True freshman quarterback one of 30 national standouts in contention for FCS Freshman Player of the Year
NORFOLK, Va. – Norfolk State true freshman quarterback Da'Jean Golmond has been named to the 2026 Jerry Rice Award in-season watch list, Stats Perform announced Wednesday.
The Jerry Rice Award honors the national freshman player of the year in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and is one of six awards that make up the Stats Perform FCS National Awards.
Golmond, a 6-2, 210-pound signal-caller from Denham Springs, La., has played in all seven games this season. He has completed 61 of 96 passes (63.5 percent) for 774 yards and six touchdowns with just one interception, a 149.81 passer rating. He has also rushed for 157 yards and two scores, averaging 7.9 yards per carry, for 931 yards of total offense.
He has already put his name in the Norfolk State record book twice in his first two career starts.
In his starting debut at Chicago State on Sept. 26, Golmond accounted for 356 yards of total offense (265 passing, 91 rushing). That ranks 12th on the program's single-game list. He completed 21 of 31 passes for two touchdowns and ran for a third, leading the Spartans to 623 total yards, the fourth-highest total in school history, in a 43-20 win.
One week later at Robert Morris, he did even better. Golmond completed 27 of 45 passes for 371 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions and caught a touchdown pass. His 376 yards of total offense rank eighth all-time at NSU.
He is one of just two true freshman quarterbacks on the watch list and one of two Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) players selected, along with South Carolina State offensive lineman Jamarius Wilson.
This year's watch list features 30 players, tying the largest field in the award's 16-year history. The award is named for Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice, who starred in the FCS at Mississippi Valley State. Previous winners include Cooper Kupp, Chase Edmonds, Trey Lance, Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders.
True and redshirt freshmen are eligible. A national media panel will choose the winner from a group of finalists after the regular season.
Golmond and the Spartans open MEAC play Saturday, Oct. 24, at South Carolina State, home of fellow watch-list honoree Jamarius Wilson. Kickoff is set for 1:30 p.m. on ESPN+.
