IRVING, Texas — Williams College football defensive back Holden Gering has been named as one of the 2306 semifinalists for the 2026 William V. Campbell Trophy, which recognizes the top football scholar-athlete in the nation. The 206 players come from all levels of college football, both NCAA and NAIA, with 44 coming from Division III, including four from the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC).
The NFF will announce 12-16 finalists on Oct. 21, and each of them will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class. The finalists will travel to Las Vegas for the 68th NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 8, where their accomplishments will be highlighted. Live during the event, one member of the class will be declared as the winner of the 37th William V. Campbell Trophy and have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000.
A history major with a concentration in justice and law studies, Gering is a two-time NESCAC All-Academic Fall Team member and a 2024 All-NESCAC Second Team selection as a defensive back. The tri-captain was also named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Football Team in 2024. He has spent time on both sides of the ball, catching 34 passes for 366 yards and two touchdowns in his career, while also playing cornerback, collecting 60 tackles, seven interceptions and 15 pass breakups, three of which came this past week in the Ephs' 17-7 victory over Bowdoin in the team's season opener.
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, which is comprised of a nationally recognized group of media, College Football Hall of Famers and athletics administrators.
Named in honor of the late Bill Campbell, former chairman of Intuit, former player and head coach at Columbia University and the 2004 recipient of the NFF's Gold Medal, the Campbell Trophy is a 25-pound bronze trophy and increases the amount of the recipient's grant by $7,000 for a total postgraduate scholarship of $25,000. This year's postgraduate scholarships will push the program's all-time distribution to more than $13.5 million.
