Stats Perform Jerry Rice Award Press Release
CHICAGO, Ill. (Oct. 18, 2023) – Northern Arizona University football player,
Alex McLaughlin, has been named to the midseason 2023 Stats Perform Jerry Rice Award Watch List.
The award honors the national freshman of the year in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), and McLaughlin is one of just 22 players nationwide to earn a spot on the list.
Now in its 13
th season, the award is named after Hall of Fame wide receiver, Jerry Rice. Former Lumberjack quarterback, Case Cookus, won the award back in 2015. Past recipients of the award also include Cooper Kupp, Chase Edmonds, Trey Lance and Shedeur Sanders.
McLaughlin is the fourth NAU player overall to be named to the watchlist, joining current Lumberjack wide receiver,
Hendrix Johnson, and former quarterbacks
RJ Martinez and Cookus.
He joins three other Big Sky Conference freshmen in Portland State's Quincy Craig, Montana's Eli Gillman, and Montana State's Connor Moore on the list.
McLaughlin has played in and started all seven games so far this season. He leads the team with 57 total tackles, 28 of which are solo. The Chandler, Ariz., native is also the team leader in interceptions (2) and pass breakups (5), while recording 4.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.
After a 28-10 ranked road victory over No. 13/14 Weber State on Oct. 7, McLaughlin earned Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week for recording eight tackles, an interception, a tackle for loss and a pass breakup.
He has two games with double-digit tackles, including a 10-tackle performance in his debut at Arizona and 11 against Portland State. He has at least eight tackles in six out of seven games this year and has led the team in tackles in four games.
McLaughlin prepped at Hamilton High School and currently ranks fourth in the Big Sky in total tackles, fifth in solo tackles and assisted tackles, and is one of eight in the conference with multiple interceptions.
To be eligible for the Jerry Rice Award, a freshman must be considered a freshman by his conference in his first or second academic year without surpassing four games played in the previous academic year – similar to the NCAA's regular redshirt rule. More players can join the watch list before a national media panel selects the winner following the regular season.
The Rice Award will be presented at the national awards banquet on Jan. 6 in Frisco, Texas, along with the Walter Payton Award (FCS offensive player of the year), Buck Buchanan Award (FCS defensive player of the year), Eddie Robinson Award (FCS coach of the year) and FedEx Ground Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
The Lumberjacks (2-5, 2-2 Big Sky) are currently on a bye week before facing UC Davis at home at Findlay Toyota Field on Oct. 28 at 1 p.m. Mountain Standard time for Homecoming.
