Griz lead Big Sky with 16 inductees to Hampshire Honors Society
4/16/2025 2:17:00 PM | Football
After a Big Sky-best 40 Grizzlies earned Academic all-conference honors in January, the Montana football program was once again honored for its work in the classroom over the last academic year on Wednesday.
The Griz continued to be a leader in the league and the FCS at large with 16 of the team's highest achieving student-athletes being inducted into the National Football Foundation's Hampshire Honors Society Class of 2025, the NFF announced.
Not only are 16 inductees a program record, they are the most of any team in the Big Sky and place the Griz in elite company around the nation as one of only seven programs in FCS football – including those from Ivy League schools – to induct that many players this year.
Erik Barker, Cooper Barnum, Dillon Botner, Brandon Casey, Trevin Gradney, Journey Grimsrud, Hayden Harris, Patrick Hayden, Garrett Hustedt, Cade Klimczak, Jace Klucewich, Ryder Meyer, Nick Ostmo, Grayson Pibal, Tyson Rostad, and Ryan Tirrell were all welcomed into the Society, which recognizes players from all divisions of college football who maintained a cumulative 3.2 GPA throughout their careers while excelling on the field of play as a starter or significant contributor throughout the previous season.
The only other FCS programs to place more student-athletes into the society this year include Brown (18), Dartmouth (19), Elon (17), Harvard (22), Marist (19), and Stony Brook (22).
A total of 2,532 players from 339 schools qualified for membership in 2025, setting a record for the number of members in a single year during the program's 19-year history which comprises college football players from all divisions of the NCAA, NAIA and sprint football. Since its inception, the initiative has honored 20,946 student-athletes.
This year's members represented six divisions: 689 from the FBS, 549 from the FCS, 212 from Division II, 978 from Division III, 58 from the NAIA, and 46 sprint football players. They hailed from schools in every state and the District of Columbia—except Alaska, which does not sponsor an eligible college football program. The FBS cohort came from 120 schools, reflecting a 90 percent participation rate.
2025 Montana Hampshire Honors Society Inductees
1. Erik Barker
2. Cooper Barnum
3. Dillon Botner
4. Brandon Casey
5. Trevin Gradney
6. Journey Grimsrud
7. Hayden Harris
8. Patrick Hayden
9. Garrett Hustedt
10. Cade Klimczak
11. Jace Klucewich
12. Ryder Meyer
13. Nick Ostmo
14. Grayson Pibal
15. Tyson Rostad
16. Ryan Tirrell
The Griz continued to be a leader in the league and the FCS at large with 16 of the team's highest achieving student-athletes being inducted into the National Football Foundation's Hampshire Honors Society Class of 2025, the NFF announced.
Not only are 16 inductees a program record, they are the most of any team in the Big Sky and place the Griz in elite company around the nation as one of only seven programs in FCS football – including those from Ivy League schools – to induct that many players this year.
Erik Barker, Cooper Barnum, Dillon Botner, Brandon Casey, Trevin Gradney, Journey Grimsrud, Hayden Harris, Patrick Hayden, Garrett Hustedt, Cade Klimczak, Jace Klucewich, Ryder Meyer, Nick Ostmo, Grayson Pibal, Tyson Rostad, and Ryan Tirrell were all welcomed into the Society, which recognizes players from all divisions of college football who maintained a cumulative 3.2 GPA throughout their careers while excelling on the field of play as a starter or significant contributor throughout the previous season.
The only other FCS programs to place more student-athletes into the society this year include Brown (18), Dartmouth (19), Elon (17), Harvard (22), Marist (19), and Stony Brook (22).
A total of 2,532 players from 339 schools qualified for membership in 2025, setting a record for the number of members in a single year during the program's 19-year history which comprises college football players from all divisions of the NCAA, NAIA and sprint football. Since its inception, the initiative has honored 20,946 student-athletes.
This year's members represented six divisions: 689 from the FBS, 549 from the FCS, 212 from Division II, 978 from Division III, 58 from the NAIA, and 46 sprint football players. They hailed from schools in every state and the District of Columbia—except Alaska, which does not sponsor an eligible college football program. The FBS cohort came from 120 schools, reflecting a 90 percent participation rate.
2025 Montana Hampshire Honors Society Inductees
1. Erik Barker
2. Cooper Barnum
3. Dillon Botner
4. Brandon Casey
5. Trevin Gradney
6. Journey Grimsrud
7. Hayden Harris
8. Patrick Hayden
9. Garrett Hustedt
10. Cade Klimczak
11. Jace Klucewich
12. Ryder Meyer
13. Nick Ostmo
14. Grayson Pibal
15. Tyson Rostad
16. Ryan Tirrell
Players Mentioned
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OL
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OL
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RB
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LS
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LB
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