K-State Places 11 on NFF Hampshire Honor Society List
Apr 08, 2026 | Football
MANHATTAN, Kan. – In the 20th anniversary edition of the National Football Foundation (NFF) Hampshire Honor Society, Kansas State had 11 players among a record number of 2,596 players from 365 colleges and universities across all NCAA division and the NAIA, as the NFF announced the entire list on Wednesday.
With its 11 members on this year's list, Kansas State now has 98 all-time members to rank fifth in the FBS since the NFF began the award in the spring of 2007. K-State's 20th anniversary members include wide receiver Jerand Bradley, safety Jet Dineen, offensive lineman Sam Hecht, defensive tackle Damian Ilalio, wide receiver Isaac Koch, wide receiver Sterling Lockett, linebacker Beau Palmer, offensive lineman John Pastore, linebacker Des Purnell, defensive end Cody Stufflebean and linebacker Zach Wittenberg.
"Twenty years ago, college coaches around the country came to the National Football Foundation asking us to recognize not just their top student-athlete, but the numerous student-athletes on their teams who were also excelling at the highest levels in the classroom," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "Their voices led to the creation of the NFF Hampshire Honor Society, and two decades later, the results speak for themselves. Year after year, we continue to see remarkable academic achievements across college football."
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 2025 or a graduated player who has already earned a bachelor's degree and competed in the 2025 season even if the player has remaining eligibility and may return to play in 2026. The candidates must have attained a minimum undergraduate cumulative GPA of 3.2 on a 4.0 scale and been starters or contributors throughout the 2025 season.
With its 11 members on this year's list, Kansas State now has 98 all-time members to rank fifth in the FBS since the NFF began the award in the spring of 2007. K-State's 20th anniversary members include wide receiver Jerand Bradley, safety Jet Dineen, offensive lineman Sam Hecht, defensive tackle Damian Ilalio, wide receiver Isaac Koch, wide receiver Sterling Lockett, linebacker Beau Palmer, offensive lineman John Pastore, linebacker Des Purnell, defensive end Cody Stufflebean and linebacker Zach Wittenberg.
"Twenty years ago, college coaches around the country came to the National Football Foundation asking us to recognize not just their top student-athlete, but the numerous student-athletes on their teams who were also excelling at the highest levels in the classroom," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "Their voices led to the creation of the NFF Hampshire Honor Society, and two decades later, the results speak for themselves. Year after year, we continue to see remarkable academic achievements across college football."
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 2025 or a graduated player who has already earned a bachelor's degree and competed in the 2025 season even if the player has remaining eligibility and may return to play in 2026. The candidates must have attained a minimum undergraduate cumulative GPA of 3.2 on a 4.0 scale and been starters or contributors throughout the 2025 season.
– k-statesports.com –
How to follow the Cats: For complete information on K-State Football, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.
How to follow the Cats: For complete information on K-State Football, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.
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