The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) announced on Wednesday that 10 UCLA football players --- WR Jake Bobo, OL Jon Gaines II, QB Sean Holland, DB Alex Johnson, LS Jack Landherr IV, OL Atonio Mafi, OL Sam Marrazzo, LB Shea Pitts, DL Jacob Sykes, RB Colson Yankoff – are being honored as members of the 2023 NFF Hampshire Honor Society, which is comprised of college football players who have earned their degrees from all divisions of NCAA and NAIA football and who have maintained a cumulative 3.2 GPA or better throughout their careers while also being a significant contributor to the team's success on the field.
Jake Bobo led the Bruins in receptions in the 2022 season with 57 catches after starting all 13 games. He caught at least three passes in each contest in his lone season as a Bruin graduate student after earning his undergraduate degree in economics from Duke University. His total of 817 receiving yards rates as the 17th-best in UCLA single-season history. Bobo registered a season-best eight catches for 101 yards at Oregon. He was a first-team College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-America selection.
Jon Gaines II started 29 games over his final three seasons along the Bruin offensive line. UCLA averaged at least 200 yards rushing in each of those seasons to rate among the nation's best. This past season, Gaines was honored as the Pac-12 Lineman of the Week after helping the team rack up 402 yards on the ground at Arizona State. The Bruin offensive line was recognized as one of the nation's best over the course of the 2022 season when picked as semifinalists for the Joe Moore Award. Gaines earned his undergraduate degree at UCLA in political science and played last season as a graduate student.
Sean Holland appeared in each game last season for the Bruins as the holder on all placekicks. He transferred to UCLA after earning his undergraduate degree in economics at Fordham. Holland played last season at UCLA as a graduate student.
Alex Johnson saw action in all 13 games last season as a defensive back and on special teams. He earned starting assignments in the secondary against Arizona and USC and totaled a season-high four tackles in games against both teams. Johnson earned his undergraduate degree at UCLA in political science and played last season as a graduate student.
Jack Landherr IV handled the snapping duties for punts, field goals and extra points at UCLA for the past four seasons. He was named to the CSC Academic All-America All-District teams in each of the last two seasons. In 2022, he was a semifinalist for the Patrick Mannelly Award which is presented to the nation's top long snapper. Landherr earned his undergraduate degree at UCLA in political science and played last season as a graduate student.
Atonio Mafi started all 13 games last season along the offensive line at left guard and set a school record by playing in 56 career games at UCLA. The Bruins rushed for over 200 yards per contest for the third straight season and produced a 1,000-yard rusher for the second straight campaign. He was a second-team All-Pac-12 selection. The Bruins offensive line was recognized as one of the nation's best in 2022 when it was picked as a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award. Mafi earned his undergraduate degree at UCLA in political science and played last season as a graduate student.
Sam Marrazzo saw action in all 13 games last season along the Bruin offensive line and a tight end. He also handled some special teams assignments. The Bruins rushed for over 200 yards for the third straight season for the first time since doing so in 1985-86-87. The offensive line unit was a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award which is presented to the nation's top O-line. Marrazzo was a member of the UCLA Athletic Director's Honor Roll from 2017-2021 and was listed on the 2021 and 2022 Pac-12 Conference Fall Academic Honor Rolls. Marrazzo earned his undergraduate degree at UCLA in political science and played last season as a graduate student.
Shea Pitts saw action a reserve linebacker and special teams performer in 2022. He has been a nominee for the William V. Campbell Trophy, the Wuerffel Trophy and the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team during his playing career. Pitts was listed on the UCLA Athletic Director's Honor Roll in 2017-2021 and was named to the 2021 and 2022 Pac-12 Conference Fall Academic Honor Roll. He earned his undergraduate degree from UCLA in political science and competed last season as a graduate student.
Jacob Sykes saw action in all 13 games and made six starts during the 2022 season along the Bruin defensive front. He transferred to UCLA after being named an All-Ivy League player and earning his undergraduate degree at Harvard in Applied Mathematics. Sykes played last season as a graduate student at UCLA.
Colson Yankoff appeared in 11 games as a reserve running back and on special teams units for the Bruins in 2022. He was credited with three tackles on special teams and scored three touchdowns on offense. Yankoff was listed on the UCLA Athletic Director's Honor Roll in 2019-2021 and earned his undergraduate degree in economics. He played the 2022 season as a graduate student.
"We are thrilled to honor another impressive group of athletes as part of this year's Hampshire Honor Society," said National Football Foundation 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."
Fifty-seven schools had at least nine honorees in 2022-2023, including Air Force, Amherst (MA), Brigham Young, Brown, California, California (PA), Carleton (MN), Carnegie Mellon (PA), Case Western (OH), Castleton (VT), Chicago (IL), Columbia, Cornell (CSFL), Dartmouth, Dayton, DePauw (IN), Fordham, Gustavus Adolphus (MN), Harding (AR), Hardin-Simmons (TX), Harvard, Hobart (NY), Indianapolis (IN), Iowa State, Ithaca (NY), Johns Hopkins (MD), Kansas State, Kean (NJ), Macalester (MN), Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Middlebury (VT), Minnesota, Morningside (IA), Navy (CSFL), Nebraska, New England (ME), New Haven (CT), North Central (IL), North Dakota, North Dakota State, Northwestern, Pomona-Pitzer (CA), Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (NY), Rhodes (TN), Saint John's (MN), St. Lawrence (NY), St. Thomas, Trinity (CT), Tufts (MA), UCLA, Virginia, Wabash (IN), Wesleyan (CT), Wheaton (IL), Willamette (OR), Williams (MA) and Wyoming.
