Saffell Named Semifinalist For William V. Campbell Trophy

IRVING, Tex. – Senior offensive lineman Michael Saffell was named as a semifinalist for the 2020 William V. Campbell Trophy® Presented by Mazda the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame announced Thursday.

Now in its 31st year, the award recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership. The NFF will announce 12-14 finalists in November, and each of them will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the 2020 NFF National Scholar Class Presented by Fidelity Investments. Later this year, one member of the class will be declared as the winner of the 31st Campbell Trophy® Presented by Mazda, having his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000 and receiving his own 25-pound bronze version of the iconic statue.

Schools are limited to one nominee each and candidates for the award must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of playing eligibility, have a 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.

Below are notes on Saffell as well as a list of Cal's 2020 honors to date. Extended bios are available by clicking on each name.
 
Michael Saffell, OL, 6-2, 290, Sr., 3L, Huntington Beach, CA (Edison HS)
– Has played in 24 games with 19 starts since his 2017 arrival, making a career-high 11 of his starts at center as a 2019 junior when he was named second-team All-Pac-12 by Pro Football Focus
– Played a key role on an offense that committed a school-record low 13 turnovers in 13 games as a junior, put together game-winning drives on its final possessions both at Washington and Stanford, and averaged 30.0 points and 414.3 total yards per game over its last four wins while scoring a season-high 35 points in its final contest in a Redbox Bowl victory over Illinois
– Honored with the Pac-12's annual academic recognition each of the last two seasons as a first-team Pac-12 All-Academic selection as a 2018 sophomore and as a junior as a member of the league's inaugural Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll that replaced its Pac-12 All-Academic teams
– Took over from Patrick Laird as the lead ambassador for the Cal Athletics Summer Reading Challenge in 2019 and has continued the program online into 2020
 
2020 Cal Football Honors

Christopher Brown Jr. (Jr., RB) – Doak Walker Award Preseason Candidate, Preseason All-California Region (SportsPac12), Second-Team Preseason All-Pac-12 (Athlon, Lindy's, Phil Steele), Third-Team Preseason All-Pac-12 (Pick Six Previews)

Camryn Bynum (Sr., CB) – Bednarik Award Watch List, First-Team Preseason All-Pac-12 (BANG/Jon Wilner, Lindy's), Paycom Jim Thorpe Award Preseason Watch List, Preseason All-California Region (SportsPac12), Reese's Senior Bowl Top 250, Second-Team Preseason All-Pac-12 (Athlon, Phil Steele, Pick Six Previews)

Jake Curhan (Sr., OL) – Outland Trophy Preseason Watch List, Preseason All-California Region (SportsPac12), Second-Team Preseason All-Pac-12 (BANG/Jon Wilner, Phil Steele), Third-Team Preseason All-Pac-12 (Athlon, Lindy's, Pick Six Previews)

Kuony Deng, ILB (Sr., ILB) – Bednarik Award Watch List, California Region Preseason Defensive Player of the Year (SportsPac12), First-Team Preseason All-Pac-12 (Phil Steele), Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch List, Preseason All-California Region (SportsPac12), Reese's Senior Bowl Top 250, Second-Team Preseason All-Pac-12 (Athlon, BANG/Jon Wilner, Pick Six Previews), The Butkus® Award Watch List, Third-Team Preseason All-Pac-12 (Lindy's)

Chase Garbers (Jr., QB) – Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Preseason Watch List; Third-Team Preseason All-Pac-12 (Athlon, Lindy's, Pick Six Previews), Fourth-Team Preseason All-Pac-12 (Phil Steele)

Cameron Goode (Sr., OLB) – Preseason All-California Region (SportsPac12), Second-Team Preseason All-Pac-12 (Lindy's), Third-Team Preseason All-Pac-12 (Phil Steele), Fourth-Team Preseason All-Pac-12 (Athlon)

Elijah Hicks (Sr., S) – Preseason All-California Region (SportsPac12), Second-Team Preseason All-Pac-12 (Athlon), Third-Team Preseason All-Pac-12 (Phil Steele)

Brett Johnson (So., DL) – Third-Team Preseason All-Pac-12 (Athlon)

Zeandae Johnson (Sr., DE/DT) – Third-Team Preseason All-Pac-12 (Phil Steele)

McKade Mettauer (So., OL) – Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Watch List

Tevin Paul (Sr., OLB/DE) – Third-Team Preseason All-Pac-12 (Lindy's)

Nikko Remigio (Jr., WR/PR) – Fourth-Team Preseason All-Pac-12 Wide Receiver (Athlon), Third-Team Preseason All-Pac-12 Punt Returner (Athlon, Phil Steele)

Michael Saffell (Sr., OL) – Second-Team Preseason All-Pac-12 (Pick Six Previews), Third-Team Preseason All-Pac-12 (Athlon, Lindy's), Fourth-Team Preseason All-Pac-12 (Phil Steele), William V. Campbell Trophy Semifinalist, Wuerffel Trophy Preseason Watch List

Jake Tonges (Jr., TE) – Preseason All-California Region (SportsPac12)

Slater Zellers (So., LS) – Third-Team Preseason All-Pac-12 (Phil Steele)

*Tony Gonzalez (1994-96, TE) – College Football Hall Of Fame Ballot

*Ron Rivera (1980-83, LB) – College Football Hall Of Fame Ballot

*Justin Wilcox (Fourth Season, Head Coach) – California Region Preseason Coach of the Year (SportsPac12)