Tuesday 01/27/2026
Clemson linebacker Sammy Brown was named Tuesday as part of the 2025 Academic All-America football teams selected by the College Sports Communicators.
With his selection as a second-team CSC Academic All-American for 2025, Brown becomes the 16th different Clemson player to have contributed to the program’s 23 combined all-time Academic All-America honors. He becomes the first Clemson defender to garner Academic All-American status since linebacker Chad Carson’s three-year run of selections from 1999-2001.
CLEMSON ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICANS1956: Charlie Bussey, QB1957: Harvey White, QB1959: Lou Cordileone, OT1970: Don Kelley, DB; Jim Sursavage, LB1971: Don Kelley, DB; Ben Anderson, DB1977: Steve Fuller, QB1978: Steve Fuller, QB1984: Mike Eppley, QB1991: Bruce Bratton, OT1994: Ed Glenn, TE1995: Andye McCrorey, LB1999: Kyle Young, C; Chad Carson, LB2000: Kyle Young, C; Chad Carson, LB2001: Kyle Young, C; Chad Carson, LB2012: Dalton Freeman, C2022: Will Shipley, RB2023: Will Shipley, RB2025: Sammy Brown, LB
More information from the College Sports Communicators, formerly known as CoSIDA, is included below.
GREENWOOD, Indiana – Four individuals headline a group of outstanding student-athletes named to the 2025 Academic All-America® football teams as selected by the College Sports Communicators.
CLICK HERE: 2025 FOOTBALL ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA® TEAMS (PDF)
Quarterback Blake Horvath from the U.S. Naval Academy, quarterback Jack Strand from Minnesota State University Moorhead, wide receiver Robby Ballentine from DePauw University and defensive lineman Zach Myers from Evangel University were named as the Academic All-America® Team Members of the Year for NCAA Divisions I, II and III, and NAIA, respectively.
All four CSC Academic All-American Team Members of the Year will be prominently featured at the annual Maxwell Awards Gala March 14 at the Coca-Cola Roxy concert venue located in The Battery Atlanta.
NCAA DIVISION I
Blake Horvath, who has a 3.69 cumulative grade-point average as an operations research major, led Navy to a program-best 11-2 record, the Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy, a bowl win and the Lambert Trophy, which is presented to the best team in the East in FBS college football. The dual-threat quarterback totaled 1,200 rushing yards, which were second-most among FBS quarterbacks, and 16 rushing touchdowns to go along with 1,580 yards and 12 touchdowns through the air. The Hilliard, Ohio, native became the first Navy quarterback to rush and pass for 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons and the third to surpass 1,200 yards passing and rushing in a single year. Off the field, Horvath was a finalist for the National Football Foundation’s William V. Campbell Trophy® and earned an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship. He was awarded the Maxwell Football Club’s inaugural Military Service Academy Leadership Award, which honors a player from one of the United States Military Service Academies who exemplifies exceptional leadership both on the football field and within their academy community.
Fourteen members of the Academic All-America® Division I football teams boast a perfect 4.0 GPA in their undergraduate or graduate work. The 25 members on the first team have an average GPA of 3.83, with the entire 50-man list holding a collective average GPA of 3.81.
Two student-athletes – Kobe Clayborne (South Dakota State University) and Tanner Wall (BYU) – are repeat selections on the Academic All-America® Division I football teams, while Hunter Peck (University of Montana) was named to the Academic All-America® NAIA first team from Carroll College in 2024.
NCAA DIVISION II
Jack Strand, who has a 3.87 GPA as an engineering physics major, led Division II this fall in completions per game (27.55), passing touchdowns (42) and points responsible for (286), and was second in passing yards per game (322.4) and total offense (348.5 ypg). He was also fifth in passing yards (3,546) and directed the Dragons to an 8-3 record this fall. The Bloomer, Wisconsin, native was named an All-American by three different entities and was selected as the D2CCA Region 3 and Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Offensive Player of the Year for the second time. He was a finalist for both the Harlon Hill Trophy, which is awarded to Division II’s most valuable player, and the NFF’s Campbell Trophy.
Seven members of the Academic All-America® Division II football teams boast a perfect 4.0 GPA in their undergraduate or graduate work. The 23 members on the first team have an average GPA of 3.79, with the entire 45-man team holding a collective average GPA of 3.80.
Fifteen other student-athletes join Strand as repeat selections on the Academic All-America® Division II football teams: Kash Bradley (Colorado Mesa University); Ty Dugger (Harding University); Slade Edwards (Central Washington University); Michael Henwood (Slippery Rock University); Braden Jay (Harding University); Alex Kowalczyk (Wayne State College); Mitch Middleton (Ferris State University); Zack Rakowsky (CSU Pueblo); Freddie Retter (Kutztown University); Brady Rose (Ferris State University); Shea Ruddy (Hillsdale College); Tyler Schultze (Emporia State University); Josh Shaw (Fort Hays State University); Brett Weaver (Grand Valley State University); and Chance Wiening (Western Colorado University).
The Division II Academic All-America® program is financially supported by the NCAA Division II national governance structure to assist the College Sports Communicators with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the 2025-26 Division II Academic All-America® program.
NCAA DIVISION III
Robby Ballentine, who had a 3.92 GPA as a biochemistry major, ended the 2025 season fourth in Division III in receiving yards (1,314), seventh in receiving touchdowns (16), eighth in receiving yards per game (109.5) and 14th in receptions per game (7.67). He led DePauw (10-2, 7-1 NCAC) to the NCAA third round and was named the 2025 Mike Gregory Award recipient as the North Coast Athletic Conference’s offensive player of the year. Ballentine was also named an All-American by the AFCA, D3football.com and Associated Press, and was a semifinalist for the Gagliardi Trophy, which is awarded to Division III’s most outstanding player. The Crown Point, Indiana, native earned an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as the only Division III finalist for the NFF’s Campbell Trophy.
Seven honorees on the Academic All-America® Division III football teams boast a perfect 4.0 GPA in their undergraduate work or graduate school. The 25-man first team has an average GPA of 3.85, with the entire 51-man team combining for a collective 3.82 GPA.
Six student-athletes are repeat selections on the Academic All-America® Division III football teams: Ballentine; Caleb Brubaker (Grove City College); Zach Frank (Saint John’s University); Jereme Ombogo (North Park University); Gavin Smith (Central College); and Dylan Wheeler (Saint John’s University). Another 2025 honoree, Ethan Burrows (Adrian College), was named to the Academic All-America® NAIA first team from Concordia Ann Arbor in 2024.
The Division III Academic All-America® program is financially supported by the NCAA Division III national governance structure to assist the College Sports Communicators with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the 2025-26 Division III Academic All-America® program.
NAIA
Zach Myers, who has a 3.93 GPA as a leadership & ministry major, ended his collegiate career as a consensus All-American, totaling 15 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks to lead the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference, of which also named him its Defensive Player of the Year. A native of Lee’s Summit, Missouri, Myers earned first-team All-America honors for the first time in his career in 2025 and helped Evangel to a 9-3 record, the KCAC Kessinger Division title and its second NAIA postseason berth in the last three seasons.
Three members of the 25-man Academic All-America® NAIA football teams – Derek Pearse (Montana Technological University), Zach Quiring (Dordt University) and Landon Ruesink (Dakota Wesleyan University) – boast a perfect 4.0 GPA in their undergraduate or graduate work. The NAIA honorees combined for a 3.76 GPA.
Four student-athletes are repeat selections on the Academic All-America® NAIA football team: Reid Messer (Taylor University); Derek Pearse (Montana Technological University); Isaac Smith (Indiana Wesleyan University); and Trystin Voss (Northwestern College).
The NAIA Academic All-America® program is financially supported by the NAIA national governance structure to assist the College Sports Communicators with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the 2025-26 NAIA Academic All-America® program.
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