• Complete Stats Perform Release
A pair of OVC-Big South Football Association players have been named to the Jerry Rice Award Watch List by Stats Perform. The award is given to the top freshman in FCS fooball.
The selections were Lindenwood wide receiver
Rico Bond and Western Illinois quarterback
Cason Carswell.
The duo were two of the 22 players nationally named to the Watvch List. This year marks the 15th anniversary of the award named after the Hall of Fame wide receiver who starred in the FCS at Mississippi Valley State University.
Bond has seen action in seven games this season, catching 31 passes for 428 yards (13.8 yards/catch) and five touchdowns. His five receiving touchdowns is the most by a freshman in the FCS this season. He has also returned six kicks (three kickoffs, three punts). He had eight catches for 119 yards and two touchdowns in a home win over Stony Brook.
Carswell took over the starting signal caller spot during the fourth game of the season and has completed 69 percent of his passes for 1,256 yards and nine touchdowns. He has thrown for two touchdowns in each of the past four games. His 213.67 yards of total offense per game is fourth among all OVC-Big South quarterbacks.
True and redshirt freshmen are eligible for the Jerry Rice Award. A national voting panel will select the winner from a group of finalists following the regular season.
The 2025 Jerry Rice Award recipient will be announced on December 3 and honored at the Stats Perform National Awards Show on January 3 in Nashville, Tennessee. Also to be presented 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.
2025 Jerry Rice Award Watch List
Braden Atkinson, Mercer, QB, 6-1, 215 (Southern Conference)
Trevor Barry, New Hampshire, LB, 6-1, 222 (CAA Football)
Rico Bond, Lindenwood, 6-1, 177 (OVC-Big South Football Association)
Cason Carswell, Western Illinois, QB, 6-3, 190 (OVC-Big South Football Association)
Landen Clark, Elon, QB, 6-0, 186 (CAA Football)
EJ Colson, UIW, QB, 6-1, 190 (Southland Conference)
Brooks Davis, Montana, WR, 6-0, 174 (Big Sky Conference)
Xai’Shaun Edwards, Houston Christian, RB, 5-9, 195 (Southland Conference)
Eric Handley, Alabama A&M, QB, 6-2, 200 (Southwestern Athletic Conference)
Chase Hatton, Marist, S, 5-11, 208 (Pioneer Football League)
Jaiden Haygood, UTRGV, LB, 6-0, 215 (Southland Conference)
Jack Hennessey, Central Connecticut State, PK, 5-10, 190 (NEC Football)
Andrew Indorf, Towson, QB, 6-1, 195 (CAA Football)
Evan James, Furman, WR, 5-11, 170 (Southern Conference)
Lamont Lester Jr., Monmouth, DE, 6-2, 230 (CAA Football)
Darius Malcolm Jr., Wofford, DB, 5-11, 175 (Southern Conference)
Tre Page III, Tarleton State, RB, 5-9, 180 (United Athletic Conference)
Caden Pinnick, UC Davis, QB, 6-0, 200 (Big Sky Conference)
Josh Robinson, Princeton, WR, 5-7, 165 (Ivy League)
Montreze Smith Jr., Austin Peay, LB, 5-11, 204 (United Athletic Conference)
Mitchell Summers, Sacred Heart, RB, 5-7, 155 (FCS Independent)
Owen Sweeney, VMI, WR, 6-4, 200 (Southern Conference)