LITTLE ROCK, Ark.  Already a conference player of the year, Western Colorado quarterback Drew Nash on Wednesday was named a finalist for the Harlon Hill Award, presented by the Little Rock Touchdown Club to the Division II College Player of the Year.

A former University of North Alabama standout, Harlon Hill was a standout player for the Lions from 1950-53 and would go on to a storied career in the National Football League with the Chicago Bears.

The award was first presented in 1986 to North Dakota State quarterback Jeff Bentrim, and has been awarded every year since, excluding the 2020 Covid year. The 2023 and 2024 awards were presented to Central Missouri quarterback Zach Zebrowski, only the fifth repeat winner in award history.

Nash was named the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year and All-RMAC First Team quarterback on Nov. 21, kicking off the postseason award season.

During the 2025 season Nash eclipsed the previous record for career touchdown passes (72) for the Mountaineer program, finishing the season with a career total of 77.

His 33 touchdown passes this season were third most in DII and led the RMAC, while his 11 rushing touchdowns were third in the conference and 29th in the division.

He also led the RMAC in total offense per game (291.6 yards), a figure that ranked 11th in DII, total points responsible for (264) and points responsible for per game (22.0), which ranked third and second, respectively, in the division.

Nash's 2,938 yards through the air this year were a single-season high and elevated his career total to 8,061 yards, both of which are second most in program history in their respective categories.

Western's field general the past three years, Nash has helped lead the Mountaineers into the NCAA DII Championship playoffs each season. First-round victories in 2024 and 2025 were the first NCAA playoff wins in program history, and last season's 11 wins were the most in a single season in program history.

Nash is the fourth Mountaineer to be named a Hill Award candidate, and just the second to be named a Hill Award finalist. Chaumont Bouknight in 2003, Austin Ekeler in 2015 and 2016, and Ricky Freymond in 2024 have been Hill Award candidates, with Ekeler a finalist and finishing eighth in the voting in 2016.