Award To Honor Exemplary Leadership By A College Player

DALLAS (Oct. 14, 2025) – The semifinalists for the ninth annual Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year were announced today, a group that includes 20 of the nation’s top leaders in college football.

Compiled by a subset of the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Selection Committee, the semifinalists have all demonstrated a record of leadership by exhibiting exceptional courage, integrity and sportsmanship both on and off the field.

Sixteen seniors and four juniors make up the list. Among conferences, the SEC led the way with six selections, while the Big 12 had five. The Big Ten had four selections, while the ACC and Conference USA had two each. Notre Dame, an Independent, had one semifinalist.

The full list of semifinalists includes: CJ Allen (Georgia), Nick Andersen (Wake Forest), Cam Ball (Arkansas), Jude Bowry (Boston College), Deion Burks (Oklahoma), Arion Carter (Tennessee), Dontay Corleone (Cincinnati), Jalon Daniels (Kansas), Nick Dawkins (Penn State), Aiden Fisher (Indiana), Ernest Hausmann (Michigan), Tyler Martinez (New Mexico State), Devin Mockobee (Purdue), Koa Naotala (Old Dominion), Sawyer Robertson (Baylor), Jacob Rodriguez (Texas Tech), Eli Stowers (Vanderbilt), Michael Taaffe (Texas), Aamil Wagner (Notre Dame) and Tanner Wall (BYU).

Three finalists will be named for the award on Monday, December 16. The winner will be announced at the award ceremony at The Star in Frisco, Texas, on April 16, 2026.

Last year, J.J. Weaver of Kentucky won the eighth annual award. The first seven Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year awards were presented to Shaquem Griffin of UCF in 2017, D’Cota Dixon of Wisconsin in 2018, Trey Smith of Tennessee in 2019, Sam Ehlinger of Texas in 2020, Joshua Paschal of Kentucky in 2021, Deslin Alexandre of Pittsburgh in 2022 and Mike Hollins of Virginia in 2023.

The award, presented by Albertsons and Tom Thumb, is the first college football honor to focus primarily on a player’s leadership, both on and off the field. Leadership is a term synonymous with Jason Witten, who, in addition to becoming one of the best tight ends in the history of the sport, served as one of football’s most prominent role models during his 16-year pro career. In addition to winning the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award in 2012, Witten also received the Bart Starr Award, Pro Football Weekly’s Humanitarian of the Year Award, Home Depot NFL Neighborhood MVP and the Bob Lilly Award, among many others. All of those honors have recognized his work in the community, achievements on the field and dedication to his teammates and family.

“I’m very honored to announce the semifinalists for the Collegiate Man of the Year,” said Witten. “These twenty young men are prime examples of what makes college football so great. They have separated themselves not just by their play on the field, but how they have been leaders in the locker room, in their communities and in their own families. They are great representatives for their schools and the game of football, and I commend all nominees for getting to this point.”

The winner of the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year will also receive a $10,000 contribution in his name to his school’s athletic scholarship fund. The contribution will be made by Jason Witten’s SCORE Foundation, the official charity of Jason and his wife Michelle. The SCORE Foundation, founded in 2007, has positively impacted tens of thousands of children and families in Texas and Tennessee over the last 16 years. The foundation operates its nationally-recognized SCOREkeepers program, which places trained male mentors on staff to work with children at family violence shelters, at nine shelters in the two states.

2025 JASON WITTEN COLLEGIATE MAN OF THE YEAR SEMIFINALISTS

CJ Allen, Georgia (Jr., LB) – The anchor of Georgia’s nationally-renowned defense, Allen has been the leading tackler in five of the Bulldogs’ six games so far this season. Known for his leadership, calmness under pressure and work away from the field, Allen has taken a cue from his mother, who raised six children by herself. Allen is a consistent presence in the film room, who leads by example with his focus on taking care of his nutrition and work in the classroom, where he has been named to the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll three times. Off the field, he has put together youth football camps in his hometown, Athens and Atlanta.

Nick Andersen, Wake Forest (Sr., DB) – A two-time captain and vocal leader of the Demon Deacons, Andersen received 99 percent of the team vote to be a captain this season. He currently leads the team with 50 total tackles, and the former walk-on was a third-team All-ACC performer in 2024. Andersen is one of the nation’s best performers in the classroom, where he has made the Dean’s List and Athletic Director’s Honor Roll in all 11 of his college semesters. He is a nominee for the Campbell Trophy, college football’s top award for academics, and he represented Wake Forest at the US Air Force Academy Leadership and Character Symposium in Colorado.

