AUBURN — Auburn fifth-year quarterback Byrum Brown has been named a finalist for the 2026 William V. Campbell Trophy, the National Football Foundation announced Wednesday.
The 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. The award was first presented in 1990.
A record-setting dual-threat quarterback, Brown has excelled on the field, in the classroom and as a leader in the community, establishing himself as one of college football's most accomplished scholar-athletes. The Raleigh, North Carolina, native becomes Auburn's sixth NFF National Scholar-Athlete and first since Anders Carlson in 2022.
Brown graduated magna cum laude from South Florida in December 2025 with a degree in health science and public health and a 3.81 GPA. Currently pursuing a master's degree in adult education, he earned CSC Academic All-District recognition in 2025.
After leading the nation in total offense in 2025, Brown ranks sixth in the SEC for total offense, averaging 277.3 yards per game, and his 459 rushing yards this season are the most by a quarterback in the league.
The current SEC Offensive Player of the Week following his standout performance in Auburn’s win over No. 1 Georgia, his career totals include 8,895 passing yards, 69 touchdown passes, 2,724 rushing yards and 36 rushing touchdowns, including eight passing and five rushing touchdowns this season.
Beyond football, Brown has participated in Victory Day events at USF and Auburn, helping individuals with disabilities experience football activities. He has visited local hospitals through Auburn's Tigers Give Back Day and spent time with elementary school students and after-school programs in the Auburn community.
The 18 finalists will each receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as members 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. 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.
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.
NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class
1960: Ed Dyas, FB
1965: John Cochran, LB
1985: Gregg Carr, LB
2003: Dontarrious Thomas, LB
2022: Anders Carlson, K
2026: Byrum Brown, QB