Malachi Bonner wears many hats at the University of Tennessee at Martin: former football player, baker, finance student and Kappa Alpha Order member. On Halloween, a new title has been added and might top them all.

During  halftime of the UT Martin vs. Eastern Illinois football game on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, Bonner was crowned the 2026 Homecoming King.

“I couldn’t get this smile to go away. I was ear to ear. There was nothing that could change it,” Bonner said. “It was awesome.”

From Oak Ridge, Tennessee, playing football at UTM is what brought Bonner to a school five hours from home.

“I was playing football and rushed a fraternity,” Bonner said. “It was my first year of college.”

As a 2025 high school graduate, Bonner knew he would be able to graduate college in only two years due to his credits. With this in mind and him being burnt out, he decided not to return to football for his last year of college.

“I’m realizing I only have so much time here, and I want to make the most of it,” Bonner said. “I’m just trying to do everything I possibly can in the time that I do have here.”

Now that football isn’t on his plate, he can dedicate more time to his fraternity. Earlier in the semester, the members voted on who they wanted their Homecoming King candidate to be.

Carson Beckham, Kappa Alpha Order president, explained that they chose members who are active on campus and will put in the effort to run for king.

“He’s a very talkative, outgoing person,” Beckham said. “He’ll talk to anybody. He’s going to be nice to anybody.”

Bonner met with numerous clubs, organizations and sports teams across the campus while campaigning, which requires an outgoing personality.

“I really enjoyed going to talk to the different groups,” Bonner said. “I got exposed to a lot of groups on campus that I hadn’t had any interaction with before that.”

Bonner did more than talk to groups and gain connections; he also baked many sweet treats.

“He is a very good baker,” Beckham said. “He makes very good sweets and cinnamon rolls, and his bread is awesome.”

Bonner would bring his famous homemade cinnamon rolls and cookies to the groups he spoke with, which took hours of preparation and baking. He also spent as much time as he could at his campaign table from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily.

“I think everybody kind of realized I actually wanted it,” Bonner said.

Some representatives from other organizations were unexpectedly involved, but Bonner was excited and eager for the opportunity and put numerous hours and lots of money into his campaign.

On top of running for Homecoming King, Bonner was happy to play the lead role, Slappy, in Kappa Alpha Order’s lip sync routine where they placed first in the fraternity division.

“I missed out on a lot of that last year, so just trying to make the most of the last one I really have that I can participate in these things is important to me,” Bonner said.

Bonner winning Homecoming King is also important to the Kappa Alpha Order chapter. John Abel, assistant vice chancellor for student affairs and dean of students, reported that 1,475 UTM students voted in the 2026 Homecoming Election.

“I think it’s a very big thing for us,” Beckham said. “He sat up here every day at the UC and campaigned, and the student body voted him to be homecoming king. I think it shows a lot about us.”

While the title of homecoming king is something Bonner will hold dear for years, it is the connections and memories he made along the way that will matter most.