FCS Football Talk Network

Top 5 Preseason Favorites To Win The Buck Buchanan Award

On this episode, Sam breaks down his Top 5 preseason favorites to win the 2026 Buck Buchanan Award. Two defensive ends, two safeties, and a linebacker make the Top 5.

Top 5 Preseason Favorites To Win The Walter Payton Award

On this episode, Sam breaks down his Top 5 preseason favorites to win the 2026 Walter Payton Award. A loaded race is sure to ensue this fall with multiple All-American quarterbacks returning. But can a non-QB win the award for the first time since 2016?

And We're Back! With Some Exciting Plans For The 2026 Season

Sam's 8-week parental leave is coming to a close, which means new and fresh podcast episodes are coming your way soon! And by popular demand, the number of episodes will be increasing to 2-3 per week for the upcoming season. In this podcast channel, now called the FCS Football Talk Network, three shows will air: -FCS Football Talk (presented by HERO Sports and BetMGM) -FCS Talk w/ Sam Herder -FCS Gameday

Re-Airing: An Early 2026 FCS Preseason Top 15

Note: This episode originally aired on May 27. Sam is currently on parental leave and will have new episodes out in late July. On this episode, Sam breaks down his early FCS Top 15 teams heading into the 2026 season.

Re-Airing: Big-Picture Questions Ahead Of The 2026 FCS Season (w/ Timothy Rosario)

Note: This episode originally aired on March 9. Sam is currently on parental leave and will have new episodes out in early August. On this episode, Sam is joined by Timothy Rosario, co-host of The Bluebloods on FCS Football Central. The two discuss: -Most surprising offseason headline -Big-picture questions ahead of the 2026 season -Is it Montana State vs. the field? -Who are some dark horses? -Can Illinois State keep its momentum going? -Who can take a step forward with impressive transfers? -And more