Tuesday 01/23/2024
Shipley becomes the fifth multi-time Academic All-American in Clemson Football history
Clemson running back Will Shipley was named Tuesday as part of the 2023 Academic All-America football teams selected by the College Sports Communicators. Shipley, a 2022 honoree, was one of four Division I players on the 2023 Academic All-America team to earn repeat honors.
Shipley joins Don Kelley (1970-71), Steve Fuller (1977-78), Kyle Young (1999-2001) and Chad Carson (1999-2001) to become the fifth multi-time Academic All-American in program history. Clemson has had 15 different players garner a total of 22 all-time Academic All-America selections.
Shipley, who was already the first Clemson running back ever to be named as an Academic All-American, earned his Clemson degree in management in December, becoming the first scholarship football player on record at Clemson to graduate with a perfect 4.0 GPA in only three years.
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, RB
More information from the College Sports Communicators, formerly known as CoSIDA, is included below.
AUSTIN, Texas – Four standouts headline a group of outstanding student-athletes named to the 2023 Academic All-America® football teams as selected by the College Sports Communicators.
Wide receiver Rome Odunze from the University of Washington, linebacker Nolan Reeve from the Colorado School of Mines, linebacker Owen Grover from Wartburg College and running back Jaden Meizinger from Keiser University lead the Academic All-America® teams by being named as the Academic All-America® Team Member of the Year for NCAA Divisions I, II and III, as well as the NAIA, respectively.
Click here to see the full CSC Academic All-America Team for 2023
Division I
One of three finalists for the 2023 Biletnikoff Award and a two-time All-American, Odunze led the Huskies’ receiving corps with 92 receptions for 1,640 yards and 13 touchdowns in 15 contests. The 1,640 receiving yards led Division I and were a program record, while the 92 catches fell two shy of the school mark. The Las Vegas native recorded 10 100-yard receiving games this fall as Washington reached the national championship game and finished with a 14-1 record.
Fifteen of the 51 members of the Academic All-America® Division I football teams boast a perfect 4.0 grade-point average in their undergraduate work or graduate school. The 27 members on the first team have an average GPA of 3.85, with both teams holding a collective average GPA of 3.83.
Four student-athletes are repeat selections on the Academic All-America® Division I football teams: Kyle Ostendorp (University of Arizona); Spencer Jorgensen (Stanford University); Will Shipley (Clemson University); and Zak Zinter (University of Michigan).
Division II
A finalist for the Division II Cliff Harris Award and a consensus All-American, Reeve led the Colorado School of Mines to a 13-1 record and its second-straight national championship game appearance in 2023. The Mission Viejo, Calif., native posted 64 tackles, including 13.5 tackles for loss and 10.0 sacks, 10 quarterback hurries and generated four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries this fall. The four-time All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference selection totaled 239 tackles, 55.5 tackles for loss and 42.5 sacks in his Oredigger career.
Ten members of the Academic All-America® Division II football teams boast a perfect 4.0 GPA in their undergraduate work or graduate school. The 26 members of the first team have an average GPA of 3.83, with the entire 52-man team holding a collective average GPA of 3.81.
Seventeen student-athletes are repeat selections on the Academic All-America® Division II football teams: Aaron Barnett (University of Indianapolis); Josiah Behm (Minnesota State University Moorhead); Peyton Buckley (Augustana University); Loobert Denelus (Benedict College); Connor Flannigan (Ouachita Baptist University); Raydarius Freeman (UNC Pembroke); Kendel Givens (Ouachita Baptist University); Mitchell Goodbary (Augustana University); Colton Hyble (Grand Valley State); Arik Johnson (University of Minnesota Duluth); Ja’Ron Kilpatrick (Benedict College); Dakota Larson (Northern State University); John Matocha (Colorado School of Mines); Olalere Oladipo (Ferris State University); Jariq Scales (Southern Arkansas University); Steve Sweeney (Millersville University); and Rashad Yelding (Lenoir-Rhyne 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 2023-24 Division II Academic All-America® program.
Division III
The Academic All-America® Team Member of the Year honor adds to a crowded trophy case for Grover, who earned the Division III Cliff Harris Award, was named the D3football.com National Defensive Player of the Year and was a finalist for both the Gagliardi Trophy and the National Football Foundation’s William V. Campbell Trophy this fall. He was a two-time D3football.com Regional Defensive Player of the Year and two-time American Rivers Conference Defensive Most Valuable Player. The Dyersville, Iowa, native led the Knights to a 13-1 record and the NCAA semifinals for the second-straight season. Grover finished the 2023 season with 113 total tackles (62 solo), 5.0 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks and one interception.
Five selections on the Academic All-America® Division III football teams boast a perfect 4.0 GPA in their undergraduate work or graduate school. The 26 honorees on the first team have an average GPA of 3.85, with the entire 52-man team combining for a collective 3.81 GPA.
Fourteen other student-athletes join Grover as repeat selections on the Academic All-America® Division III football teams: Lake Barrett (The College of Wooster); Robert Coury (Carnegie Mellon University); Thomas Coury (Carnegie Mellon University); Nate Farm (Bethel University); Cody Harral (Hardin-Simmons University); Jeske Maples (North Central College); Mason McMillen (University of Mount Union); Dustin Moss (Carnegie Mellon University); Joe Mullin (Wabash College); Luke Schuermann (Johns Hopkins University); Bricker Thiel (John Carroll University); Giovanni Weeks (Wheaton College (Ill.); JR Woods (Johns Hopkins University); and Reed Worth (Simpson College).
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 2023-24 Division III Academic All-America® program.
NAIA
Meizinger rushed for a career-high 261 yards on 22 carries, including a 75-yard touchdown run on the first play from scrimmage, to lead Keiser to its first NAIA national championship in December. He finished second in NAIA with 1,640 rushing yards – his second-consecutive 1,000-yard season – and set a program record with 23 rushing touchdowns this fall. The Port St. Lucie, Fla., native also caught 20 passes for 157 yards out of the backfield en route to All-America honors.
Three members of the 25-man Academic All-America® NAIA football teams – Matthew Disisto (Keiser University), Tray Kingsland (Midland University) and Keegan Martin (Friends University) – boast a perfect 4.0 GPA in their undergraduate or graduate work. The NAIA honorees combined for a 3.78 GPA.
Five student-athletes are repeat selections on the Academic All-America® NAIA football teams: Flinders Cameron (Sterling College); Ben Hruby (College of Idaho); John Mears (Montana Western); Brock Richardson (College of Idaho); and Abraham Stoesz (Dordt University).
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 2023-24 NAIA Academic All-America® program.
For more information regarding the Academic All-America® program, visit https://academicallamerica.com/.
December 8, 2024
