Toure a semifinalist for the “Academic Heisman”
10/1/2020 9:53:00 AM | Football
Montana All-American wide receiver Samori Toure was named a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy – one of college football's most prestigious awards that is widely considered to be the "Academic Heisman" – the National Football Foundation announced Thursday.
Toure, who set Montana's single-season record for most receiving yards as a junior and broke NFL Hall of Famer Randy Moss' 1-AA/FCS Playoff record for receiving yards in a game, carries a 3.22 GPA in communications at UM.
The senior is one of a record 199 semifinalists for the Campbell Trophy from all levels of college football, but one of just 45 players from the FCS and one of only four from the Big Sky Conference to earn a place on the prestigious list that honors excellence both on the field and in the classroom.
Toure is the fourth Grizzly since 2015 to be named a semifinalist for the Campbell Trophy, joining former UM greats Derek Crittenden, Reggie Tilleman, and Dante Olson in the honor, with Crittenden and Olson each progressing on to be finalists for the coveted award.
Other Grizzlies to be named a finalist for the Campbell Trophy include Dave Dickenson (1995), who was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2018, Josh Branen (1997), Sam Gratton (2012), and Vince Huntsberger (2001).
Celebrating its 31st year, the award recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance, and exemplary leadership.
The NFF will announce 12-to-14 finalists in November, each receiving an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the 2020 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class. Later this year, one member of the class will be declared as the winner of the 31st Campbell Trophy, having his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000.
Nominated by their schools, which are limited to one nominee each, candidates for the awards must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of playing eligibility, 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, comprised of a nationally recognized group of media, College Football Hall of Famers, and athletics administrators.
"It is wonderful to see a record number of semifinalists for the Campbell Trophy during such a turbulent year, proving the Future for Football is bright," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell.
"We are extremely proud to highlight each semifinalist's achievements, showcasing their ability to balance academics and athletics at the highest level. The NFF Awards Committee will have an incredibly difficult task in selecting the finalists from this outstanding group of candidates."
2020 WILLIAM V. CAMPBELL TROPHY SEMIFINALISTS NOTES
• 31st year of the William V. Campbell Trophy® Presented by Mazda
• 62nd year of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards Presented by Fidelity Investments
• 199 Nominations
• 3.67 Average GPA
• 9 Nominees with a perfect 4.0 GPA
• 59 Nominees with a 3.8 GPA or better
• 72 Nominees with a 3.7 GPA or Better
• 18 Academic All-America Selections
• 94 Captains
• 110 All-Conference Picks
• 18 All-Americans
• 85 Nominees from the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS)
• 45 Nominees from the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS)
• 20 Nominees from NCAA Division II
• 40 Nominees from NCAA Division III
• 9 Nominees from the NAIA
• 107 Offensive Players
• 72 Defensive Players
• 20 Special Teams Players
Football Championship Subdivision (FCS)
Toure, who set Montana's single-season record for most receiving yards as a junior and broke NFL Hall of Famer Randy Moss' 1-AA/FCS Playoff record for receiving yards in a game, carries a 3.22 GPA in communications at UM.
The senior is one of a record 199 semifinalists for the Campbell Trophy from all levels of college football, but one of just 45 players from the FCS and one of only four from the Big Sky Conference to earn a place on the prestigious list that honors excellence both on the field and in the classroom.
Toure is the fourth Grizzly since 2015 to be named a semifinalist for the Campbell Trophy, joining former UM greats Derek Crittenden, Reggie Tilleman, and Dante Olson in the honor, with Crittenden and Olson each progressing on to be finalists for the coveted award.
Other Grizzlies to be named a finalist for the Campbell Trophy include Dave Dickenson (1995), who was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2018, Josh Branen (1997), Sam Gratton (2012), and Vince Huntsberger (2001).
Celebrating its 31st year, the award recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance, and exemplary leadership.
The NFF will announce 12-to-14 finalists in November, each receiving an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the 2020 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class. Later this year, one member of the class will be declared as the winner of the 31st Campbell Trophy, having his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000.
Nominated by their schools, which are limited to one nominee each, candidates for the awards must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of playing eligibility, 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, comprised of a nationally recognized group of media, College Football Hall of Famers, and athletics administrators.
"It is wonderful to see a record number of semifinalists for the Campbell Trophy during such a turbulent year, proving the Future for Football is bright," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell.
"We are extremely proud to highlight each semifinalist's achievements, showcasing their ability to balance academics and athletics at the highest level. The NFF Awards Committee will have an incredibly difficult task in selecting the finalists from this outstanding group of candidates."
