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Mercer defensive end Andrew Zock won the 2025 Buck Buchanan Award as the best defensive player in FCS football, beating out fellow top-three finalists James Conway (Fordham) and Joshua Stoneking (Furman). Zock is the first Mercer player to win the award in its 29-year history. Zock received the Buchanan Award two days before the 2025-26 FCS Championship game.
.@AndrewZock1 gets a sack on the @BurgerKing 3rd Down to force a Samford punt! 😤#WeOverMe pic.twitter.com/jIM0pEMgMK
— Mercer Football (@MercerFootball) October 4, 2025
BUCHANAN AWARD:Â Complete history of the top FCS defensive honor
In 12 regular season games, the Bear defensive end made 46 tackles (24 solo), 20.0 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and 23 quarterback hurries.
ANDREW ZOCK!!!!! @AndrewZock1 closes this game out with a sack on 4th down! 😤
Victory formation for the offense.
Q4 | 1:54
Mercer 22, Wofford 21#WeOverMe pic.twitter.com/jIcT7XnEfQ
— Mercer Football (@MercerFootball) September 14, 2025
Zock is the 15th defensive end to win the Buchanan Award — the most of any position — since the award debuted in 1995. Edge-rushers have won the Buchanan Award in each of the last six seasons — every season in the 2020 decade.
As the 2025 Buck Buchanan Award winner, Zock joins an elite fraternity of FCS greats like Dexter Coakley (Appalachian State, 1995-96), Rashean Mathis (Bethune-Cookman, 2002), Jared Allen (Idaho State, 2003) and more.
MORE AWARDS: Walter Payton Award history | Jerry Rice Award history
Top moments
See some more of Zock’s top moments from 2025 below.
ANDREW ZOCK!!!!! @AndrewZock1 closes this game out with a sack on 4th down! 😤
Victory formation for the offense.
Q4 | 1:54
Mercer 22, Wofford 21#WeOverMe pic.twitter.com/jIcT7XnEfQ
— Mercer Football (@MercerFootball) September 14, 2025
Jordan Swain and @AndrewZock1 get to the QB for the sack! 💪#WeOverMe pic.twitter.com/oMU1vYb0TA
— Mercer Football (@MercerFootball) August 30, 2025
The Bears get the football back!!@AndrewZock1 jumps on the fumbled snap and Mercer is back in business!#WeOverMe pic.twitter.com/nerT26QDG5
— Mercer Football (@MercerFootball) November 15, 2025
Stan Becton joined NCAA.com in 2021 and has since served as a college football, FCS football, track and field, cross country and HBCU beat reporter. He has covered numerous NCAA championship events, including the FCS Championship, DI Track & Field Championships and Men’s Frozen Four. Additionally, he has covered the College Football Playoff and HBCU sporting events like the Celebration Bowl, MEAC/SWAC Challenge and Legacy Classic. Stan graduated from Carnegie Mellon University, earning a degree in Professional Writing and playing football as a five-year letterman. You can follow him on Twitter @stan_becton.
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