IRVING, Texas (Sept. 16, 2026) – For the ninth year, the National Football Foundation has released its annual list of current student-athletes at all levels of the game who have already earned their undergraduate degrees, underscoring the game's commitment to academic achievement and reinforcing the belief that football develops leaders. 
 
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL LIST OF GRADUATES
 
By the Numbers:

• 2,687 players are taking the field with diplomas in hand
• 288 schools report graduates competing on the field this season
• FBS schools average 12.8 graduates each, with 1,728 total FBS athletes 
• Every FBS team boasts a graduate*
• Every division of college football boasts graduates
• Northwestern and Virginia lead the FBS for the second straight year with 28 graduates each
• The Citadel sets FCS high mark with 21 graduates
• 97 FBS schools report a double-digit number of graduates on their rosters
• The list includes 73 players who have been nominated for the Campbell Trophy® either in 2025 or 2026.

*excludes service academies, who do not offer graduate programs
 
"Seeing nearly 2,700 players take the field this fall with college degrees already in hand is a powerful reminder of everything that is right about our game," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "College football creates tremendous opportunities for young people to pursue an education while developing the leadership, discipline and determination that will serve them for the rest of their lives. These players have already achieved something truly meaningful, and we are proud to celebrate them."
 
The NFF compiled this list with the help of sports information directors from all divisions of the NCAA and NAIA who identified the players on their 2026 fall rosters who have already earned their undergraduate degrees. A total of 288 schools submitted their information for inclusion. 
 
The annual list of graduates playing college football is part of the NFF's long-standing commitment to celebrating the scholar-athlete ideal, a tradition that began in 1959 with the launch of the prestigious NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards, presented by Fidelity Investments®. Today, that commitment continues through signature initiatives such as The William V. Campbell Trophy®, the NFF Faculty Salutes presented by Fidelity Investments®, the NFF Hampshire Honor Society, the NFF Team of Distinction, the NFF Hatchell Cup presented by Bob's Steak & Chop House, and the National High School Academic Excellence Awards presented by the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation.
     
The numbers include 1,728 players from 135 schools in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), 602 players from 67 schools in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), 231 players from 40 Division II schools, 73 players from 34 Division III schools and 53 players from 12 NAIA schools. (Note: Graduates of the service academies immediately become commissioned officers, and there is no mechanism to extend their collegiate athletic eligibility.)
 
Division II's Southern Nazarene (OK) leads all schools nationwide with 29 players who have already earned their degrees. Northwestern and Virginia tied for the second straight year to lead the FBS with 28 players each. The Citadel is fielding 21 players with degrees, the most among FCS schools. Denison (OH) has 14 graduates, the most among Division III schools. Oklahoma Panhandle State has 17 graduates on its roster, the most of any NAIA school.
 
Of the 135 FBS schools that responded, 97 reported a double-digit number of graduates. Joining Northwestern and Virginia (28 each) with at least 20 graduates are Duke (27), Liberty (24), Rutgers (24), Massachusetts (24), Oklahoma State (23), Colorado (22), Clemson (21), East Carolina (21), Rice (21), Texas Tech (21), Louisville (20) and Utah State (20).
 
Joining FCS leader The Citadel (21) with at least 15 graduates on the roster this season are Tennessee Tech (19), Abilene Christian (17), Robert Morris (17), Incarnate Word (16), Youngstown State (16), Stony Brook (15) and Montana (15).
 
The following Division II programs join national leader Southern Nazarene [OK] (29) with at least 10 graduates on their fall rosters: Bentley [MA] (15), Colorado School of Mines (15) and Augustana [SD] (13).
 
Paced by Denison [OH], with 14 graduates on its fall roster, Division III schools with the most graduates include Carnegie Mellon [PA] (7), Hardin-Simmons [TX] (6) and Saint John's [MN] (4).
 
Oklahoma Panhandle State listed 17 graduates to lead the NAIA respondents. It is followed by Missouri Baptist (8), St. Francis [IL] (6) and Concordia [NE] (5).
 
QBs of Ranked Teams & NFL Draft Prospects:
Several graduates on the list are quarterbacks leading teams ranked in the FWAA-NFF Super 16 Poll: Gunner Stockton (Georgia - No. 4), Josh Hoover (Indiana - No. 6), Trinidad Chambliss (Ole Miss - No. 9) and Rocco Becht (Penn State - No. 16). They join Carter Smith (Indiana), Kenyetta Jackson Jr. (Ohio State), Yhonzae Pierre (Alabama), Luke Montgomery (Ohio State), Terrance Carter Jr. (Texas Tech) and Clev Lubin (Louisville) among the players with degrees projected to be early-round selections in this spring's NFL Draft. Stockton and Lubin are also nominees for the 2026 NFF Campbell Trophy®.
 
