CHICAGO, Ill. — 2024 was a breakout season for
Derek Ganter Jr. and the redshirt-freshman is seeing the rewards of his effort. Ganter Jr. was named as a finalist for the Jerry Rice Award, honoring the top freshman in the FCS. Earlier this season, Ganter Jr. was named to the
watchlist for the Jerry Rice Award.
Redshirt freshmen are eligible for the award as long as they are considered a freshman by their conference. They must be in their first or second academic year and did not play in more than four regular season games as a true freshman.
Ganter Jr. led Eastern Washington in tackles this season, ending with 95 total, including 55 solo. The safety ranks fifth in the Big Sky for total tackles and third in solo tackles.
The Pasadena, Calif. native was tied for second on the team with 3.5 tackles for a loss. Against UC Davis, Ganter Jr. recorded his first career sack, along with his first career forced fumble.
Ganter Jr. had a stretch of three-straight games with 10-plus tackles, against Davis, Idaho and Montana State.
In the road matchup against the Vandals, Ganter Jr. posted 15 tackles - eight solo - to set a new career-best.
Adding to his stats, Ganter Jr. had four pass breakups and one quarterback hurry.
Ganter Jr. played in four games in the 2023 season, finishing with 12 total tackles. For his career, Ganter Jr. has 107 career tackles in 16 games played, while making 12 starts and nine this season.
Ganter Jr. is one of four players representing the Big Sky Conference as a finalist. He joins Sacramento State quarterback Carson Conklin, Idaho wide receiver Mark Hamper and Montana State running back Adam Jones.
About the Jerry Rice Award
The Jerry Rice Award, now in its 14th season, is named after the legendary Hall of Fame wide receiver, who played on the FCS level at Mississippi Valley State. Past recipients include Cooper Kupp, Chase Edmonds, Trey Lance, Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders.
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ABOUT EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
Eastern Washington University Athletics sponsors 14 intercollegiate sports, six for men and eight for women, both as learning opportunities for its most athletically talented students and as an enhancement to student and community life. Eastern is affiliated with Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and is a member of the Big Sky Conference, an association of 10 regional schools with comparable enrollments and academic goals.
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