Tennessee linebacker Edwin Spillman keeps stacking honors, and this one reaches well beyond the field.
The junior has been named to the 2026 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, one of only 11 FBS players to make the list, and he’s also a semifinalist for the Wuerffel Trophy. The Good Works Team spot is a major nod to Spillman’s impact in the community, in the classroom and on the field.
The recognition carries weight for Tennessee, too. Spillman is the first Vol to land on the AFCA Good Works Team since Jerod Mayo in 2007.
Spillman earned his place from a pool of 162 nominees, with a selection panel made up of former Good Works Team members, college football coaches, journalists and other leaders. The team, founded in 1992 and presented by Allstate since 2008, honors players for leadership in community service, academics and athletics.
What Spillman has done away from football makes the selection easy to understand. A member of Tennessee’s leadership council, he has logged more than 120 hours of community service and has used NIL resources to support the Wan Fambul Foundation, which helps families and children in Sierra Leone. His efforts have touched food security, education, housing projects and child welfare initiatives.
That work lines up with the story of his own rise. The in-state product broke through in 2025 and quickly became one of Tennessee’s defensive anchors, earning Freshman All-America honors and Freshman All-SEC recognition after leading all freshmen in the conference with 81 total tackles.
Spillman is now in the running for the Wuerffel Trophy, which goes to one of the 11 players on the Good Works Team. Named for Heisman Trophy winner, College Football Hall of Famer, former NFL quarterback and humanitarian Danny Wuerffel, the award is built around the idea of service making a real-world difference.
The finalists will be chosen by the award’s National Selection Committee, with fan voting also factored in. Fans can vote for the Allstate Wuerffel Trophy recipient at ESPN.com/Allstate through Nov. 3.
The winner will be announced live on The Home Depot College Football Awards show on Dec. 11 and will also serve as captain of the 2026 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team.
The full 2026 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team includes Noah Fifita of Arizona, Michael Allen of Baylor, Gideon Davidson of Clemson, Micah Sahakian of Duke, Jaylin Belford of Liberty, Leonard Moore of Notre Dame, Mudia Reuben of South Florida, Edwin Spillman of Tennessee, Colin Simmons of Texas, Marcus Ratcliffe of Texas A&M and Matt Hofer of Toledo.
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