Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith and Texas’ Colin Simmons Named Walter Camp National FBS Players of the Week – Week 4 (Sept. 29)
The Walter Camp Football Foundation has announced the Football Bowl Subdivision National Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week for games ending September 26.
About the Award: This is the 23rd year that the Walter Camp Football Foundation will honor one offensive and one defensive player as its national Football Bowl Subdivision player of the week during the regular season. It is the nation’s longest-running Player of Week award.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Junior, Wide Receiver, Miami Gardens, FL
The Big Ten Offensive Player of Week, Jeremiah Smith recorded 12 receptions for 217 yards and four touchdowns in Ohio State’s 42-19 victory against Illinois. His 217 yards tied for the sixth most in a single game in Ohio State history. Smith became the first player in program history to surpass 3,000 career receiving yards and now has 3,175.
Notes: It is the 16th time since 2004 that a Ohio State player has earned Walter Camp National FBS Player of Week honors. Smith is the first Buckeye offensive honoree since former quarterback C.J. Stroud was honored on Nov. 20, 2021.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Junior, Edge, Dallas, TX
Colin Simmons recorded a Texas single-game record with 5.5 quarterback sacks as the top-ranked Longhorns (4-0, 1-0 in SEC) defeated 14th-ranked Tennessee, 20-17. For the game, Simmons recorded nine total tackles (6 solo), forced one fumble and had 10 quarterback pressures. The 5.5 sacks also tied for the third-most in FBS history (since sacks became an official NCAA state in 2000).
Notes: It is the 16th time since 2004 that a Texas player has earned Walter Camp National FBS Player of Week honors. The last defensive honoree was former Longhorn linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. on October 27, 2025.
Considered the “Father of American Football,” Walter Camp introduced the play from scrimmage, set plays, the numerical assessment of goals and tries and the restriction of play to eleven men per side in 1880. Nine years later, Mr. Camp, then the Yale University head coach, selected the first-ever college football All-America team. The Walter Camp Football Foundation – a New Haven-based all-volunteer group – was founded in 1967 to perpetuate the ideals of Camp and to continue the tradition of selecting annually an All-America team. Visit www.waltercamp.org for more information.
The Foundation is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA). Founded in 1997, the NCFAA includes college football’s most prestigious awards and its 25 awards have honored more than 1,000 recipients dating back to 1935. This season, 13 NCFAA awards will honor national players of the week each Tuesday. For more information about the NCFAA and its award programs, visit NCFAA.org or follow on X at @NCFAA.
Walter Camp Named to Inaugural Hopkins Hall of Fame
A three-year football letterwinner and team captain at Hopkins Grammar School, Walter Camp went on to star at Yale before becoming one of the most influential figures in the history of American football. His work developing many of the rules and structures that shaped the modern game earned him the enduring nickname “The Father of American Football.”
For the first time in its storied history, Hopkins School will induct a class into the Hopkins Athletics Hall of Fame this fall, honoring eight inaugural inductees whose achievements span more than a century of Hilltopper athletic history.
West Virginia’s Michael Hawkins Jr. and Louisville’s Kaleb Beasley Named Walter Camp National FBS Players of the Week – Week 3 (Sept. 22)
The Walter Camp Football Foundation has announced the Football Bowl Subdivision National Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week for games ending September 19.
About the Award: This is the 23rd year that the Walter Camp Football Foundation will honor one offensive and one defensive player as its national Football Bowl Subdivision player of the week during the regular season. It is the nation’s longest-running Player of Week award.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
MICHAEL HAWKINS JR., WEST VIRGINIA
RS Sophomore, Quarterback, Austin, TX
Guiding the WVU offense in its 38-27 win over then-No. 25 Virginia, Michael Hawkins Jr. threw for 190 yards and two scores. Named the Big 12 Offensive Player of Week, Hawkins Jr. also set career highs in rushing with 123 yards and three touchdowns. He became the first Big 12 quarterback to score five touchdowns against a ranked opponent since 2019 and the first FBS signal caller to achieve the feat this season.
Notes: It is the eighth time since 2004 (and first since September 2, 2018 – Will Grier, QB) that a West Virginia player has earned Walter Camp National FBS Player of Week honors.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Junior, Defensive Back, Nashville, TN
Kaleb Beasley finished with a team-high 10 tackles and two interceptions in the Louisville’s 41-31 win over No. 16 SMU. Beasley recorded an interception in the second quarter and added another late in the fourth quarter to seal the victory for the Cardinals, who improved to 3-0. Beasley was also honored as the ACC Defensive Back of the Week.
