A&T's Raynard Earns Spot On Walter Payton Watch List

GREENSBORO, North Carolina -- –North Carolina A&T quarterback Lamar Raynard(6-foot-4, 195, R-SR, High Point, N.C.) is considered one of the best players on the Division I-Football Championship Subdivision level heading into the 2018 season.

The evidence of this was presented Wednesday when Raynard was placed on the Walter Payton Watch List by FCS STATS. The Walter Payton Award is handed to the best offensive collegiate player in the nation. Raynard has a spot on the list for the second straight season.

Former Aggies left tackle and current Oakland Raider Brandon Parker was on the list last season and finished 10thin the voting. Former Aggies running back and current Chicago Bear Tarik Cohen was put on the list in 2015 and ‘16. He finished ninth in the voting in 2016.

Raynard was named the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference’s offensive preseason player of the year following a season where he won the conference’s offensive honor by leading the Aggies to a 12-0 season, the MEAC title, a Celebration Bowl win and an HBCU national championship. Raynard was also a finalist in 2017 for the Deacon Jones Award which is presented to the best player in black college football.

The Aggies ended the season as the only undefeated team on the FCS level as they finished No. 6 in the nation in the NCAA FCS Coaches poll and No. 7 in the STATS FCS Media poll.

Raynard could own many of the Aggies career passing records before the 2018 season ends. In 2017, he broke single-season passing records in passing yards (2,932), passing touchdowns (27), touchdowns responsible for (31), completions (209), attempts (328) and passing efficiency (161.7). He completed 63.7 percent of his passes to come within less than a percentage point from breaking his own single-season school record for completion percentage (64.6).

Aggies football opens the 2018 season in the Guardian Credit Union FCS Kickoff on ESPN, 7 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 25 in Montgomery, Ala., at the historic Cramton Bowl against Jacksonville State.

N.C. A&T is currently the defending MEAC champion in football, women’s basketball, bowling, indoor men’s track and field, outdoor men’s track and field, indoor women’s track and field and baseball. Follow Aggies football on Twitter (@football_ncat). Follow Aggie Athletics on Twitter (@ncataggies), Instagram (@ncatathletics) and Facebook (@ncatathletics).

STATS is the world’s leading sports technology, data and content company. In 2015 they acquired The Sports Network and made a commitment to bolster its FCS coverage including the creating of a direct-to-consumer news site and end-of-season awards show to honor past and present performers of FCS football.

NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION