Brooks Davis a Finalist for Jerry Rice Award

After a breakout season, Grizzly freshman receiver Brooks Davis was named one of 25 finalists for the 2025 Jerry Rice Award on Monday, the honor given annually to the national Freshman of the Year in the FCS.

The Rice Award, celebrating its 15th anniversary season, is named after legendary Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice, who starred in the FCS at Mississippi Valley State University. Past recipients include Cooper Kupp, Chase Edmonds, Trey Lance, Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders.

The Jerry Rice Award includes true and redshirt freshmen, and all 13 FCS conferences are represented by a finalist. Davis was one of just two players from the Big Sky Conference represented on the finalist list.

Davis, a native of Brentwood, Calif., was Montana's second-leading receiver with 611 yards on 48 catches and five touchdowns this season. His five TDs are the sixth-most of any freshman in the FCS and his yardage total is the seventh-most of any freshman at the end of the regular season. He was UM's No. 2 receiver with 50.92 yards per game and No. 5 overall scorer with 6 total TDs and 3 two-point conversions at the Grizzly holder on PATs and field goal attempts for 42 points. His 48 catches were a top 10 mark overall in the Big Sky and the most for a freshman in the league, and his 611 yards were the second-most by a conference freshman.

Perhaps more importantly than stats, Davis came through in big play after big play for the Grizzly offense, hauling in the game winning touchdown against ranked North Dakota and an eye-popping one-handed touchdown grab against Montana State among his many highlights this season. Davis received an honorable mention for the FCS Freshman of the Week after this two TD day against the Fighting Hawks.

Davis is now one of just five Grizzlies to ever be named a finalist for the prestigious award. Eli Gillman was the last to be named a finalist in 2023. He went on to win the award after helping Montana advance to the national championship that season. Other finalists from UM include Robby Hauck (2018), Gresch Jensen (2017), and Jerry Louie-McGee (2016).

The recipient, to be selected by a national voting panel, will be announced on Dec. 3 and honored at the Stats Perform National Awards Show on Jan. 3 in Nashville, Tennessee.

Jerry Rice Award Finalists – Offense
Braden Atkinson, Mercer, QB, 6-1, 215 (Southern Conference)
250 of 367 (68.1%), 3,448 yards, 34 TDs, 7 INTs, 173.8 pass efficiency; 1 rush TD (10 games)

Chase Bingmon, Prairie View A&M, RB, 5-9, 185 (Southwestern Athletic Conference)
143 carries, 857 yards (6.0 ypc), 8 TDs; 17 receptions, 122 yards (11 games)

Rico Bond, Lindenwood, WR, 6-1, 177 (OVC-Big South Football Association)
60 receptions, 694 yards (11.6 ypc), 6 TDs; 51 return yards (12 games)

Jaqai Carter, Robert Morris, WR, 6-0, 160 (NEC Football)
32 receptions, 389 yards (12.2 ypc), 2 TDs; 19 rush yards (12 games)

Landen Clark, Elon, QB, 6-0, 186 (CAA Football)
155 of 277 (56.0%), 2,321 yards, 18 TDs, 8 INTs, 142.0 pass efficiency; 614 rush yards, 11 TDs (12 games)

EJ Colson, UIW, QB, 6-1, 190 (Southland Conference)
210 of 296 (70.9%), 2,142 yards, 16 TDs, 4 INTs, 146.9 pass efficiency; 287 rush yards, 3 TDs (10 games)

Rashawn Cunningham, Charleston Southern, WR, 6-2, 205 (OVC-Big South Football Association)
33 receptions, 604 yards (18.3 ypc), 7 TDs (12 games)

Brooks Davis, Montana, WR, 6-0, 174 (Big Sky Conference)
48 receptions, 611 yards (12.7 ypc), 5 TDs; 23 rush yards, 1 TD (12 games)

Tony Diaz, UTRGV, WR, 5-11, 176 (Southland Conference)
68 receptions, 875 yards, 11 TDs; 13 punt return yards (12 games)

Xai'Shaun Edwards, Houston Christian, RB, 5-9, 195 (Southland Conference)
194 carries, 1,019 yards (5.3 ypc), 12 TDs; 18 receptions, 106 yards; 289 KOR yards (12 games)

Matt Fogler, Colgate, WR, 6-3, 200 (Patriot League)
23 receptions, 413 yards (18.0 ypc), 7 TDs (8 games)

Nick Herman, Drake, RB, 5-11, 190 (Pioneer Football League)
131 carries, 960 yards (7.3 ypc), 6 TDs; 12 receptions 113 yards (11 games)

Andrew Indorf, Towson, QB, 6-1, 195 (CAA Football)
187 of 314 (59.6%), 2,344 yards, 16 TDs, 4 INTs, 136.5 pass efficiency; 108 rush yards (12 games)

Evan James, Furman, WR, 5-11, 170 (Southern Conference)
65 receptions, 796 yards (12.2 ypc), 7 TDs; 72 rush yards, 1 TD (9 games)

Raymond Moore III, Morgan State, QB, 6-4, 180 (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference)
90 of 166 (54.2%), 1,049 yards, 9 TDs, 7 INTs, 116.8 pass efficiency; 87 rush yards, 6 TDs (9 games)

Tre Page III, Tarleton State, RB, 5-9, 180 (United Athletic Conference)
112 carries, 839 yards (7.5 ypc), 7 TDs; 7 receptions, 29 yards (8 games)

Caden Pinnick, UC Davis, QB, 6-0, 200 (Big Sky Conference)
194 of 275 (70.5%), 2,527 yards, 24 TDs, 8 INTs, 170.7 pass efficiency; 312 rush yards, 3 TDs (10 games)

Josh Robinson, Princeton, WR, 5-7, 165 (Ivy League)
46 receptions, 569 yards (12.4 ypc), 2 TDs; 63 PR yards (10 games)

Mitchell Summers, Sacred Heart, RB, 5-7, 155 (FCS Independent)
198 carries, 1,071 yards (5.4 ypc), 12 TDs; 9 receptions, 119 yards (12 games)

Jerry Rice Award Finalists – Defense
Chase Hatton, Marist, S, 5-11, 208 (Pioneer Football League)
89 tackles (40 solos), 5.0 TFL (20 yards), 1 FR, 4 INTs, 3 QBH, 1 PBU (12 games)

Jaiden Haygood, UTRGV, LB, 6-0, 215 (Southland Conference)
102 tackles (45 solos), 2.5 TFL (11 yards), 1.0 sacks (10), 1 FF, 1 FR, 1 QBH, 2 PBU (12 games)

Lamont Lester Jr., Monmouth, DE, 6-2, 230 (CAA Football)
37 tackles (17 solos), 11.5 TFL (84 yards), 9.5 sacks (77), 2 FF, 10 QBH, 1 PBU (12 games)

Darius Malcolm Jr., Wofford, DB, 5-11, 175 (Southern Conference)
76 tackles (48 solos), 4.0 TFL (9 yards), 0.5 sacks (3), 1 QBH, 13 PBU (12 games)

Montreze Smith Jr., Austin Peay, LB, 5-11, 204 (United Athletic Conference)
74 tackles (40 solos), 8.5 TFL (22 yards), 4.0 sacks (10), 1 FF, 3 INTs (1 TD), 1 PBU, 5 QBH (12 games)

Nic Yatsko, Indiana State, DB, 6-1, 200 (Missouri Valley Football Conference)
82 tackles (33 solos), 6.0 TFL (17 yards), 1.0 sacks (9), 1 FF, 2 FR, 1 INT, 2 PBU, 5 QBH (11 games)

Also this season, 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 will be presented at the Stats Perform FCS National Awards Show.

University of Montana Athletics

Related News

Players Mentioned

Brooks Davis

Eli Gillman

Related Videos