansas, So., 5-11, 225
Geno Hess, Southeast Missouri, Sr., 5-8, 209 (2021 Finalist)
Isaiah Ifanse, Montana State, Sr., 5-10, 202 (2021 Finalist)
Hunter Luepke, North Dakota State, Sr., 6-1, 236
Jaleel McLaughlin, Youngstown State, Sr., 5-9, 195
Jacob Saylors, ETSU, Sr., 5-11, 195
Wide Receiver
Avante Cox, Southern Illinois, Sr., 5-10, 170
Shaquan Davis, South Carolina State, R-Jr., 6-5, 215
Xavier Gipson, Stephen F. Austin, Sr., 5-9, 170 (2021 Finalist)
Taylor Grimes, UIW, Sr., 5-11, 190
Jakob Herres, Richmond, Gr., 6-4, 225 (2020 Finalist)
Jaxon Janke, South Dakota State, Sr., 6-3, 210
Xavier Smith, Florida A&M, Gr., 5-10, 170
Tight End
Kemari Averett, Bethune-Cookman, Sr., 6-6, 260
Tucker Kraft, South Dakota State, Jr., 6-5, 255
Ryan Miller, Furman, R-Sr., 6-2, 221
More players can join the watch list during the regular season, and afterwards a national media panel will select the winner. First awarded in 1987, the Payton has watched past recipients such as Steve McNair, Tony Romo, Brian Westbrook, Jimmy Garoppolo, Cooper Kupp and Trey Lance move on to the NFL.
Also this season, Stats Perform will present the Buck Buchanan Award (FCS defensive player of the year), Jerry Rice Award (FCS freshman player of the year), Eddie Robinson Award (FCS coach of the year) and Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
--UR—
Udinski and Herres are two of only three CAA Football student-athletes (Juwan Farri, RB, Monmouth) on the initial watch list and the only quarterback and wide receiver from the conference chosen. The Spiders are one of just five programs in the country that has multiple members on the preseason watch list, joining the likes of South Dakota State (3), Montana State (2), UIW (2) and Stephen F. Austin (2).
Udinski is a graduate transfer most recently from Maryland but spent the majority of his career at VMI. He brings a wealth of experience to the program, having played 39 games in his career, including 27 starts at VMI, and passing for almost 8,000 yards in his collegiate career. He spent the 2021 season as the backup quarterback at Maryland, appearing in four games for the Terrapins, including the Pinstripe Bowl victory over Virginia Tech.
Udinski was a star at VMI, playing in 35 games in his career and making 27-straight starts prior to an injury during the spring 2021 season. He finished his Keydet career first in program history and sixth all-time in Southern Conference history with 7,877 career passing yards. He was 783-of-1,268 passing in his career while throwing for 48 touchdowns and rushing for four scores.
Udinski started the first four games of the spring season, winning all four to launch the Keydets into their NCAA FCS Playoff campaign. He was 124-of-172 for 1,087 yards in the first four games, passing for seven scores and only recording two interceptions before suffering a season-ending injury.
Udinski was named Second Team All-Southern Conference in 2019 when he passed for 3,276 yards on 306-of-479 passing. He finished the year with 19 touchdowns while only throwing five interceptions all season. His 3,276 yards passing in the Air Raid offense set a VMI single-season passing record while his completion percentage of 63.9 percent was the best in program history. He opened the year with an FCS-record 368 consecutive passes without an interception and posted 11 games with 200 yards passing or more.
In his first season as a starter in 2018, Udinski passed for 3,082 yards on 302-of-523 passing. He set VMI records for completions, attempts and total plays, while also tying the program record with 20 touchdowns through the air. He established VMI single-game records for passing yards with 491 against Western Carolina while his 72 pass attempts are the second-most in a game in SoCon history.
Herres is a graduate transfer from VMI and was named preseason All-America earlier this week by Stats Perform. He was a finalist for the Walter Payton Award in 2020. During his VMI career, he has caught 226 passes for 3,006 yards and 26 touchdowns – all of which are tops among active NCAA FCS wide receivers heading into the 2022 season.
Herres earned Second Team All-Southern Conference honors during the 2021 fall season, batting through injuries to play in eight games, catching 47 passes for 500 yards and five touchdowns. He finished his Keydet career with catches in 28-straight games. He ended his VMI career just eight receptions shy of the program record and only 85 yards from the top spot in the record books.