Cam Ball, Arkansas (Sr., DL) – The defensive leader for the Razorbacks, Ball was a preseason All-SEC selection and is one of the nation’s most active players in the community. Despite losing his father to cancer prior to the season, he is a nominee for the Wuerffel Trophy and a member of the AFCA Good Works Team, which recognize community service. Ball has participated in more than 120 community service events during his career at Arkansas. In addition to founding his own non-profit and putting together a teddy bear drive for local children’s hospitals, he has worked with schools and the homeless community, as well as hosted a youth football camp.   

Jude Bowry, Boston College (Jr., OL) – Team captain and unquestioned leader of Boston College’s offensive line, Bowry’s veteran leadership on and off the field gets the most out of his teammates on a daily basis as someone student-athletes gravitate towards in the locker room. He tragically and unexpectedly lost his older brother in 2024, but overcame the loss to start all 12 games and only surrender two sacks that season. Having stuck with BC through coaching changes and plenty of ups and downs on the field, Bowry has established himself as an inspiration of loyalty and commitment and one of the school’s top voices of faith.

Deion Burks, Oklahoma (Sr., WR) – One of college football’s most talented receivers, Burks set the program record for most receptions in the first three games of an OU career in 2024, before sustaining an injury that would sideline him for eight games. This season, Burks is tied for the team lead with 30 receptions and has totaled 339 yards and two touchdowns. For each of the last two seasons, Burks has pledged to donate $50 for each of his receptions to Rob’s Ranch, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people with drug and alcohol addiction, and has organized various local businesses and individuals to participate in the pledged donation, which has totaled more than $28,000 to date.

Arion Carter, Tennessee (Jr., LB) – The unquestioned defensive leader of the 11^th-ranked Vols, Carter leads the SEC with 57 total tackles so far this season and was named SEC Defensive Player of the Week after week five. Carter is a member of the 2025 SEC Football Leadership Council, which was voted on by his peers. A model student who has made the Dean’s List and the SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll, Carter is also on Tennessee’s team leadership council. He has made regular visits to the East Tennessee Children’s Hospital and the Boys and Girls Club. Carter has also helped organize an event for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Dontay Corleone , Cincinnati (Sr., DL) – Corleone was chosen as a member of the All-Big 12 first team last season, and he recently became only the fourth player in program history to be named a captain for a third straight year. In 2024, he was diagnosed with blood clots in his lungs and underwent treatment before returning to action for a breakout season. During his recovery, he served as a mentor and role model to younger players, and he has been a regular community volunteer in his hometown of Cincinnati. He was also named to the 2023 Big 12 Fall All-Academic Team.

Jalon Daniels, Kansas (Sr., QB) – The first four-time team captain in Jayhawks program history, Daniels has thrown for 1,725 yards already this year and was named Big 12 Player of the Week earlier this season. A nominee for the Campbell and Wuerffel Trophies, he was named Big 12 Co-Scholar Athlete of the Year and has been selected Academic All-Big 12 five times in his career. A member of Kansas’ Leadership Council, Daniels has started his own foundation to empower single mothers and young athletes.

Nick Dawkins, Penn State (Sr., C) – Two-time captain for the Nittany Lions, Dawkins was tabbed second-team preseason All-American by CBS Sports coming into the year. But perhaps his biggest impact is felt off the field, where he earned the 2024 Wuerffel Trophy as the nation’s most outstanding player in the community. He founded the Dawkins Family Foundation, dedicated to empowering communities through youth engagement. The foundation has awarded three scholarships to high school seniors and collaborates with the Lehigh Valley YMCA and Big Brothers Big Sisters to provide book bags for children and teens in need. He is also a four-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree.

Aiden Fisher, Indiana (Sr., LB) – A first-team All-American last year, Fisher is the vocal and emotional leader of the thirdranked Hoosiers. An excellent student and positive force in the community, Fisher lost his father suddenly at age 11 and his step-father during his sophomore year of high school due to cancer. He was a singular male presence in his household for a number of years with himself, his mother and two sisters. Most recently, he led a free youth skills camp along with teammate Elijah Sarratt near their hometowns in Virginia.

Ernest Hausmann, Michigan (Sr., LB) – The leading tackler for the Wolverines with 40 stops through five games, Hausmann was an honorable mention All-Big Ten selection in 2024 and the recipient of the team’s Blue Collar Award given to the player who best embodies the team’s blue-collar identity. Adopted to the U.S. at age 5, Hausmann returned to his native Uganda this past spring for the first time. Born the youngest of 23 children, Ernest was the only member of his family put up for adoption after his parents became affected by AIDS. He returned to Uganda to reunite with his family while working with the One Million Wells foundation to bring clean drinking water to the place of his birth. Hausmann has since created his own nonprofit organization, Light Beneath the Well, to continue his efforts.

