STONY BROOK, N.Y. – After a standout season at wide receiver, redshirt freshman Anthony Johnson has been named among 22 finalists for the Jerry Rice Award, which honors the top FCS freshman in the country, Stats Perform announced on Monday.
 
Johnson earned the national recognition after an impressive first season on Long Island where he hauled in 59 receptions (5.9/game) for 714 yards (71.4/game) and caught three touchdown passes. Johnson caught passes of 20 or more yards in eight of Stony Brook's 10 games this season.
 
His numbers rank top 50 overall in the FCS in four statistics, as Johnson is 19th in receptions per game, tied for 23rd in total receptions, 34th in receiving yards per game and 41st in total receiving yards. All four ranks were best among freshmen in the country through the end of the FCS regular season, which concluded on Saturday.
 
Johnson also ranks top-five in the CAA in each category he leads among FCS freshmen, ranking third in total and average receptions, fourth in receiving yards per game, and fifth in total receiving yards. The Burlington, N.J. native is also 21st in the league in yards per catch (12.1) and tied for 22nd in receiving touchdowns.
 
The James Madison transfer's 59 receptions ranked tied for sixth in Stony Brook single-season history and his 714 receiving yards were the most since Nick Anderson's 870 in 2019. Johnson turned in at least five receptions in seven games in 2023, marking the first time a Stony Brook receiver has done so since Ray Bolden did so eight times in 2015.
 
With Johnson's selection as a finalist, he becomes Stony Brook's second all-time finalist for the Rice Award, joining linebacker Tyler King in 2021.
 
The winner of the 2023 Jerry Rice Award will be selected by a national voting panel and announced on Wednesday, Dec. 6, and will be honored at the FCS National Awards Banquet on Jan. 6 in Frisco, Texas.
 
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