IRVING, Texas (Sept. 24, 2025) – The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) proudly announced today a remarkable list of 177 semifinalists for the 2025 William V. Campbell Trophy^®, college football's premier scholar-athlete award. The impressive list of candidates, from all NCAA divisions and the NAIA, boasts an impressive 3.60 average GPA, with more than half of the semifinalists having already earned their bachelor's degrees.
 
Celebrating its 36th year, the Campbell Trophy^® recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership.
   

• 36^th year of the William V. Campbell Trophy®
• 67th year of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards Presented by Fidelity Investments
• 177 Semifinalists
• 3.60 Average GPA
• 91 Nominees who have already earned their bachelor's degrees (including one player with three bachelor's degrees)
• 5 Nominees who have earned a master's degree (including one player with two master's degrees)
• 5 Nominees with a perfect 4.0 GPA
• 55 Nominees with a 3.8 GPA or better
• 74 Nominees with a 3.7 GPA or better
• 13 Academic All-America selections
• 111 Captains
• 20 All-Americans
• 94 All-Conference picks

 
"This year's 177 semifinalists represent the very best of what it means to play college football," said NFF Chairman Archie Manning, whose sons Peyton (Campbell Trophy® winner) and Eli were named NFF National Scholar-Athletes in 1997 and 2003, respectively. "They have excelled in the classroom, distinguished themselves on the field, and proven to be leaders in their communities. The Campbell Trophy® stands as a reminder that football develops complete individuals, and these young men embody that tradition at the highest level."
 
The NFF will announce 12-16 finalists on Oct. 22, and each of them will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the 2025 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments. The finalists will travel to the Bellagio Resort & Casino in Las Vegas for the 67th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 9, where their accomplishments will be highlighted in front of one of the most powerful audiences in all of sports. Live during the event, one member of the class will be declared as the winner of the 36th Campbell Trophy® and have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000. Click here for more information on the Awards Dinner, including options to purchase tickets online, special travel rates to the event from Delta Air Lines and room rates at the Bellagio.
 
Nominated by their schools, which are limited to one nominee each, candidates for the awards must be a senior who will complete his final year of eligibility in the 2025 season or a graduate student or graduate transfer who has already earned a degree and is participating in the 2025 season; have a GPA of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale; have outstanding football ability as a first team player or significant contributor; and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship. The class is selected each year by the NFF Awards Committee, which is comprised of a nationally recognized group of media, NFF College Football Hall of Famers and athletics administrators.
 
"We are honored to celebrate such an extraordinary group of student-athletes as semifinalists for the Campbell Trophy®," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "Their accomplishments reflect the lasting impact of our game — building character, discipline, and leadership, extending far beyond football. Selecting finalists from this outstanding class will be a tremendous challenge, but it's a challenge that underscores the unique prestige of this award."
 
Launched in 1959, the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards Presented by Fidelity Investments celebrate their 67th year in 2025. The awards were the first initiative in history to grant postgraduate scholarships based on both a player's academic and athletic accomplishments, and the NFF has recognized 938 outstanding individuals since the program's inception. This year's postgraduate scholarships will push the program's all-time distribution to more than $13.2 million.
 
The Campbell Trophy® was first awarded in 1990, adding to the program's prestige. Past recipients include two Rhodes Scholars, a Rhodes Scholar finalist, two Heisman Trophy winners and nine first-round NFL draft picks. Click here for a list of the past winners of the trophy.
 
Named in honor of the late Bill Campbell, the trophy has been prominently displayed inside its official home at the New York Athletic Club since 2013, and the winner is honored each year during a special luncheon at the storied venue.
 
Fidelity Investments became the presenting sponsor of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards in 2011, marking its 15th year of support in 2025. As part of its commitment to the NFF and higher education nationwide, Fidelity helped launch the NFF Faculty Salutes, which honor the faculty athletics representative (FAR) at each institution with a Campbell Trophy® finalist. Following the selection of the finalists, the NFF presents each school's FAR with a commemorative plaque, and Fidelity contributes $5,000 to the school's academic support services. Since the program's inception, the Salutes have recognized 198 FARs, with Fidelity providing a total of $990,000 in donations.
   

