UC Davis linebacker Nick Eaton was announced as one of 20 finalists for the ninth Jerry Rice Award, which honors the outstanding FCS freshman of the year.
A redshirt freshman and second-year exploratory student from Rocklin, Eaton started 10 games at the sam linebacker position, totaling 56 tackles with team highs of 12.0 tackles for losses and 6.5 sacks. He ranks eighth and 12th in the Big Sky Conference in those last two categories, respectively.
Eaton also shares the national FCS lead in forced fumbles (0.42 per game), one of which came on an intercepted lateral late in the October 12 win over Cal Poly. He returned that pickup 78 yards to the opposite end zone, snapping what had been a 24-0 Mustang run to that point and eventually earning a trio of awards: STATS FCS National Freshman of the Week, College Sports Madness Big Sky Conference Defensive Player of the Week, and the first of two ROOT SPORTS Defensive Player of the Week.
The Jerry Rice Award is part of a group of STATS FCS legacy honors, along with the Walter Payton Award (offensive player of the year), Buck Buchanan Award (defensive player of the year) and Eddie Robinson Award (coach of the year), the latter of which went to Aggie mentor Dan Hawkins in 2018. A national panel of media members and sports information directors will vote for their top five choices in each category, with the winners being announced at the STATS FCS award banquet in Frisco, Texas, on January 10 – the eve of the national championship game.
UC Davis went 5-7 overall and 3-5 in the Big Sky Conference, facing a total of seven opponents ranked or receiving votes toward the two major FCS polls.
2019 JERRY RICE AWARD FINALISTS
FCS Freshman Player of the Year
John Bachus III, QB, UT Martin
Omar Brown, DB, Northern Iowa
Tyrese Chambers, WR, Sacred Heart
Ian Corwin, QB, Drake
Jacob Dobbs, LB, Holy Cross
Nick Eaton, LB, UC Davis
Tra Fluellen, DB, Houston Baptist
Ailym Ford, RB, Chattanooga
Xavier Gipson, WR, Stephen F. Austin
Tyler Hudson, WR, Central Arkansas
Abdul-Fatai Ibrahim, WR, Alabama A&M
Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State
Jalen Leary, RB, Stetson
Jacob Roberts, LB, North Carolina A&T
Keegan Shoemaker, QB, Lafayette
Jake Stebbins, LB, Cornell
Jeff Undercuffler, QB, UAlbany
Tristan Wheeler, LB, Richmond
Hajj-Malik Williams, QB, Campbell
Javon Williams Jr., RB, Southern Illinois
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