Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina transfer linebacker Antoine Williams was today listed among the 35 preseason hopefuls vying for the 2023 Buck Buchanan Award presented by FedEx Ground and announced by Stats Perform. The Buchanan Award is given annually to the national defensive Player of the Year in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision.
 
Williams, who transferred to WCU from Austin Peay over the summer, was a 2022 Buck Buchanan Award finalist, finishing 22nd in the final national vote. He becomes just the second Catamount defender to grace the award watch list, joining football alum Marvin Tillman who made the watch list back in 2018.
 
Williams is one of four players from the Southern Conference to grace the initial list. He's joined by defensive lineman Jay Person – also a finalist in 2022 – and defensive back Kameron Brown, both from Chattanooga, and Mercer linebacker Isaac Dowling.
 
A product of Birmingham, Ala., Williams saw action in 24 games over three seasons at Austin Peay from 2020-22. The redshirt junior recorded 100 career tackles including 91 a season ago that helped land him on the All-ASUN Conference list as a linebacker and garner third-team 2022 Stats Perform FCS All-America plaudits. Among his 91 stops last season were 12.5 tackles for 60 yards in losses including four sacks.
 
Earlier this week, Williams was among 11 SoCon players to earn 2023 Stats Perform FCS Preseason All-America honors, selected to the second team. He was also dubbed preseason All-America by both The Bluebloods and Phil Steele. Williams was a second-team preseason All-Southern Conference by the league's head coaches at the conference's media day at the Hotel Hartness back on July 27.
 
First awarded in 1995, the Buchanan Award includes past recipients such as Dexter Coakley from Appalachian State – the only SoCon player to ever win the award, doing so twice in 1995 and 1996 – Rashean Mathis, Jared Allen and Arthur Moats.
 
All 15 FCS conferences, which combine to form 13 leagues, are represented on the watch list, including 13 past finalists. More players can join the watch list during the regular season, and afterwards a national media panel will select the winner.
 
Also this season, Stats Perform will present the Walter Payton Award (FCS offensive player of the year), Jerry Rice Award (FCS freshman player of the year), Edie Robinson Award (FCS coach of the year), and Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
 
FedEx Ground announced increased involvement with NCAA FCS football this week with the sponsorship of appearing on TheAnalyst.com and its FCS social media channels. The Analyst is the hub for Stats Perform's national coverage. FedEx Ground's expanded support of FCS Football coverage includes the weekly Top 25 media poll, a national weekly podcast and the season-ending FCS National Awards Banquet, adding to its National Players and Team of the Week Awards, Game of the Week and the Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete Award.
 
Catamount football continued its preseason practice on a rainy Thursday morning with its second helmet-only practice as a part of the NCAA acclimation process. The team is scheduled to put on shoulder pads for the first time this fall on Friday morning with an 8:30 a.m. practice session. Each of WCU's preseason football practices is open to the public. It is respectfully requested, though, that spectators observe from the stadium seating area and avoid being either on the field or the sidelines for safety. Practice times are subject to change.
 
Season tickets and season-long Catamount Club parking as well as single-game tickets for Western Carolina's 2023 home schedule are on sale now through the Catamount Athletics ticket office, located on the first floor of the Ramsey Center, by phone at (828) 227-2401, or online at CatamountSports.com/BuyTickets.
 
Keep track of everything related to Catamount Football and WCU Athletics through its social media outlets on Facebook (FB.com/CatamountSports) and Twitter (@Catamounts, @CatamountsFB).
 
2023 Buck Buchanan Award Watch List
Presented by FedEx Ground

Defensive Linemen
Sundiata Anderson, Grambling State, Sr., 6-5, 240 (Southwestern Athletic Conference)
Finn Claypool, Drake, R-So., 6-1, 240 (Pioneer Football League)
Daylan Dotson, UT Martin, Jr., 6-3, 280 (Big South-OVC Football Alliance)
Ty French, Gardner-Webb, Sr., 6-3, 230 (Big South-OVC Football Alliance) - 2022 Finalist
Patrick Godbolt, South Carolina State, Sr., 6-3, 235 (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference)
Thor Griffith, Harvard, Sr., 6-2, 305 (Ivy League)
Nate Lynn, William & Mary, Sr., 6-3, 255 (CAA Football) - 2021 Finalist
Eli Mostaert, North Dakota State, Sr., 6-3, 286 (Missouri Valley Football Conference)
Eric O'Neill, LIU, So., 6-3, 240 (Northeast Conference)
Jay Person, Chattanooga, Sr., 6-3, 224 (Southern Conference) - 2022 Finalist
Josiah Silver, New Hampshire, Jr., 6-2, 243 (CAA Football)
Sebastian Valdez, Montana State, Jr., 6-3, 291 (Big Sky Conference)
David Walker, Central Arkansas, Jr., 6-3, 265 (United Athletic Conference) - 2022 Finalist
Syrus Webster, Utah Tech, Jr., 6-4, 255 (United Athletic Conference)
 
Linebackers
Colton Adams, Alabama State, R-Jr., 6-2, 230 (Southwestern Athletic Conference)
Armon Bailey, Sacramento State, Sr., 6-1, 228 (Big Sky Conference)
Adam Bock, South Dakota State, Sr., 6-1, 215 (Missouri Valley Football Conference) - 2021 Finalist
Rodney Dansby, Houston Christian, Jr., 6-0, 225 (Southland Conference) - 2022 Finalist
Jacob Dobbs, Holy Cross, Sr., 6-0, 237 (Patriot League) - 2021 Finalist
Isaac Dowling, Mercer, Jr., 5-10, 225 (Southern Conference)
David Hoage, Northern Colorado, Sr., 6-3, 245 (Big Sky Conference)
Liam Johnson, Princeton, Sr., 6-0, 220 (Ivy League)
Bryce Norman, Southeast Missouri, Jr., 6-0, 226 (Big South-OVC Football Alliance) - 2022 Finalist
John Pius, William & Mary, R-Jr., 6-2, 230 (CAA Football) - 2022 Finalist
Winston Reid, Weber State, Sr., 6-1, 230 (Big Sky Conference) - 2022 Finalist
Tristan Wheeler, Richmond, R-Sr., 6-2, 228 (CAA Football) - 2020 and 2022 Finalist
Antoine Williams, Western Carolina, Jr., 5-10, 205 (Southern Conference) - 2022 Finalist
 
Defensive Backs
Maxwell Anderson, Weber State, Sr., 5-11, 170 (Big Sky Conference)
Khalil Baker, North Carolina Central, Sr., 6-0, 185 (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) - 2022 Finalist
Kameron Brown, Chattanooga, Sr., 5-9, 179 (Southern Conference)
Rex Connors, UC Davis, R-So., 6-1, 203 (Big Sky Conference)
Myles Harden, South Dakota, Sr., 6-0, 190 (Missouri Valley Football Conference)
Devin Haskins, Holy Cross, Sr., 6-3, 209 (Patriot League)
Lawrence Johnson, Southeast Missouri, Gr., 6-0, 196 (Big South-OVC Football Alliance)
TaMuarion Wilson, Central Arkansas, Jr., 6-2, 205 (United Athletic Conference)