WALTHAM, Mass. – Eight former Bentley University football players have been named to the 2023 Hampshire Honor Society by the National Football Foundation for their success in the classroom during their collegiate careers.

They included graduate students Eric DeMayo (Peabody/Peabody HS), Gavin Olsen (Manhasset, N.Y./Manhasset HS) and Chris Varone (Victor, N.Y./Victor HS) Also recognized were seniors Jailen Branch (Randolph/Milton Academy), John Destefanis (Weymouth/Boston College HS), Nate Larkins (Huntington, N.Y./John Glenn HS), Andrew Sartori (Mount Sinai, N.Y.) and Jake Tarentino (Clark, N.J./Don Bosco Prep).  

Requirements for earning Hampshire Honor Society recognition include achieving a 3.2 cumulative grade point average, completing their eligibility during the 2022 season and being a starter or important reserve.

Bentley was one of only eight Division II programs nationally to have at least eight qualify for the Hampshire Honor Society.

Branch, a cornerback and team captain who was selected for the AFCA Good Works Team, was voted first-team All-Northeast-10 and second-team D2CCA All-Super Region 1. He intercepted four passes, broke up another eight and was in on 21 tackles. Branch majored in management and is pursuing his MBA.

DeMayo, in his only Bentley season after transferring from Wagner, saw action in ten games. The fullback/tight end carried the ball six times for 12 yards and scored a touchdown against Post University. He is working on his master's in accounting after graduating Cum Laude from Wagner.

Destefanis, a linebacker who saw most of his playing time on special teams, appeared in ten games and made 13 tackles. His major is economics-finance.

Larkins, a first-team All-Northeast-10 running back, led the Falcons in rushing, carrying the ball 136 times for 579 yards and seven touchdowns. He was fourth in the conference in rushing yards per game as well as seventh in points scored (56). The management major received Academic All-Northeast-10 honors.

Olsen, who spent two seasons at Bentley after graduating from Harvard, played in 21 games for the Falcons at tackle, with 19 starts. The six-foot-nine, 330-pounder was voted to the All-Northeast-10 second team. At Bentley, he was pursuing his MBA.

Sartori, also an offensive lineman, saw action in nine games this season. His major is finance.

Tarentino, an economics-finance major, was Bentley's holder as well as a reserve wide receiver who had five catches for 77 yards. He was one of three Falcons who received Academic All-Northeast-10 accolades.

Varone, another Falcon who has been working on his MBA, saw action in six games this season before injuries hit and had three receptions for 44 yards. As a Falcon undergrad, the tight end majored in corporate finance and accounting.

Bentley finished the 2022 season with a 7-3 record.

NFF Release