Tennessee redshirt-senior tight end Jacob Warren was named a semifinalist for the 2023 William V. Campbell trophy on Wednesday, as announced by the National Football Foundation and Tennessee Athletics.
The Campbell Trophy “recognizes an individual as the absolute best in the country for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership, and the candidates also comprise the pool of nominees for the 2023 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards.”
Warren is one of 201 semifinalists for the award.
Through four games this season, Warren has 28 yards and one touchdown on four receptions. The 6-foot-5, veteran tight end is a key part of Tennessee’s offensive rotation and is highly thought of by his teammates.
“It’s next-level stuff,” Tennessee transfer tight end McCallan Castles said about Warren’s on-field IQ on Monday. “He understands more than I do at this point so he just continues to bring me along to do more elite stuff in the run game and the pass game.”
Throughout 45 games during his Tennessee career, Warren has racked up more than 440 yards and five touchdowns on 41 receptions. Warren’s on-field productivity burst when Josh Heupel took over in 2021 with more than 80% of his career production happening in that span.
While Warren has certainly had an impact on the field, the Knoxville native has also invested heavily in his academics, his teammates, and his community.
“You want to be like Jacob Warren,” freshman tight end Ethan Davis said during training camp this fall. “You want your son to be like Jacob Warren.”
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Warren earned his undergraduate degree in kinesiology in the fall of 2021 and completed his Master of Science degree in agricultural leadership, education and communication in 2023. In addition to serving on Tennessee’s leadership council, Warren has been named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll a program-record five times throughout his six-year career.
“Warren was instrumental in the planning, promotion and logistics of the Knoxville Area Rescue Ministries (KARM) Coats for the Cold drive this past winter that provided thousands of people in need with cold-weather gear for the upcoming winter,” Tennessee Athletics wrote in a press release for the announcement. “He also has bettered his community through work with the East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, the Wesley House Community Center and Love Kitchen, where he organized various types of food, sorted donations and cleaned floors, stairs and seats in their auditorium.”
The National Football Foundation will announce 12-15 finalists for the William V. Campbell trophy on October 25, which falls in between two road trips for Tennessee at Alabama and Kentucky. According to the Tennessee press release, “each finalist will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the 2023 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class.”
The 34th Campbell Trophy award winner will be announced on December 5.
