On Wednesday (Sept. 24) morning, Ashland University redshirt senior center Ethan Enders was named one of 177 semifinalists for the 2025 National Football Foundation William V. Campbell Trophy.
 
Enders graduated as a Finance major with a 3.67 cumulative grade-point average, and is in the MBA program, with a 3.78 GPA through the spring 2025 semester.
 
On the field, Enders is a four-year starter at center for the Eagles, making 40 starts and earning 2022 Great Midwest Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year and three All-Great Midwest citations (two first team, one second team). He has been the anchor of an offensive line which has helped AU to two NCAA Division II postseason appearances, a D-II playoff win, a victory in the America's Crossroads Bowl, and two Great Midwest championships.
 
Among his leadership and community service, Enders is a two-year team captain, a three-time team accountability captain, has worked with the National Marrow Donor Program, previously known as Be The Match, to get people on that registry, and donated stem cells to save someone's life who was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
 
Celebrating its 36th year, the Campbell Trophy recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership.
 
The NFF will announce 12-16 finalists on Oct. 22, and each of them will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the 2025 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments. The finalists will travel to the Bellagio Resort & Casino in Las Vegas for the 67th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 9, 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 36th Campbell Trophy and have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000.
 
Nominated by their schools, which are limited to one nominee each, candidates for the awards must be a senior who will complete his final year of eligibility in the 2025 season or a graduate student or graduate transfer who has already earned a degree and is participating in the 2025 season; have a 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 comprised of a nationally recognized group of media, NFF College Football Hall of Famers and athletics administrators.