SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - Missouri State junior Dylan Cole was one of 32 linebackers named to the College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) 2015 FCS Linebacker Award Watch List. Cole, who leads the Missouri Valley Football Conference in tackles per game, was one of five Valley linebackers selected for the list.

An honorable mention All-MVFC selection last fall, Cole has logged 103 total tackles, 8.5 stops for loss and four passes broken up to pace the Bears' defense in 2015. Against South Dakota (Oct. 24), Cole logged 21 tackles - the best single-game effort by an MVFC defender this season - including 14 solo stops and a tackle for a loss. Cole, who has led all MSU tacklers in each of the Bears' eight games to date, followed that effort with an 18-tackle day vs. South Dakota State this past Saturday, and leads all MVFC defenders with an average of 12.9 stops per outing.

Cole's 21 tackles against USD marked the best single-game total for a Bear since Daryl Johnson tallied the same sum against Western Kentucky on Nov. 6, 2004. The Rogersville, Mo., product ranks third nationally in tackles per outing (12.9) and 12th in solo stops (5.8) per contest this fall. In 31 career games, Cole has led all Bears tacklers on 15 occasions, including 10 different contests in which he has logged double-digit tackle totals.

All FCS players are eligible for awards at their respective positions. Players are not preemptively eliminated from consideration. The award winners will be announced Jan. 13, 2016.