Isaiah Chambers wanted to leave his mark on Lake Charles when he came to town in the summer of 2020. He has done more than that.

Chambers continues to leave his mark on the nation, as the All-American defensive end keeps racking up honors.

After finishing fourth for the Buck Buchanan Award, which goes to the top defensive player in the Football Championship Subdivision last spring, Chambers was again named a finalist Monday for the fall campaign.

Before the season, Chambers, a graduate transfer from Houston, said he wanted to “make it a point to win the award” in the fall. He is one of 25 players with a shot and just one of two from the Southland Conference.

Joining him from the league is Incarnate Word linebacker Kelechi Anyalebechi.

Chambers, last year’s SLC and Louisiana Defensive Player of the Year, led the Southland in sacks and tackles for loss for the second straight season, recording 10.5 sacks and 15.5 tackles for a loss this year.

His sack total was tied for 11th nationally while his TFL total was 17th in all of FCS. Chambers finished his career at McNeese with 18 sacks in 18 games. He is the only player ever in school history to average a sack a game and is ranked sixth on the all-time Cowboy list.

“One of my goals was to finish this fall what I started in the spring,” said Chambers. “I wanted to win here and make the playoffs, but that didn’t happen. Winning the Buchanan Award would be a nice ending.”

His fourth-place finish in the voting for the Buchanan Award last spring matches the third-highest finish for the national honor by a Cowboy player. In 2002, Hadley Prince finished second; in 2003, Roderick Royal finished fourth and in 2007, Bryan Smith placed third.

“He is a stud,” McNeese head coach Frank Wilson said of Chambers. “He has been everything we could have asked for and more. He has a great future in football.”

A 50-member, national media panel will select the winner, who will be announced on Jan. 7 in Frisco, Texas – the eve of the FCS championship game.