Jake Bobo led the Bruins in receptions in the 2022 season with 57 catches after starting all 13 games. He caught at least three passes in each contest in his lone season as a Bruin graduate student after earning his undergraduate degree in economics from Duke University. His total of 817 receiving yards rates as the 17th-best in UCLA single-season history. Bobo registered a season-best eight catches for 101 yards at Oregon. He was a first-team College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-America selection.
Jon Gaines II started 29 games over his final three seasons along the Bruin offensive line. UCLA averaged at least 200 yards rushing in each of those seasons to rate among the nation's best. This past season, Gaines was honored as the Pac-12 Lineman of the Week after helping the team rack up 402 yards on the ground at Arizona State. The Bruin offensive line was recognized as one of the nation's best over the course of the 2022 season when picked as semifinalists for the Joe Moore Award. Gaines earned his undergraduate degree at UCLA in political science and played last season as a graduate student.
Sean Holland appeared in each game last season for the Bruins as the holder on all placekicks. He transferred to UCLA after earning his undergraduate degree in economics at Fordham. Holland played last season at UCLA as a graduate student.
Alex Johnson saw action in all 13 games last season as a defensive back and on special teams. He earned starting assignments in the secondary against Arizona and USC and totaled a season-high four tackles in games against both teams. Johnson earned his undergraduate degree at UCLA in political science and played last season as a graduate student.
Jack Landherr IV handled the snapping duties for punts, field goals and extra points at UCLA for the past four seasons. He was named to the CSC Academic All-America All-District teams in each of the last two seasons. In 2022, he was a semifinalist for the Patrick Mannelly Award which is presented to the nation's top long snapper. Landherr earned his undergraduate degree at UCLA in political science and played last season as a graduate student.
Atonio Mafi started all 13 games last season along the offensive line at left guard and set a school record by playing in 56 career games at UCLA. The Bruins rushed for over 200 yards per contest for the third straight season and produced a 1,000-yard rusher for the second straight campaign. He was a second-team All-Pac-12 selection. The Bruins offensive line was recognized as one of the nation's best in 2022 when it was picked as a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award. Mafi earned his undergraduate degree at UCLA in political science and played last season as a graduate student.
Sam Marrazzo saw action in all 13 games last season along the Bruin offensive line and a tight end. He also handled some special teams assignments. The Bruins rushed for over 200 yards for the third straight season for the first time since doing so in 1985-86-87. The offensive line unit was a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award which is presented to the nation's top O-line. Marrazzo was a member of the UCLA Athletic Director's Honor Roll from 2017-2021 and was listed on the 2021 and 2022 Pac-12 Conference Fall Academic Honor Rolls. Marrazzo earned his undergraduate degree at UCLA in political science and played last season as a graduate student.
Shea Pitts saw action a reserve linebacker and special teams performer in 2022. He has been a nominee for the William V. Campbell Trophy, the Wuerffel Trophy and the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team during his playing career. Pitts was listed on the UCLA Athletic Director's Honor Roll in 2017-2021 and was named to the 2021 and 2022 Pac-12 Conference Fall Academic Honor Roll. He earned his undergraduate degree from UCLA in political science and competed last season as a graduate student.
Jacob Sykes saw action in all 13 games and made six starts during the 2022 season along the Bruin defensive front. He transferred to UCLA after being named an All-Ivy League player and earning his undergraduate degree at Harvard in Applied Mathematics. Sykes played last season as a graduate student at UCLA.
Colson Yankoff appeared in 11 games as a reserve running back and on special teams units for the Bruins in 2022. He was credited with three tackles on special teams and scored three touchdowns on offense. Yankoff was listed on the UCLA Athletic Director's Honor Roll in 2019-2021 and earned his undergraduate degree in economics. He played the 2022 season as a graduate student.
"We are thrilled to honor another impressive group of athletes as part of this year's Hampshire Honor Society," said National Football Foundation 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."
Fifty-seven schools had at least nine honorees in 2022-2023, including Air Force, Amherst (MA), Brigham Young, Brown, California, California (PA), Carleton (MN), Carnegie Mellon (PA), Case Western (OH), Castleton (VT), Chicago (IL), Columbia, Cornell (CSFL), Dartmouth, Dayton, DePauw (IN), Fordham, Gustavus Adolphus (MN), Harding (AR), Hardin-Simmons (TX), Harvard, Hobart (NY), Indianapolis (IN), Iowa State, Ithaca (NY), Johns Hopkins (MD), Kansas State, Kean (NJ), Macalester (MN), Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Middlebury (VT), Minnesota, Morningside (IA), Navy (CSFL), Nebraska, New England (ME), New Haven (CT), North Central (IL), North Dakota, North Dakota State, Northwestern, Pomona-Pitzer (CA), Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (NY), Rhodes (TN), Saint John's (MN), St. Lawrence (NY), St. Thomas, Trinity (CT), Tufts (MA), UCLA, Virginia, Wabash (IN), Wesleyan (CT), Wheaton (IL), Willamette (OR), Williams (MA) and Wyoming.