IRVING, Texas – Fourteen University of Dayton football players – running back Jake Chisholm, linebacker Joe Craft, safety Logan Dalton, placekicker Michael Denning, defensive end Joe Durham, offensive lineman George Fanelli, wide receiver Kyle Hazell, linebacker Alex Hirschfield, safety Matt Lenti, punter Drew Nieman, linebacker Ben Schmiesing, cornerback Elijah smith, offensive lineman Brian stevens, and quarterback Ryan VanSchelven -- have been named to the 2023 National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame's (NFF) Hampshire Honor Society.

Now in its 17th year, the Hampshire Society is comprised of college football players from all divisions of play who each maintained a cumulative 3.2 GPA or better throughout their college career. A record total of 1,745 players from 328 schools qualified for membership in the society this year. 

The Flyers are one of just 22 institutions to have at least one senior qualify for membership in all 17 classes of the Hampshire Society.  Dayton is also the only school from the Pioneer Football League.

The top five for total honorees during the 17-year span of the program include Brown (198), Dayton (180), Johns Hopkins (170), Nebraska Wesleyan (142) and Yale (139).

The majors of the Flyers recognized this year include Business Economics, Finance, Health Science, Marketing, Pre-Med, Sport Management and four different areas of Engineering. 

Dayton is one of just six Division I institutions (and 18 overall) to have at least 14 members of this year's Hampshire Society class.  The others are Brown, Carleton, Chicago, Cornell (sprint football), Dartmouth, DePauw, Gustavus Adolphus, Harvard, Ithaca, Johns Hopkins, Morningstar, Nebraska, New England, Pomona-Pitzer, Tufts, Williams, and fellow PFL member St. Thomas.  Harvard had the most this year with 27.

"We are thrilled to honor another impressive group of athletes as part of this year's Hampshire Honor Society," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "Over the last 17 years, the Hampshire Honor Society has served as a powerful vehicle for schools to recognize their college football players who have distinguished themselves both academically and athletically, and we congratulate the schools and each of these young men for their commitment to excellence in all aspects of their lives." 

The NFF Hampshire Honor Society capitalizes on the NFF's National Scholar-Athlete program by greatly expanding the number of scholar-athletes the NFF can recognize each year. The program further strengthens the organization's leadership role in encouraging academic performance by the student-athletes at the 774 colleges and universities with football programs.