LAKE CHARLES – McNeese defensive end and Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Year Isaiah Chambers placed fourth out of 18 finalists for the 2020-21 Stats Perform FCS Buck Buchanan Award, which honors the defensive player of the year in college football's Division I subdivision.
 
Chambers tallied 62 votes, just missing out as one of the top three players that were invited to the May 15 FCS National Awards show for the announcement – linebackers Colby Campbell of Presbyterian and Stone Snyder of VMI, and defensive end Jordan Lewis of Southern.
 
The Houston native, who has announced he will return for the fall season, is the seventh Cowboy selection to place in the top seven since the award was established in 1995.
 
McNeese Hall of Fame defensive back Hadley Prince placed second for the 2002 award while Hall of Famer Bryan Smith finished third in 2007 and sixth in 2006. Roderick Royal was fourth in voting for the 2003 award, and most recently, B.J. Blunt finished seventh in the 2018 voting.
 
In the seven-game spring season, Chambers ranked second in the FCS and No. 1 in the Southland Conference with 7.5 sacks to go along with 14 tackles for a loss, also ranked No. 2 in the nation and first in the league. The first team all-conference selection started all seven games, recording 32 tackles and a team-high 11 quarterback hurries.
 
McNeese Buck Buchanan Award Finishes:
Hadley Prince, 2^nd in 2002
Roderick Royal, 4^th in 2003
Bryan Smith, 7^th in 2006
Bryan Smith, 3^rd in 2007
BJ Blunt, 7^th in 2018
Isaiah Chambers, 4^th in 2020-21
 
2020-21 Buck Buchanan Award Voting Results
A first-place vote was worth five points, a second-place vote four points, a third-place vote three points, a fourth-place vote two points and a fifth-place vote one point.
1. TBA, May 15
2. TBA, May 15
3. TBA, May 15
4. Isaiah Chambers, DE, McNeese: 4-2-5-6-7-62
5. La'akea Kaho'ohanohano-Davis, LB, Southern Utah: 2-3-4-5-1-45
6. Nicario Harper, S, Jacksonville State: 4-0-3-4-5-42
7. Jared Brinkman, NT, Northern Iowa: 6-0-0-1-1-33
8. Jahari Kay, DE, Sam Houston: 0-4-4-1-1-32
9. Mike Greene, DE, James Madison: 3-1-3-1-0-30
10. Tre Walker, DE, Idaho: 0-2-2-3-2-22
11. (tie) Storey Jackson, 0-4-0-1-2-20
11.(tie) Robert Rochell, CB, Central Arkansas: 1-2-1-1-2-20
13. Kordell Jackson, NB, Austin Peay: 0-1-4-1-1-19
14. Tristan Wheeler, LB, Richmond: 0-0-0-5-2-12
15. Bryson Armstrong, LB, Kennesaw State: 0-2-0-1-1-11
16. Chris Edmonds, CB, Samford: 0-0-1-2-1-8
17. Ryan Greenhagen, LB, Fordham: 0-0-0-0-1-1
18. Titus Leo, DE, Wagner: 0-0-0-0-0-0