Penn football senior quarterback Liam O’Brien named semifinalist for William V. Campbell Trophy

Senior quarterback Liam O’Brien stepped onto the field under the shining lights of Franklin Field for the first time last season with a big game on the line and even bigger shoes to fill. 

Nearly one year later, O’Brien is at the top of the Penn football record books. He has earned multiple accolades and stepped up as a captain and starting quarterback. Thus, in recognition of his achievements on the field and in the classroom, O’Brien was named one of 179 semifinalists for the William V. Campbell Trophy. All nominees for the award have maintained a GPA of 3.2 or higher, had outstanding performances in football, and demonstrated strong leadership. 

"This year's 179 semifinalists represent the very best of what it means to play college football," National Football Foundation Chairman Archie Manning said. "The Campbell Trophy stands as a reminder that football develops complete individuals, and these young men embody that tradition at the highest level."

"[O’Brien’s] got a lot of similar characteristics [to] all the outstanding quarterbacks [we’ve had]. He is a leader on the field. He’s a leader off the field," coach Ray Priore said of O’Brienearlier this month. 

Last year, O’Brien was the starting signal caller during the last four games of the season. In total, he threw 76 completed passes from 115 attempts, good for 1,018 attempted yards and 13 touchdowns. Just two weeks after his first appearance as lead quarterback against Yale, O’Brien would lead a victorious Quakers team in a 67-49 matchup against Cornell. O’Brien was named both Ivy League Offensive Player of the Week and Stats Perform FCS National Offensive Player of the Week for his performance. 

In this season’s opening game against Stonehill, O’Brien completed just 51.6% of his passes. However, just one week later against Lehigh, O’Brien completed 28 of 37 passes, good for a 75.7% completion rate. 

O’Brien also excels in the classroom. As a finance and business analytics double-concentration at the Wharton School, O’Brien is involved in the Penn Athletics Wharton Leadership Academy, Student-Athlete Advisory Council, and Ivy League Football Council. As part of SAAC, he was notably involved in the initiative to allow the Ivy League to participate in the FCS playoffs. 

Twelve to 16 finalists will be announced on Oct. 22. They will all receive a $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as members of the 2025 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class.