Here is the list of all 25 finalists:

https://theanalyst.com/articles/jerry-rice-award-freshman-finalists-fcs-football-2025

Offensively, if we're talking numbers I mean it's between Atkinson and Pinnick --- both are Top 8 teams and in the playoff BYE...with Pinnick being out for the NoCo game, I guess you give it to the passing monster at Mercer in Atkinson, but Pinnick has also navigated a Big Sky schedule rather than a Southern schedule, so for me, that holds more weight, and he has 312 yds rushing with rushing TDs on his resume as well -- but whatever they decide looks like it's a deserving winner. Man, Mercer's schedule is pretty weak though.

3,400 passing yards and 34 TDs passes the sexy-test. Awards folks love sexy stats.
I agree, both dudes are studs.

Yes I get the worries about Plough but I have more questions about Pinnick. Great QBs are the most important part of an American football team and they are scarce. He is exceptional and will be relentlessly contacted at the end of the season if he enters the portal. But even if he doesn’t are we all so naive to believe that some SEC or ACC team will try and contact him behind the scenes, that is if he hasn’t been already? College football has become brutal in terms of recruiting these days and Caden with 3 years of college football eligibility left will be very attractive. My only hope is that if Plough is staying at UCD he will as well. Just Hope Pinnick and his family are Okay financially otherwise the NIL money will be too good to pass up.

I guess it's time to see if the "Davis guy" mantra holds true. We do tend to have less players transferring out than most schools in this day and age of college football. I'm glad I'm not in the situation of choosing between Davis and potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars though.

I don't know him, but his family is local, and he's excelling. Why ruin a great thing at QB central? I can see him considering it more fully next year w 2 years under his belt.

Don't forget, the NDSU QB drafted round 1 by the 49ers. FCS QBs go to The Show all the time. Going to a big program is a huge risk especially w rosters loaded with 4 star and 5 star QBs. You can get lost. Coach Gould had high hopes for Jordan Allen, he went from here, to SFCC, then Tennessee, then Weber?

I have faith in the culture that has been built to keep players around. If these guys are having a great experience playing a lot and winning games with their boys, that's tough to beat. All these guys seem like they really love the program. It gets me fired up as an alum just watching it.
I'd imagine its a different situation all together at an FBS football factory.

As for Pinnick, he's gets to be the man on the gridiron and on the baseball team playing CF. Fam gets to see every game. Tough situation to beat. Hopefully the program can find some $ to help him stay. But I got a good feeling about guys continuing to stick around especially if they see Plough ignore the Cal job. That would be good for morale.

And Jacob is getting recognition as well!