Notes: It is the sixth time since 2004 (and first since November 6, 2016 – Lamar Jackson, QB) that a Louisville player has earned Walter Camp National FBS Player of Week honors. The last defensive honoree was former safety Gerod Holliman on November 9, 2014.
Considered the “Father of American Football,” Walter Camp introduced the play from scrimmage, set plays, the numerical assessment of goals and tries and the restriction of play to eleven men per side in 1880. Nine years later, Mr. Camp, then the Yale University head coach, selected the first-ever college football All-America team. The Walter Camp Football Foundation – a New Haven-based all-volunteer group – was founded in 1967 to perpetuate the ideals of Camp and to continue the tradition of selecting annually an All-America team. Visit www.waltercamp.org for more information.
The Foundation is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA). Founded in 1997, the NCFAA includes college football’s most prestigious awards and its 25 awards have honored more than 1,000 recipients dating back to 1935. This season, 13 NCFAA awards will honor national players of the week each Tuesday. For more information about the NCFAA and its award programs, visit NCFAA.org or follow on X at @NCFAA.
Oklahoma State’s Drew Mestemaker and California’s Kingston Lopa Named Walter Camp National FBS Players of the Week – Week 2 (Sept. 15)
The Walter Camp Football Foundation has announced the Football Bowl Subdivision National Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week for games ending September 12.
About the Award: This is the 23rd year that the Walter Camp Football Foundation will honor one offensive and one defensive player as its national Football Bowl Subdivision player of the week during the regular season. It is the nation’s longest-running Player of Week award.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
DREW MESTEMAKER, OKLAHOMA STATE
RS Sophomore, Quarterback, Austin, TX
Drew Mestemaker led the Cowboys to a 39-31 victory over No. 6 Oregon, finishing with 426 total offensive yards (317 passing yards and 109 rushing yards) and three touchdowns. Mestemaker, who was 26-of-43 passing, became the first OSU quarterback with 300 passing yards and 100 rushing yards in the same game since 2022.
Notes: It is the 10th time since 2004 (and first since Sept. 17, 2024 – Alan Bowman, QB) that an Oklahoma State player has earned Walter Camp National FBS Player of Week honors.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
RS Sophomore, Defensive Back, Sacramento, CA
Kingston Lopa recorded five tackles and three interceptions, including a 53-yard return for a touchdown, as California defeated ACC-rival Syracuse, 21-18. Lopa, who also earned ACC Defensive Back of the Week honors, secured the victory with his third interception with 53 seconds remaining in the contest.
Notes: It is the sixth time since 2004 (and first since Sept. 8, 2019 – Evan Weaver, LB) that a California player has earned Walter Camp National FBS Player of Week honors.
Considered the “Father of American Football,” Walter Camp introduced the play from scrimmage, set plays, the numerical assessment of goals and tries and the restriction of play to eleven men per side in 1880. Nine years later, Mr. Camp, then the Yale University head coach, selected the first-ever college football All-America team. The Walter Camp Football Foundation – a New Haven-based all-volunteer group – was founded in 1967 to perpetuate the ideals of Camp and to continue the tradition of selecting annually an All-America team. Visit www.waltercamp.org for more information.
The Foundation is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA). Founded in 1997, the NCFAA includes college football’s most prestigious awards and its 25 awards have honored more than 1,000 recipients dating back to 1935. This season, 13 NCFAA awards will honor national players of the week each Tuesday. For more information about the NCFAA and its award programs, visit NCFAA.org or follow on X at @NCFAA.
Miami’s Malachi Toney and Colorado’s Lamont Lester, Jr. Named Walter Camp National FBS Players of the Week – Week 1 (Sept. 9)
The Walter Camp Football Foundation has announced the Football Bowl Subdivision National Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week for games ending September 7.
About the Award: This is the 23rd year that the Walter Camp Football Foundation will honor one offensive and one defensive player as its national Football Bowl Subdivision player of the week during the regular season. It is the nation’s longest running Player of Week award.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Sophomore, Wide Receiver, Liberty City, FL
Malachi Toney turned in a record-setting performance in Miami’s 45-6 road win at Stanford, catching 12 passes for a program-record 234 receiving yards and three touchdowns. His 234 yards broke a 42-year-old school record. In the first half along, Toney accumulated 10 receptions for 182 yards and two touchdowns as the Hurricanes raced to 21-point lead.
