IRVING, Texas – Hardin-Simmons' senior football captain
Harrison Foster has been selected as a semifinalist for The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) 2025 William V. Campbell Trophy, college football's premier scholar-athlete award.
He was one of just 177 players selected from around the nation in all levels of football and just one of 33 Division III players.
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.
2025 WILLIAM V. CAMPBELL TROPHY® SEMIFINALISTS NOTES
- 36th 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.
2025 Campbell Trophy® Semifinalists by Division and Position
- 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
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.
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