47 players to know for the 47th season of FCS football

The FCS (formerly called I-AA) enters its 47th season in 2024 after beginning in 1978. In honor of that history, here are 47 players to know for the 2024 season.

This is not a ranking of the top 47 players in the FCS, meaning some fan-favorite players will be left off the list. However, those players are likely to be on the national radar all season long.

That said, let's dive into the 47-player list.

Quarterbacks

• Mark Gronowski | South Dakota State
• Tommy Mellott | Montana State
• Cam Miller | North Dakota State
• Aidan Bouman | South Dakota
• Cole Gonzalez | Western Carolina
• Will McElvain | Central Arkansas
• Connor Watkins | Villanova
• Clifton McDowell | McNeese

The most important player to know this year in the FCS is Mark Gronowski, the reigning Walter Payton Award winner for two-time defending champion South Dakota State. Then there are playoff stalwarts Tommy Mellott and Cam Miller and Montana State and North Dakota State. Keep an eye out for Clifton McDowell at McNeese, who transferred there after starting in the FCS title game for Montana.

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Running backs

• Malik Grant | Rhode Island
• Jarett Hunter | Howard
• JaMar Curtis | Lafayette
• Lan Larison | UC Davis
• Eli Gillman | Montana
• Kayvon Britten | Tarleton State
• Bronson Yoder | William & Mary
• Collin Guggenheim | Nicholls

There are plenty of talented running backs in the FCS this year. Malik Grant was a star at Sacred Heart before transferring to Rhode Island this fall and JaMar Curtis had a breakout season leading Lafayette to the Patriot League title. Speaking of the postseason, we last saw Jarett Hunter lead Howard to the Celebration Bowl and reigning Jerry Rice Award winner Eli Gillman lead Montana to the FCS title game.

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Wide receivers

• Carter Bell | South Dakota
• Nick DeGennaro | Richmond
• Efton Chism III | Eastern Washington
• Junior Bergen | Montana

We all should know Junior Bergen's name after his electrifying playoff run both as a receiver and as a returner in 2023. All of the wide receivers on this list can take over a game.

Offensive line

• Gus Miller | South Dakota State
• Evan Beerntsen | South Dakota State
• Nick Taiste | South Carolina State
• Jackson Slater | Sacramento State
• Charles Grant | William & Mary
• Marcus Wehr | Montana State

Gus Miller and Evan Beerntsen lead what's expected to again be one of the best offensive lines in the FCS, even after South Dakota State lost linemen to the NFL. Yet, the Big Sky might have the top two offensive linemen in the country, Jackson Slater and Marcus Wehr, who have NFL aspirations of their own. Don't sleep on Nick Taiste or Charles Grant on the east coast; both could be First-Team All-Americans come season's end.

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Defensive linemen

• Ckelby Givens | Southern
• Elijah Williams | Morgan State
• Nick Gaes | South Dakota
• Brody Grebe | Montana State
• David Walker | Central Arkansas
• Marlon Taylor | Chattanooga
• Josiah Silver | New Hampshire
• Finn Claypool | Drake

The list of defensive linemen is a good mix of pass rushers and run stoppers from inside and on the edge. Leading the group is David Walker, a third-place finisher for the Buck Buchanan Award in 2022 and a finalist in 2023. My favorite interior rusher is Ckelby Givens from Southern, who finished last year with 21 tackles for loss and seven sacks.

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Linebacker

• Adam Bock | South Dakota State
• James Conway | Fordham
• Amir Abdullah | Illinois State
• Micah Davey | McNeese

When healthy, Adam Bock is one of the best defensive players in the FCS. If he stays healthy all season, expect him to live up to the billing. James Conway has made no fewer than 127 tackles in his first three seasons. He's 163 tackles away from the career record. Micah Davey is a tackling machine, while Amir Abdullah is a terror of the edge.

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Defensive backs

• Khalil Baker | Elon
• Kendall Bohler | Florida A&M
• Rex Connors | UC Davis
• Caleb Curtain | Elon
• TaMuarion Wilson | Central Arkansas
• Cole Wisniewski | North Dakota State
• Abraham Williams | Idaho
• Trevin Gradney | Montana
• Tucker Large | South Dakota State

There's plenty of star power in the secondary this year. Cole Wisniewski was dominant last year, and TaMaurion Wilson and Rex Connors are always around the football. Kendall Bohler has shutdown corner potential on the outside, while Tucker Large is known for his timely turnovers for the two-time defending champions. Large also contributes to the return game, but the best return man in all of college football is Abraham Williams. Williams, a Weber State transfer, heads to Idaho this fall and is only two kickoff returns for touchdowns away from tying the NCAA career record at seven total.