Courtesy of UNLV

LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – After helping his team to a record-setting season on the field, UNLV linebacker Jackson Woodard made more history Tuesday, becoming the first-ever Rebel football player named First Team Academic All-America® by College Sports Communicators (CSC, formerly CoSIDA).

Woodard, who boasted a 4.00 cumulative grade point average, is a native of Little Rock, Arkansas, with a major in kinesiology. A 2023 team captain, Woodard transferred in from the University of Arkansas and went on to be named First Team All-Mountain West by multiple agencies and MW Defensive Newcomer of the Year by College Football Network. The junior led the team and ranked second in the conference with 117 total tackles, helping first-year head coach Barry Odom‘s squad to nine wins for the first time since 1984 and the program’s first bowl game appearance in a decade after finishing in a tie for the Mountain West regular-season title.

“Our program had a number of firsts this year and this is another great achievement for our team,” said Odom. “Jackson embodies the qualities that make UNLV Football a program that can and will achieve every goal a student-athlete wants to accomplish in college. His work ethic, leadership and actions are elite in his approach every single day. (Director of Student-Athlete Academic Services) David Wedley sets the standard and provides our student-athletes opportunities built for success!”

After never having an academic All-American, UNLV football under Wedley has earned three in the last four years. Following the 2020 season, all-time leading rusher Charles Williams became the first UNLV football player in history voted Academic All-America by the CSC, making the second team. Just one season later, lineman Eliel Ehimare became the first defensive player from the Rebels to make the list, also on the second team.

Woodard becomes the 34th UNLV student-athlete overall to earn CSC Academic All-America dating back to the Rebels’ first winner, baseball pitcher Dan Fischer, in 1978. Woodard is the 13th UNLV student-athlete to earn a spot on the national first team and first to do so since women’s golfer Therese Koelbaek in 2011.

Ever since 1952, CSC selects Academic All-America teams throughout the year. Players who are starters or important reserves on their teams and hold at least a 3.50 career grade point average are eligible for the academic awards, which are voted on by sports information directors from across the nation. First Team Academic All-District honorees advance to the CSC Academic All-America Team ballot, which was announced today for the sport of football on the Division I level.

ALL-TIME UNLV FOOTBALL CSC (CoSIDA) ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA®
2023     Jackson Woodard, LB   First Team
2021     Eliel Ehimare, DL         Second Team
2020     Charles Williams, RB     Second Team

2023 Academic All-America ® Football Team NCAA Division I
FIRST TEAM
Pos.     Name                         School                                   Yr.         GPA        Major
QB       Bo Nix                       University of Oregon             Gr.         3.62/3.91 Communications
RB       Will Shipley (2)         Clemson University              Jr.           4.00         Management
RB       Bucky Irving              University of Oregon             Jr.           3.63         Family & Human Services
TE       Ben Sinnott               Kansas State University       Sr.         3.81         Marketing
WR      Rome Odunze          University of Washington      Sr.         3.51         History & Communications
WR      Malik Washington     University of Virginia             Gr.         3.73/4.00 Higher Education
OL       Cooper Beebe          Kansas State University       Sr.         3.83         Social Studies Education
OL       Zak Zinter (2)            University of Michigan          Sr.         3.53         Sport Management
OL       Seth McLaughlin       University of Alabama          Gr.         4.00/3.65 Finance/Hospitality Management
OL       Josh Priebe              Northwestern University       Sr.         3.90         Learning & Organizational Change
OL       Zach Frazier             West Virginia University       Sr.         3.88         Sport Management
OL       Eric Miller                 University of Louisville          Gr.         4.00/4.00 Distilled Spirits
DB       Cole Wisniewski       North Dakota State               Sr.         4.00         Business Administration & Marketing
DB       Beau Freyler             Iowa State University            Jr.           3.90         Kinesiology
DB       Travis Hunter            University of Colorado          So.        3.64         Psychology
DB       Hudson Clark           University of Arkansas          Gr.         3.70/3.60 Business Administration
DL       Darius Robinson       University of Missouri           Gr.         3.77/3.65 Positive Coaching & Athletic Leadership
DL       Judge Culpepper      University of Toledo              Sr.         3.80         Communications
DL       Brody Grebe             Montana State University     Sr.         3.94         Mechanical Engineering
DL       Ashton Gillotte          University of Louisville          Sr.         3.75         Communication
LB       Jackson Woodard   UNLV                                    Jr.          4.00         Kinesiology
LB        JD Bertrand              University of Notre Dame     Gr.         3.62/3.74 Marketing
LB        Jacob Dobbs            College of the Holy Cross     Sr.         3.76         Economics & Religious Studies
K          Alex Hale                  Oklahoma State University   Gr.         3.93/4.00 Health & Human Performance
P          Matthew Hayball       Vanderbilt University            Gr.         3.63/3.89 Leadership & Organizational Performance
P          Kyle Ostendorp         University of Arizona            Sr.         4.00/3.83 Aerospace Engineering
ST       Julian Ashby             Furman University                Sr.         3.97         Physics