• 78 Nominees from the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS)
• 44 Nominees from the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS)
• 15 Nominees from NCAA Division II
• 33 Nominees from NCAA Division III
• 7 Nominees from the NAIA
• 88 Offensive Players
• 75 Defensive Players
• 14 Special Teams Players

 
   

Air Force – Bruin Fleischmann

Alabama – LT Overton

Appalachian State – Ethan Johnson

Arizona State – Ben Coleman

Arkansas – Fernando Carmona

Arkansas State – Corey Rucker

Army West Point – Andon Thomas

Auburn – Brandon Frazier

Baylor – Sawyer Robertson

Boise State – Marco Notarainni

Buffalo – Red Murdock

Central Michigan – Michael Heldman

Clemson – Cade Klubnik

Colorado State – Rocky Beers

Delaware – Jacob Thaw

Duke – Bruno Fina

Eastern Michigan – Jefferson Adam

Florida – Jake Slaughter

Florida State – Luke Petitbon

Fresno State – Camryn Bracha

Georgia – Oscar Delp

Georgia Tech – Joe Fusile

Hawai'i – Landon Sims

Houston – Jacob Garza

Illinois – Josh Gesky

Iowa – Aaron Graves

Iowa State – Caleb Bacon

Kansas – Jalon Daniels

Kansas State – Sam Hecht

Kentucky – Josh Kattus

Liberty – Joseph Carter

LSU – Harold Perkins

Michigan – Greg Tarr

Michigan State – Sam Edwards

Middle Tennessee State – Nick Vattiato

Mississippi State – Blake Shapen

Navy – Blake Horvath

Nebraska – Malcolm Hartzog Jr.

North Carolina – Will Hardy

North Carolina State – Anthony Carter Jr.

North Texas – Simeon Evans

Northwestern – Aidan Hubbard

Notre Dame – Aamil Wagner

Ohio – Parker Navarro

Ohio State – Lorenzo Styles Jr.