Tyler Martinez, New Mexico State (Sr., LB) – A former walk-on, Martinez sets the standard for the Aggie defense through hard work, discipline and integrity. This season, he suffered a broken hand in the first game of the season, but has persevered and continued to play through the injury, racking up 27 tackles and an interception. His story as a Latino football player who was given no college offers out of high school to a Group of Five All-American last season has been an inspiration to the university and the Las Cruces community.

Devin Mockobee, Purdue (Sr., RB) – Ranking in the top ten in several program career rushing categories, Mockobee is one of the most accomplished backs in Purdue history. He is a two-time honorable mention All-Big Ten selection and he has run for more than 400 yards and four touchdowns so far this season. He stayed loyal to the Boilermakers program after a 1-11 season and a coaching change and stuck around to become the team leader in 2025. Off the field, Mockobee donated $10,000 of his own money to the local youth football program in his hometown of Boonville, Indiana.

Koa Naotala, Old Dominion (Sr., DE) – The unflappable leader and two-time captain of Old Dominion who has worked hard to earn playing time as a former walk-on, first on special teams, then as a starter at linebacker. Naotala led the team in tackles last year and earned second-team All-Sun Belt honors. His older brother, Kalepo, was a freshman DL at Hawaii when he dove into a local watering hole and became paralyzed. Koa and his family have rallied around Kalepo and added another challenge to their lives. 

Sawyer Robertson, Baylor (Sr., QB) – The Big 12’s current leader in passing yards and TDs, Robertson was named AP National Player of the Week for week two. For four consecutive seasons, he was told out of camp that he was not going to be named the starter, but he continued to work hard and commit himself to the team, eventually getting his opportunity. Robertson has been very intentional about his commitment to the Christian mission at Baylor by participating in FCA and leading team bible studies. He was also selected to be part of the inaugural Champions [re]Defined spiritual retreat. He was also Academic All-Big 12 in 2024.

Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech (Sr., LB) – A first-team All-Big 12 selection for the Red Raiders in 2024, Rodriguez is one of the top linebackers in the country who actually began his college career as a quarterback at Virginia. He is a two-time captain for seventh-ranked Texas Tech and was instrumental during the offseason in meshing a talented group of returning players with the nation’s top-ranked transfer portal class. An Academic All-Big 12 honoree, Rodriguez’s wife Emma is an active-duty helicopter pilot stationed in Kansas. He has been involved in several visits to local schools and with Habitat for Humanity.

Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt (Sr., TE) – A first-team All-SEC choice last year, Stowers leads the 17^th-ranked Commodores with 25 catches for 323 yards so far in 2025. After initially signing with Texas A&M as a four-star quarterback out of high school, Stowers transferred to New Mexico State where he switched to tight end, eventually landing at Vanderbilt. A graduate of Vanderbilt with a degree in finance, Stowers opted not to enter the NFL Draft after last season and return to the Commodores. He leads through his strong faith and is very involved in the community, where he has done several school and children’s hospital visits.

Michael Taafe, Texas (Sr., DB) – Taafe has established himself of one of the better leaders in program history. Starting with his determination to even play football at Texas, where he walked on as a fifth-generation attendee of the university and progressed to become an All-American last season. One of two fifth-year players on the team who is also on the leadership council, Taafe currently leads the Longhorns with 41 tackles. He is also a member of the AFCA Good Works Team for his extensive work in the community. He used the loss of a close friend and former teammate to fentanyl as motivation to start an awareness campaign about its dangers, and has also been heavily involved with relief efforts following the Fourth of July floods in Texas.

Aamil Wagner, Notre Dame (Jr., OL) – Team captain and leader of the Irish’s offensive line, which paves the way for one of the nation’s top offenses, Wagner has been selected as a member of the 2025 AFCA Good Works Team and a semifinalist for both the William V. Campbell Trophy and the Wuerffel Trophy. He was also named to the Outland Trophy Watch List. He is passionate about improving the lives of athletes off the field, from youth athletics to collegiate student-athletes, and has led several initiatives to put that in action. Wagner also serves as the Chapter President for Uplifting Athletes, an organization which supports the rare disease community and their families and volunteers at the Yellow Springs Senior Center and his hometown church.

Tanner Wall, BYU (Sr., S) – Team captain and force in the secondary for the 5-1 Cougars, Wall is a semifinalist for both the Campbell and Wuerffel Trophies. He was a CSC first-team Academic All-American in 2024 and he coordinates the football team’s efforts with the BYU Pathway Worldwide Program to connect with and mentor hundreds of students from across Africa and the South Pacific. Wall, who is fluent in Spanish and Portugese, conducted a mission to Brazil and has also run a youth football camp in Israel.