Monmouth sophomore running back Jaden Shirden is among the top three in the voting for the 2022 Stats Perform Walter Payton Award, which honors the top offensive player in FCS football.

Shirden has received an invitation to attend the FCS National Awards banquet on January 7 in Frisco, Texas, where the Payton Award winner will be announced. Joining him in the top three are Fordham quarterback Tim DeMorat and UIW quarterback Lindsey Scott, Jr. after the vote of a 54-member panel.

Shirden was honored as the CAA Offensive Player of the Year after a sensational season. The sophomore was the leading rusher in FCS this season, piling up 1,722 yards and 13 touchdowns on 206 carries. The yardage total was the 2^nd-highest in school history and the most by a CAA player since 2013. 

He also led the nation in rushing yards per game (156.5 ypg) and yards per carry (8.36) and his 13 rushing TD’s rank 10^th nationally. Shirden topped the 100-yard mark in nine of his 11 games and went over 200 yards four times, highlighted by a 299-yard effort against Fordham that was the second-highest total in FCS in 2022. He had nine scoring runs of 50 or more yards.