IRVING, Texas – Colorado State University Pueblo senior running back/kickoff return specialist Moosah Alsaffar (Aurora, Colo./Grandview) has been named by the  National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) as one of a record 206 semifinalists for the 2026 William V. Campbell Trophy®, college football's premier scholar-athlete award.

Celebrating its 37th 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. This year's record 208 semifinalists from all NCAA divisions and the NAIA boasts an impressive 3.64 average GPA, and include 130 team captains, 24 All-Americans and 98 players who have already earned their undergraduate degrees.

Alsaffar is one of five football players from the state of Colorado to be named to the semifinalist list as Air Force linebacker Isaac Hubert, Northern Colorado defensive lineman Ezra Ekuban, Adams State University defensive back Seth Shaw, and Western Colorado linebacker Ian Loomis are the other players from the "Centennial State" to be named as 2026 semifinalists.

In addition, Alsaffar is one 19 nominees for the Campbell Trophy® from NCAA Division II schools and one of four players nominated from the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference as Black Hills State safety Jack Gentile joins Shaw and Loomis as semifinalists.

"Every year, I'm amazed by what these young men are able to accomplish," said NFF Chairman Archie Manning, whose sons Peyton (Campbell Trophy® winner) and Eli were named NFF National Scholar-Athletes in 1997 and 2003, respectively. "Playing college football takes an enormous commitment, and to perform at a high level on the field while also excelling in the classroom and serving as a leader on campus is something special. These 206 semifinalists have a lot to be proud of, and it's a privilege to recognize their accomplishments."

The NFF will announce 12 to 16 finalists on Oct. 21, and each of them will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member 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, where their accomplishments will be highlighted in front of one of the most powerful audiences in all of sports. 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. Click here for more information on the Awards Dinner, including options to purchase tickets online, special travel rates to the event from Delta Air Lines and room rates at the Bellagio.

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.

Alsaffar, who is in his fifth and final season with the ThunderWolves, has played in 31 games and carried the ball 70 times for 363 yards as a running and is averaging 5.2 yards per carry in his collegiate career and has scored five rushing touchdowns. Additionally, he has caught eight passes for 44 yards and a touchdown receptions. This season, Alsaffar has played in all four games and has carried the ball 17 times for 68 yards and scored a touchdown in a 10-yard run in the Pack's 45-17 home win over Mines and has also returned two kickoffs for 35 yards and is averaging 17.5 yards per kickoff return.

Perhaps the greatest area Alsaffar has made an impact for the Pack is on kickoff returns as he has tallied 18 career kickoff returns for 487 yards and has returned two kickoffs for a touchdown, including a school-record tying 100 yard kickoff return in 2023 against Black Hills State. His two career kickoff return touchdowns are tied for tops in program history, while his 437 kickoff return yards are 11th on the school's all-time charts, while his 24.3 kickoff return average is tied for eighth on the school's all-time chart.

In his time with the Pack, Alsaffar, who is majoring in accounting and carries a 3.881 cumulative grade points average, was named a First-Team All-RMAC selection in 2023 after retuning three kickoffs for 228 yards and averaged a single-season school record 76 yards per kickoff return and took two kickoffs back for touchdowns. He was also a two-time RMAC Special Teams Player of the Week and also earned NFF Colorado Chapter Player of the Week honors that season. In the classroom, he has been a three-time First-Team All-Academic selection and has been a two-time First-Team selection to the NFF Colorado All-Academic Colorado Team and was a First-Team CSC Academic All-District selection in 2025. In addition, he has been a member of the Dean's List every eligible semester, is a four-year Distinguished Merit Scholarship winner, a three-time member of the Football Leadership Council, was voted to single-digit number this season and is serving as one of the team's captains, competes in track and field with the ThunderWolves and also works in the CSU Pueblo President's Office assisting university leadership with major campus and community initiatives.

"These 206 semifinalists represent the power of football to develop leaders well beyond the field," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "The game challenges young men to compete, lead and pursue excellence, and these candidates have embraced those values in the classroom, on the field and in their communities. They exemplify the kind of leaders the NFF has sought to recognize and develop throughout its history. Our committee has an incredibly difficult job ahead in selecting the finalists, and that speaks volumes about the caliber of this year's candidates."

Launched in 1959, the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards Presented by Fidelity Investments celebrate their 68th year in 2025. The awards were the first initiative in history to grant postgraduate scholarships based on both a player's academic and athletic accomplishments, and the NFF has recognized 938 outstanding individuals since the program's inception. This year's postgraduate scholarships will push the program's all-time distribution to more than $13.2 million.

The Campbell Trophy® was first awarded in 1990, adding to the program's prestige. Past winners of the award include two Rhodes Scholars, a Rhodes Scholar finalist, two Heisman Trophy winners and 10 first-round NFL draft picks. 

Named in honor of the late Bill Campbell, the trophy has been prominently displayed inside its official home at the New York Athletic Club since 2013, and the winner is honored each year during a special luncheon at the storied venue.

Fidelity Investments became the presenting sponsor of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards in 2011, marking its 16th year of support in 2025. As part of its commitment to the NFF and higher education nationwide, Fidelity helped launch the NFF Faculty Salutes, which honor the faculty athletics representative (FAR) at each institution with a Campbell Trophy® finalist. Following the selection of the finalists, the NFF presents each school's FAR with a commemorative plaque, and Fidelity contributes $5,000 to the school's academic support services. Since the program's inception, the Salutes have recognized 214 FARs, with Fidelity providing a total of $1.07 million in donations.