Back-To-Back Academic All-Americans For UNLV As Ehimare Is Honored
12/15/2021 8:50:00 AM | Football
LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – After never previously fielding an academic All-American, UNLV football now boasts two in as many years as senior defensive lineman Eliel Ehimare ("L-e-L EH-him-R-ay") was announced as a member of the prestigious team on Wednesday.
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After the 2020 season, all-time leading rusher Charles Williams became the first UNLV football player in history to be voted Academic All-America by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Just one season later, Ehimare becomes the first defensive player from the Rebels to make the list, nabbing a spot on the second team after he and Williams and linebacker Austin Ajiake last month combined to mark the first time three UNLV players were voted academic all-district by the organization.
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A two-year starting defensive lineman Ehimare is a native of Nigeria and graduate of Cinco Ranch High School in Texas who transferred to UNLV from Cabrillo College in 2019. The pass rusher is a two-time member of the UNLV Dean's Honor List, a 2020 Academic All-MW honoree and a 2019 and '21 MW Scholar-Athlete. After earning his bachelor's degree in accounting, he is currently pursuing a master's in cybersecurity.
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"I am proud of Eliel," said UNLV football head coach Marcus Arroyo. "He is the definition of what it takes to #BeARebel on and off the field. We will continue to break academic records and raise our expectations in the classroom. Our guys will leave UNLV prepared for 'life after ball.'"
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Ever since 1952, CoSIDA selects Academic All-America teams throughout the year. Players who are starters or important reserves on their teams and are at least in their second year at a school and hold at least a 3.30 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 CoSIDA Academic All-America Team ballot, which was announced today for the sport of football on the Division I level.Â
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Ehimare becomes the 33rd UNLV student-athlete overall to earn CoSIDA Academic All-America dating back to the Rebels' first winner, baseball pitcher Dan Fischer, in 1978.
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2021 Academic All-America ® Football Team NCAA Division I
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FIRST TEAM
Pos.    Name                           School                                        Yr.           GPA          Major
QB       Desmond Ridder        University of Cincinnati             Sr.           3.34            Sport Administration
RB       Tyler Badie          University of Missouri                Gr.           3.83            Sport Management
RB       Jake Chisholm       University of Dayton          Jr.           3.98            Pre-Medicine
WR      Alec Pierce          University of Cincinnati       Sr.           3.83            Mechanical Engineering
WR      Austin Williams      Mississippi State University   Gr.           4.00/4.00  Finance/Business Admin.
TE       Charlie Kolar         Iowa State University         Gr.           4.00           Mechanical Engineering
OL       Blaise Andries       University of Minnesota      Gr.           3.84           Actuary Science/Applied Business
OL       Nick Brahms        Auburn University            Gr.           3.82/4.00 Flight Mgmt./Business Admin.
OL       Jake Dixon          Duquesne University         Gr.      3.96/4.00  Accounting
OL       Wes Genant         South Dakota State University Gr.     3.90             Human Biology
OL       Mike Van Hoeven     Eastern Michigan University  Gr.     3.96             Communication
K         Anders Carlson       Auburn University           Gr.      3.92/4.00   Flight Mgmt./Business Admin.
DL       Thomas Booker      Stanford University           Sr.      3.88             Economics/Communication
DL       Matt Henningsen    University of Wisconsin       Gr.      4.00/3.68  Electrical Engineering
DL       Aidan Hutchinson    University of Michigan        Sr.           3.54             Applied Exercise Science
DL       Reece Winkelman    South Dakota State University Sr.           3.87             Business Economics
LB       Troy Andersen       Montana State University      Sr.           3.91             Agricultural Business
LB       Jack Gibbens        University of Minnesota       Gr.           4.00/3.86    Accountancy
LB       Silas Kelly            Coastal Carolina University    Gr.           3.85/3.64     Exercise & Sport Sci./MBA
DB       Patrick Fields        University of Oklahoma        Sr.           3.82             Accounting/Master's
DB       Kekaula Kaniho      Boise State University          Gr.           3.96       Health Science
DB       K.J. Smith           University of North Alabama   Gr.           4.00/4.00  Interdisciplinary Stud./Health
DB       Noah Williams (2)    Stanford University            Gr.           3.89       Product Design/Mgmt. ScienceÂ
P         Paxton Brooks               University of Tennessee              Gr.           3.92       Kinesiology/Biomechanics
ST       Jackson Hubbard           Duke University                           Gr.           3.73       Computer Sci./Electrical & Computer Eng.
