CEDAR CITY, Utah - Southern Utah redshirt freshman safety Parker Vance has been named to the Stats Perform Jerry Rice Award watch list, which honors the top freshman in FCS football, the organization announced Wednesday.
"Parker did a great job during his redshirt year of learning our defense, getting stronger, and understanding what it takes to compete at this level. He's taken that work and turned it into production on the field. He's got good instincts, he's around the football, and he's made some big plays for us this season. We're proud of the way he's developed in our program, and he's earned this recognition."
Vance is one of 30 players on the in-season watch list, which matches the largest in the award's 16-year history. He is one of four Big Sky Conference players on the list, joining UC Davis quarterback Treynor Cleeland, Montana State wide receiver Carter Dahlke and Idaho State defensive end Trehsyn Fesili.
The recognition comes after Vance earned honorable mention for Stats Perform FCS National Freshman Player of the Week following Saturday's 38-17 win over No. 14 UC Davis. He led the Thunderbirds with 10 tackles and intercepted Cleeland, a fellow watch list member, on the first play after Southern Utah's second-quarter field goal. The defense held the Aggies scoreless in the second half as SUU scored 29 straight points to earn its first win in the series since 2017.
Vance has five interceptions this season, one away from tying for second on the SUU single-season list.
The Jerry Rice Award is named after the Hall of Fame wide receiver who starred in the FCS at Mississippi Valley State and is one of six Stats Perform FCS National Awards. Past recipients include Cooper Kupp, Chase Edmonds, Trey Lance, Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders. True and redshirt freshmen are eligible, and a national media panel will select the winner from a group of finalists after the regular season.
Next Up
The Thunderbirds head back on the road this week to take on Idaho on October 24 in Moscow, Idaho. The game against the Vandals will kick off at 3:00 p.m. MT, with live stream available on ESPN+ and live stats available on the schedule link at suutbirds.com.
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