After a sixth-place finish in last year’s voting, Monmouth University Football quarterback Derek Robertson has been named to the 2025 Stats Perform Walter Payton Award Preseason Watch List, and was also selected for the 2025 East-West Shrine Bowl 1000 Watch List.
Robertson adds to his growing list of preseason accolades, claiming All-American honors from Stats Perform, Phil Steele, and FCS Football Central already. The senior is also a Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) All-Conference First Team member and the conference’s Offensive Player of the Year heading into 2025.
The New York native’s inclusion on the Walter Payton Preseason Watch List is the first of his career, and he is the seventh Hawk in program history to earn recognition, joining David Sinisi (2008), Reggie White Jr. (2018), Pete Guerriero (2019), Kenji Bahar (2019), Juwon Farri (2021 and 2022) and Jaden Shirden (2023). Robertson is one of four players from the CAA recognized this year.
The East-West Shrine Bowl 1000 list is compiled from all four levels of football in consultation with NFL and college personnel to put together the best 1,000 players for the NFL level, with the aim for the Shrine Bowl 1000 to serve as a look into the scouting process, as well as to begin to preview college players who are currently all-star game eligible for the 2026 East-West Shrine Bowl and 2026 NFL Draft class. Robertson is one of four players from the CAA recognized. Those who make the final roster will compete in the 101st edition of the East-West Shrine Bowl that will be played at Ford Center in Frisco, Texas, on Jan. 27, 2026.
Robertson is entering his final season of eligibility (second with the Hawks) after delivering one of the most prolific seasons in Monmouth history in 2024, breaking single-season program records with 3,937 passing yards and 31 touchdown passes, and leading all of FCS in both air yards per game (328.1) and total offense per game (325.3). He completed 65% of his passes (283-for-435) and threw for at least one touchdown in every game, including seven outings with 350+ yards and a school-record 536-yard, three-touchdown performance at Stony Brook.
The Walter Payton Award, in its 39th season and affectionately known as the Heisman of the FCS, is named for legendary running back Walter Payton, who starred at Jackson State as part of his Hall of Fame career. All 13 FCS conferences are represented on the watch list, which includes nine past finalists. This season’s recipient will be announced at the Stats Perform National Awards Presentation on Jan. 3, 2026, in Nashville, Tennessee.
Monmouth opens the season at Colgate on Aug. 29, 2025. Tickets and parking for the 2025 Monmouth Football season are available at MonmouthHawks.com/Tickets or by calling 732-263-5735.