LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – Standout running back Charles Williams has become just the second UNLV football player to be named a candidate for the prestigious Senior CLASS Award®.
 
Williams, a two-time team game captain nicknamed the Chuck Wagon, returned as a Super Senior this fall and was announced Wednesday as one of 30 official candidates for the national honor, which goes to the senior player who excels in four areas: community, classroom, character and competition. The first Rebel to earn a spot on the Senior CLASS Award® list was former wide receiver Ryan Wolfe in 2009.
 
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School®, the Senior CLASS Award® focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities. 
 
The 30 candidates will be narrowed to 10 finalists later in the season and those names will be placed on the official ballot. Ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans, who will select one candidate who best exemplifies excellence in the four Cs. The Senior CLASS Award winner will be announced during football bowl season in December.
 
The native of Fresno, California, and graduate of Bullard High School currently ranks third on UNLV's career rushing list with 3,344 yards, which is the most compiled on the FBS level among all current players. He needs 208 yards to move past former teammate Lexington "Lightning" Thomas into second and is only 389 yards short of UNLV record-holder Cornett, who posted 3,733 in 2010-13.
 
The first Rebel football player to be named CoSIDA Academic All-America, Williams is also a semifinalist for the 2021 William V. Campbell Trophy®, college football's premier scholar-athlete award.
 
Named in May as UNLV's Mehdi Bouras Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Williams is pursuing his master's degree in general studies after earning a bachelor's in journalism & media studies in 2020. He has earned a spot on the Mountain West Academic All-Conference Team for four consecutive years and was a member of the Dean's Honor List his last four semesters as an undergraduate.
 
For more information visit seniorCLASSaward.com.
 
2021 Senior CLASS Award FBS Football Candidates
Reed Blankenship, Middle Tennessee                 
Thomas Booker, Stanford                                                          
Nick Brahms, Auburn                                                       
Anthony Brown Jr., Oregon                                                         
Sean Clifford, Penn State                                                           
Jack Coan, Notre Dame                                                   
Jordan Davis, Georgia                                                     
Spencer Eason-Riddle, South Carolina                
Matt Ference, Northern Illinois                                         
Nick Figueroa, USC                                                                   
Ty Fryfogle, Indiana                                                                   
Bryce Harris, Toledo                                                                  
Blake Hayes, Illinois                                                                   
Nick Heninger, Utah State                                                          
Thomas Hennigan, Appalachian State
Hayden Howerton, SMU
Andrzej Hughes-Murray, Oregon State
Aidan Hutchinson, Michigan
Zion Johnson, Boston College
Silas Kelly, Coastal Carolina
Keegan Markgraf, Utah
Chris Olave, Ohio State
Conner Olson, Minnesota
Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh
Brock Purdy, Iowa State
Isaiah Sanders, Stanford
Ben Stille, Nebraska
Andrew Vastardis, Michigan
Riley Whimpey, Boise State
Charles Williams, UNLV