Dec. 2, 2024
Ferris State quarterback Trinidad Chambliss a nominee for Harlon Hill Trophy for Division II College Football Player of the Year
Ferris State University quarterback Trinidad Chambliss has been chosen as a 2024 nominee for the Harlon Hill Trophy as the Division II College Football Player of the Year.
Chambliss, who this year was tabbed as the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year and has led the Bulldogs to the NCAA Division II Playoffs, is among 43 student-athletes from across the country on this year's candidate list.
Chambliss, a junior from Grand Rapids, guided the nation's top-ranked Bulldogs to their first GLIAC Championship since 2021. The standout signal caller claimed the GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week honors five times this year and also earned the D2Football.com National Offensive Player of the Week Award.
Chambliss directed one of the nation's top offensive attacks, leading Ferris State to 10-straight wins to close out the regular-season following a season-opening setback at Pittsburg State.
This year, Chambliss has accounted for 33 touchdowns, including 19 in the air and 14 on the ground. He's completed 169 of 276 passes for 2,203 yards while leading the Bulldogs' rushing attack with 615 yards on 107 carries.
His play has helped the Bulldogs roll up 41.7 points per game along with 477.6 yards of total offense a contest. The team earned the top seed in Super Region Three and a first-round playoff bye.
Chambliss is one of 11 honorees from Super Region Three to be named a nominee for the prestigious award.
Nine nominees come from Super Region One with 12 from Super Region Two and 11 from Super Region Four in addition to the 11 from Super Region Three.
Sports information directors from the 159 NCAA Division II football-playing institutions nominate and vote on the award. The 43 candidates will be placed on regional ballots and the top two players from each of the four NCAA regions will advance to the national ballot when regional voting concludes on Monday, Dec. 2.
The sports information directors at their respective schools initially nominate candidates. The directors in those Super Regions vote for their top five candidates. The winner is then determined in a nationwide vote of the Division II sports information directors.
The group of 43 candidates includes 16 quarterbacks, nine running backs, six wide receivers, four defensive linemen, three defensive backs, two linebackers, a fullback, a return specialist and a kicker. The list features 24 seniors, 17 juniors and two sophomores.
The winner of the 2024 award will be announced on Friday, Dec. 20.
The Hill Trophy is named for the late Harlon Hill - the former University of North Alabama standout - who excelled with the Detroit Lions from 1950-53 before going on to fame with the Chicago Bears.
Former Ferris State quarterback Jason Vander Laan was a two-time Harlon Hill Trophy recipient as the country's top player in both 2014 and 2015. Ferris State quarterback Jayru Campbell claimed the distinction in 2018.
Ferris State is one of only three schools in the country to have won the award a nation-leading three times along with Texas A&M-Kingsville and Valdosta State universities.
Ferris State will host Central Oklahoma in the second round of the NCAA Division II Playoffs on Saturday, Nov. 30, at Top Taggart Field. Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. Tickets can be purchased in advance online at FerrisStateBulldogs.com/Tickets.