University of Connecticut Athletics
Bryun Parham Named Walter Camp Player of the Year Semifinalist
11/12/2025 1:00:00 PM | Football
STORRS, CT – UConn linebacker Bryun Parham (Long Beach, CA) has been named to the Walter Camp Football Foundation list of semifinalists for their 2025 Player of the Year award, the fourth-oldest college football award in the nation.
The 20 player semifinalist list includes 11 quarterbacks, six defensive players, two running backs and one wide receiver. Former Colorado (and current Jacksonville Jaguar) wide receiver/defensive back Travis Hunter was the 2024 Walter Camp Player of Year.
Parham, who joined the Huskies for the 2025 season, has led the UConn defense this season and is among the top pass rushers in the nation this fall. Parham leads the team with 10.5 sacks and ranks third nationally in total sacks (10.5) and seventh sacks per game (1.05). He has had a sack in eight of UConn's 10 games this season Parham is also the Huskies leading tackler with 96 tackles on the year, ranking fourth, and 14th in tackles per game (9.6). He ranks ninth in tackles for loss, averaging 1.45 per game. Add to that he has three fumble recoveries, two forced fumbles and an interception on his ledger this year. He has five games this season with double digit tackles.
Parham had a career-best 16 tackles vs. Duke to go along with a sack, interception and a forced fumble, that came on the Blue Devil's final drive to seal the win. He was named the New England Football Writers Association Gold Helmet award winner for his efforts in the win. Earlier this season, Parham earned the Walter Camp Defensive Player of the Week award after his stellar performance at Boston College. Parham tied his then career-high with 14 tackles, nine solo, and came up with two of the Huskies seven sacks in the win. Parham was the first Husky to win the weekly honor since former linebacker Sio Moore won it in the 2010 season.
With two games to play this season, Parham currently is eighth on the UConn sacks in a season list and is 2.5 sacks away from the school record. He is the first Husky to record double digit sacks since Trevardo Williams had 12.5 in 2011.
Parham is joined on the Semifinalist List by Rueben Bain (DT) Miami, Trinidad Chambliss (QB) Ole Miss, Caleb Downs (DB) Ohio State, Ahmad Hardy (RB) Missouri, Blake Horvath (QB) Navy, Cashius Howell (DE) Texas A&M, Haynes King (QB) Georgia Tech, Jeremiyah Love (RB) Notre Dame, Fernando Mendoza (QB) Indiana, Drew Mestermaker (QB) North Texas, Dante Moore (QB) Oregon, Ahmaad Moses (DB) SMU, Diego Pavia (QB) Vanderbilt, Marcel Reed (QB) Texas A&M, Jacob Rodriguez (LB) Texas Tech, Julian Sayin (QB) Ohio State, Ty Simpson (QB) Alabama, Jeremiah Smith (WR) Ohio State, Gunner Stockton (QB) Georgia.
The Walter Camp Player of the Year will be voted on by the 136 Football Bowl Subdivision head coaches and sports information directors later this month. Three finalists will be announced later this month and the 59th recipient of the Walter Camp Player of Year award along with the 136th edition of the Walter Camp All-America team will be announced on the ESPN College Football Awards Show on Friday, December 12.
And for the first time, the Walter Camp All-America Fan Vote and Player Impact Rankings is available for fans, families, and alumni to support their favorite college football players and have access to proprietary data sourced player impact rankings at www.votegridiron1880.com. The platform features real-time
Considered the "Father of American Football," Walter Camp introduced the play from scrimmage, set plays, the numerical assessment of goals and tries and the restriction of play to eleven men per side in 1880. Nine years later, Mr. Camp, then the Yale University head coach, selected the first-ever college football All-America team. The Walter Camp Football Foundation – a New Haven-based all-volunteer group – was founded in 1967 to perpetuate the ideals of Camp and to continue the tradition of selecting annually an All-America team. Visit www.waltercamp.org for more information.
The Walter Camp Football Foundation Fan Vote is live! Fans, families, and alumni can now support our players by casting a vote at www.votegridiron1880.com. The platform features real-time Walter Camp Impact Rankings and NIL valuations alongside performance data. Vote daily and help elevate our athletes to national recognition with the Walter Camp Football Foundation — curators of the America's oldest college football All-America team, which will be announced in early December.
The Foundation is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA). Founded in 1997, the NCFAA includes college football's most prestigious awards and its 25 awards have honored more than 950 recipients dating back to 1935. For more information about the NCFAA and its award programs, visit NCFAA.org or follow on X at @NCFAA.
