COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – Five finalists for the 2025 Gagliardi Trophy, presented by Stearns Bank, for the most outstanding football player in NCAA Division III are announced. These five finalists were cut down from 15 semifinalists announced two weeks ago.
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.
Stearns Bank's longtime CEO Norm Skalicky and Gagliardi were great friends and admirers of one another. Both became legends in their respective fields - not just because of their success, but because of how they looked uniquely upon their work.
The five finalists include the top passer, rusher and receiver in Division III. The University of Wisconsin-River Falls' Kaleb Blaha leads the nation in passing; the top rusher is Montie Quinn of Curry College, Mass.; and Albert Rundell of Bethel University, Minn. leads all receivers. Blaha and quarterback Bay Harvey of Johns Hopkins University will face off this Saturday at River Falls for a chance to play in the Division III football national championship game, the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl, which will be played on Jan. 4 in Canton, Ohio. The final finalist is Jack Curtis of Carleton College, the MIAC's offensive player of the year. Curtis has a remarkable story of battling cancer while passing for 312 yards per game, leading the MIAC in passing yards and helping the Knights to a third-place finish in the conference.
2025 Gagliardi Trophy Finalists
Kaleb Blaha
QB | Sr. | Wisconsin-River Falls
Jack Curtis
QB | Sr. | Carleton
Bay Harvey
QB | Gr. | Johns Hopkins
Diamontie "Montie" Quinn
RB | Sr. | Curry
Albert Rundell
WR | Jr. | Bethel
The Gagliardi Trophy finalists were announced by D3football.com hosts Pat Coleman and Greg Thomas during a live show today (Thursday, Dec. 18) on D3football.com. The 2025 Gagliardi Trophy winner will be revealed on D3football.com during the week of the NCAA Division III football national championship. In the lead up to the announcement of the 2025 Gagliardi Trophy winner, D3football.com will provide updates on specific dates and times of the announcement.
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 which included a "fan" vote which ran until December 15th. No Saint John's J-Club members vote as part of the national-selection committee.
Gagliardi Trophy note:
• Dec. 9 of this year, Gagliardi Trophy recipient (2003) Blake Elliott of Saint John's University was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame at the National Football Foundation event in Las Vegas. Elliott is the first Gagliardi Trophy winner to enter the College Football Hall of Fame.
About Stearns Bank N.A.
Minnesota-based Stearns Bank National Association is a $3 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.
About the Saint John's University J-Club
Founded in 1959, the Saint John's University J-Club is a dues-based booster organization of former Johnnie student-athletes, parents, and fans, and plays a key role in support of the SJU varsity programs, intramurals and club sports. Saint John's is a private liberal arts college for men located in Collegeville, Minn.
Past Gagliardi Trophy Recipients
2024 - Luke Lehnen, QB, North Central College (Ill.)
2023 - Luke Lehnen, QB, North Central College (Ill.)
2022 - Ethan Greenfield, RB, North Central College (Ill.)
2021 - Blaine Hawkins, QB, Central College (Iowa)
2020 - Not awarded due to pandemic
2019 - Broc Rutter, QB, North Central College (Ill.)
2018 - Jackson Erdmann, QB, Saint John's University (Minn.)
2017 - Brett Kasper, QB, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
2016 - Carter Hanson, LB, Saint John's University (Minn.)
2015 - Joe Callahan, QB, Wesley College (Del.)
2014 - Kevin Burke, QB, University of Mount Union (Ohio)
2013 - Kevin Burke, QB, University of Mount Union (Ohio)
2012 - Scottie Williams, RB, Elmhurst College (Ill.)
2011 - Michael Zweifel, WR, University of Dubuque (Iowa)
2010 - Eric Watt, QB, Trine University (Ind.)
2009 - Blaine Westemeyer, OL, Augustana College (Ill.)
2008 - Greg Micheli, QB, Mount Union College (Ohio)
2007 - Justin Beaver, RB, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
2006 - Josh Brehm, QB, Alma College (Mich.)
2005 - Brett Elliott, QB, Linfield College (Ore.)
2004 - Rocky Myers, SS, Wesley College (Del.)
2003 - Blake Elliott, WR/PR/KR, Saint John's University (Minn.)
2002 - Dan Pugh, RB, Mount Union College (Ohio)
2001 - Chuck Moore, RB, Mount Union College (Ohio)
2000 - Chad Johnson, QB, Pacific Lutheran University (Wash.)
1999 - Danny Ragsdale, QB, University of Redlands (Calif.)
1998 - Scott Hvistendahl, WR/P, Augsburg College (Minn.)
1997 - Bill Borchert, QB, Mount Union College (Ohio)
1996 - Lon Erickson, QB, Illinois Wesleyan University
1995 - Chris Palmer, WR, Saint John's University (Minn.)
1994 - Carey Bender, RB, Coe College (Iowa)
1993 - Jim Ballard, QB, Mount Union College (Ohio)
