The Walter Camp Award annually goes to “the nation’s most outstanding player.” While it doesn’t have the acclaim of the Heisman Trophy, the winner of the honor in recent years has often been one in the same.
On Wednesday, the Walter Camp Award revealed its 20 semifinalists for 2026. Nine SEC players from seven different institutions are in the running for the honor.
The SEC’s nine semifinalists are some of the conference’s biggest offensive and defensive stars. Four quarterbacks, two running backs, two linebackers and a defensive end are the SEC’s positional breakdown for Camp semifinalists:
- Rasheem Biles – LB, Texas
- DeSean Bishop – RB, Tennessee
- Arion Carter – LB, Tennessee
- Trinidad Chambliss – QB, Ole Miss
- Jamal Roberts – RB, Missouri
- Keelon Russell – QB, Alabama
- LaNorris Sellers – QB, South Carolina
- Colin Simmons – DE, Texas
- Gunnar Stockton – QB, Georgia
Each of the last four Heisman Trophy winners (Fernando Mendoza, Travis Hunter, Jayden Daniels and Caleb Williams) also won the Walter Camp Award. In 2021, Kenneth Walker took home the Walter Camp Award despite Bryce Young winning the Heisman Trophy. With no particularly dominant team or player standing out from the pack at this moment, it’s possible the Camp and Heisman winner will differ once again.
