The Jerry Rice Award, honoring the FCS freshman player of the year, is one of six to comprise the Stats Perform FCS National Awards. Here is an in-season watch list of standouts.
There hasn’t been a need for FCS football teams to ease in many freshman players given the high level of talent this season.
Stats Perform’s 2026 Jerry Rice Award Watch List runs 30 deep – matching the largest in the FCS freshman player of the year award’s 16-year history in the Division I subdivision.
The Jerry Rice Award is named after the legendary Hall of Fame wide receiver who starred in the FCS at Mississippi Valley State University. Past recipients include Cooper Kupp, Chase Edmonds, Trey Lance, Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders.
True and redshirt freshmen are eligible for the Jerry Rice Award. A national media panel will select the winner from a group of finalists after the regular season.
2026 Jerry Rice Award Watch List
Bryce Allen, Richmond, WR, Fr., 6-3, 206 (Patriot League)
Nate Bailey, Harvard, WR, Fr., 5-8, 175 (Ivy League)
Rashon Brown, Bethune-Cookman, RB, R-Fr., 5-10, 185 (Southwestern Athletic Conference)
Khalid Bueno, Stony Brook, DE, R-Fr., 6-3, 215 (CAA Football)
Isaiah Champagne, UIW, WR, R-Fr., 5-10, 180 (Southland Conference)
Treynor Cleeland, UC Davis, QB, R-Fr., 6-2, 215 (Big Sky Conference)
Bryce Coleman, Columbia, WR, Fr., 6-4, 180 (Ivy League)
Carter Dahlke, Montana State, WR, Fr., 5-9, 175 (Big Sky Conference)
Cade Ellis, William & Mary, DB, Fr., 6-0, 195 (Patriot League)
Trehsyn Fesili, Idaho State, DE, Fr., 6-2, 217 (Big Sky Conference)
Donovan Frederick, North Carolina A&T, LB, R-Fr., 6-2, 230 (CAA Football)
Da’Jean Golmond, Norfolk State, QB, Fr., 6-2, 210 (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference)
Denver Harper, Austin Peay, WR, R-Fr., 5-8, 161 (United Athletic Conference)
Emmanuel Harris, Stephen F. Austin, DE, Fr., 6-4, 242 (Southland Conference)
Xavier Johnson, North Alabama, WR, R-Fr., 6-0, 190 (United Athletic Conference)
Kamerin McDowell-Moore, Elon, RB, Fr., 6-0, 183 (CAA Football)
Mason Mims, ETSU, QB, R-Fr., 6-3, 211 (Southern Conference)
Austyn Modrzewski, South Dakota, QB, R-Fr., 6-5, 215 (Missouri Valley Football Conference)
Ashton Pannell, Chicago State, QB, Fr., 6-3, 190 (NEC Football/Independent)
Braylon Peebles, Furman, S, Fr., 5-10, 184 (Southern Conference)
Byron Perrilliat, Alabama A&M, RB, Fr., 5-11, 182 (Southwestern Athletic Conference)
Nick Peipert, St. Thomas, QB, R-Fr., 6-1, 211 (Pioneer Football League)
Jadyn Reed, Indiana State, WR, Fr., 6-0, 175 (Missouri Valley Football Conference)
Davon Smith Jr., Central Connecticut State, RB, R-Fr., 6-0, 190 (NEC Football)
Tate Surber, UT Martin, QB, R-Fr., 6-3, 200 (Ohio Valley Conference)
Parker Vance, Southern Utah, S, R-Fr., 6-2, 200 (Big Sky Conference)
Zalen “Aki” Watkins, Gardner-Webb, DL, R-Fr., 6-3, 290 (Ohio Valley Conference)
Jamarius Wilson, South Carolina State, OL, Fr., 6-3, 280 (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference)
Dax Wiskur, Drake, S, Fr., 6-2, 200 (Pioneer Football League)
Mason Wuenschel, Lamar, LB, R-Fr., 6-2, 231 (Southland Conference)
The Jerry Rice Award is one of six to comprise the Stats Perform FCS National Awards. The others are the Walter Payton Award (FCS Offensive Player of the Year), Buck Buchanan Award (FCS Defensive Player of the Year), Eddie Robinson Award (FCS Coach of the Year), HBCU National Player of the Year and Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
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