Football | 9/23/2026 4:50:00 PM
September 23, 2026-Emporia State defensive back
Tyler Schultze has been recognized as a part of one of the most impressive groups of scholar-athletes in the history of college football. The senior from DeSoto, Kan. was announced as one of 206 semifinalists for the 2026 William V. Campbell Trophy® by The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF). The award recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation.
Schultze is currently sixth in the MIAA in passes defended and is just one pass break up away from tying the Emporia State career record. He was a CFBNetwork Preseason All-American and on the D2Football.com Preseason Elite 100 Watch list. Last year he was named Second-Team All-MIAA after leading the MIAA and ranking sixth in the nation in passes defended. As a sophomore he was named Third-Team All-MIAA and led the MIAA while ranking 11th in the nation in interceptions; 2nd in the MIAA and 6th in the nation in passes defended. He was named the MIAA Special Teams Player of the Week as a freshman after he recovered a fumble in the endzone on a kick off and rushed two punts against Neb.-Kearney.
He is a two-time First-Team Academic All-American from College Sports Communicators. Schultze is a four-time member of MIAA Academic Honor Roll and a two-time MIAA Scholar Athlete. He was a D2ADA Academic Achievement Award winner and been named to the ESU Athletic Director's Honor Roll every year he has been at Emporia State.
Schultze has volunteered with the Polar Plunge for Special Olympics and Habitat for Humanity. He helped out with the Emporia Area Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner, the Emporia Lions Club Breakfast, and the Basehor-Linwood HS Power lifting meet. He has participated in High Five Friday at various schools.
He is the third Hornet in the last nine years to be named a Semifinalist for the Campbell Trophy, joining running back Landon Nault in 2018 and linebacker
Jace McDown in 2020.
"Tyler is in his fifth year at Emporia State and has developed into a great player for us. He is definitely an OKG - Our Kind of Guy," said Emporia State head coach
Garin Higgins. "He has been an anchor for us in the defensive backfield. In the classroom he has already graduated with his bachelor's degree in physics and the only reason he didn't have a 4.0 GPA is because of an A- his freshman year."
He is the only player from the MIAA to make the semifinalist list this year and one of just 19 NCAA Division II players.
The NFF will announce 12 to 16 finalists on Oct. 21, and each of them will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the 2026 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments. The finalists will travel to the Bellagio Resort & Casino in Las Vegas for the 68th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 8, where their accomplishments will be highlighted in front of one of the most powerful audiences in all of sports. During the event, one member of the class will be declared as the winner of the 37th Campbell Trophy® and have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000.
Nominated by their schools, which are limited to one nominee each, each candidate must be competing in the 2026 season as a senior in his final year of eligibility or a graduate student/graduate transfer who has already earned a degree; have a cumulative undergraduate 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 composed of a nationally recognized group of media, NFF College Football Hall of Famers and athletics administrators.
"These 206 semifinalists represent the power of football to develop leaders well beyond the field," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "The game challenges young men to compete, lead and pursue excellence, and these candidates have embraced those values in the classroom, on the field and in their communities. They exemplify the kind of leaders the NFF has sought to recognize and develop throughout its history. Our committee has an incredibly difficult job ahead in selecting the finalists, and that speaks volumes about the caliber of this year's candidates."
The Campbell Trophy® was first awarded in 1990, adding to the prestige of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards. Past Campbell Trophy® recipients include two Rhodes Scholars, a Rhodes Scholar finalist, two Heisman Trophy winners and ten first-round NFL Draft picks.
Named in honor of the late Bill Campbell, the trophy has been prominently displayed inside its official home at the New York Athletic Club since 2013, and the winner is honored each year during a special luncheon at the storied venue.
"Every year, I'm amazed by what these young men are able to accomplish," said NFF Chairman Archie Manning, whose sons Peyton (Campbell Trophy® winner) and Eli were named NFF National Scholar-Athletes in 1997 and 2003, respectively. "Playing college football takes an enormous commitment, and to perform at a high level on the field while also excelling in the classroom and serving as a leader on campus is something special. These 206 semifinalists have a lot to be proud of, and it's a privilege to recognize their accomplishments."
Now in its 68th year, the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards Presented by Fidelity Investments have recognized 954 individuals, with this year's scholarships pushing the program's all-time distribution above $13.5 million. The awards were the first initiative in history to grant postgraduate scholarships based on a player's academic, athletic and leadership accomplishments.
2026 NFF WILLIAM V. CAMPBELL TROPHY® SEMIFINALISTS NOTES
- 37th year of the William V. Campbell Trophy®
- 68th year of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards Presented by Fidelity Investments
- 206 Semifinalists
- 3.64 Average GPA
- 98 Nominees who have already earned their bachelor's degrees
- 7 Nominees with a perfect 4.0 GPA
- 87 Nominees with a 3.7 GPA or better
- 20 Academic All-America selections
- 130 Captains
- 24 All-Americans
- 114 All-Conference picks
- 95 Nominees from the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS)
- 45 Nominees from the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS)
- 19 Nominees from NCAA Division II
- 44 Nominees from NCAA Division III
- 3 Nominees from the NAIA
- 111 Offensive Players
- 82 Defensive Players
- 13 Special Teams Players
Fidelity Investments became the presenting sponsor of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards in 2011, marking its 16th year of support in 2026. As part of its commitment to the NFF and higher education nationwide, Fidelity helped launch the NFF Faculty Salutes, which honor the faculty athletics representative (FAR) at each institution with a Campbell Trophy® finalist. Following the selection of the finalists, the NFF presents each school's FAR with a commemorative plaque, and Fidelity contributes $5,000 to the school's academic support services. Since the program's inception, the Salutes have recognized 214 FARs, with Fidelity providing a total of $1.07 million in donations.
NCAA Division II Semi-Finalists
Adams State University (CO) – Seth Shaw
Albany State University (GA) – Derrick Drayton
Ashland University (OH) – Ben Holzopfel
Bentley University (MA) – Amin Rahim
Black Hills State University (SD) – Jack Gentile
Carson-Newman University (TN) – Jaxon Hickson
Colorado State University Pueblo – Moosah Alsaffar
Emporia State University (KS) – Tyler Schultze
Harding University (AR) – Andrew Miller
Hillsdale College (MI) – Shea Ruddy
Minnesota State University, Mankato – Jacob Daulton
Ouachita Baptist University (AR) – Joey Ortego
Pennsylvania Western University-Edinboro – Nico Marchitelli
Saginaw Valley State University (MI) – Adom LeDuc
Slippery Rock University (PA) – Teddy Gregory
University of Texas Permian Basin – Torbyn Eakins
Wayne State University (MI) – Ethan Gates
Western Colorado University – Ian Loomis
Wingate University (NC) – GW Clemmer
The #12 Hornets are in their bye this week as they prepare for next week's MIAA TV Game of the Week against Missouri Western. Kick-off from Blackcreek Diesel Field at Welch Stadium is set for 1:07 pm on Saturday, October 3.
