2026 NFF Hampshire Honor Society Release
IRVING, Texas – The National Football Foundation (NFF) announced their 2026 honor society members with Joey Newell, Aaron Muñiz, Jaeden Thorn, Sami Abdul Majid, Dominic Vargas, Benjamin Fitchett, and Aidan Petruscu earning the honor for the University of Redlands football program.
To be eligible the player must be as senior that is graduating in the spring or summer, and played their year of eligibility in the fall, or a graduate student who earned the bachelor's degree and competed in the fall regardless of additional eligibility. They also must have maintained at least a 3.2 grade point average (GPA) in their career.
Redlands is one of only 23 colleges and universities across the country with a representative in each of the NFF's 20 years which now encapsulates 23,568 total student-athletes since 2007.
Newell, a senior business administration major, was the Bulldogs kickoff specialist. He had 35 kickoffs which totaled 2,184 yards for an average of 62.4 yards. He had touchbacks on just over half of his attempts with 18.
Muñiz, a senior business administration major, was one of the Bulldogs top pass rushers. He finished his season with 31 total tackles, five tackles for loss (TFL), and 2.5 sacks.
Thorn, a senior biology major, made 58 total tackles, 10 went for a loss, and two were sacks. His tackles and TLF totals were both career highs. He added two passes defended, a fumble recovery, and a blocked kick.
Abdul Majid, a senior biology major, played on the interior of the defensive line. He made 12 total tackles, 1.5 TFL, and 0.5 sack. His 1.5 TFL came in a road win at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS).
Vargas, a senior accounting major, helped anchor the offensive line as the Bulldogs' center. Redlands averaged 114.8 yards per game on the ground and another 144.5 yards per game through the air.
Fitchett, a senior offensive lineman, played all 10 games this season. The offense as a whole totaled 259.3 yards per game while scoring 18 touchdowns.
Petruescu, a senior communicative disorders in speech major, was the Bulldogs' punter. He had 60 punts go for 2,446 yards, a 40.8 average. He had 16 fair caught, 18 were inside the 20, and eight went 50 yards or more. He also made four field goals with a long of 40 yards. His 60 punts are eighth most in program history while his total yardage is fourth.