2020 WILLIAM V. CAMPBELL TROPHY SEMIFINALISTS NOTES
• 31st year of the William V. Campbell Trophy® Presented by Mazda
• 62nd year of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards Presented by Fidelity Investments
• 199 Nominations
• 3.67 Average GPA
• 9 Nominees with a perfect 4.0 GPA
• 59 Nominees with a 3.8 GPA or better
• 72 Nominees with a 3.7 GPA or Better
• 18 Academic All-America Selections
• 94 Captains
• 110 All-Conference Picks
• 18 All-Americans
• 85 Nominees from the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS)
• 45 Nominees from the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS)
• 20 Nominees from NCAA Division II
• 40 Nominees from NCAA Division III
• 9 Nominees from the NAIA
• 107 Offensive Players
• 72 Defensive Players
• 20 Special Teams Players
SEMIFINALISTS FOR THE
2020 WILLIAM V. CAMPBELL TROPHY® PRESENTED BY MAZDA
2020 WILLIAM V. CAMPBELL TROPHY® PRESENTED BY MAZDA
Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS)
| SCHOOL | NAME |
| Air Force | Ben Peterson |
| Alabama | Landon Dickerson |
| Appalachian State | Cole Garrison |
| Arkansas | Grant Morgan |
| Arkansas State | Forrest Merrill |
| Boise State | Kekaula Kaniho |
| Boston College | Zion Johnson |
| Bowling Green State | Matt Naranjo |
| Buffalo | Zac Lefebvre |
| California | Michael Saffell |
| Charlotte | Tyriq Harris |
| Cincinnati | James Smith |
| Clemson | Will Swinney |
| Coastal Carolina | Tarron Jackson |
| Colorado | Matt Lynch |
| Connecticut | Brian Keating |
| Duke | Michael Carter II |
| East Carolina | Jake Verity |
| Eastern Michigan | Thomas Odukoya |
| Florida | Jeremiah Moon |
| Florida Atlantic | John Mitchell |
| Fresno State | Matt Smith |
| Georgia | Prather Hudson |
| Georgia Southern | Shai Werts |
| Georgia State | Jonathan Ifedi |
| Houston | Kyle Porter |
| Illinois | Blake Hayes |
| Indiana | Harry Crider |
| Iowa State | Chase Allen |
| Kansas | Sam Burt |
| Kansas State | Tyler Burns |
| Kentucky | Luke Fortner |
| Louisiana | Cameron Solomon |
| LSU | Liam Shanahan |
| Memphis | Brady White |
| Michigan | Will Hart |
| Michigan State | Dom Long |
| Minnesota | Conner Olson |
| Mississippi | Luke Logan |
| Mississippi State | K.J. Costello |
| Navy | Cameron Kinley |
| Nebraska | Ben Stille |
| Nevada | Sam Hammond |
| New Mexico State | Jared Wyatt |
| Northern Illinois | Matt Ference |
| Northwestern | Tyler Gilliken |
| Notre Dame | Robert Hainsey |
| Ohio State | Drue Chrisman |
| Oklahoma State | Logan Carter |
| Old Dominion | Jordan Young |
| Oregon | Brady Breeze |
| Oregon State | Andrzej Hughes-Murray |
| Pittsburgh | Jimmy Morrissey |
| Rice | Blaze Alldredge |
| Rutgers | Billy Taylor |
| San Jose State | Jack Snyder |
| South Alabama | Brian Ankerson |
| South Carolina | Parker White |
| South Florida | Trent Schneider |
| Southern California | Erik Krommenhoek |
| Southern Methodist | Tyler Page |
| Southern Mississippi | Jack Abraham |
| Stanford | Jet Toner |
| Syracuse | Kingsley Jonathan |
| Temple | Isaiah Graham-Mobley |
| Tennessee | Brandon Kennedy |
| Texas | Sam Ehlinger |
| Texas A&M | Dan Moore Jr. |
| Texas at San Antonio | Hunter Duplessis |
| Texas Tech | McLane Mannix |
| Toledo | Bryce Harris |
| Troy | Cameron Kaye |
| Tulane | Chase Kuerschen |
| UAB | Jacob Fuqua |
| UCF | Greg McCrae |
| UNLV | Charles Williams |
| Utah | Drew Lisk |
| Utah State | Chase Nelson |
| Virginia | Joey Blount |
| Washington | Elijah Molden |
| West Virginia | Sean Mahone |
| Western Kentucky | Steven Witchoskey |
| Western Michigan | Mike Caliendo |
| Wisconsin | Jack Coan |
| Wyoming | Skyler Miller |
Football Championship Subdivision (FCS)
| SCHOOL | NAME |
| Abilene Christian | Jack Gibbens |
| Alabama State | Ezra Gray |
| Austin Peay State | Blake Mitchell |
| Brown | E.J. Perry |
| Bucknell | Rick Mottram |
| Campbell | Levi Wiggins |
| Chattanooga | Bryce Nunnelly |
