IRVING, Texas – Colorado State University Pueblo senior receiver Bryce Boyd (Shakopee, Minn./St. Thomas University) is one of 2,687 student-athletes from 288 schools who have already earned their undergraduate degree playing football this season for the ThunderWolves, as announced on Wednesday by the National Football Foundation (NFF) and College Football Hall of Fame.

Boyd, who is in his second season with the Pack after transferring from St. Thomas (Minn.) University, is the lone Pack player who has already earned their undergraduate degree and is playing this season while pursuing additional diplomas. This is the ninth year that the NFF has compiled a list of graduate players.

In total, 231 players from 40 NCAA Division II schools are represented on the list of graduate student-athletes. Overall, there are 2,687 players from 288 schools at all four levels. In the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), there are 1,728 players from 135 schools, 602 players from 67 schools in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), 73 players from 34 schools in NCAA Division III, and 53 players from 12 NAIA schools.

"Seeing nearly 2,700 players take the field this fall with college degrees already in hand is a powerful reminder of everything right about our game," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "College football creates tremendous opportunities for young people to pursue an education while developing the leadership, discipline, and determination that will serve them for the rest of their lives. These players have already achieved something truly meaningful, and we are proud to celebrate them."

In addition to CSU Pueblo's Boyd, the only other Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference schools listed with graduated student-athletes competing this season were Adams State, which has three graduated student-athletes this season, and Colorado School of Mines, which has 15 graduated student-athletes. Southern Nazarene leads all schools nationwide with 29 players who have already earned their degrees. Bentley and Mines were next with 15 student-athletes, and Augustana (S.D.) was next with 13 student-athletes.

Northwestern and Virginia led FBS with 28 players each, while the Division III leader was Denison (Ohio) with 14 graduates and Oklahoma Panhandle State led the NAIA with 17 graduates on its roster.
The NFF compiled the list with the help of sports information directors from all divisions of the NCAA and NAIA who identified the players on their 2026 fall rosters who have already earned their undergraduate degrees. A total of 302 schools responded to the NFF this year.

The annual list of graduates playing college football is part of the NFF's long-standing commitment to celebrating the scholar-athlete ideal, a tradition that began in 1959 with the launch of the prestigious NFF National Scholar-Athlete Awards. Today, that commitment continues through signature initiatives such as the William V. Campbell Trophy®, the NFF Faculty Salutes presented by Fidelity Investments, the NFF Hampshire Honor Society, the NFF Team of Distinction, the NFF Hatchell Cup presented by Bob's Steak & Chop House, and the National High School Academic Excellence Awards presented by the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation.