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