Notes: It is the seventh time since 2004 (and first since Oct. 16, 2022 – Akheem Mesidor, DT) that a Miami player has earned Walter Camp National FBS Player of Week honors.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Junior, Defensive Line, Jersey City, NJ
Lamont Lester, Jr. record five tackles, including 3.5 for losses, and three quarterback sacks as Colorado opened up the 2026 season with a thrilling 14-13 victory at Georgia Tech. Lester’s three sacks were the most by a CU player in his debut game since 2003. For the game, the CU defense held Georgia Tech to just 5-of-13 on third down conversions and caused three fumbles.
Notes: It is the fourth time since 2004 (and first since Sept. 2, 2023 – Shedeur Sanders, QB) that a Colorado player has earned Walter Camp National FBS Player of Week honors.
Considered the “Father of American Football,” Walter Camp introduced the play from scrimmage, set plays, the numerical assessment of goals and tries and the restriction of play to eleven men per side in 1880. Nine years later, Mr. Camp, then the Yale University head coach, selected the first-ever college football All-America team. The Walter Camp Football Foundation – a New Haven-based all-volunteer group – was founded in 1967 to perpetuate the ideals of Camp and to continue the tradition of selecting annually an All-America team.
The Foundation is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA). Founded in 1997, the NCFAA includes college football’s most prestigious awards and its 25 awards have honored more than 1,000 recipients dating back to 1935. This season, 13 NCFAA awards will honor national players of the week each Tuesday. For more information about the NCFAA and its award programs, visit NCFAA.org or follow on X at @NCFAA.
Walter Camp 2026 FBS Player of Year Preseason Watch List
The Walter Camp Football Foundation has announced the names of fifty “players to watch” for its 2026 Player of the Year award, the nation’s fourth-oldest individual college football accolade. The 2026 watch list includes 41 offensive players (22 quarterbacks, 11 running backs and eight receivers/tight ends) along with nine from the defensive side of the ball.
Players from 38 different schools representing 11 conferences (including independents) are represented on the preseason watch list. Texas has four players on the watch list, while Miami has three. Seven schools (Georgia, Indiana, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Texas A&M) each have two.
“We are proud to continue the great work of Walter Camp, considered the father of American football, and recognize the very best college football players in the nation,” Foundation president Michael Madera said. “This watch list is a great start to what is shaping up to be another exciting year of college football.”
Earlier in the summer, the Foundation announced its 2026 preseason All-American teams. Walter Camp is the nation’s oldest and most prestigious collegiate football All-America team.
The 2026 Player of Year watch list will be narrowed to 10 semi-finalists in early November and three finalists will be announced in early December. The 2026 Walter Camp Player of the Year recipient, which is voted on by the 138 NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision head coaches and sports information directors, will be announced in the second week of December.
Walter Camp Player of Year Facts
- First awarded in 1967, Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza was the 59th recipient of the Walter Camp Player of Year award in 2025.
- Mendoza was the 24th quarterback to win the award. There have been 25 running backs, five wide receivers, one wide receiver/defensive back, one tight end and three defensive players to earn the honor.
- Colorado’s Travis Hunter (2024) was the first two-way player to win the award.
- Three players – USC’s OJ. Simpson (1967, 1968), Ohio State’s Archie Griffin (1974, 1975) and Texas’ Colt McCoy (2008, 2009) have been multiple winners.
- Three defensive players have won the award – Pittsburgh’s Hugh Green (1980), Michigan’s Charles Woodson (1997) and Notre Dame’s Manti Teo (2012).
- Players from 26 different schools have earned the award. USC has won the most Player of Year awards (7), followed by Oklahoma, Ohio State and Notre Dame with four each.
Please note: Appearing on the preseason Watch List is not a requirement for a player to win the Walter Camp award or be named to the All-America team.
