North Dakota State RB CharMar Brown, Indiana State QB Elijah Owens, and Dallas Winner-Johnson of Missouri State are among the 30 players on the initial watch list for the Jerry Rice Award, presented annually to the top freshman player in the Football Championship Subdivision. The list was released Wednesday, Oct. 23, by Stats Perform.
CharMar Brown, NDSU
Brown, a redshirt freshman from Omaha, Neb., is NDSU's leading rusher with 125 carries for 577 yards and seven touchdowns through eight games this season. Brown ranks second in rushing yards among all Division I freshmen. A two-time Missouri Valley Football Conference Newcomer of the Week, he won the awards after rushing for 126 and three touchdowns in the homecoming victory over Towson, and 100 yards in the road win over Illinois State.
Elijah Owens, Indiana State
The Sycamore QB has been one of the nation's most accurate passers over the course of the 2024 season. Owens is currently sixth in FCS in completion percentage at 70.3% while connecting with 12 different wide receivers on the year. Owens has gone 109-of-155 through the air for 962 yards with six touchdowns and four interceptions on the season. He also leads Indiana State with 90 carries for 328 rushing yards and four scores on the ground. He's averaging 160.3 passing yards and 54.7 rushing yards per game. Owens earned Stats Perform FCS National Freshman of the Week following his performance in Indiana State's 31-27 win over Murray State in their first Valley win of the season.
Dallas Winner-Johnson, Missouri State
Winner-Johnson is currently second on the Bears team in total tackles this season with 45 stops, including 17 solo tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, a sack and a QB hurry. The Cardinal Ritter product has started five games and brought down a season-high 10 ball carriers in MSU's win at UT Martin earlier this season. The No 18-ranked Missouri State Bears (5-2) put a five-game win streak on the line this Saturday when they travel to Northern Iowa. Coach Ryan Beard's squad returns home on November 2 to lock horns with long-time rival Southern Illinois at 2 p.m.
This is the 14th season of the Jerry Rice Award. North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance won the award in 2019.
To be eligible for the Jerry Rice Award, a player must be considered a freshman by his conference in his first academic year or second if he did not surpass four regular-season games played in the true freshman season (the NCAA redshirt rule). More players can join the watch list before a national media panel selects the winner following the regular season.
Players joining the Jerry Rice Award Watch List, which includes both true and redshirt freshmen:
Josh Anglin, North Alabama, LB, 6-0, 215, Buford, Georgia (United Athletic Conference)
David Avit, Villanova, RB, 6-0, 220, Potomac, Maryland (CAA Football)
Charles Battaglia, Stonehill, LB, 6-1, 225, Massapequa, New York (Northeast Conference)
CharMar Brown, North Dakota State, RB, 5-11, 224, Omaha, Nebraska (Missouri Valley Football Conference)
Matt Childs, Brown, RB, 6-0, 200, Medway, Massachusetts (Ivy League)
Jason Collins Jr., Morgan State, RB, 5-9, 185, Washington, D.C. (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference)
Carson Conklin, Sacramento State, QB, 6-1, 180, Yorba Linda, California (Big Sky Conference)
C.J. Coombes, Wofford, S, 6-0, 208, Bellefonte, Delaware (Southern Conference)
Sanders Ellis, Tennessee State, LB, 6-2, 225, Nashville (Big South-OVC Football Association)
Jalen Fletcher, North Alabama, RB, 5-7, 175, Trinity, Alabama (United Athletic Conference)
Derek Ganter Jr., Eastern Washington, S, 6-0, 188, Pasadena, California (Big Sky Conference)
Steve Hall, Lindenwood, RB, 5-9, 195, St. Louis (Big South-OVC Football Association)
Trey Hedden, Furman, QB, 6-3, 231, Tampa, Florida (Southern Conference)
Jamarie Hostzclaw, Alabama State, RB, 5-9, 176, North Ft. Lauderdale, Florida (Southwestern Athletic Conference)
Collin Hurst, Presbyterian, QB, 5-10, 165, Davie, Florida (Pioneer Football League)
Adam Jones, Montana State, RB, 6-1, 200, Missoula, Montana (Big Sky Conference)
Ayden Jones, Prairie View A&M, LB, 6-2, 215, Houston (Southwestern Athletic Conference)
Finn Lappin, McNeese, P, 5-11, 178, Melbourne, Australia (Southland Conference)
Cole Nilles, Bryant, LB, 6-4, 252, Philadelphia (CAA Football)
Elijah Owens, Indiana State, QB, 6-2, 225, Jacksonville, Illinois (Missouri Valley Football Conference)
AJ Pigford, Princeton, DE, 6-3, 230, Snellville, Georgia (Ivy League)
Brennan Ridley, Hampton, WR, 5-11, 177, Richmond, Virginia (CAA Football)
Jayden Robertson, Southern Utah, CB, 5-10, 180, Henderson, Nevada (United Athletic Conference)
Isaac Saffold, Georgetown, DE, 6-1, 285, Chicago (Patriot League)
Travis Terrell Jr., Jackson State, RB/Returns, 5-8, 165, Atlanta (Southwestern Athletic Conference)
Tariq Thomas, Bucknell, RB, 5-11, 185, Springfield, Massachusetts (Patriot League)
TJ Thomas Jr., Elon, RB, 5-8, 181, Thomasville, Georgia (CAA Football)
Drew VanVleet, Dayton, QB, 6-5, 205, Richmond, Indiana (Pioneer Football League)
Jack Wagner, Idaho, QB, 6-4, 190, Tualatin, Oregon (Big Sky Conference)
Dallas Winner-Johnson, Missouri State, LB, 6-5, 230, St. Louis (Missouri Valley Football Conference)