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SECOND TEAM
Pos.    Name                           School                                        Yr.           GPA            Major
QB       Brock Purdy                 Iowa State University                 Sr.           3.65             Communication Studies
RB       Ezra Gray                      Alabama State                             Gr.           4.00/4.00      Applied Technologies
RB       Isaac Ruoss                  U.S. Naval Academy          Sr.           3.87             Quantitative Economics
WR      Britain Covey                University of Utah           Sr.           3.86             Business
WR      Khalil Shakir         Boise State University        Sr.           3.37             Communication
TE       Greg Dulcich         UCLA                       Sr.           3.52             Political Science
OL       Luke Fortner        University of Kentucky       Gr.           3.50/3.86      Mechanical Engineering
OL       Lorenz Metz         University of Cincinnati             Jr.           3.89             Industrial Management
OL       Spencer Rolland     Harvard University                      Sr.           3.84             Mechanical Engineering
OL       Austin Stidham      Troy University               Gr.           3.92/4.00      Biology/Biomedical Sciences
OL       Andrew Vastardis    University of Michigan        Gr.           3.55/3.85      Movement Science/Physiology
K         Hunter Duplessis     UTSA                        Gr.           3.80/4.00      Info. Systems, Cyber Security
DL       Matthew Butler      University of Tennessee      Gr.           3.63/3.70      Political Science
DL       Eliel Ehimare        UNLV                                          Gr.          3.89             Accounting/Cybersecurity
DL       Nick Figueroa        Southern California          Gr.           3.76             Real Estate Finance/Finance
DL       Juwuan Jones       Western Kentucky University  Gr.           3.75/4.00      Sport Management/Teaching
DL       David Ojabo         University of Michigan        Jr.           3.40             English
DL       Josh Paschal         University of Kentucky        Sr.           3.56             Family Science/Communication
DL       Lane Tucker         North Dakota State University Gr.           3.77/3.86      MBA
LB       Jack Cochrane       University of South Dakota    Sr.           4.00             Criminal Justice/Business
LB       Ryan Greenhagen    Fordham University           Sr.           3.83             Business Administration
LB       Riley Whimpey       Boise State University         Sr.           3.82             Business
DB       Bryan Cook         University of Cincinnati        Sr.           3.67             Digital Media Collaborative
DB       Spencer DeMedal   Duquesne University          Gr.           3.97             Biology
DB       Robby Hauck       University of Montana          Gr.           3.95/3.95   MIS/MBA
DB       Ahmad Wilson      Georgetown University         Gr.           3.89             Finance/MS Business Analytics
P         Colin Goodfellow     University of Kentucky          Sr.           3.83             Nursing/Kinesiology
ST       Dalton Godfrey            University of South Dakota      Sr.           4.00             Business Admin.
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After the 2020 season, all-time leading rusher Charles Williams became the first UNLV football player in history to be voted Academic All-America by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Just one season later, Ehimare becomes the first defensive player from the Rebels to make the list, nabbing a spot on the second team after he and Williams and linebacker Austin Ajiake last month combined to mark the first time three UNLV players were voted academic all-district by the organization.
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A two-year starting defensive lineman Ehimare is a native of Nigeria and graduate of Cinco Ranch High School in Texas who transferred to UNLV from Cabrillo College in 2019. The pass rusher is a two-time member of the UNLV Dean's Honor List, a 2020 Academic All-MW honoree and a 2019 and '21 MW Scholar-Athlete. After earning his bachelor's degree in accounting, he is currently pursuing a master's in cybersecurity.
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"I am proud of Eliel," said UNLV football head coach Marcus Arroyo. "He is the definition of what it takes to #BeARebel on and off the field. We will continue to break academic records and raise our expectations in the classroom. Our guys will leave UNLV prepared for 'life after ball.'"
Â
Ever since 1952, CoSIDA selects Academic All-America teams throughout the year. Players who are starters or important reserves on their teams and are at least in their second year at a school and hold at least a 3.30 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 CoSIDA Academic All-America Team ballot, which was announced today for the sport of football on the Division I level.Â
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Ehimare becomes the 33rd UNLV student-athlete overall to earn CoSIDA Academic All-America dating back to the Rebels' first winner, baseball pitcher Dan Fischer, in 1978.
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2021 Academic All-America ® Football Team NCAA Division I
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FIRST TEAM
Pos.    Name                           School                                        Yr.           GPA          Major
QB       Desmond Ridder        University of Cincinnati             Sr.           3.34            Sport Administration
RB       Tyler Badie          University of Missouri                Gr.           3.83            Sport Management
RB       Jake Chisholm       University of Dayton          Jr.           3.98            Pre-Medicine
WR      Alec Pierce          University of Cincinnati       Sr.           3.83            Mechanical Engineering
WR      Austin Williams      Mississippi State University   Gr.           4.00/4.00  Finance/Business Admin.
