Three Aggies Named to 2026 NFF Hampshire Honor Society Class
Apr 08, 2026 | Football
IRVING, Texas – Texas A&M's Randy Bond, EJ Smith and Jared Zirkel were named to the 2026 National Football Foundation Hampshire Honor Society class, the organization announced. The NFF Hampshire Honor Society is a key part of the organization's mission to promote academic excellence, leadership and personal development through football.
Marking the program's 20th anniversary in 2026, 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.
Bond, a placekicker from Plano, Texas, finished his career with 368 points while connecting on 71-of-95 field goal attempts and a perfect 155-of-155 on extra point attempts. His 71 field goals tied the school record originally set by Seth Small from 2018-21 and his 368 points were second-most in school history. His streak of 155 successful extra points was a school record. Bond earned his bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering with a 3.46 GPA.
Smith, a running back from Dallas, was a key offensive and special teams contributor for the 2025 Aggies. Smith rushed for 205 yards on 44 carries (4.7 average) and scored four touchdowns as the Aggies earned the program's first-ever College Football Playoff berth. In six collegiate seasons at Stanford University and Texas A&M, Smith rushed for 969 yards on 207 carries (4.7) and made 71 catches for 470 receiving yards. He carries a 3.23 GPA in his pursuit of his master's degree in Land Economics & Real Estate at Texas A&M after earning his undergraduate degree in Science, Technology and Society at Stanford.
Zirkel, a placekicker from Kerrville, Texas, made 4-of-7 field goal attempts and 19-of-20 extra point tries for the Aggies in 2025. For his career at the University of Georgia and Texas A&M, Zirkel registered 137 touchbacks on 211 kickoffs. He has compiled a 3.90 GPA while pursuing his master's degree in Agricultural Economics after earning his bachelor's in Finance at Georgia.
The 2026 Hampshire Honor Society 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.
Members are nominated by their respective schools and must meet the following criteria:
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 journalist Grantland Rice, the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) is a nonprofit organization that leverages the power of amateur football to build leaders. With 120 chapters in 47 states, the NFF oversees initiatives such as the NFF College Football Hall of Fame, the William V. Campbell Trophy®, the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards Presented by Fidelity Investments, Future For Football, and I Played.
Marking the program's 20th anniversary in 2026, 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.
Bond, a placekicker from Plano, Texas, finished his career with 368 points while connecting on 71-of-95 field goal attempts and a perfect 155-of-155 on extra point attempts. His 71 field goals tied the school record originally set by Seth Small from 2018-21 and his 368 points were second-most in school history. His streak of 155 successful extra points was a school record. Bond earned his bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering with a 3.46 GPA.
Smith, a running back from Dallas, was a key offensive and special teams contributor for the 2025 Aggies. Smith rushed for 205 yards on 44 carries (4.7 average) and scored four touchdowns as the Aggies earned the program's first-ever College Football Playoff berth. In six collegiate seasons at Stanford University and Texas A&M, Smith rushed for 969 yards on 207 carries (4.7) and made 71 catches for 470 receiving yards. He carries a 3.23 GPA in his pursuit of his master's degree in Land Economics & Real Estate at Texas A&M after earning his undergraduate degree in Science, Technology and Society at Stanford.
Zirkel, a placekicker from Kerrville, Texas, made 4-of-7 field goal attempts and 19-of-20 extra point tries for the Aggies in 2025. For his career at the University of Georgia and Texas A&M, Zirkel registered 137 touchbacks on 211 kickoffs. He has compiled a 3.90 GPA while pursuing his master's degree in Agricultural Economics after earning his bachelor's in Finance at Georgia.
The 2026 Hampshire Honor Society 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.
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
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 journalist Grantland Rice, the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) is a nonprofit organization that leverages the power of amateur football to build leaders. With 120 chapters in 47 states, the NFF oversees initiatives such as the NFF College Football Hall of Fame, the William V. Campbell Trophy®, the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards Presented by Fidelity Investments, Future For Football, and I Played.
Players Mentioned
Spring Football Media Availability: Marco Jones, Landon Rink
Saturday, April 04
Spring Football Media Availability: Isaiah Horton, Wilkin Formby
Thursday, April 02
Spring Football Media Availability: Holmon Wiggins
Thursday, April 02
Spring Practice Media Availability: Lyle Hemphill
Thursday, March 26
