Barriere named to Walter Payton Award watch list
Last updated 8/12/2021 at 9:58am
CHENEY — Eric Barriere has the opportunity to finish what he started.
The Eastern Washington University football player was named to the Walter Payton Award Watch List by Stats Perform, as announced Aug. 4. The prestigious award is given to the national offensive player of the year in college football’s Division I subdivision.
Barriere is no stranger to the list, as he’s been a finalist the past two seasons. Last year, Barriere finished runner up to Southeastern Louisiana’s Cole Kelley, coming just six votes shy (137-131) of the award. In 2019 as a junior, he finished fifth. He is one of 35 players on the list, along with Sacred Heart’s Julius Chestnut who finished behind him in voting. More players can join the list during the regular season and a national media panel will select the winner at the end of the year.
An Inglewood, Calif., Barriere adds this to a long list of other preseason accolades the senior has racked up this season. He’s been named the Preseason Big Sky Conference Offensive MVP for the second-straight year after winning the honor last season, was named to the Preseason All-Big Sky team, and most recently was named first team All-America by Stats Perform.
He is coming off of a unique spring regular season that saw him lead Eastern Washington to the NCAA FCS Playoffs and was named a first team All-American by six different organizations, including being named the FCS Offensive Player of the Year by the FCS ADA.
The senior passed for at least 300 yards in five of six regular games, having at least 400 yards of total offense in three of them. Barriere ranked in the top 10 in the FCS in total offense (fifth, 369.0 per game), passing offense (fifth, 348.4), passing touchdowns (third, 19) and points responsible for (ninth, 17.4 per game). He completed 61.8 percent of his passes for 2,439 yards, 19 touchdowns and 2,583 total yards of offense.
Should he win the award this year, he’ll join the likes of previous Eastern Washington winners Cooper Kupp (2015), Bo Levi Mitchel (2011) and Erik Meyer (2005). EWU shares the lead for the most Payton Awards all-time along with Villanova.
Barriere and the rest of the Eagles start fall camp at the end of the week in preparations for the first regular season game on Sept. 2 against UNLV in Las Vegas, Nev., at Allegiant Stadium.
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