Oklahoma – Owen Heinecke

Oklahoma State – Logan Ward

Old Dominion – Zach Barlev

Oregon – Bryce Boettcher

Oregon State – Dylan Black

Penn State – Nick Dawkins

Purdue – Jack McCallister

Rice – Micah Barnett

Rutgers – Dariel Djabome

San José State – Taniela Latu

South Alabama – Dalton Hughes

South Carolina – Luke Doty

Southern California – Hank Pepper

Southern Methodist – Matt Hibner

Stanford – Sam Roush

Syracuse – Derek McDonald

Temple – Allan Haye

Texas – Trey Moore

Texas State – Titus Lyons

Texas Tech – Jacob Rodriguez

Toledo – Tucker Gleason

Troy – Scott Taylor Renfroe

Tulane – Bryce Bohanon

UNLV – Ose Egbase

Utah – Jaren Kump

Utah State – Broc Lane

UTSA – Luke Lapeze

Vanderbilt – Eli Stowers

Virginia – Will Bettridge

Wake Forest – Nick Andersen

Washington – Jonah Coleman

West Virginia – Oliver Straw

Wisconsin – Ricardo Hallman

Austin Peay State – Chandler Kirton

Brown – John Starman

Bucknell – John Ohnegian

California, Davis – Eli Simonson

Charleston Southern – Nick Bartalo

Colgate – Treyvhon Saunders

Columbia – Mark Chapman

Cornell – James Reinbold

Dartmouth – Delby Lemieux

Dayton – Ryan Iiams

Eastern Illinois – Brett Galletti

Eastern Kentucky – Jaheim Ward

Eastern Washington – Nolan Ulm

Fordham – James Conway

Harvard – Ryan Osborne

Holy Cross – Cam Nolan

Illinois State – Wenkers Wright

Jackson State – JaCobian Morgan

Lafayette – Phillip Peiffer

Lamar – Robert Coleman

Lehigh – Brycen Edwards

Marist – Chris Leonardo

Montana – Dillon Botner

Montana State – Kenneth Eiden

New Hampshire – Chase Wilson

North Dakota State – Logan Kopp

Northern Colorado – Zach Nowatzke

Pennsylvania – Liam O'Brien

Princeton – Justice Musser

Richmond – Scott Hummel

Southeastern Louisiana – Holden Kareokowsky

Stephen F. Austin State – Ky Thomas

Stony Brook – Clayton Taylor

Tennessee Tech – Tremel Jones

The Citadel – Mike Bartilucci

Towson – Bryce LaFollette

Valparaiso – De'Andre Wilborn

Villanova – Shane Hartzell

Western Carolina – Micah Nelson

Western Illinois – Christian Pierce

William & Mary – Trey McDonald

Yale – Mason Shipp

Youngstown State – Brendon Kilpatrick

Albany State (GA) – Isaiah Knowles

Ashland (OH) – Ethan Enders

Bentley (MA) – Mike Boutros

Black Hills State (SD) – Sebastian O'Farrell

Colorado Mesa – Kash Bradley

Colorado State Pueblo – Andrew Cook

Harding (AR) – Ty Dugger

Hillsdale (MI) – Hunter Sperling

Minnesota State Moorhead – Jack Strand

Northern State (SD) – Wyatt Block

Northwest Missouri State – Shane Fredrickson

PennWest, California – Rafiqe Hilliard

Slippery Rock (PA) – Michael Henwood

Wayne State (MI) – Quincy Salter

Wingate (NC) – GW Clemmer

Allegheny (PA) – Fletcher Hammond

Berry (GA) – Christian Lewis

Carnegie Mellon (PA) – Justin Caputo

Case Western Reserve (OH) – Osi Chukwuocha

Central (IA) – Gavin Smith

DePauw (IN) – Robby Ballentine

Gallaudet (DC) – Carter Johnson

Hampden-Sydney (VA) – Robert Clarke

Hardin-Simmons (TX) – Harrison Foster

John Carroll (OH) – Nick Semptimphelter

Johns Hopkins (MD) – Isaac Urquidi

Lake Forest (IL) – Thomas DeChesaro

Lycoming (PA) – Braedon Hart

Lyon (AR) – William Litton

Mary Hardin-Baylor (TX) – Ethan Rayfield

Middlebury (VT) – Mike Ahonen

Millsaps (MS) – Luke Bridges

Moravian (PA) – Jared Jenkins

New England (ME) – Jon Terry

Rhodes (TN) – Evan Reeder

Saint John's (MN) – Zach Frank

Shenandoah (VA) – Matt Conroy

Springfield (MA) – Tyler Pohlman

St. Olaf (MN) – Noah Barrett

Texas Lutheran – Weston Guzman

Trinity (TX) – Caleb Bayer

Washington & Jefferson (PA) – Joey Lacey

Waynesburg (PA) – Tommy Burke

Wesleyan (CT) – Dylan Connors

Westminster (PA) – Dylan Sleva

Wisconsin-Oshkosh – Clayton Schwalbe

Wisconsin-Stout – Adam Moen

Wooster (OH) – Tate Journell

Dakota State (SD) – Cole Paulson

Evangel (MO) – Zach Myers

Grand View (IA) – Jackson Waring

Indiana Wesleyan – Deven Arevalo

Morningside (IA) – Lennx Brown

Northwestern (IA) – Trystin Voss

Texas Wesleyan – Ashton Mitchell-Johnson

 
About The National College Football Awards Association
The William V. Campbell Trophy^® is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses college football's most prestigious awards. The NCFAA's 25 awards have honored more than 950 recipients since 1935. For more information about the NCFAA and its award programs, visit NCFAA.org or follow on X at @NCFAA.
 
ABOUT THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL FOUNDATION & COLLEGE HALL OF FAME
Founded in 1947 with early leadership from General Douglas MacArthur, legendary Army coach Earl "Red" Blaik and immortal journalist Grantland Rice, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame is a non-profit educational organization that runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing academic excellence, citizenship, and athletic achievement in young people. With 120 chapters in 47 states, NFF programs include the criteria, selection and induction of members of the NFF College Football Hall of Fame; the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame museum in Atlanta; Future For Football; I Played; the William V. Campbell Trophy®; the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards Presented by Fidelity Investments; the NFF National High School Academic Excellence Awards presented by the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation & the NFF Hatchell Cup presented by Bob's Steak & Chop House; and a series of programs and initiatives to honor the legends of the past and inspire the leaders of the future. NFF corporate partners include CAA Executive Search, Catapult, Delta Air Lines, Elite Media Network, Fidelity Investments, Hampshire Companies, Jostens, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, New York Athletic Club, Pasadena Tournament of Roses, the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation, and Shriners Hospitals for Children. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @NFFNetwork and learn more at footballfoundation.org.