Stony Brook has been receiving a lot of off-season attention after their turnaround season last year and the expectations are high for this season.
Some Seawolves are also being looked at for individual awards. Senior punter Clayton Taylor has been nominated for the 2025 William V. Campbell Trophy.
The Campbell Trophy is awarded each year by the National Football Foundation to a senior entering his final year of playing eligibility. The William V. Campbell Trophy is considered one of the most prestigious academic honors in college football. It recognizes an individual who combines all of the traits that you would want in a young athlete. The award winner excels in academic achievement, football performance, and exemplary leadership.
Grades are at the forefront of the award. To be eligible for nomination, student-athletes must maintain a minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.2 on a 4.0 scale. They also must be able to demonstrate outstanding football ability as a starter or significant contributor, and exhibit exemplary leadership on the field, in the classroom, and within the community.
Taylor returns for the 2025 season after appearing in all 12 games last year, punting for a career-high 2,622 yards with a 42.3-yard average, including a season-long 62-yard punt. He recorded 20 fair catches and placed 20 punts inside the 20-yard line, while logging nine punts of 50 yards or more. His 42.3-yard average was the second-highest single-season mark in program history, earning him CSC Academic All-District honors.
Over the course of his career, Taylor has written his name in the Stony Brook record books. He ranks second all-time in single season punting average (42.3), tenth in career punting average (39.1), and second in career punts (184).