Welcome to the 2021 FCS Jersey Countdown.
Leading up to Week 0 games on Aug. 28, HERO Sports is going to name the best returning FCS player by jersey number, 99-0. Due to rosters being updated at different times for teams across the country and to keep things consistent, jersey numbers are based on the 2020 fall-2021 spring season.
The 99-0 countdown central page can be found here.
Note: Jersey numbers are based on 2020 fall-2021 spring rosters.
26: Otis Weah, RB (Jr.) — North Dakota
UND had quite the debut season in the Missouri Valley Football Conference, winning a share of the title and advancing to the quarterfinals. The Fighting Hawks began the spring with three straight ranked wins, including against eventual quarterfinalist Southern Illinois and national runner-up South Dakota State.
Weah played a pivotal role in the success.
After seeing action in four games as a true freshman in 2018, he sat out the 2019 season due to academic issues. But he returned to the field in 2020-21 and instantly became one of the top offensive players in the FCS.
In seven games, Weah rushed for 730 yards and nine TDs off of 102 attempts. He scored at least one touchdown in every game, ranked No. 4 in the FCS with 7.2 yards per carry, No. 10 with 104.3 rushing yards per game, No. 5 in rushing yards, and tied for fourth in rushing TDs.
Weah was named to the All-MVFC First Team and was the runner-up to South Dakota State quarterback Mark Gronowski for the conference’s Offensive Player of the Year.
He earned six different All-American accolades and finished fourth in voting for the Walter Payton Award, given to the best offensive player in the FCS.
At 5-foot-9 and 215 pounds, Weah is thick and can run with power, but he’s also quick and slippery, making him one of the toughest RBs in the subdivision to bring down 1-on-1.
HERO Sports ranks him the No. 3 returning running back in the FCS.
