STEPHENVILLE, Texas — Tarleton State running back Tre Page III is having an incredible freshman campaign, and on Wednesday it was announced he is in the running for the FCS' Freshman of the Year award.
 
Stats Perform announced its Jerry Rice Award Watch List on Wednesday, naming 22 freshmen across the nation in the running to win the 2025 Jerry Rice Award, which honors the FCS freshman player of the year in college football's Division I subdivision.
 
The Jerry 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.
 
Page, a redshirt freshman, is one of the top running backs in the country this year, with 765 yards and seven touchdowns on 99 carries, averaging 109.3 rush yards per game and 7.7 yards per carry. Among all running backs in the nation, not just freshmen, Page is ranked second in the FCS in rush yards per carry, sixth in rush yards per game, sixth in total rush yards, and tied-14th in rushing touchdowns.
 
Among his seven games played, Page has three 100+ yard games, plus two multi-touchdown games. His best performance came against Southern Utah on Oct. 4, in which he raced for a career-high 198 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries. In the season opener, a Week 0 contest at Portland State, he ran for 170 yards and a pair of touchdowns on just 15 attempts. Page was named the United Athletic Conference Freshman of the Week after both performances.
 
Tarleton State is undefeated this season at 8-0 overall, 4-0 in conference play. The Texans have an active program-long winning streak for their NCAA Division I era at eight games, and have scored 40+ points in six straight games for the first time in program history.
 
True and redshirt freshmen are eligible for the Jerry Rice Award. A group of finalists is selected after the regular season before a national panel votes on a recipient.
 
The 2025 Jerry Rice Award recipient will be announced on Dec. 3 and honored at the Stats Perform National Awards Show on Jan. 3 in Nashville.
 
The full 22-player Stats Perform 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)