Gagliardi Trophy semifinalists announced

Nov 23, 2021

Twelve seniors and three juniors make up the semifinalists for the 2021 Gagliardi Trophy, an award presented by Jostens and the J-Club of Saint John's University (Minn.) to the most outstanding football player in NCAA Division III. The semifinalist list also contains nominees from all six NCAA regions. Twelve quarterbacks head up the list, along with two wide receivers and one defensive back/punter/returner. Eleven of the fifteen participated in the first round of the Division III playoffs.

D3football.com will reveal the finalists on a live streaming broadcast on the afternoon of Thursday, Dec. 9.

Eleven of the fifteen participated in the first round of the Division III playoffs.

After screening the schools' nominations, the SJU J-Club Board of Directors narrowed the field to 15 semifinalists.

The 40-member Gagliardi Trophy national selection committee reviews the credentials, ranks the candidates 1-15 and casts their votes. Fan balloting, which is available on D3football.com, accounts for the 41st ballot, and is being conducted on D3football.com for the 11th consecutive season. Fans will be permitted to cast one ballot per device, through 1 p.m. ET on Dec. 9.

The Gagliardi Trophy, given annually since 1993, recognizes excellence in athletics, academics and community service. The award is named after the late John Gagliardi, Saint John's legendary Hall of Fame head football coach who retired in 2012 with 489 career victories, the most in college football history. Gagliardi passed away in October 2018 at the age of 91.

In its message to the voting panel, the Gagliardi Trophy administration reminds voters: "The Gagliardi Trophy is a football award but incorporates the philosophy of the well-rounded student-athlete."

Depending on the year, between 10 and 15 semifinalists have been sent to the voters in the past.

The Gagliardi Trophy national selection committee is comprised of 16 Division III coaches (four from each NCAA region), four Division III administrators (one from each region), eight regional notable voters (two from each region),and eight national voters with Division III backgrounds, plus one fan ballot from D3football.com voting, which runs through Monday, Dec. 3, the same day the national-selection voting is closed. No members of the J-Club vote.

The semifinalists: