PHILADELPHIA, PA -- Redshirt freshman running back Nolan Ray has been selected as one of 37 candidates for The Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award watch list, the Maxwell Football Club announced today. This marks the seventh year of the award, which is presented to the most outstanding freshman player in college football. 

Ray, who redshirted last season, made his career debut in the Terps' 2023 season opener against Towson. He rushed three times for seven yards in that game.

A Southfield, MI native, Ray was the top-rated running back in Michigan coming out of high school. He rushed 145 times for 1,097 yards and 14 touchdowns in just nine games in his junior 2021 season. 

The Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award will be presented at the Maxwell Football Club Awards along with several of the other top awards in college and professional football. The event will be held on Friday March 14, 2025 and hosted by the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, Georgia.