ITHACA, N.Y. – Cornell University wide receiver Samuel Musungu is one of 30 FCS standouts named to the Walter Payton Award Watch List, Stats Perform announced today. The honor is presented annually to the national offensive player of the year in Division I FCS college football.

Musungu, a rising junior from Andover, Minn., had a breakout 2024 season in which he led the Big Red with 83 receptions for 960 yards and 10 touchdowns, earning him a spot on the All-Ivy Second Team. His 83 catches ranked among the top receivers in the Ivy League and helped cement Cornell as one of the top passing offenses in the conference under first-year head coach Dan Swanstrom.

The versatile receiver averaged 11.6 yards per catch and 96.0 receiving yards per game while appearing in all 10 games for the Big Red. Musungu recorded seven games with at least seven receptions, including a season-high 14 catches against both Bucknell and Penn.

His best single-game performance came at Princeton, where he hauled in eight receptions for 165 yards and one touchdown, including a career-long 82-yard scoring strike. Musungu also had a standout game against Penn, catching 14 passes for 148 yards and three touchdowns.

Musungu ranked in the top 10 nationally in receiving yards per game (96.0) and receptions per game (8.3).

Over his two-year career, Musungu has totaled 108 receptions for 1,167 yards and 11 touchdowns. The rising junior also earned Preseason All-American honors from Stats Perform earlier this month.