Contact: Nicholas Osterloo, Director of Athletics Communication, 630-637-5324
2026 NFF Hampshire Honor Society Membership List
Apr. 8, 2026 - For the 18th consecutive season, the North Central College football team had a student-athlete named to the National Football Foundation's Hampshire Honor Society, as 12 Cardinals were named to the national list.
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.
Nominated by their respective schools, members of the NFF Hampshire Honor Society must be either senior players who will graduate this spring or summer and have just completed their final year of playing eligibility in 2025, or graduated players who have been out of high school for at least three years. Additionally, student-athletes must have maintained at least an undergraduate cumulative grade-point average of 3.2 and been starters or significant contributors throughout the 2025 season.
Tight end Isaac Banker, offensive lineman Jerred Durian, kicker Aidan Ellison, offensive lineman John Golden Jr., linebacker Drew Harp, quarterback Calvin Lavery, linebacker Danny Nuccio, offensive lineman Brock Nunez, wide receiver Jake Pieper, quarterback Alex Porter, defensive lineman Noah Rapinchuk and defensive lineman Gustav Tosterud are the Cardinal honorees this season.
With this year's class, North Central now has 129 NFF Hampshire Honor Society inductees. The Cardinals are one of four College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin institutions to appear on the list, along with Augustana College, Illinois Wesleyan University and Wheaton College.
The Cardinals finished the 2025 season as the national runners-up following a sixth straight trip to the Stagg Bowl.
North Central opens the 2026 season at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium in a rematch of the 2025 national quarterfinals, as the Cardinals host Bethel University. North Central earned a 35-21 victory over the Royals on Dec. 13, 2025.
