DAVIS, Calif. – No. 8 UC Davis football redshirt freshman Caden Pinnick, already a Jerry Rice Award finalist, following an impressive year under center has been named the Big Sky Freshman of the Year becoming the first Aggie to earn the honors since 2019.
 
A multi-national player of the week and conference player of the week honoree, Pinnick ranks among the top quarterbacks in the nation across several categories. During the season Pinnick tied a conference record with three straight Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week awards and twice he was named a National Offensive Player of the Week.

Pinnick joins Nick Eaton (2019) as the two Aggies who have been named Big Sky Freshman of the Year.
 
The Aggie quarterback ended the year among the best quarterbacks in the Big Sky Conference, racking up 2,527 total passing yards, 24 passing touchdowns and an average of 252.7 passing yards per game in 10 starts. He had a season completion percentage of 71 percent, rushed for 312 yards and scored three times on the ground.
 
In the conference Pinnick finishes the regular season leading in passing yards per completion, passing efficiency, points responsible for per game and yards per pass attempt. While also finishing top five in the conference in completion percentage (second), completions per game (fifth), passing touchdowns (second), passing yards (fifth), passing yards per game (fifth), points responsible for (third) and total offense (second).
 
Nationally he ended the season ranked fifth in the nation in passing efficiency, 10th in passing yards per game, 12th in passing touchdowns and 24th in total passing yards.