Eighteen candidates have been selected to move on to the voters as semifinalists for the 2024 Gagliardi Trophy.

Eight quarterbacks lead this class of semifinalists for the 2024 Gagliardi Trophy, an award presented by Stearns Bank and the J-Club of Saint John's University (Minn.) to the most outstanding football player in NCAA Division III. The semifinalist list contains nominees from all six NCAA regions. Multiple positions are represented with eight quarterbacks, four defensive players, four running backs and two wide receivers. Fourteen of the 18 semifinalists participated in the Division III playoffs.

The Gagliardi Trophy, given annually since 1993 is awarded to the most outstanding NCAA Division III football player and recognizes excellence in athletics, academics, and community service. The award is named after John Gagliardi, Saint John's legendary Hall of Fame head football coach who passed away at the age of 91 in 2018. John retired in 2012 with 489 career victories, the most in college football history.

D3football.com will reveal the finalists on a live streaming broadcast at 4 p.m. ET, Thursday, Dec. 19.

• Fan voting is live!
• All-time Gagliardi Trophy winners
• Updated bracket, playoff features

After screening the schools' nominations, the SJU J-Club Board of Directors narrowed the field to the 18 semifinalists. The J-Club does not vote beyond that stage.

The 42-member Gagliardi Trophy national selection committee reviews the credentials, ranks the candidates 1-3 and casts their votes. Fan balloting, which is available on D3football.com, accounts for the 43rd ballot, and is being conducted on D3football.com for the 13th consecutive season. Fans will be permitted to cast one ballot per device.

The Gagliardi Trophy, given annually since 1993, recognizes excellence in athletics, academics and community service. The award is named after the late John Gagliardi, Saint John's legendary Hall of Fame head football coach who retired in 2012 with 489 career victories, the most in college football history. Gagliardi passed away in October 2018 at the age of 91. 

In its message to the voting panel, the Gagliardi Trophy administration reminds voters: "The Gagliardi Trophy is a football award but incorporates the philosophy of the well-rounded student-athlete."

The 2023 Gagliardi Trophy was awarded to North Central junior quarterback Luke Lehnen. 

A record number of nominations were submitted by colleges across the country, and the semifinalists were selected by the J-Club Board of Directors. The Gagliardi Trophy national selection committee is comprised of 18 Division III coaches (three from each NCAA region), six Division III administrators (one from each region), 12 regional notable voters (two from each region), and six national voters with Division III backgrounds. A fan vote, which runs until Dec. 13, will be live soon on D3football.com. No J-Club members vote as part of the national selection committee.

Minnesota-based Stearns Bank National Association is a $2.2 billion, independently-owned financial institution with locations in Minnesota, Florida and Arizona, and over 35,000 small business customers nationwide, in every state across the U.S. Recognized as having a bullet-proof balance sheet with 25% capital and earning top rankings as one of the nation’s highest-performing banks by American Banker, and most recently ranked fourth in the U.S. among banks having more than $1 billion in assets by Independent Banker’s 2023 Best of the Best ranking of banks with the highest 3-year average Return on Assets, Stearns Bank specializes in nationwide commercial construction lending, USDA and SBA lending, and small business and equipment financing. Driven by a passion to help others achieve their greatest ambitions, Stearns Bank’s mission is to Get the Job Done! For more information, visit StearnsBank.com.

The semifinalists: