The William V. Campbell Trophy® is one of the highest honors a college football player can receive in their career.
This December, one of Hillsdale's own will be heading to Las Vegas as a finalist to win it.
Senior Shea Ruddy was selected as one of 18 finalists for the 2026 William V. Campbell Trophy® on Wednesday, announced by the National Football Foundation, who gives out the award annually. Ruddy was selected from a record 206 semifinalists hailing from all divisions of NCAA and NAIA football, and as a reward for being a finalist will receive recognition as part of the 2026 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments®, along with an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship.
The William V. Campbell Trophy® is college football's premier scholar-athlete award, now in its 37th year of being awarded annually by the National Football Foundation. The trophy recognizes an individual as the absolute best in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership. Nominees must possess a cumulative GPA of at least 3.2, display outstanding ability on the field of play and demonstrate strong leadership and citizenship.
"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."
As a finalist for the award, Ruddy 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 his accomplishments, along with those of the other nominees, 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.
Being named a William V. Campbell Trophy® finalist is an impressive and rare honor for a Hillsdale football player. Ruddy is one of just three non-Division I football players among the 18 up for the award, and just the second Hillsdale player to be named a finalist along with quarterback Mark Nicolet in 2007.
"Shea's the real deal as a player and a person," Hillsdale College football head coach Nate Shreffler said. "Everything he does, whether it's on the field, in the classroom, or out in the world, he does to the best of his ability and with everything he's got.
"As great as he's been for us as a player, he's an even better person and a great representative of what it means to be committed to excellence in every aspect of your life. He deserves this award and I'm thrilled to see him get the chance to be on this stage."
The senior wide receiver from Temperance, Michigan is certainly a deserving recipient. A four-year contributor for the Chargers and one of the most versatile and dynamic players in all of college football, Ruddy has twice been named an All-American and an Academic All-American in 2024 and 2025, becoming the first Hillsdale player to win those awards in the same season since 1972.
Ruddy has made his biggest impact on the football field in the return game, where he's been one of the best in the nation on kickoffs for the last three seasons. In 2025, he led all NCAA divisions with 960 kickoff return yards and tied for the national lead with three kickoff return touchdowns, and he's continued to excel in 2026, with a NCAA DII leading 41.2 yards per return average and two more kickoff return scores on just nine returns. He is both the Hillsdale and G-MAC record holder for career kickoff return yards (2,063) and touchdowns (7), and at 34.4 yards per return for his career, is on pace to set a new NCAA DII record in that statistic.
The senior has been more than a return man though, as he's led Hillsdale in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns each of the past three seasons, and he currently leads the G-MAC in 2026 with 524 receiving yards and eight total touchdowns. A true Swiss Army knife for the Chargers, Ruddy was the only player in NCAA football in 2025 to record a passing, rushing, receiving and kick return touchdown in the same season.
A team captain for the Chargers in 2026, Ruddy also has excelled in the classroom, carrying a 3.72 GPA in biochemistry while being on track to graduate in May 2027 with the intention of pursuing a career in medicine. A two-time CSC Academic All-American, he earned First Team honors in 2025 after receiving Second Team recognition in 2024. He is also a two-time Academic All-District selection, a two-time D2ADA Academic Achievement Award recipient and a three-time Academic All-G-MAC honoree.
He's also made a huge impact in his community. Off the field, Ruddy has volunteered in the emergency room and surgery department at Hillsdale Hospital and served as co-chair of the college's bone marrow registration drive. A member of the 2026 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, he has worked with individuals with special needs through Victory Day, read to elementary school students through Book Buddies and participated in Wreaths Across America. He has also volunteered at Hillsdale football's Military Appreciation Dinner.