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The finalists for the 2025 William V. Campbell Trophy, the academic Heisman, were announced by the National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame on Wednesday. The trophy is college football’s most prestigious scholar-athlete award, recognizing individuals for their academic, sporting, and leadership qualities. Among the many notable candidates is an Iowa senior defensive tackle whose name jumps a little higher than the rest. Each of the 16 finalists of the 2025 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments® will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship. These final 16 candidates were selected from 180 semifinalists from all NCAA divisions and the NAIA. Among the finalists, Iowa Hawkeyes defensive tackle Aaron Graves has garnered a lot of attention. A Dayton, Iowa, native, Graves (6-foot-5, 295) received his Associate of Arts (AA) degree before graduating from high school. He also graduated with a bachelor’s degree in exercise science with the highest distinction in May. Graves’ 4.03 GPA ranks the highest among all 16 Campbell Trophy finalists. ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad Upon news of the Iowa DT’s nomination, college football reporter Scott Dochterman also shared a few nuggets of insight on X: “Graves received his AA degree before graduating high school and graduated with a B.S. after 2 years. He’s brilliant and looks like the human version of Mr. Incredible. As a senior in HS, he pinned his state quarterfinal opponent in the morning, then scored 35 points in a district basketball game that night.” ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad So far this season, Graves has recorded 25 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, three hurries and two sacks. In the Hawkeyes’ 37-0 Week 7 win at Wisconsin, Graves recorded his first career interception to set up an Iowa touchdown. Iowa DL Aaron Graves joins elite company for Campbell Trophy finalists While Iowa’s Aaron Graves has emerged as a frontrunner for the 2025 William V. Campbell Trophy, his fellow finalists possess equally impressive credentials. Some of the other top candidates in the running for the Campbell Trophy include: Vanderbilt tight end Eli Stowers (3.92 GPA), Navy quarterback Blake Horvath ( 3.69 GPA), Baylor Bears QB Sawyer Robertson (3.73 GPA), and Kansas QB Jalon Daniels (3.58 GPA). Read Top Stories First From EssentiallySports Click here and check box next to EssentiallySports Eli Stowers graduated from New Mexico State in 2024. He has also added a master’s degree in finance from Vanderbilt earlier this year. Stowers is now pursuing a master’s of legal studies. The TE has managed 28 catches, 355 receiving yards and two touchdowns this campaign, helping the Commodores to a 6-1 start. ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad Blake Horvath is the 11 Navy player to be named a finalist. The dual-threat QB earned CSC Academic All-District honors in 2024. Horvath has completed 52 passes for 980 yards and 7 touchdowns while rushing for 640 yards and 8 touchdowns so far in 2025. Sawyer Robertson is set to graduate this December with a degree in marketing. Robertson leads the nation in passing yards (2,376), passing touchdowns (21), and points responsible for (138) in 2025. He also ranks fourth in completions per game (26.14) so far this season. Jalon Daniels graduated in December 2024 with a degree in sport management. Daniels was instrumental in launching the “Mom2JD6” Foundation, which is dedicated to supporting single mothers who raise athletic children. The QB already has 18 touchdowns this season and is one of just two players representing the Big 12 Conference, alongside Robertson. The Campbell Trophy winner will be declared on Dec. 9 at the 67th NFF Annual Awards Dinner at the Bellagio Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.
