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Fifth-year running back Marcus Yarns was named to the Walter Payton Award Preseason watch list earlier this week. The Walter Payton Award is given out to the most outstanding offensive player of the year in the FCS.
In the 37 years since the inaugural season of the award a Delaware Blue Hen has never won the award. The Hens have had some NFL talent play for them offensively in quarterback Joe Flacco and tight end Nick Boyle. Delaware’s biggest rival, Villanova, has had a player win the award on three separate occasions: wide receiver Brian Finneran, running back Brian Westbrook—who went on to star with the Philadelphia Eagles— and quarterback John Robertson. This will be Delaware’s final shot at the award as they will move on to FBS and play in Conference USA.
Breakout Season for Yarns
The 2023 All-Coastal Athletic Association second team selection exploded onto the scene as the Blue Hens' most explosive player last year. In 13 games Yarns rushed for 939 yards with 15 rushing touchdowns, had 24 receptions for 311 receiving yards and 3 receiving touchdowns. Put all that together and Yarns put together 1,250 all-purpose yards.
Having a running back produce as much as Yarns did was impactful for their success last season. Yarns wasn’t alone in that success from the backfield as graduate senior Kyron Cumby had 394 rushing yards and 3 rushing touchdowns in nine games. Under head coach Ryan Carty, the run game was the most important part of the Hens offense last season as the offense averaged 160.2 yards per game on the ground. Without Cumby this season, there will be a lot of added pressure on Yarns in 2024.
Decision to Not Transfer
With no chance of playing in a playoff game this year (due to NCAA rules of moving up to FBS) at CAA media day Yarns was asked about why he wanted to stay at Delaware.
“The loyalty and the amount of love, the community and everyone being genuine, and with great coaches on and off the field that’s what made me want to stay,” he said.
If Yarns had decided to transfer there would have been multiple schools after him but instead, the star back decided to stay for his fifth year with a chance to come back in 2025, but as Yarns put it “The NFL has always been a dream of mine.”
Only time will tell if the call will come for the draft but for now, Yarns will focus on being the best version of himself in 2023 to win the most prestigious award in FCS play.
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Go Hens !!