Award To Honor Exemplary Leadership By A College Player
DALLAS (Dec. 16, 2025) – The three finalists for the ninth annual Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year were announced today. In line for the award, which recognizes exemplary leadership both on and off the field, are Aiden Fisher of Indiana, Jacob Rodriguez of Texas Tech and Aamil Wagner of Notre Dame.
Selected from a group of 20 semifinalists by a subset of the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Board of Directors, the three finalists have all demonstrated an outstanding record of leadership by exhibiting exceptional courage, integrity and sportsmanship. The winner will be announced at an award ceremony in Frisco, Texas, on April 16, 2026.
“I am excited to announce these three outstanding young men as the finalists for the ninth annual Collegiate Man of the Year,” said Witten. “Aiden Fisher, Jacob Rodriguez and Aamil Wagner have all embodied exceptional leadership on and off the field. They have led their teams on the playing field, in the locker room, in the classroom, in the community and at home. It’s always tough to choose just three from all of the great players nominated. There are so many great representatives for college football, and I commend all of the nominees for the tremendous example of leadership they have set.”
Aiden Fisher (Sr., LB) – A two-time first-team All-Big Ten selection, Fisher was the first linebacker in Indiana history to earn first-team All-American during his junior season when he led Indiana to a then-program-record 11 wins and College Football Playoff berth. He has followed that with arguably his most productive season in 2025 and has the Hoosiers ranked No. 1 nationally and as the only defensive unit rated in the top-15 in total defense, rush defense, pass defense, scoring defense and sacks. 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.
Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech (Sr., LB) – The recipient of the Bednarik Award, presented to the top defensive player in all of college football, Rodriguez received the third-most first-place votes for the Heisman. An All-Big 12 selection each of the last two years, Rodriguez actually began his college career as a quarterback at Virginia. He is a two-time captain for fourth-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.
Aamil Wagner, Notre Dame (Jr., OL) – Team captain and leader of the Irish’s offensive line, which paved the way for one of the nation’s top offenses, Wagner was 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 a finalist for the Freddie Solomon Community Spirit Award. 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.
The Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year, 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. 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.
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 and the Cowboys’ all-time leading receiver, served as one of football’s most prominent role models during his 17-year pro career. In addition to winning the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award in 2012, Witten has 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.
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 17 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 three states. SCORE has also operated a summer camp for kids with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas, a weekend food backpack program for disadvantaged children in North Texas, opened Jason Witten Learning Centers in five different Boys & Girls Clubs and opened the Jason and Michelle Witten Emergency Waiting Room at the Niswonger Children’s Hospital in Johnson City, Tenn.