MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — WVU football’s All-American center is a finalist for the award regarded as the “academic Heisman.”

The National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame announced Wednesday that WVU junior offensive lineman Zach Frazier is one of 16 finalists for the 2023 William V. Campbell Trophy. The award is given annually to college football’s top scholar-athlete, honoring an elite combination of academic excellence, on-field success and exemplary leadership.

Frazier, a Fairmont native and sport management major, boasts a 3.88 GPA. His athletic resume includes All-America nods in 2021, All-Big 12 accolades in 2022, preseason All-Big 12 honors entering the 2023 campaign and multiple Iron Mountaineer awards.

He has been a staple of the WVU offense since his debut season in 2020, during which he became the first true freshman to start on the Mountaineer offensive line since 1980.

The 16 Campbell Trophy finalists were selected from a field of 201 semifinalists, which is a record for the award. All finalists will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship and will be honored in Las Vegas during the 65th NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 5. The winner of the 34th Campbell Trophy will be revealed on that date, and will have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000.

This is the second time in three years that a Mountaineer has advanced as a finalist for the Campbell Trophy. In 2021, WVU defensive back Sean Mahone was a finalist for the prestigious award.