Other Notable Players:
Other prominent players with degrees taking the field this season include Noah Fifita (Arizona), Duce Robinson (Florida State), Justice Haynes (Georgia Tech), Byrum Brown (Auburn), Maddux Madsen (Boise State), Raleek Brown (Texas), Bray Hubbard (Alabama), Kip Lewis (Oklahoma), Matthew Bailey (Illinois), Anthony Smith (Minnesota), Trey Lathan (Kansas), Cooper Barkate (Miami [FL]), Caden Veltkamp (Florida Atlantic), Kemari Copeland (Virginia Tech) and Sutton Smith (Arkansas). Robinson, Haynes, Byrum Brown, Madsen, Hubbard and Sutton Smith are also nominees for the 2026 NFF Campbell Trophy®.

Notable Storylines:

• Tiger Bachmeier (BYU - Graduated from Stanford in 2½ years with a computer science degree and now plays alongside his brother, QB Bear Bachmeier)
• Caden Britton (Ball State - Spearheaded the Cardinals' "Cards Kick Cancer" initiative after his younger brother survived acute lymphoblastic leukemia, helping raise more than $3,000 for pediatric cancer)
• Noah Fifita (Arizona - Decorated quarterback who has logged more than 330 volunteer hours with the First Down Faith Foundation, impacting approximately 3,590 people according to Arizona)
• Owen Heinecke (Oklahoma - Began his collegiate athletic career as a lacrosse player at Ohio State before becoming an AP Second-Team All-SEC linebacker)
• Max Johnson (Georgia Southern - Entering his seventh season after stops at LSU, Texas A&M and North Carolina, including leading LSU to an upset of No. 6 Florida in his first career start as a true freshman in 2020 and throwing the first brother-to-brother touchdown in Texas A&M history in 2023)
• Alex McPherson (Auburn - Capital One Orange Bowl-FWAA Courage Award recipient who returned from inflammatory bowel disease that limited him to one game in 2024)
• Mudia Reuben (South Florida - Graduated from Stanford in three years and is pursuing a master's degree in pharmaceutical nanotechnology-biomedical engineering; used NIL money to help fund six water wells in Nigerian villages, eventually raising $20,000 for the project)
• Nick Rinaldi (Vanderbilt - Developed from a walk-on into a team captain and became the first Vanderbilt football player ever named SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year)
• Duce Robinson (Florida State - First-Team All-ACC receiver who raised more than $10,000 for Special Olympics Florida through his charity pickleball event)
• Preston Zachman (Indiana - Entering his seventh season after overcoming injuries that cost him all of 2021 and portions of 2022 and 2025 while earning Academic All-Big Ten honors five times)

 
Family Ties: 

• Tiger Bachmeier (BYU - Brother of Bear Bachmeier, BYU's starting quarterback, and younger brother of Hank Bachmeier, who played quarterback at Boise State, Louisiana Tech and Wake Forest)
• Brian "Deuce" Blades II (Wake Forest - Son of Brian Blades, who won two national championships at Miami (FL), and nephew of Bennie Blades, an NFF College Football Hall of Famer from Miami (FL))
• Rocco Becht (Penn State - Son of Anthony Becht, a first-round NFL Draft pick from West Virginia who is currently head coach of the UFL's St. Louis Battlehawks)
• Christian Harrison (Arkansas - Son of Rodney Harrison, who played 15 seasons in the NFL and earned two Pro Bowl selections before becoming a broadcaster with NBC)
• Justice Haynes (Georgia Tech - Son of Verron Haynes, who played at Georgia and seven seasons in the NFL, and grandson of Ulric "Buggy" Haynes, who played for Trinidad and Tobago's national soccer team)
• Owen Heinecke (Oklahoma - Son of Justin Heinecke, who played offensive line at Tulsa, and nephew of Cory Heinecke, who played defensive end at Oklahoma and was a member of the Sooners' 2000 national championship team)
• Sam Huard (USC - Son of Damon Huard and nephew of Brock Huard, who both played quarterback at Washington before playing in the NFL, and nephew of USC offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Luke Huard)
• Max Johnson (Georgia Southern - Son of Brad Johnson, who started at quarterback for Tampa Bay in Super Bowl XXXVII, and nephew of Mark Richt, the longtime head coach at Georgia who later coached Miami (FL))
• Dyson McCutcheon (Middle Tennessee - Son of Daylon McCutcheon, who was an All-Pac-10 defensive back at USC and played eight seasons in the NFL, and grandson of Lawrence McCutcheon, who played 10 NFL seasons and earned five Pro Bowl selections)
• Darius Snow (Texas - Son of Eric Snow, who played 13 seasons in the NBA, and nephew of Percy Snow, an NFF College Football Hall of Famer from Michigan State)