Cheek, Grayer Named To Rice Award Watch List
Rob Washburn
RICHMOND, Va. (October 25, 2017) – Elon quarterback Davis Cheek and Maine linebacker Jaron Grayer have been named to the Watch List for the STATS FCS Jerry Rice Award, which is presented annually to the top freshman football player in the nation.
Cheek has completed 93-of-148 passes for 1,193 yards and 10 touchdowns and has also scored a pair of touchdowns on the ground. He’s third in the CAA and 25
th in FCS in completion percentage (62.8%), has thrown for over 300 yards twice and passed for three TD’s in three games. His efforts have helped 10
th-ranked Elon open the season with a 6-1 overall record, including a 4-0 mark in CAA play.
Grayer leads Maine and all CAA freshmen with 47 total tackles and ranks 12
th in the league with 7.8 stops per game. He is second in the CAA with a pair of forced fumbles and has contributed 2.0 sacks and 4.5 tackles for loss. Grayer has made at least nine tackles in three of the Black Bears’ six games, including a career-high 11 against nationally ranked Villanova and nine versus No. 1 James Madison.
The Rice Award, named for the legendary Hall of Fame wide receiver, has been presented to the FCS freshman player of the year since 2011. Two of the first three winners, Towson running back Terrance West and Eastern Washington wide receiver Cooper Kupp, are starters in the NFL.
The 17-player watch list will undergo change during the season. A national panel of over 150 sports information and media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries will vote on 20 finalists following the regular season.