BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Campbell quarterback
Daniel Smith has been named the Pioneer Football League's 2017 Offensive Freshman of the Year.
Smith finished the 2017 regular season with the fourth-most rushing yards in the country, with his 1,272 yards on the ground leading all FCS freshmen and quarterbacks. Smith also leads the nation in rush yards per carry (9.13), while standing second in rushing yards per game, fifth in points responsible for per game, ninth in total offense, 11
th in points responsible for, 11
th in rushing touchdowns, 17
th in all-purpose yards, 18
th in total touchdowns, 20
th in passing yards per completion and 24
th in scoring.
Smith set Campbell single-season records for rushing yards, total offense (3,161), all-purpose yards (1,272) and touchdowns responsible for (30). After just one season, Smith is already Campbell's career leader in touchdown passes with 18.
The Leesburg, Va. native rushed for 12 touchdowns on the season, adding 1,889 yards passing.
At Davidson, Smith exploded for 289 yards rushing, the third most overall and the most by a quarterback in a single game in the FCS this season. He added four rushing touchdowns, adding another passing in Campbell's 42-29 win.
During the season, Smith rushed for over 100 yards six times in just 10 games.
A finalist for the
STATS Jerry Rice Award for FCS freshman player of the year, Smith was also named to the
STATS Walter Payton Award watch list, as well as the College Football Performance Awards' (CFPA) 2017 midseason watch list for the
FCS National Performer of the Year Trophy.
During the season, Smith was named
STATS FCS Offensive Player of the Week once, and picked up a pair of STATS FCS Freshman Player of the Week honorable mentions. He was also named honorable mention FCS Offensive Performer of the Week by the
College Football Performance Awards, as well as
Pioneer Football League Offensive Player of the Week.
The league's all-conference teams will be announced Tuesday.