Completed Event: Football versus UTEP on September 4, 2026 , Win , 51, to, 0
Final
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Football
51
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University of Oklahoma Athletics
Photo by: Peyton Martin/University of Oklahoma
Maikkula Named Semifinalist for Campbell Trophy
September 23, 2026 | Football
NORMAN — University of Oklahoma fifth-year offensive lineman Jake Maikkula has been named a semifinalist for the prestigious William V. Campbell Trophy, the National Football Foundation announced Wednesday.
The Campbell Trophy, in its 37th year, is awarded to the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership.
Maikkula received his bachelor's degree in political science, with a minor in history, from Stanford University in May 2025 and is pursuing an MBA at Oklahoma. He graduated from Stanford with a 3.74 undergraduate GPA and maintains a 4.0 GPA in graduate school.
Selected as a 2026 Oklahoma team captain, Maikkula was named to the 2025-26 First-Year SEC Academic Honor Roll, the 2024 All-ACC Academic Football Team and the 2023 Pac-12 Fall Academic Honor Roll.
The Sedalia, Colo., product has started 12 of his 13 games played at Oklahoma, including each of the last two contests this season (missed the opener due to injury). All 12 of his starts have been at center. Last season, he started in 10 of his 11 games (missed two contests for health reasons), played 710 snaps and allowed just two sacks on 408 pass-blocking plays, according to PFF. Before transferring to Oklahoma in June 2025, he spent three years at Stanford, where he played in 20 games and made 17 starts. He has started in 28 of his 33 career contests.
Off the field, Maikkula has donated his time at both Oklahoma and Stanford to improve local communities. In August, he and teammates welcomed Special Olympics Oklahoma to a preseason practice and spent time signing autographs and visiting with members after practice. This summer, Jake participated in a speaking panel for the Future Athletics Director program, part of the OU Price Executive Academy in the university's Price College of Business.
In January, Maikkula volunteered with the Among Friends Activity Center in Norman (a recreation and socialization center for adults with additional needs and disabilities) and spent time helping to organize supplies for a local Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Norman. During the team's 2025 bye week, Maikkula and teammates volunteered with the Beacon Project, a Norman-based charitable organization, to pack supplies for underprivileged kids in the community. Additionally, he has participated in Art with a Heart (a philanthropic event benefiting the Oklahoma Children's Cancer Association, Cavett Kids Foundation and the K Club). While a student-athlete at Stanford, Maikkula made periodic visits to local hospitals and foster homes. He has also mentored at-risk youth football players.
The NFF will announce 12-16 finalists on Oct. 21, and each of them will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the 2026 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments. The finalists will travel to the Bellagio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas for the 68th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 8. During the event, one member of the class will be declared the winner of the 37th Campbell Trophy and have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000.
Nominated by their schools, candidates for the award must be a senior in their final year of playing eligibility or graduate student or graduate transfer who has already earned a degree, have a GPA of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale, have outstanding football ability as a first-team player or significant contributor and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship. The class is selected each year by the NFF Awards Committee, which is comprised of a nationally recognized group of media, College Football Hall of Famers and athletics administrators.
Former Sooner center Ty Darlington was awarded the Campbell Trophy in 2015, and former center Gabe Ikard and former defensive back Pat Fields were finalists in 2013 and 2021, respectively.
The Campbell Trophy, in its 37th year, is awarded to the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership.
Maikkula received his bachelor's degree in political science, with a minor in history, from Stanford University in May 2025 and is pursuing an MBA at Oklahoma. He graduated from Stanford with a 3.74 undergraduate GPA and maintains a 4.0 GPA in graduate school.
Selected as a 2026 Oklahoma team captain, Maikkula was named to the 2025-26 First-Year SEC Academic Honor Roll, the 2024 All-ACC Academic Football Team and the 2023 Pac-12 Fall Academic Honor Roll.
The Sedalia, Colo., product has started 12 of his 13 games played at Oklahoma, including each of the last two contests this season (missed the opener due to injury). All 12 of his starts have been at center. Last season, he started in 10 of his 11 games (missed two contests for health reasons), played 710 snaps and allowed just two sacks on 408 pass-blocking plays, according to PFF. Before transferring to Oklahoma in June 2025, he spent three years at Stanford, where he played in 20 games and made 17 starts. He has started in 28 of his 33 career contests.
Off the field, Maikkula has donated his time at both Oklahoma and Stanford to improve local communities. In August, he and teammates welcomed Special Olympics Oklahoma to a preseason practice and spent time signing autographs and visiting with members after practice. This summer, Jake participated in a speaking panel for the Future Athletics Director program, part of the OU Price Executive Academy in the university's Price College of Business.
In January, Maikkula volunteered with the Among Friends Activity Center in Norman (a recreation and socialization center for adults with additional needs and disabilities) and spent time helping to organize supplies for a local Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Norman. During the team's 2025 bye week, Maikkula and teammates volunteered with the Beacon Project, a Norman-based charitable organization, to pack supplies for underprivileged kids in the community. Additionally, he has participated in Art with a Heart (a philanthropic event benefiting the Oklahoma Children's Cancer Association, Cavett Kids Foundation and the K Club). While a student-athlete at Stanford, Maikkula made periodic visits to local hospitals and foster homes. He has also mentored at-risk youth football players.
The NFF will announce 12-16 finalists on Oct. 21, and each of them will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the 2026 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments. The finalists will travel to the Bellagio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas for the 68th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 8. During the event, one member of the class will be declared the winner of the 37th Campbell Trophy and have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000.
Nominated by their schools, candidates for the award must be a senior in their final year of playing eligibility or graduate student or graduate transfer who has already earned a degree, have a GPA of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale, have outstanding football ability as a first-team player or significant contributor and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship. The class is selected each year by the NFF Awards Committee, which is comprised of a nationally recognized group of media, College Football Hall of Famers and athletics administrators.
Former Sooner center Ty Darlington was awarded the Campbell Trophy in 2015, and former center Gabe Ikard and former defensive back Pat Fields were finalists in 2013 and 2021, respectively.
Players Mentioned
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