STEPHENVILLE, Texas — Despite missing four games due to injury, Tarleton State running back Tre Page III had one of the best seasons by any running back in the country, not just freshmen. For his efforts, he was named a finalist for the FCS' Freshman of the Year award.
 
Stats Perform announced Page is on its 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. 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. 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.
 
Page, a redshirt freshman, led the Texans in rushing with 839 yards in eight games, averaging 104.9 rushing yards per game and 7.5 yards per carry. He also had seven rushing touchdowns, third most on the team. His 7.5 rush yards per carry average would have led the nation if qualified in games played (cutoff is 75 percent of team's games), along with a No. 10 rank in rush yards per game.
 
Page was named the Stats Perform FCS National Freshman Player of the Week after his performance against Southern Utah on Oct. 4, in which he recorded 198 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries (10.4 YPC) in Tarleton State's 52-42 home conference win. This marked a career-high in rushing yards (198), plus tied his career-high in rushing touchdowns (two, also Aug. 23 at Portland State this season).
 
He was named the UAC Freshman of the Week twice, for that game against Southern Utah, and the other for his game against Portland State. Page had 160 rushing yards in the first half alone, finishing with 170 for the game and his two scores on 15 carries (11.3 yards per rush). Page had the most rushing yards in a season opener in Tarleton State Football NCAA Division I history, and the most since Daniel McCants had 190 yards and a pair of touchdowns in 2019.
 
Altogether on the year, he had three 100+ rush yard games and two multi-touchdown games.
 
The full Jerry Rice Award finalist list can be found below:
 
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; 414 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)