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Stanford's Braden Marceau-Olayinka Earns Allstate AFCA Good Works Team Nomination
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- Stanford's Braden Marceau-Olayinka Earns Allstate AFCA Good Works Team Nomination
(Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images)
Stanford football is getting ready to take the field for training camp and already the program is receiving some big-time recognition. Now is the time of year when preseason awards and watchlists start to roll out. Among them is the Allstate AFCA Good Works team, an off-the-field award, with Stanford football defensive lineman Braden Marceau-Olayinka earning a nomination.
The good works team award is presented by All-State and the American Football Coaches Association and recognizes both student-athletes and head coaches from every level of college football that make an impact through community service, academic leadership, and accomplishments.
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Marceau-Olayinka, a psychology major, excels in the classroom while also being very active within the Stanford community.
Among the 162 nominees, Marceau-Olayinka is on the list with several college football stars such as Noah Fifita of Arizona , Gideon Davidson of Clemson and Jaylen McClain of Ohio State .
This year, for the first time in the award's 35-year history, a female student-athlete earned a nomination: Northwestern College of Iowa's Gianna Bennett.
While the award may not be the most prestigious in terms of football awards that can help a player's chances at an NFL career, it honors players that are truly making a difference as people, with this year's group creating meaningful change.
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Examples of what this year's nominees have done include raising a record $18.8 million for childhood cancer research, delivering more than 10,000 hours of tutoring, and generating over $27,000 for World War II veterans.
The final Allstate AFCA Good Works team will be announced in September and include 22 student-athletes and one coach. For Marceau-Olayinka though, winning the award won't change how impactful he is for Cardinal, with him evolving as one of the program's most important leaders.
On the field, Marceau-Olayinka has seen his role evolve over the years on Stanford's defensive line but has been used mostly for depth.
Appearing in only one game during his true freshman season in 2023, totaling one tackle, before recording three tackles in 2024, Marceau-Olayinka finally had a more sizable role in 2025, finishing with 15 total tackles in 12 games (three starts).
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Now, Marceau-Olayinka hopes that his experience and leadership will be relied upon more heavily this season — especially with the team fielding a new-look roster . The Cardinal are hungry to return to a bowl game and with the defense needing to step up and reach that next level of play, Marceau-Olayinka could be the team's secret weapon.
With football season around the corner, make sure to join Stanford Roundtable and get in on the discussion on our community boards. We'll be hosting AMAs in the coming weeks, and the best way to not miss out is to sign up!
