Kentucky senior safety Ty Bryant has been named a nominee for the William V. Campbell Trophy.
The William V. Campbell Trophy, which is often called the “Academic Heisman,” is given to college football’s top student athlete with the best combination of academics, leadership and on-field performance.
Here are more details from UK Athletics:
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Kentucky senior safety Ty Bryant has been named a nominee for the prestigious William V. Campbell Trophy, honoring college football’s top student athlete with the best combination of academics, leadership, and on-field performance. It is often considered to be the “Academic Heisman.”
Bryant, a native of Lexington, Kentucky, boasts a 3.825 grade-point average with a major in communication. The senior is a two-time Southeastern Conference Fall Academic Honor Roll member after being named to the SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll as a freshman. He has also been named to the UK’s Dean’s List five times. In 2024, he was named to the Division I Academic All-District Team by CSC.
In 2025, Bryant was the first Wildcat to be named a First-Team Academic All-American since Will Levis in 2022. Bryant is the 23rd player in school history to earn the official Academic All-America honor bestowed by CSC (formerly College Sports Information Directors of America). Those 23 players have been named first or second team a total of 27 times. Bryant is the 14th Wildcat to be voted a first teamer.
Bryant delivered an outstanding season on the field in 2025, pacing the team with 76 tackles and leading the league with four interceptions, highlighted by a two-pick performance against Ole Miss. He started all 12 games and added 2.0 tackles for loss and a pass breakup, further showcasing his all-around impact on the defense. He was named to the All-SEC Second Team for his efforts.
He’s also a leader off the field, serving on UK’s Student-Athlete Advisory Council and the SEC’s Football Leadership Council.
The football season will kick off in less than a month, as Kentucky will host Youngstown State Sept. 5 at 1 p.m. ET in Kroger Field on SEC Network+.
* Photo: UK Athletics
