COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Four Mountain West players have been named to the 2024 Academic All-America® football teams as selected by College Sports Communicators, including three UNLV players on the first team, the most of any Division I program.

UNLV seniors defensive back Jalen Catalon, wide receiver Ricky White III and linebacker Jackson Woodard earned spots on the first team. Woodard, a finalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, earned first-team honors for the second straight season.

Boise State junior linebacker Marco Notarainni claimed a spot on the second team.

The UNLV trio helped the Rebels to an 11-3 mark (6-1 MW) and a No. 23 final ranking in The Associated Press poll.

Catalon, a sociology major who earned a 3.52 GPA, made the most of his one season in Las Vegas after transferring in from the University of Texas. The Mansfield, Texas, native ranked fourth in the nation with five interceptions en route to becoming a Jim Thorpe Award semifinalist and All-American.

White, who posted a 3.58 GPA with a degree in human services, is from Marietta, Georgia. A repeat All-American, he was voted Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Year after leading the nation with four blocked punts. Offensively, he became the first Rebel in history to post more than one 1,000-yard receiving season, finishing with 1,041 on 79 catches and ranking seventh in the nation with 11 touchdowns through the air.

Woodard, who boasts a 3.80 cumulative grade point average, is a native of Little Rock, Arkansas, and already has a bachelor’s degree from UNLV in kinesiology. A two-time team captain, he was named an All-American by four different outlets and voted the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year after ranking fourth in the nation with 135 total tackles, which is the third-most in UNLV single-season history. His four interceptions ranked 19th in the country while the Art of Sport LA Bowl Defensive MVP totaled 16 passes defended, 17.5 tackles-for-loss, 3.5 quarterback sacks and two forced fumbles in his final season.

Both White and Woodard are preparing to play in Thursday’s East-West Shrine Bowl in Arlington, Texas.

With Woodard now a repeat Academic All-American, White and Catalon become the 14th and 15th UNLV student-athletes from any sport to earn a spot on the national first team.

Notarainni owns a 3.95 GPA and is pursuing a business degree. He appeared in all 14 games for the Broncos and earned All-Mountain West first-team honors. He finished the year with 60 tackles, 7.5 TFLs and 3.0 sacks. He also recovered two fumbles, tied for first in the MW and 19th in the FBS. Notarainni was Boise State’s highest-graded run defender in 2024, notching a Pro Football Focus grade of 81.1, the second-highest in the MW. The San Diego, California, native helped Boise State to a 12-2 overall record and a 7-0 MW mark. The Broncos earned the No. 3 seed in the College Football Playoff and finished the season ranked in the top 10 nationally.

Notarainni is the 20th player in Boise State program history to be named an Academic All-America, giving the Broncos 27 total awards. He is the eighth player to garner recognition since 2016, a span that features 12 honors for Boise State.