2026 Walter Camp Player of Year Preseason Players to Watch
Micah Alejado, QB, sophomore, Hawaii
Xavier Atkins, LB, junior, Auburn *
C.J. Bailey, QB, junior, North Carolina State
Charlie Becker, WR, junior, Indiana
Rasheem Biles, LB, senior, Texas *
DeSean Bishop, RB, junior, Tennessee
Isaac Brown, RB, junior, Louisville
Sammy Brown, LB, junior, Clemson *
C.J. Carr, QB, junior, Notre Dame
Trinidad Chambliss, QB, senior, Ole Miss
Cam Coleman, WR, junior, Texas #
Cam Cook, RB, senior, West Virginia #
Mario Craver, WR, junior, Texas A&M
Carlos Del Rio-Wilson, QB, senior, Marshall
Devon Dampier, QB, senior, Utah
Cameron Dickey, RB, junior, Texas Tech
KJ Duff, WR, junior, Rutgers #
Noah Fifita, QB, senior, Arizona
Mark Fletcher, Jr., RB, senior, Miami
Trey’Dez Green, TE, junior, LSU *
Ahmad Hardy, RB, junior, Missouri *
Caleb Hawkins, RB, sophomore, Oklahoma State #
Kevin Jennings, QB, senior, SMU
Kewan Lacy, RB, junior, Ole Miss *
Broc Lowry, QB, junior, Western Michigan
Maddux Madsen, QB, senior, Boise State
Jayden Maiava, QB, senior, USC
Arch Manning, QB, sophomore, Texas *
LJ Martin, RB, senior, BYU
John Mateer, QB, senior, Oklahoma
Owen McCown, QB, senior, UTSA
Darian Mensah, QB, Junior, Miami
Nick Minicucci, QB, senior, Delaware
Dante Moore, QB, senior, Oregon
Leonard Moore, DB, junior, Notre Dame *
Marcel Reed, QB, junior, Texas A&M
Duce Robinson, WR, senior, Florida State
Ellis Robinson IV, DB, sophomore, Georgia #
Julian Sayin, QB, sophomore, Ohio State #
LaNorris Sellers, QB, junior, South Carolina
Colin Simmons, Edge, junior, Texas *
Anthony Smith, Edge, senior, Minnesota #
Jeremiah Smith, WR, junior, Ohio State *
Dylan Stewart, Edge, junior, South Carolina *
Gunner Stockton, QB, Senior, Georgia
Lucky Sutton, RB, senior, San Diego State
Jai’Den Thomas, RB, senior, UNLV
Malachi Toney, WR/PR, sophomore, Miami *
Tyrique Tucker, DL, senior, Indiana *
Bryce Underwood, QB, sophomore, Michigan
* 2026 Walter Camp Preseason First Team All-American
# – 2026 Walter Camp Preseason Second Team All-American
Considered the “Father of American Football,” Walter Camp introduced the play from scrimmage, set plays, the numerical assessment of goals and tries and the restriction of play to eleven men per side in 1880. Nine years later, Mr. Camp, then the Yale University head coach, selected the first-ever college football All-America team. The Walter Camp Football Foundation – a New Haven-based all-volunteer group – was founded in 1967 to perpetuate the ideals of Camp and to continue the tradition of selecting annually an All-America team. Visit www.waltercamp.org for more information.
The Walter Camp Foundation is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses college football’s most prestigious awards. The NCFAA’s 25 awards have honored nearly 1,000 recipients since 1935. This season, 12 NCFAA awards will honor national players of the week each Tuesday. Sixteen NCFAA members are unveiling preseason watch lists over a three-week period as the association spearheads a coordinated effort to promote each award’s preseason candidates. Following is the remaining 2026 preseason watch list calendar:
Mon., Aug. 3: Maxwell Award
Tue., Aug. 4: Outland Trophy and Bronko Nagurski Trophy
Wed., Aug. 5: John Mackey Award
Thu., Aug. 6: Rimington Trophy
Fri., Aug. 7: Lou Groza Award
Mon., Aug. 10: Paul Hornung Award
Tue., Aug. 11: Allstate Wuerffel Trophy
Wed., Aug. 12: Paycom Jim Thorpe Award
Thu., Aug. 13: Butkus Award
Fri., Aug. 14: Ray Guy Award
Mon., Aug. 17: Walter Camp Award
Tue., Aug. 18: Doak Walker Award
Wed., Aug. 19: Biletnikoff Award
Thu., Aug. 20: Davey O’Brien Award
Fri., Aug. 21: Bednarik Award
For more information about the NCFAA and its award programs, visit NCFAA.org or follow on X at @NCFAA and Instagram @TheNCFAA.