Herres' best season came in the spring 2021 season when he helped the Keydets make the NCAA FCS Playoffs. He was named the SoCon Offensive Player of the Year and was a consensus First Team All-America selection. He was one of 16 finalists for the Stats Perform Walter Payton Award, given to the national FCS Offensive Player of the Year. He finished fourth overall in the voting for the Walter Payton Award and was named the Virginia Offensive Player of the Year by the Touchdown Club of Richmond. Herres spent the past two seasons working under current Spider offensive coordinator Billy Cosh.
Herres led the SoCon with 80 receptions for 978 yards and eight touchdowns in eight games. He averaged 12.2 yards per catches and 122.2 yards per game, both numbers leading the SoCon. He was named the SoCon Player of the Month in April after posting three games with 100 yards receiving or more, including the Keydets FCS playoff game against top-ranked JMU. In that game, he caught 13 passes for 171 yards and a touchdown.
Walter Payton Award Preseason Watch List
Quarterback
Nic Baker, Southern Illinois, Jr., 5-9, 194
Tim DeMorat, Fordham, Gr., 6-4, 220 (2020 and 2021 Finalist)
Nick Howard, Dartmouth, Sr., 6-2, 230.
Parker McKinney, Eastern Kentucky, R-Jr., 6-3, 208
Tommy Mellot, Montana State, So., 6-0, 195
Shedeur Sanders, Jackson State, So., 6-2, 215
Lindsey Scott Jr., UIW, Sr., 5-11, 220
Trae Self, Stephen F. Austin, Sr., 6-4, 190
Jason Shelley, Missouri State, Sr., 5-11, 197 (2021 Finalist)
Xavier Shepherd, Kennesaw State, Jr., 6-0, 205 (2021 Finalist)
Reece Udinski, Richmond, Gr., 6-4, 220
Running Back
Jake Chisholm, Dayton, Sr., 5-9, 191 (2021 Finalist)
Isaiah Davis, South Dakota State, Jr., 6-1, 220
Juwon Farri, Monmouth, R-Sr., 5-10, 195 (2020 Finalist)
Ailym Ford, Chattanooga, Jr., 5-9, 213
Narii Gaither, Gardner-Webb, Sr., 5-10, 181
Ulonzo Gilliam Jr., UC Davis, Sr., 5-9, 189
Malik Grant, Sacred Heart, Sr., 5-9, 200 (2021 Finalist)
Julien Gums, Nicholls, Sr., 5-10, 230
Darius Hale, Central Arkansas, So., 5-11, 225
Geno Hess, Southeast Missouri, Sr., 5-8, 209 (2021 Finalist)
Isaiah Ifanse, Montana State, Sr., 5-10, 202 (2021 Finalist)
Hunter Luepke, North Dakota State, Sr., 6-1, 236
Jaleel McLaughlin, Youngstown State, Sr., 5-9, 195
Jacob Saylors, ETSU, Sr., 5-11, 195
Wide Receiver
Avante Cox, Southern Illinois, Sr., 5-10, 170
Shaquan Davis, South Carolina State, R-Jr., 6-5, 215
Xavier Gipson, Stephen F. Austin, Sr., 5-9, 170 (2021 Finalist)
Taylor Grimes, UIW, Sr., 5-11, 190
Jakob Herres, Richmond, Gr., 6-4, 225 (2020 Finalist)
Jaxon Janke, South Dakota State, Sr., 6-3, 210
Xavier Smith, Florida A&M, Gr., 5-10, 170
Tight End
Kemari Averett, Bethune-Cookman, Sr., 6-6, 260
Tucker Kraft, South Dakota State, Jr., 6-5, 255
Ryan Miller, Furman, R-Sr., 6-2, 221
More players can join the watch list during the regular season, and afterwards a national media panel will select the winner. First awarded in 1987, the Payton has watched past recipients such as Steve McNair, Tony Romo, Brian Westbrook, Jimmy Garoppolo, Cooper Kupp and Trey Lance move on to the NFL.
Also this season, Stats Perform will present the Buck Buchanan Award (FCS defensive player of the year), Jerry Rice Award (FCS freshman player of the year), Eddie Robinson Award (FCS coach of the year) and Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
--UR—
Players Mentioned
WR
/ Football
QB
/ FootballSaturday, April 11
Wednesday, April 01
Wednesday, April 01
Wednesday, November 19