DALLAS – NM State senior linebacker and captain Tyler Martinez has been named a semifinalist for the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year award. The semifinalists for the ninth annual Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year includes 20 of the nation's top leaders in college football.
 
Compiled by a subset of the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Selection Committee, the semifinalists have all demonstrated a record of leadership by exhibiting exceptional courage, integrity and sportsmanship both on and off the field.
 
Martinez, a native of Albuquerque, N.M., is in his third year with the Aggie program after transferring in from New Mexico Military Institute. The linebacker received no FBS offers out of high school and has persevered to become the Aggies' leader on the defensive side of the ball. Despite breaking his hand in the first game of the season, Martinez pushed through and played three games with a hairline fracture in his right hand. This season, he has racked up 27 tackles, one interception, one tackle for loss and three quarterback hurries.
 
Sixteen seniors and four juniors make up the list. Among conferences, the SEC led the way with six selections, while the Big 12 had five. The Big Ten had four selections, while the ACC and Conference USA had two each. Notre Dame, an Independent, had one semifinalist.
 
The full list of semifinalists includes: CJ Allen (Georgia), Nick Andersen (Wake Forest), Cam Ball (Arkansas), Jude Bowry (Boston College), Deion Burks (Oklahoma), Arion Carter (Tennessee), Dontay Corleone (Cincinnati), Jalon Daniels (Kansas), Nick Dawkins (Penn State), Aiden Fisher (Indiana), Ernest Hausmann (Michigan), Tyler Martinez (NM State), Devin Mockobee (Purdue), Koa Naotala (Old Dominion), Sawyer Robertson (Baylor), Jacob Rodriguez (Texas Tech), Eli Stowers (Vanderbilt), Michael Taaffe (Texas), Aamil Wagner (Notre Dame) and Tanner Wall (BYU).
 
Three finalists will be named for the award on Monday, December 16. The winner will be announced at the award ceremony at The Star in Frisco, Texas, on April 16, 2026.
 
The award, presented by Albertsons and Tom Thumb, is the first college football honor to focus primarily on a player's leadership, both on and off the field. Leadership is a term synonymous with Jason Witten, who, in addition to becoming one of the best tight ends in the history of the sport, served as one of football's most prominent role models during his 16-year pro career. In addition to winning the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award in 2012, Witten also received the Bart Starr Award, Pro Football Weekly's Humanitarian of the Year Award, Home Depot NFL Neighborhood MVP and the Bob Lilly Award, among many others. All of those honors have recognized his work in the community, achievements on the field and dedication to his teammates and family.
 
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