12 NFL Academy Graduates Sign With U.S. Colleges for 2026

Boston College, Florida State and Tennessee among Programs Signing NFL Academy Athletes

12 NFL Academy student athletes representing 14 countries have become the latest graduates of the league’s elite player development program and will sign with U.S. colleges for the 2026-27 academic year.

Six athletes from the program have signed with NCAA Division I programs, a testament to the strength of talent being developed across the two campuses in the U.K. and Australia. Luca Wolf, Bruno Werner, Luke Francis, Jonas Kanyanga and Moritz Strempel, from the UK-based Academy program, will join Nikau Hepi – the first ever graduate of the NFL Academy based in Australia – and sign to U.S. colleges on football scholarships. Benson Jerry, Thayrancel Pinas, Seb Harris, Meshach Arthur, Matthew Okunade, and Rafael Varona-Blakstad will sign to play NCAA Division II college football.

“We are incredibly proud of all these NFL Academy student athletes sharing their exciting news today,” said NFL Director of International Football Development Patrick Long. “Their achievements are a testament to their dedication and efforts on and off the football field, as well as the commitment from these programs’ coaches and support staff. We hope their successes inspire other young athletes around the world to believe that they, too, can change their lives through football and education.”

There are currently over 40 NFL Academy alumni playing NCAA college football, 27 of whom are at NCAA Division I programs. Looking ahead to the 2026-27 academic year, those numbers will increase to over 50 and more than 30 athletes, respectively.

The announcement comes at the end of a momentous year for the NFL Academy program, which continues to increase its global impact and reach. The NFL Academy program in the U.K. played four games against top U.S. high school opposition, as well as historic first-ever games against Mexican and Spanish sides in Madrid in the Fall.

The NFL Academy in Australia celebrated its first year of operation in September and has attracted significant interest from top NCAA programs throughout 2025. Nikau Hepi’s signing with Florida State marks an important milestone and leaves no doubt that he will be the first of many to take a similar step in the coming years.