TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State football's Nic Yatsko finished 20th overall in the 2025 Jerry Rice Award voting breakdown as the organization announced the voting results on Wednesday morning.
 
Yatsko garnered one third-place vote and finishing with five total points overall in being recognized as one of the top 25 freshmen in the country. Yatsko, the lone Missouri Valley Football player on the award finalist list, became the third Sycamore in the last four seasons to be named a Jerry Rice Award finalist joining Cade Chambers (2022) and Elijah Owens (2024).
 
Yatsko, who finished as the runner-up for the Missouri Valley Football Freshman of the Year, ended up seventh in the MVFC in tackles per game (7.45) despite not earning a starting role until midway through the season. He took over the starting nickel back role in the Sycamores' 4-2-5 defense and capitalized with a nine-tackle game against Montana, while adding a career-high 14 tackles, 2.0 TFL, 1 FF, and 1 FR in the Sycamores' win over SDSU.
 
This past weekend, Yatsko wrapped up the season with a seven-tackle, 1.5 TFL, 1.0 sack game against Murray State and added a fumble recovery and two QB hurries. He finished the year tied for third on the team with 6.0 TFL and was second on the team with five QB hurries.
 
The Rice Award, celebrating its 15th anniversary season, is named after legendary Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice, who starred in the FCS at Mississippi Valley State University. Past recipients include Cooper Kupp, Chase Edmonds, Trey Lance, Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders.
 
2025 Jerry Rice Award Voting
Following is a breakdown of the voting results. A first-place vote was worth five points, a second-place vote four points, a third-place vote three points, a fourth-place vote two points and a fifth-place vote one point. The final number is the combined point total.
 
1. Braden Atkinson, Mercer: 51-2-1-0-1-267
2. Caden Pinnick, UC Davis: 2-28-7-1-4-149
3. Xai'Shaun Edwards, Houston Christian: 1-6-7-8-3-69
4. Lamont Lester Jr., Monmouth: 0-4-7-12-6-67
5. Tre Page III, Tarleton State: 0-4-6-7-3-51
6. Landen Clark, Elon: 0-5-4-3-6-44
7. Tony Diaz, UT Rio Grande Valley: 0-2-5-2-5-32
8. Montreze Smith Jr., Austin Peay: 0-1-3-2-5-28
9. Mitchell Summers, Sacred Heart: 0-0-6-2-4-20
10. EJ Colson, UIW: 0-0-6-1-3-17
11. Jaiden Haygood, UT Rio Grande Valley: 0-0-1-5-2-15
T12. Brooks Davis, Montana: 0-0-0-4-2-10
T12: Chase Bingmon, Prairie View A&M: 1-0-0-2-1-10
T12. Chase Hatton, Marist: 0-0-2-2-0-10
T15. Andrew Indorf, Towson: 0-0-2-1-1-9
T15. Darius Malcom Jr., Wofford: 1-1-0-0-0-9
T15. Nick Herman, Drake: 0-2-0-0-1-9
T15. Raymond Moore Jr., Morgan State: 0-0-2-1-1-9
19. Evan James, Furman: 0-1-0-0-2-6
20. Nic Yatsko, Indiana State: 0-0-1-0-2-5
21. Rashawn Cunningham, Charleston Southern: 0-0-0-0-2-2
T22. Matt Fogler, Colgate: 0-0-0-0-1-1
T22. Rico Bond, Lindenwood: 0-0-0-0-1-1
T24. Jaqai Carter, Robert Morris: 0-0-0-0-0-0
T24. Josh Robinson, Princeton: 0-0-0-0-0-0
 
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