IRVING, Texas (April 10, 2024) – The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) announced today a record number of members for the 2024 NFF Hampshire Honor Society, which is comprised of college football players from all divisions of the NCAA, NAIA and sprint football who each maintained a cumulative 3.2 GPA or better throughout their college careers.
An elite group of 1,988 players from 339 schools qualified for membership in 2024, setting a new record for the number of members in a single year during the program’s 18-year history. The initiative has now honored 18,386 student-athletes since its inception. Click here for the 2024 list of members.
“We are thrilled to honor a record number of athletes as part of this year’s Hampshire Honor Society,” said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. “Over the last 18 years, the Hampshire Honor Society has served as a powerful vehicle for schools to recognize their college football players who have distinguished themselves both academically and athletically, and we congratulate the schools and each of these young men for their commitment to excellence in all aspects of their lives.”
Nominated by their respective schools, members of the NFF Hampshire Honor Society must be either:
- A senior player, who will graduate this spring/summer, and just completed his final year of playing eligibility in 2023; or
- A graduated player, who has been out of high school at least (3) years;
And must have:
- Attained a minimum undergraduate cumulative GPA of 3.2 (4.0 scale); and
- Been starters or contributors throughout the 2023 season.
The NFF Hampshire Honor Society capitalizes on the NFF’s National Scholar-Athlete program by greatly expanding the number of scholar-athletes the NFF can recognize each year. The program further strengthens the organization’s leadership role in encouraging academic performance by the student-athletes at the 772 colleges and universities with football programs nationwide.
Nebraska from the FBS led all programs in membership, with 21 honorees in 2024. North Dakota led all FCS programs with 20 members; Wayne State (MI) topped Division II with 16 members; Tufts (MA) led Division III with 20 honorees; Doane (NE) and Southeastern (FL) both boasted 12 members, tied for the most in the NAIA; and Cornell topped all Collegiate Sprint Football League teams with 13 honorees.
Michigan, South Dakota State, and Harding (AR) ensured that last season’s national champions were well-represented with a combined 25 members.
Fifty-nine schools had at least ten honorees in 2024:
FBS: Auburn, BYU, Cal, Duke, Kansas State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, South Alabama, Southern California, Wyoming.
FCS: Dartmouth, Dayton, Eastern Washington, Harvard, Montana, North Dakota, Princeton, South Dakota State, Valparaiso, Villanova.
DIVISION II: Benedict (SC), Bentley (MA), Colorado School of Mines, Wayne State (MI).
DIVISION III: Amherst (MA), Benedictine (IL), Berry (GA), Carnegie Mellon (PA), Case Western Reserve (OH), Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CA), Colby (ME), DePauw (IN), Franklin & Marshall (PA), Gustavus Adolphus (MN), Hardin-Simmons (TX), Hobart (NY), Huntingdon (AL), Ithaca (NY), Johns Hopkins (MD), Middlebury (VT), Plymouth State (NH), Pomona-Pitzer (CA), Redlands (CA), Saint John’s (MN), Trinity (TX), Tufts (MA), Vermont State Castleton, Wartburg (IA), Wash U. in St. Louis (MO), Wesleyan (CT), Wisconsin-Stout, Worcester Polytechnic (MA).
NAIA: Georgetown (KY), Doane (NE), Southeastern (FL).
SPRINT: Army West Point, Cornell, Navy.
Notable players expected to have their names called at the upcoming NFL Draft (April 25-27) include but are not limited to Isiah Adams (Illinois), Graham Barton (Duke), Cooper Beebe (Kansas State), Brock Bowers (Georgia), DeWayne Carter (Duke), Olumuyiwa Fashanu (Penn State), Zach Frazier (West Virginia), Christian Haynes (Connecticut), Mohamed Kamara (Colorado State), Marshawn Lloyd (USC), Luke McCafffrey (Rice), Ladd McConkey (Georgia), Mason McCormick (South Dakota State), Kool-Aid McKinstry (Alabama), Bo Nix (Oregon), Tyler Nubin (Minnesota), Ricky Pearsall (Florida), Michael Pratt (Tulane), Ben Sinnott (Kansas State), Sedrick Van Pran (Georgia), and Malik Washington (Virginia). Nix won the NFF William V. Campbell Trophy® in December and Beebe, Carter, Frazier and McConkey were finalists for the prestigious NFF award, which goes to the top football scholar-athlete in the nation.
Jon F. Hanson, the chairman and founder of The Hampshire Companies, provided the funds to launch the NFF Hampshire Honor Society in 2007. He made the contribution as part of his legacy to the organization after serving as NFF Chairman from 1994-2006. He currently serves the organization as chairman emeritus. Each player awarded membership in this year’s Honor Society will receive a certificate commemorating his or her achievement.
“It was my great privilege to endow the NFF Hampshire Honor Society, which has greatly increased the number of college student-athletes the NFF has been able to recognize during the past 18 years,” said Hanson. “Nationwide there are thousands of football players excelling in the classroom, and they are going on to become great leaders.”
“We have honored more than 18,000 student-athletes since 2007 thanks to Jon Hanson’s generosity,” said NFF Chairman Archie Manning. “We are grateful for his passionate belief in the scholar-athlete ideal, and the Hampshire Honor Society allows us to showcase the names of tomorrow’s leaders while inspiring future generations to follow in their footsteps.”
