Following regional voting, the Little Rock Touchdown Club, in conjunction with the Great American Conference, revealed the eight finalists for the 2025 Harlon Hill Trophy. The NCAA Division II sports information directors selected the finalists through a round of regional voting. The eight finalists will now be placed on the national ballot where all 177 of the division’s school and conference SIDs will select the award’s 39th winner. The winner of the 2025 award will be announced on Friday, December 19.
FAQ: Harlon Hill Trophy, An essential guide to the DII football award
The Harlon Hill finalists
Two players from each of the four super regions made up the 2025 Harlon Hill Trophy finalists. Curtis Allen, a senior running back from Virginia Union, and Kutztown quarterback Judd Novak advanced from Super Region One. Two that shared the field on Saturday in the second round of the playoffs, Newberry College's quarterback Reed Charpia and West Florida quarterback Marcus Stokes, moved on from Super Region Two.
From Super Region Three, two quarterbacks, MSU Moorhead's Jack Strand and UIndy's Gavin Sukup, claimed the two finalist spots. Harding's running back Andrew Miller and Western Colorado's quarterback Drew Nash garnered the two finalist slots from Super Region Four.
Harlon Hill 2025 breakdown
- The odds are likely that yet another quarterback will win the award. There is just two running backs and no wide receivers or defenders among the finalists. The previous 10 winners have all been quarterbacks.
- Only MSU Moorhead's Jack Strand did not make the 2025 DII football championship. However, Strand led the Dragons to an 8-3 mark, their best record since 2018.
- Novak, Charpia and Miller are all still playing in the DII football championship quarterfinals on Dec. 6.
- We will have history in 2025 as none of the finalists hail from a school that has previously won a Harlon Hill Trophy.
- VUU's Allen is second in all of college football with 2,386 yards rushing, winning the DII football rushing title by more than 600 yards. His 30 rushing touchdowns are the most at any level.
- Sukup, Strand, Charpia and Stokes all threw for more than 3,200 yards, landing each in the top 10 of DII for the season.
- Strand led the division with 42 touchdown passes while Sukup was right behind at 41. They are two of three quarterbacks at any level (trailing Division III's Jaxon Schreiber's 47) to throw for 40 touchdowns this season.
- Sukup and Strand became the first Harlon Hill finalists from their respective schools.
