MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. - Stats Perform has announced a standout list of 25 finalists for the 2025 Jerry Rice Award, which honors the national freshman player of the year in college football's Division I FCS subdivision. Among them is Robert Morris wide receiver Jaqai Carter.
Carter finished the 2025 season with 389 yards on 32 catches and a pair of touchdowns. In Week 10, against Saint Francis, Carter had seven receptions for 141 yards, including a 7-yard touchdown score. The 141 receiving yards ties Saint Francis' DJ Maultsby for the most by an NEC rookie in a game this season.
The Charlotte native becomes the first RMU player to be a finalist since running back Alijah Jackson in 2018. Tyler King, who played for the Colonials in the 2023 season was a 2021 finalist while at Stony Brook.
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. 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.
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