POUGHKEEPSIE, New York – Graduate left guard Will Aaronson Marist University football team was named a national semifinalist for the William V. Campbell, known as the Academic Heisman, on Wednesday.
 
Aaronson is in his second year in the program after beginning his collegiate career at Wesleyan. He has started all 15 of the Red Foxes' games at left guard since the start of the 2025 season. Aaronson played 96 percent of the Red Foxes' snaps last year, and he allowed just one sack in the team's 451 passing attempts. This year, Aaronson was named Second Team Preseason All-Pioneer Football League by Phil Steele Publications.
 
Aaronson is currently pursuing his Master's of Business Administration at Marist after earning his Bachelor's degree in Government Psychology from Wesleyan. Last year, he was named to the Hampshire Honor Society, earned College Sports Communicators Academic All-District, earned First Team All-PFL All-Academic, and was named to the PFL Academic Honor Roll.
 
At Wesleyan, Aaronson served as philanthropy chairman for Delta Kappa Epsilon, where he coordinated hundreds of hours of community services and raised a significant amount of funds. He volunteered for the Trenton Stewart foundation in his hometown, working camps. At Marist, has taken part in the Dutchess County Lunchbox Initiative, volunteering his time at a soup kitchen.
 
The Campbell Trophy is now in its 37^th year, and it recognizes the top football scholar-athlete in the nation based on academic success, football performance, and leadership, This year, there are a record total of 206 national semifinalists.
 
The National Football Foundation (NFF) will announce 12-16 finalists on Oct. 21. Each will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship. The Campbell Trophy winner will be announced on Dec. 8 at the Bellagio Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, and his postgraduate scholarship will be increased to $25,000.

The Marist football team opens Pioneer Football League play on Saturday, when the Red Foxes host Presbyterian at Tenney Stadium. Kickoff is set for noon. A White Out will be held, and all fans are highly encouraged to wear white.