Gillman a finalist for the Jerry Rice Award

Montana running back Eli Gillman has been named a finalist for the 2023 Jerry Rice Award honoring the national freshman player of the year in FCS football. Media outlet Stats Perform announced Gilman's inclusion as one of 22 finalists on Monday.

With 857 on the season, Gillman has rushed for more total yards than any other freshman in FCS football and the third-most in all of D-I football.

He's also second among all players in the Big Sky Conference in rushing yards per game, averaging just under 78 per contest and is No. 8 in the league in all-purpose yards with 103 receiving yards to go along with his 10 touchdowns.

Gillman has already entered Montana's record books, breaking free for the longest touchdown run in program history at UC Davis from 85 yards out. His 857 rushing yards currently stand as 21^st-most in program history among all players, and are the most of any freshman in program history.

The Rice Award, first presented in 2011 and now in its 13th season, is named after legendary wide receiver Jerry Rice, who starred at Mississippi Valley State as part of his Hall of Fame career. Past recipients include Cooper Kupp, Chase Edmonds, Trey Lance and Shedeur Sanders. The award is sponsored by FedEx Ground.

All 13 FCS leagues, comprised from 15 conferences overall, are represented by a Jerry Rice Award finalist. The winner, to be selected by a national voting panel, will be announced on Dec. 6 and honored at the FCS National Awards Banquet on Jan. 6 in Frisco, Texas – the eve of the FCS championship game.

To be eligible for the Jerry Rice Award, a player must be considered a freshman by his conference in his first or second academic year without surpassing four games played in the previous academic year.

Like the Jerry Rice Award, the winners of 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) and FedEx Ground Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award will be honored at the national awards banquet.

Stats Perform Jerry Rice Award Finalists

OFFENSE
• MJ Flowers, Eastern Illinois, RB, 6-1, 195 (Big South-OVC Football Association)
157 carries, 854 yards (5.4 ypc), 8 TDs; 35 receptions, 192 yards (11 games)
• Eli Gillman, Montana, RB, 6-0, 206 (Big Sky Conference)
152 carries, 857 yards (5.6 ypc), 10 TDs; 11 receptions, 103 yards (11 games)
• Malachi Hosley, Penn, RB, 5-10, 185 (Ivy League)
121 carries, 723 yards (6.0 ypc), 7 TDs; 22 receptions, 246 yards, 1 TD (9 games)
• Jawarn Howell, South Carolina State, RB, 6-1, 215 (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference)
102 carries, 809 yards (7.9 ypc), 7 TDs; 10 receptions, 149 yards, 2 TDs (9 games)
• Brendan Jenkins, Samford, WR, 6-1, 200 (Southern Conference)
41 receptions, 312 yards, (7.6 ypc) 4 TDs (11 games)
• Anthony Johnson, Stony Brook, WR, 5-11, 190 (CAA Football)
59 receptions, 714 yards (12.1 ypc), 3 TDs (10 games)
• Jaylen King, Gardner-Webb, QB, 6-4, 200 (Big South-OVC Football Association)
86 of 163 (52.8%), 992 yards, 10 TDs, 5 INTs, 118.0 pass efficiency; 392 rush yards, 5 TDs (8 games)
• Gavin Lochow, Dayton, WR, 6-0, 195 (Pioneer Football League)
35 receptions, 402 yards (11.5 ypc), 5 TDs; 17 kickoff returns, 412 yards (11 games)
• Connor Moore, Montana State, LT, 6-5, 306 (Big Sky Conference)
Starting left tackle for offense that has averaged 40.5 points and 293.7 rushing yards per game (11 games)
• Dom Nankil, San Diego, QB, 6-0, 180 (Pioneer Football League)
109 of 186 (58.6%), 1,158 yards, 5 TDs, 4 INTs, 115.5 pass efficiency; 1 rush TD (8 games)
• Beau Sparks, Utah Tech, WR, 5-11, 180 (United Athletic Conference)
74 receptions, 723 yards (9.8 ypc), 7 TDs (11 games)
• VJ Wilkins, Campbell, WR, 5-10, 160 (CAA Football)
52 receptions, 546 yards (10.5 ypc), 4 TDs; 588 kickoff return yards (11 games)
• Ty'Jarian Williams, Mississippi Valley State, QB, 6-3, 240 (Southwestern Athletic Conference)
123 of 199 (61.8%), 1,197 yards, 6 TDs, 6 INTs, 116.3 pass efficiency; 2 rush TDs (10 games)
• Griffin Woodell, UAlbany, RB, 5-10, 194 (CAA Football)
143 carries, 694 yards (4.9 ypc), 6 TDs; 24 receptions, 231 yards, 4 TDs (12 games)
• Luke Yoder, Lehigh, RB, 5-11, 195 (Patriot League)
135 carries, 644 yards (4.8 ypc), 13 receptions, 87 yards (9 games)

DEFENSE
• Carter Glassmyer, Saint Francis, LB, 6-1, 210 (Northeast Conference)
89 tackles (50 solos), 6.5 TFL (21 yards), 2.5 sacks, 1 FF, 1 FR, 1 QBH (10 games)
• Jaylon Joseph, Lafayette, DE, 6-2, 240 (Patriot League)
26 tackles (13 solos), 5.5 TFLs (31 yards), 4 sacks, 8 QBH, 1 BK (11 games)
• Rasheed Lovelace, Nicholls, DT, 6-3, 310 (Southland Conference)
25 tackles (6 solos), 2.5 TFL (3 yards), 1 sack, 1 INT (10 games)
• Tye Niekamp, Illinois State, LB, 6-3, 230 (Missouri Valley Football Conference)
74 tackles (42 solos), 9 TFL (26 yards), 1.5 sacks, 7 QBH, 7 PBU (11 games)
• Aaron Sears, Stephen F. Austin, CB, 5-10, 190 (United Athletic Conference)
55 tackles (26 solos), 1.5 TFL, 3 PBU (8 games)

SPECIAL TEAMS
• Hunter Green, Northern Colorado, PK/P, 6-3, 200 (Big Sky Conference)
68 punts, 43.7 ypp, 70 long, 19 50+, 26 FC, 21 IN20; 9 of 12 FG (75%), 50 long (11 games)
• Owen Zalc, Dartmouth, PK, 5-10, 160 (Ivy League)
17 of 21 FG (81%), 47 long, 76 points (10 games)

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