Twenty-three colleges and universities have had at least one player in all 18 years of the NFF Hampshire Honor Society (2007-24), including BYU, Brown, Bucknell, Columbia, Dartmouth, Dayton, Iowa, Johns Hopkins (MD), Kentucky, Lafayette, Minnesota, North Dakota, North Dakota State, Penn State, Redlands (CA), Saint John’s (MN), SMU, South Dakota State, Wayne State (MI), West Virginia, Wingate (NC), Yale and Youngstown State.
The Hampshire Honor Society represents an important component in the organization’s rich history as an innovator in promoting the scholar-athlete ideal, which began in 1959 with the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards. Click here to learn more.
Full NAIA List
Bethel College (KS) Kayden Christiansen
Bethel College (KS) Denzel Dixon
Bethel College (KS) Kade Miller
Bethel College (KS) Tucker Smith
College of Idaho Jacob Arms
College of Idaho Cooper Bailey
College of Idaho Caden Dobb
College of Idaho Andrew McKague
College of Idaho Joe Metzger
College of Idaho Brock Richardson
College of Idaho Ryan Seth
College of Idaho Cameron Simons
Dakota State University (SD) Jeremiah Beck
Dakota State University (SD) Marcis Hausman
Dakota State University (SD) Gavin Holland
Dakota State University (SD) Mason Lloyd
Dakota State University (SD) Cole Sylliaasen
Doane University (NE) Matt Arent
Doane University (NE) Cole Essex
Doane University (NE) Nate Fox
Doane University (NE) Seth Hagan
Doane University (NE) Matt Koepsell
Doane University (NE) Owen Kuntz
Doane University (NE) Ty Martinsen
Doane University (NE) Zack Perez
Doane University (NE) Marcus Randazzo
Doane University (NE) Jackson Seward
Doane University (NE) Jared Smith
Doane University (NE) Briggs Songster
Evangel University (MO) Andreas Moeller
Friends University (KS) Stephen Acosta
Friends University (KS) Laken Clowdus
Friends University (KS) Braden Gordon
Friends University (KS) Blake Hanenberg
Friends University (KS) Keegan Martin
Friends University (KS) Jack Mullen
Georgetown College (KY) Jeremy Adams
Georgetown College (KY) Peyton Bartley
Georgetown College (KY) Jacob Brass
Georgetown College (KY) Colton Cornish
Georgetown College (KY) Max Hill
Georgetown College (KY) Aaron Maggard
Georgetown College (KY) Cade Mullins
Georgetown College (KY) Kyren Simpson
Georgetown College (KY) Nicholas Smedley
Georgetown College (KY) Brayden Wulfeck
Indiana Wesleyan University Xander Stokes
Judson University (IL) Damon Muller
Judson University (IL) Logan Shears
Morningside University (IA) Isaac Pingel
Ottawa University (KS) Kyle Reynolds
Peru State College (NE) Kile Bentley
Peru State College (NE) Mackormick Boekhout
Peru State College (NE) Seth Leddy
Peru State College (NE) Will Mueller
Peru State College (NE) TJ Soules
Rocky Mountain College (MT) Dylan Beridon
Southeastern University (FL) Cooper Bell
Southeastern University (FL) Michael Lemieux-Bott
Southeastern University (FL) Devonte Bowie
Southeastern University (FL) Daniel Craig
Southeastern University (FL) Adrian Daffy
Southeastern University (FL) James Hamilton
Southeastern University (FL) Phillip Hamilton
Southeastern University (FL) Cedric Hawkins
Southeastern University (FL) Nate Hayden
Southeastern University (FL) Shane McLaughlin
Southeastern University (FL) Cody Rand
Southeastern University (FL) Gabe Woody
Texas Wesleyan University Arian Bhat
Texas Wesleyan University Michael Bonner
Texas Wesleyan University Dejion Jefferson
Texas Wesleyan University Petr Svoboda
Texas Wesleyan University Daniel Trejo
University of Montana Western Reese Artz
University of Montana Western Tanner Harrell
University of Montana Western Ben Howerton
William Penn University (IA) Cael Crawford
William Penn University (IA) Isaac Knudsen
William Penn University (IA) Ethan Olivas
ABOUT THE HAMPSHIRE FOUNDATION
The Hampshire Foundation is the charitable arm of The Hampshire Companies, a privately-held, fully-integrated real estate firm that has more than 60 years of hands-on, cycle-tested experience in acquiring, developing, leasing, repositioning, managing, financing and disposing of real estate. Founded by Jon F. Hanson, who served as NFF Chairman from 1994-2006, Hampshire is headquartered in Morristown, New Jersey. Learn more at www.hampshirere.com.
ABOUT The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame
Founded in 1947 with early leadership from General Douglas MacArthur, legendary Army coach Earl “Red” Blaik and immortal journalist Grantland Rice, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame is a non-profit educational organization that runs programs designed to use the power of amateur football in developing scholarship, citizenship, and athletic achievement in young people. With 120 chapters in 47 states, NFF programs include the criteria, selection and induction of members of the College Football Hall of Fame; the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta; Future For Football; The William V. Campbell Trophy®; the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments; the NFF National High School Academic Excellence Awards presented by the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation & Hatchell Cup presented by the Original Bob’s Steak & Chop House; and a series of programs and initiatives to honor the legends of the past and inspire the leaders of the future. NFF corporate partners include Bruin Capital, Catapult, Delta Air Lines, Fidelity Investments, Hampshire Companies, Hanold Associates Executive Search, Jostens, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, New York Athletic Club, Pasadena Tournament of Roses and the Sports Business Journal. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @NFFNetwork and learn more at footballfoundation.org.
