Eastern Michigan Athletics
Fourteen EMU Football Players Named to 2026 NFF Hampshire Honor Society
4/8/2026 1:30:00 PM | Football
Eagles rank among national and MAC leaders in academic excellence
Complete Release
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – Eastern Michigan University leads the Mid-American Conference with 14 football student-athletes named to the 2026 National Football Foundation (NFF) Hampshire Honor Society, as announced by the NFF and College Football Hall of Fame today, April 8. The honor recognizes college football players from all divisions who maintained a cumulative 3.2 GPA or better throughout their college careers while serving as starters or significant contributors.
This year's class marks the eighth time in the last nine seasons that EMU has produced at least five honorees, and the largest group ever recognized from EMU in a single year.
The 14 Eagles selected were Jefferson Adam (Ypsilanti, Mich./Washtenaw International/Hocking College/Iowa State), Caleb Coley (Warner Robins, Ga./Houston County/Michigan State), Dodji Dahoue (Bamako, Mali/Lycée Liberté de Bamako/Santa Rosa JC), Tyrelle Deener (Sarasota, Fla./Cardinal Mooney/Adrian), Carter Evans (Crystal Lake, Ill./Prairie Ridge), Donovan Green (Palmetto, La./Opelousas Catholic/Northwestern State), Noah Kim (Centreville, Va./Westfield/Michigan State/Coastal Carolina), Tyrell Martin (Newark, Del./St. Georges Tech/Delaware State), Zach Mowchan (Dillsburg, Pa./Northern York), Marco Patierno (Wake Forest, N.C./Heritage/Elon), Owen Snively (Fremont, N.H./Tilton/Colorado State), Dennis Strey Jr. (Paw Paw, Mich./Paw Paw), Mitchell Tomasek (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Kilbourne), and Jamarien Wheeler (Minneapolis, Minn./Washburn/Iowa Central).
Eastern Michigan led all Mid-American Conference programs with 14 honorees. The Eagles are one of only six FBS programs nationwide with 14 or more players recognized this year. Rutgers topped the list with 21 honorees, followed by Texas Tech with 17, and Indiana and TCU with 15 each. Eastern Michigan's 14 honors tie Fresno State for fifth most nationally.
The 2026 class includes a record 2,596 players from 365 colleges and universities. Since 2007, the program has recognized 23,568 student-athletes from 691 schools, demonstrating sustained academic performance across the game.
"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."
Created in 2007, the NFF Hampshire Honor Society is one of the most comprehensive scholar-athlete initiatives in college athletics, recognizing football players from all divisions who have maintained a cumulative 3.2 GPA or higher throughout their college careers.
"To see this program reach 20 years with a record number of honorees is really special," said NFF Chairman Archie Manning. "As the world of college football faces an era of transition, one thing remains the same: the game's ability to develop well-rounded student-athletes committed to excellence in the classroom as well as on the field. The NFF Hampshire Honor Society provides an important platform for us to recognize the value of the game in developing leaders while shining a light on their individual accomplishments."
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.
Members are nominated by their respective schools and must meet the following criteria:
- A senior player graduating this spring/summer who completed his final season of eligibility in 2025; or
- A graduate player or grad transfer who has already earned a bachelor's degree and competed in the 2025 season
- Maintained a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.2 (4.0 scale)
- Been a starter or significant contributor during the 2025 season
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – Eastern Michigan University leads the Mid-American Conference with 14 football student-athletes named to the 2026 National Football Foundation (NFF) Hampshire Honor Society, as announced by the NFF and College Football Hall of Fame today, April 8. The honor recognizes college football players from all divisions who maintained a cumulative 3.2 GPA or better throughout their college careers while serving as starters or significant contributors.
This year's class marks the eighth time in the last nine seasons that EMU has produced at least five honorees, and the largest group ever recognized from EMU in a single year.
The 14 Eagles selected were Jefferson Adam (Ypsilanti, Mich./Washtenaw International/Hocking College/Iowa State), Caleb Coley (Warner Robins, Ga./Houston County/Michigan State), Dodji Dahoue (Bamako, Mali/Lycée Liberté de Bamako/Santa Rosa JC), Tyrelle Deener (Sarasota, Fla./Cardinal Mooney/Adrian), Carter Evans (Crystal Lake, Ill./Prairie Ridge), Donovan Green (Palmetto, La./Opelousas Catholic/Northwestern State), Noah Kim (Centreville, Va./Westfield/Michigan State/Coastal Carolina), Tyrell Martin (Newark, Del./St. Georges Tech/Delaware State), Zach Mowchan (Dillsburg, Pa./Northern York), Marco Patierno (Wake Forest, N.C./Heritage/Elon), Owen Snively (Fremont, N.H./Tilton/Colorado State), Dennis Strey Jr. (Paw Paw, Mich./Paw Paw), Mitchell Tomasek (Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Kilbourne), and Jamarien Wheeler (Minneapolis, Minn./Washburn/Iowa Central).
Eastern Michigan led all Mid-American Conference programs with 14 honorees. The Eagles are one of only six FBS programs nationwide with 14 or more players recognized this year. Rutgers topped the list with 21 honorees, followed by Texas Tech with 17, and Indiana and TCU with 15 each. Eastern Michigan's 14 honors tie Fresno State for fifth most nationally.
The 2026 class includes a record 2,596 players from 365 colleges and universities. Since 2007, the program has recognized 23,568 student-athletes from 691 schools, demonstrating sustained academic performance across the game.
"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."
Created in 2007, the NFF Hampshire Honor Society is one of the most comprehensive scholar-athlete initiatives in college athletics, recognizing football players from all divisions who have maintained a cumulative 3.2 GPA or higher throughout their college careers.
"To see this program reach 20 years with a record number of honorees is really special," said NFF Chairman Archie Manning. "As the world of college football faces an era of transition, one thing remains the same: the game's ability to develop well-rounded student-athletes committed to excellence in the classroom as well as on the field. The NFF Hampshire Honor Society provides an important platform for us to recognize the value of the game in developing leaders while shining a light on their individual accomplishments."
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.
Members are nominated by their respective schools and must meet the following criteria:
- A senior player graduating this spring/summer who completed his final season of eligibility in 2025; or
- A graduate player or grad transfer who has already earned a bachelor's degree and competed in the 2025 season
- Maintained a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.2 (4.0 scale)
- Been a starter or significant contributor during the 2025 season
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