| Colgate | Grant Breneman |
| Columbia | Ben Mathiasmeier |
| Cornell | Maxton Edgerly |
| Dartmouth | Drew Estrada |
| Davidson | Wesley Dugger |
| Dayton | Brandon Easterling |
| Drake | Victor Jergens |
| Duquesne | Spencer DeMedal |
| Eastern Illinois | Harry Woodbery |
| Elon | Davis Cheek |
| Florida A&M | Chris Faddoul |
| Harvard | Eric Wilson |
| Holy Cross | Connor Degenhardt |
| Illinois State | Drew Himmelman |
| Lamar | Bailey Giffen |
| Lehigh | Pete Haffner |
| Marist | Grant Dixon |
| Montana | Samori Toure |
| Montana State | Kyle Finch |
| Norfolk State | Marque Ellington |
| North Alabama | K.J. Smith |
| North Dakota State | Matt Biegler |
| Northern Arizona | DJ Arnson |
| Northern Iowa | Brawntae Wells |
| Northwestern State | Gavin Landry |
| Pennsylvania | Prince Emili |
| Saint Francis | Sam Cummings |
| San Diego | Kama Kamaka |
| South Dakota | Jack Cochrane |
| South Dakota State | Logan Backhaus |
| Stetson | Alex Brown |
| Stony Brook | TJ Morrison |
| Towson | Aaron Grzymkowski |
| Weber State | Ty Whitworth |
| Western Carolina | Grady Thomas |
| Western Illinois | Clint Ratkovich |
| William & Mary | Andrew Trainer |
| Youngstown State | Christian Turner |
Division II
| SCHOOL | NAME |
| Ashland (OH) | Logan Bolin |
| Bentley (MA) | Andrew Brazicki |
| California (PA) | Eric Hudanick |
| Emporia State (KS) | Jace McDown |
| Frostburg State (MD) | Aizsha Horne |
| Grand Valley State (MI) | Tyler Bradfield |
| Harding (AR) | Mills Bryant |
| Kutztown (PA) | Mason McElroy |
| Minnesota State | JD Ekowa |
| Northwest Missouri State | Jackson Barnes |
| Sioux Falls (SD) | Jack Schelhaas |
| Southern Arkansas | Hayden Mallory |
| Southwest Minnesota State | Trey Sachs |
| Stonehill (MA) | Derek Ivey |
| Texas A&M-Commerce | Alex Shillow |
| Tusculum (TN) | Jackson Cauthen |
| Valdosta State (GA) | Brian Saunds |
| Wayne State (MI) | Lane Potter |
| West Texas A&M | Josiah Pennington |
| Wingate (NC) | Andrew Strickland |
Division III
| SCHOOL | NAME |
| Augustana (IL) | Alek Jacobs |
| Berry (GA) | Jack Carroll |
| Bowdoin (ME) | Nicholas Leahy |
| Case Western Reserve (OH) | Travis Johnston |
| Central (IA) | Blaine Hawkins |
| Concordia (WI) | Connor Stoming |
| DePauw (IN) | Jackson Hamersly |
| Franklin and Marshall (PA) | Garrett Pershy |
| Gallaudet (DC) | Cress Fisher |
| Grinnell (IA) | Rick Johnson |
| Hampden-Sydney (VA) | Tyler Howerton |
| Hardin-Simmons (TX) | Jamie Pogue |
| Hobart (NY) | Kyle Hackett |
| Ithaca (NY) | Andrew Vito |
| Lake Forest (IL) | John Colasacco |
| Lycoming (PA) | Kyle Pierce |
| Massachusetts Dartmouth | Jacob Burkhead |
| Middlebury (CT) | Pete Huggins |
| Millsaps (MS) | Drew Hopkins |
| Moravian (PA) | Jackson Buskirk |
| Ohio Wesleyan | Lucas Cooper |
| Redlands (CA) | Calhoun Helmberger |
| Rhodes (TN) | Mitch Batschelett |
| Saint John's (MN) | Chris Backes |
| Shenandoah (VA) | Jack Massie |
| Springfield (MA) | AJ Smith |
| St. Thomas (MN) | Zach Bennett |
| SUNY Maritime | Liam McManus |
| Trinity (TX) | Michael Edmonson |
| Tufts (MA) | Khalif Jeter |
| U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (NY) | Matt Restifo |
| Washington U. in St. Louis (MO) | Andrew Whitaker |
| Wesleyan (CT) | Glenn Smith |
| Westminster (PA) | Cameron Mika |
| Wheaton (IL) | Ryan Schwartz |
| Widener (PA) | Ryan Stecklein |
| Wisconsin-Oshkosh | Michael Olsen |
| Wisconsin-Stout | Bailey Roux |
| Wisconsin-Whitewater | Quinn Meinerz |
| Wooster (OH) | Eric Kraus |
NAIA
| SCHOOL | NAME |
| Dakota State (SD) | Marcus Vanden Bosch |
| Evangel (MO) | Darius Lee |
| Lindsey Wilson (KY) | Cameron Dukes |
| Montana Western | Kyle Schulte |
| Morningside (IA) | Niklas Gustav |
| Northwestern (IA) | Shane Solberg |
| Peru State (NE) | Dylan Dittman |
| Southeastern (FL) | Cory Rahman |
| William Penn (IA) | Jace Neugebauer |
Players Mentioned
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