Official NFF Announcement

HAMPDEN-SYDNEY, Va. -- Hampden-Sydney College senior defensive end Will Thomas (Blacksburg) has been named a semifinalist for the 2024 William V. Campbell Trophy®, college football's premier scholar-athlete award known as the "Academic Heisman" as announced today by the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF). Will is among a record number of 203 semifinalists from all divisions, while the only one from the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) and among the 44 selected from NCAA Division III—the new highwater mark eclipses the 201 nominees in 2023.

Celebrating its 35th 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. Will is the College's fifth consecutive semifinalist, following Tyler Howerton '21, Kaleb Smith '22, Michael Harris '23 and George Langhammer '24—Howerton went on to become one of 12 finalists for the prestigious award in 2020.

Will Thomas is a four-time Dean's List honoree majoring in English with a minor in Spanish and has attained a 3.40 GPA. He is a recipient of the Harrison Honors Scholarship and the Penshurst Scholarship, and participated in the Global Education Spanish Immersion Program at Instituto Franklin, Universidad de Alcalá, in Madrid, Spain this past summer. Will has been inducted into the Phi Sigma Iota National Foreign Language Honor Society and the Sigma Tau Delta English Honor Society, is a member of the Spanish Club, and has one publication at the College, as well: Thomas, William G. "Timeless Words." The Garnet, Hampden-Sydney College (2024). His community involvement includes serving as a volunteer at The Big Event, Hampden-Sydney College Literacy Days and at the Southside SPCA.

Will missed the first two games of this season due to injury, but saw action against Centre (KY) on September 21, making his first tackle in the second quarter. He has started nine of 13 career games with 18 career total tackles, including four solo and 14 assists, 0.5 career tackles for loss, 0.5 career sacks and one career quarterback hurry -- all but one tackle accomplished as a junior during 2023 when he started all nine games played. A two-time ODAC All-Academic Team honoree, Will is the son of Eric Thomas and Anna LoMascolo.

The NFF will announce 12-14 finalists on Oct. 23, and each of them will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the 2024 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments. The finalists will travel to the Bellagio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas for the 66th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 10, 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 35th Campbell Trophy® and have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000.
 
DIVISION III SEMIFINALISTS
Allegheny (PA) - Carson Messemer
Berry (GA) - Hayden Cagle
Bethel (MN) - Nate Farm
Bluffton (OH) - Kainan Stoner
Carnegie Mellon (PA) - Robert Coury
Central (IA) - Grant Nelson
Coe (IA) - Alex Aitchison
Cornell (IA) - Tony Gomez
DePauw (IN) - Jonathan Bruder
Gallaudet (DC) - John Scarboro
Gustavus Adolphus (MN) - Jake Breitbach
Hampden-Sydney (VA) - Will Thomas
Hardin-Simmons (TX) - Cason Hanna
Hendrix (AR) - Kanyn Utley
Hobart (NY) - Ethan Kowalski
Hope (MI) - Dylan Clem
John Carroll (OH) - Matt Wrather
Johns Hopkins (MD) - Bay Harvey
King's (PA) - Jared Reto
Lake Forest (IL) - Sean Brady
Lycoming (PA) - Jake Welch
Lyon (AR) - Slayton Wheeler
Mary Hardin-Baylor (TX) - Johnny Smith-Rider
Millsaps (MS) - Preston Hill
Moravian (PA) - Prince Sokpo
North Central (IA) - Luke Lehnen
Saint John's (MN) - Aaron Syverson
Springfield (MA) - Arsen Shtefan
St. Olaf (MN) - Theodore Doran
SUNY Cortland - Zac Boyes
Texas Lutheran - Mason Hardy
Trinity (CT) - Sean Clapp
U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (NY) - Cameron Taylor
Washington & Jefferson (PA) - Dawson Dietz
Wesleyan (CT) - Sean Walker
Western New England (MA) - Jason Shumilla
Westminster (PA) - Matthew Howard
Wheaton (IL) - Giovanni Weeks
Wisconsin-Oshkosh - John Schirger
Wisconsin-River Falls - Aaron Borgerding
Wisconsin-Stout - Luke Mertens
Wisconsin-Whitewater - Matthew Burba
Wooster (OH) - Andrew Hammer
Worcester Polytechnic Institute (MA) - Doug Cain