Portland State's
Anthony Adams has been named to the Buck Buchanan Award Preseason Watch List presented by Stats Perform. It is the latest in a long line of honors for Adams going into the 2022 season.
A two-time All-American, Adams is one of 35 players on the initial list for National Defensive Player of the Year honors at the NCAA I FCS level. Adams has already been named to three Preseason All-America teams.
A native of Newberg, OR, Adams completed his last two full campaigns at Portland State (2019 and 2021) as an All-American. The 6-foot, 185-pounder was a consensus All-American as a safety in 2019, then moved to cornerback in 2021 (following a season canceled by COVID) and earned AA honors at that position. In 2019, Adams was a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award and finished 12
th in the balloting.
Adams has been the face of the Viking defense the past few seasons, having started all 35 career games at PSU. A two-time first team All-Big Sky Conference selection – once at safety and once at cornerback – he was a consensus first team All-American in 2019 after leading the nation in passes defensed. After PSU opted out of the 2020 season due to COVID, Adams may have dropped from the minds of some national media, but his performance was just as strong in 2021. He made 52 tackles, five tackles for loss, had three interceptions, three fumble recoveries, five pass breakups and forced a fumble as the Vikings' boundary cornerback. He was named to one All-America team, but missed the others.
Now, Adams is front of mind as one of the best defensive backs in the nation in 2022 and
considered a top NFL prospect for 2023. Adams goes into the season with 165 career tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, 31 pass breakups and 13 career takeaways (9 INT, 4 FR). His 40 career passes defended (30 PBU, 9 INT) are the most of any returning FCS player in the nation.
Off the field, Adams has already earned his degree in Applied Health and Fitness and is about to complete graduate work in Educational Leadership and Policy. He is a four-time Academic All-Big Sky Conference honoree and was PSU's 2020 Big Sky Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
2022 Honors
Athlon Sports Preseason All-American
STATS Perform 1
st team FCS Preseason All-American
Bluebloods 1
st team FCS Preseason All-American
Buck Buchanan Award Watch List
Bluebloods Preseason All-Big Sky Conference
CFB Network Preseason All-Big Sky Conference
Preseason All-Big Sky Conference
2021 Honors
1st team All-Big Sky Conference
Academic All-Big Sky Conference
Hero Sports 2nd team All-American
2020 Honors (no season due to COVID-19)
Academic All-Big Sky Conference
Big Sky Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year
2019 Honors
AP 1st team All-American
STATS 1st team All-American
Walter Camp 1st team All-American
Athlon Sports 1st team All-American
Phil Steele 2nd team All-American
Buck Buchanan Award Candidate
Hero Sports Sophomore All-American
1st team All-Big Sky Conference
Academic All-Big Sky Conference
2018 Honors
Academic All-Big Sky Conference
THE 2022 BUCK BUCHANAN AWARD PRESEASON WATCH LIST
Defensive Linemen
Brevin Allen, Campbell, Sr., 6-4, 265 (2021 Finalist)
Ty French, Gardner-Webb, Jr., 6-3, 230
Jeblonski Green, South Carolina State, R-Jr., 6-3, 265
Malik Hamm, Lafayette, Sr., 6-3, 260
Jonathan Hammond, Davidson, Jr., 6-2, 227
Titus Leo, Wagner, Gr., 6-4, 245 (2020 and 2021 Finalist)
Jordan Lewis, Southern, Jr., 6-3, 195 (2020 Buck Buchanan Award recipient)
Nate Lynn, William & Mary, Jr., 6-3, 255 (2021 Finalist)
Devonnsha Maxwell, Chattanooga, Sr., 6-3, 296 (2021 Finalist)
Clay Patterson, Yale, Jr., 6-3, 267
Kevin Peprah, Sacred Heart, Sr., 6-2, 235
Markel Perry, Sam Houston, R-Sr., 6-2, 220
Josiah Silver, New Hampshire, So., 6-2, 232
B.J. Thompson, Stephen F. Austin, Sr., 6-6, 210
Spencer Waege, North Dakota State, Sr., 6-5, 278
Linebackers
Kelechi Anyalebechi, UIW, Gr., 6-0, 240 (2021 Finalist)
Adam Bock, South Dakota State, Jr., 6-1, 215 (2021 Finalist)
Spencer Cuvelier, Northern Iowa, R-Sr., 6-3, 245
Jacob Dobbs, Holy Cross, Sr., 6-0, 232 (2021 Finalist)
John Ford II, UT Martin, Gr., 6-3, 230
Ryan Greenhagen, Fordham, Gr., 6-1, 245 (2020 Finalist)
David Hoage, Northern Colorado, Jr., 6-3, 250
Matthew Jackson, Eastern Kentucky, R-Sr., 6-2, 205 (2021 Finalist)
James Kaczor, North Dakota State, Sr., 6-0, 212
Isaiah Land, Florida A&M, Sr., 6-4, 215 (2021 Buck Buchanan Award recipient)
Patrick O'Connell, Montana, R-Sr., 6-2, 225 (2021 Finalist)
Stone Snyder, VMI, Sr., 6-3, 240 (2020 and 2021 Finalist)
Tristan Wheeler, Richmond, R-Jr., 6-2, 228
Defensive Backs
Anthony Adams, Portland, State, Sr., 6-0, 185 (2019 Finalist)
Montrae Braswell, Missouri State, Jr., 6-0, 190
Justin Ford, Montana, R-Sr., 6-2, 190 (2021 Finalist)
Robby Hauck, Montana, R-Sr., 5-10, 185
Ferlando Jordan, Southeastern Louisiana, R-Sr., 6-0, 180
Michael Tutsie, North Dakota State, Sr., 5-11, 193
Kedrick Whitehead, Delaware, Sr., 5-11, 195
More players can join the watch list during the regular season, and afterwards a national media panel will select the winner. First awarded in 1995, the Buchanan includes past recipients such as Dexter Coakley, Rashean Mathis, Jared Allen and Arthur Moats.
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), Eddie Robinson Award (FCS coach of the year) and Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
CHECK OUT THESE STORIES
FOOTBALL SEASON PREVIEW: A LOOK AT THE DEFENSE
FOOTBALL SEASON PREVIEW: A LOOK AT THE OFFENSE
FOOTBALL PRACTICE SCHEDULE
ADAMS, MALO NAMED PRESEASON ALL-AMERICANS
MALO, KELLY, ADAMS NAMED PRESEASON ALL-BIG SKY CONFERENCE
TYSON PAULING SELECTED AS BIG SKY SCHOLAR ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
COMING FRIDAY: SPECIAL TEAMS, TEAM NOTES
