Middlebury quarterback Will Jernigan (Decatur, Ga.) is one of 176 semifinalists that were announced for the 2021 National Football Foundation's (NFF) William V. Campbell Trophy. Nominees for the award must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of playing eligibility, have a grade point average (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. Jernigan is one of just three NESCAC student-athletes who were on the list of semifinalists and one of 39 Division III nominees.

In 2019, the team captain became the first Middlebury player since 2014 to be named the NESCAC Offensive Player of the Year. He completed 135-248 passes for 1,990 yards with 16 scoring strikes, ranking second in the conference  with 221 yards passing/game. Jernigan also rushed for 56.8 yards/game and eight touchdowns, placing him second on the team and ninth in the league. He helped lead the Panthers to the NESCAC Championship in 2019 with the program's first undefeated season (9-0) since 1972.

This season, he and his teammates are off to a 1-1 start as they prepare to visit Trinity on Saturday.

In the classroom, Jernigan boasts a 3.63 GPA and is majoring in international politics and economics. He is a two-time member of the All-NESCAC Academic team. 

On campus, he is an oratory now speech coach, where he observes and critically analyzes peers' public speaking abilities by offering targeted guidance in real time. He is also a part of "Language in Motion", an education initiative to encourage Addison County high school students to pursue study of language and culture.

The NFF will announce 12-14 finalists on October 27, and each of them will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the 2021 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments.