10/21/2026 11:45:00 AM | Football
YSU QB Beau Brungard has been named one of the finalists for the 2026 National Football Foundation William V. Campbell Trophy®, the National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame announced today.
The William V. Campbell Trophy® is college football's premier scholar-athlete award that annually recognizes an individual as the absolute best in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership.
This prestigious award is given to only 18 finalists across all levels of NCAA divisions including NAIA. Each finalist will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the 2026 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments®.
Brungard is one of only two players representing the FCS this year, joining him is Montana State offensive lineman, Titan Fleischmann.
A dynamic dual-threat quarterback and the 2025 Walter Payton Award winner as the top player in the FCS, Beau Brungard has rewritten the Youngstown State record books while excelling in the classroom. The New Middletown, Ohio, native becomes the Penguins' second NFF National Scholar-Athlete and first since 1998.
Having graduated summa cum laude in May with a degree in business administration, Brungard is currently pursuing an MBA. A two-time CSC Academic All-District selection and two-time First Team Academic All-Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) honoree, he has also earned recognition on the Dean's List.
A unanimous First Team All-American in 2025, Brungard also claimed the Walter Camp Foundation FCS Player of the Year Award, FCS ADA Offensive Player of the Year honors and MVFC Offensive Player of the Year accolades. A two-time First Team All-MVFC selection, he led the FCS last season in total offense (4,702 yards) and points responsible for (326), becoming the first player in FCS history to pass for more than 300 yards and rush for 200 yards in a single game. He also set the MVFC single-game rushing record for a quarterback with 264 yards against Robert Morris.
Brungard continues to rewrite the YSU record books, holding career marks for total offense (10,786 yards), offensive plays (1,524) and rushing touchdowns (57) and counting. Through eight games in 2026, he has passed for 2,061 yards and 19 touchdowns while rushing for 647 yards and 11 scores. Against Indiana State on Oct. 10, he threw for a career-high 386 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for two more scores, breaking Youngstown State's all-time career rushing touchdowns record. This season, he ranks first nationally in points responsible for per game (23.0), second in total offense (338.5 yards per game), sixth in passing yards (2,061) and sixth in total points scored (68). He leads the MVFC in multiple categories, including total offense, passing yards, pass completions and rushing touchdowns.
A two-year team captain, Brungard led the Penguins to the 2025 FCS Playoffs and a final No. 19 national ranking. His leadership has helped YSU earn a 6-2 record and a No. 4 AFCA national ranking. His father, Mark, quarterbacked the Penguins from 1992-95, helping YSU capture national championships in 1993 and 1994. Off the field, Brungard leads team Bible study sessions and organizes a summer youth football camp. He also mentors local children individually and represents Youngstown State at numerous community and university functions.
"The Campbell Trophy represents everything right in college football," said NFF Chairman Archie Manning, whose sons Peyton (a Campbell Trophy® recipient) and Eli were NFF National Scholar-Athletes in 1997 and 2003, respectively. "These 18 finalists have competed at an extraordinary level while embracing the demands of the classroom and making a meaningful difference in their communities. They understand that success is about more than what happens on Saturdays, and we are proud to recognize them as examples of the character, discipline and leadership that make college football so special."
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. Live 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.
Here are the 18 finalist for the award:
Byrum Brown, QB – Auburn // Health Science & Public Health (3.81 GPA)
Beau Brungard, QB – Youngstown State // Business Administration (3.82 GPA)
Ty Bryant, DB – Kentucky // Sport Communication (3.83 GPA)
Arion Carter, LB – Tennessee // Public Health (3.53 GPA)
Jaden Craig, QB – TCU // Economics (3.56 GPA)
Robert Fitzgerald, DB – Northwestern // Economics, Learning & Org. Change (3.71 GPA)
Titan Fleischmann, OL – Montana State // Political Science (3.81 GPA)
Harrison Foster, S – Hardin-Simmons (TX) // Finance (3.91 GPA)
Carson Hinzman, OL – Ohio State // Sport Industry (3.41 GPA)
Bray Hubbard, DB – Alabama // Sport Management (3.58 GPA)
Maddux Madsen, QB – Boise State // Interdisciplinary Professional Studies (3.68 GPA)
Andrew Miller, RB – Harding (AR) // Kinesiology (3.66 GPA)
Dante Moore, QB – Oregon // Sociology (3.27 GPA)
Nick Rinaldi, LB – Vanderbilt // Economics (3.97 GPA)
Duce Robinson, WR – Florida State // Interdisciplinary Social Science (3.90 GPA)
Shea Ruddy, WR/KR – Hillsdale (MI) // Biochemistry (3.72 GPA)
Gunner Stockton, QB – Georgia // Sport Management (3.27 GPA)
Ethan Wesloski, LB – Oklahoma State // Kinesiology & Exercise Science (3.86 GPA)
The 18 finalists were selected from a record 206 semifinalists nationwide from among all NCAA divisions and the NAIA.
