Case Western Reserve University senior defensive back Osi Chukwuocha was named one of the semifinalists for the 2025 William V. Campbell Trophy, as announced by the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) on Wednesday afternoon.
Chukwuocha was one of 178 semifinalists named by the NFF on Friday, including 33 NCAA Division III honorees. 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.
Chukwuocha has started all three games at cornerback for the Spartans this season and has totaled 18 tackles (12 solo), including two tackles for loss, and has a team-high three passes defended. Over his four-year career, he has 120 tackles (87 solo) with three tackles for loss, three interceptions, and 18 passes defended. He was an All-Presidents' Athletic Conference Second Team honoree last season, leading the team with a pair of interceptions.
Academically, Chukwuocha has a 3.843 cumulative grade point average while majoring in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering with a minor in Leadership, and plans on pursuing a graduate degree in business administration. He was named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team last year as a junior and is a two-time PAC Fall Academic Honor Roll selection. Chukwuocha has also been named to the Dean's List and was an inductee into the Van Horn Society at CWRU, while also earning the Phillip A. Legge '43 Scholarship, Brian C. Nalven '87 Zeta Psi Scholarship, and the Kenneth W. Grader '37 Memorial Scholarship from the Case Alumni Association.
Additionally, Chukwuocha has been a member of the Black Student Union, the Nigerian Student Union, the VTOL Drone Club, and Sigma Alpha Epsilon at CWRU, while also leading several engineering projects.
The NFF will announce 12-16 finalists on October 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 December 9, where their accomplishments will be highlighted in front of one of the most powerful audiences in all of sports. One member of the class will be declared the winner of the 36th Campbell Trophy® during the event and have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000.
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.
The Spartans (0-2-1) will travel to Bethany College in Bethany, West Virginia, on Saturday for a 2:00 p.m. kickoff.
