RIO GRANDE VALLEY – Stats Perform announced on Monday that freshman wide receiver Tony Diaz and freshman linebacker Jaiden Haygood of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) football team are finalists for the 2025 Jerry Rice Award, which honors the FCS freshman player of the year.
 
Diaz and Haygood are among 25 finalists nationwide and four in the Southland Conference.
 
Diaz is one of eight wide receivers and Haygood is one of two linebackers to be named finalists.
 
Tony Diaz
 
A Two-time National Freshman of the Week Honorable Mention (Oct. 27 and Nov. 17) and the Nov. 17 Southland Conference Offensive Player of the Week, Diaz led the Vaqueros with 11 touchdowns among his 68 receptions for 875 yards, an average of 12.9 yards per reception and 72.9 yards per game.
 
Diaz ranks fourth in the FCS and first in the Southland in receiving touchdowns (11), 14^th in the FCS and second in the Southland in receptions per game (5.67), 21^st in the FCS and first in the Southland in receiving yards (875), 32^nd in the FCS and second in the Southland in receiving yards per game (72.9), 40^th in the FCS and second in the Southland in total touchdowns (11), 97^th in the FCS and eighth in the Southland in total points scored (66), 107^th in the FCS and ninth in the Southland in scoring (5.5), 151^st in the FCS and 12^th in the Southland in all-purpose yards per game (72.83), 178^thin the FCS and ninth in the Southland in yards per receptions (12.87), and 196^th in the FCS and 16^th in the Southland in points responsible for (66).
 
Diaz has posted four games of 100+ receiving yards, including a career-high 172 vs. UIW on 17 receptions, the third-most in Southland history (10/25). He scored touchdowns in nine games, including a career-high three in a win at McNeese (11/15). He also made several one-handed catches, including for big gains and touchdowns.
 
Jaiden Haygood
 
Haygood led UTRGV with 102 tackles (45 solo), including 2.5 for a loss of 11 yards, a 10-yard sack, two passes broken up, a quarterback hurry, a fumble recovery, and a forced fumble.
 
He's had six games of double-figures tackles, including a career-high 17 (seven solo) at No. 18 Lamar (10/18), 11 against No. 23 Stephen F. Austin (11/1), Houston Christian University (10/4) and Prairie View A&M (9/6), and 10 against UIW (10/25) and McNeese (11/15). Seven of his tackles at McNeese were solo.
 
Haygood ranks 36^th in the FCS and fifth in the Southland in total tackles per game (8.5) and 93^rd in the FCS and ninth in the Southland in fumble recoveries (1).
 
Jerry Rice Award
 
The Jerry Rice Award, celebrating its 15^th anniversary season, is named after legendary Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice, who starred in the FCS at Mississippi Valley State. Past recipients include Cooper Kupp, Chase Edmonds, Trey Lance, Cam Ward, and Shedeur Sanders.
 
The Jerry Rice Award includes true and redshirt freshmen, and all 13 FCS conferences are represented by a finalist. The recipient, to be selected by a national voting panel, will be announced on Dec. 3 and honored at the Stats Perform National Awards Show on Jan. 3 in Nashville, Tenn.
 
Also to be presented are 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), HBCU National Player of the Year, and Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
 
2025 Jerry Rice Award Finalists – Offense 
Braden Atkinson, Mercer, QB, 6-1, 215 (Southern Conference)
Chase Bingmon, Prairie View A&M, RB, 5-9, 185 (Southwestern Athletic Conference)
Rico Bond, Lindenwood, WR, 6-1, 177 (OVC-Big South Football Association)
Jaqai Carter, Robert Morris, WR, 6-0, 160 (NEC Football)
Landen Clark, Elon, QB, 6-0, 186 (CAA Football)
EJ Colson, UIW, QB, 6-1, 190 (Southland Conference)
Rashawn Cunningham, Charleston Southern, WR, 6-2, 205 (OVC-Big South Football Association)
Brooks Davis, Montana, WR, 6-0, 174 (Big Sky Conference)
Tony Diaz, UTRGV, WR, 5-11, 176 (Southland Conference)
Xai'Shaun Edwards, Houston Christian, RB, 5-9, 195 (Southland Conference)
Matt Fogler, Colgate, WR, 6-3, 200 (Patriot League)
Nick Herman, Drake, RB, 5-11, 190 (Pioneer Football League) 
Andrew Indorf, Towson, QB, 6-1, 195 (CAA Football)
Evan James, Furman, WR, 5-11, 170 (Southern Conference)
Raymond Moore III, Morgan State, QB, 6-4, 180 (Mid-Eastern Conference)
Tre Page III, Tarleton State, RB, 5-9, 180 (United Athletic Conference)
Caden Pinnick, UC Davis, QB, 6-0, 200 (Big Sky Conference)
Josh Robinson, Princeton, WR, 5-7, 165 (Ivy League)
Mitchell Summers, Sacred Heart, RB, 5-7, 155 (FCS Independent)
 
2025 Jerry Rice Award Finalists – Defense 
Chase Hatton, Marist, S, 5-11, 208 (Pioneer Football League)
Jaiden Haygood, UTRGV, LB, 6-0, 215 (Southland Conference)
Lamont Lester Jr., Monmouth, DE, 6-2, 230 (CAA Football)
Darius Malcolm Jr., Wofford, DB, 5-11, 175 (Southern Conference)
Montreze Smith Jr., Austin Peay, LB, 5-11, 204 (United Athletic Conference)
Nic Yatsko, Indiana State, DB, 6-1, 200 (Missouri Valley Football Conference) 

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