TE       Charlie Kolar         Iowa State University         Gr.           4.00           Mechanical Engineering
OL       Blaise Andries       University of Minnesota      Gr.           3.84           Actuary Science/Applied Business
OL       Nick Brahms        Auburn University            Gr.           3.82/4.00 Flight Mgmt./Business Admin.
OL       Jake Dixon          Duquesne University         Gr.      3.96/4.00  Accounting
OL       Wes Genant         South Dakota State University Gr.     3.90             Human Biology
OL       Mike Van Hoeven     Eastern Michigan University  Gr.     3.96             Communication
K         Anders Carlson       Auburn University           Gr.      3.92/4.00   Flight Mgmt./Business Admin.
DL       Thomas Booker      Stanford University           Sr.      3.88             Economics/Communication
DL       Matt Henningsen    University of Wisconsin       Gr.      4.00/3.68  Electrical Engineering
DL       Aidan Hutchinson    University of Michigan        Sr.           3.54             Applied Exercise Science
DL       Reece Winkelman    South Dakota State University Sr.           3.87             Business Economics
LB       Troy Andersen       Montana State University      Sr.           3.91             Agricultural Business
LB       Jack Gibbens        University of Minnesota       Gr.           4.00/3.86    Accountancy
LB       Silas Kelly            Coastal Carolina University    Gr.           3.85/3.64     Exercise & Sport Sci./MBA
DB       Patrick Fields        University of Oklahoma        Sr.           3.82             Accounting/Master's
DB       Kekaula Kaniho      Boise State University          Gr.           3.96       Health Science
DB       K.J. Smith           University of North Alabama   Gr.           4.00/4.00  Interdisciplinary Stud./Health
DB       Noah Williams (2)    Stanford University            Gr.           3.89       Product Design/Mgmt. ScienceÂ
P         Paxton Brooks               University of Tennessee              Gr.           3.92       Kinesiology/Biomechanics
ST       Jackson Hubbard           Duke University                           Gr.           3.73       Computer Sci./Electrical & Computer Eng.
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SECOND TEAM
Pos.    Name                           School                                        Yr.           GPA            Major
QB       Brock Purdy                 Iowa State University                 Sr.           3.65             Communication Studies
RB       Ezra Gray                      Alabama State                             Gr.           4.00/4.00      Applied Technologies
RB       Isaac Ruoss                  U.S. Naval Academy          Sr.           3.87             Quantitative Economics
WR      Britain Covey                University of Utah           Sr.           3.86             Business
WR      Khalil Shakir         Boise State University        Sr.           3.37             Communication
TE       Greg Dulcich         UCLA                       Sr.           3.52             Political Science
OL       Luke Fortner        University of Kentucky       Gr.           3.50/3.86      Mechanical Engineering
OL       Lorenz Metz         University of Cincinnati             Jr.           3.89             Industrial Management
OL       Spencer Rolland     Harvard University                      Sr.           3.84             Mechanical Engineering
OL       Austin Stidham      Troy University               Gr.           3.92/4.00      Biology/Biomedical Sciences
OL       Andrew Vastardis    University of Michigan        Gr.           3.55/3.85      Movement Science/Physiology
K         Hunter Duplessis     UTSA                        Gr.           3.80/4.00      Info. Systems, Cyber Security
DL       Matthew Butler      University of Tennessee      Gr.           3.63/3.70      Political Science
DL       Eliel Ehimare        UNLV                                          Gr.          3.89             Accounting/Cybersecurity
DL       Nick Figueroa        Southern California          Gr.           3.76             Real Estate Finance/Finance
DL       Juwuan Jones       Western Kentucky University  Gr.           3.75/4.00      Sport Management/Teaching
DL       David Ojabo         University of Michigan        Jr.           3.40             English
DL       Josh Paschal         University of Kentucky        Sr.           3.56             Family Science/Communication
DL       Lane Tucker         North Dakota State University Gr.           3.77/3.86      MBA
LB       Jack Cochrane       University of South Dakota    Sr.           4.00             Criminal Justice/Business
LB       Ryan Greenhagen    Fordham University           Sr.           3.83             Business Administration
LB       Riley Whimpey       Boise State University         Sr.           3.82             Business
DB       Bryan Cook         University of Cincinnati        Sr.           3.67             Digital Media Collaborative
DB       Spencer DeMedal   Duquesne University          Gr.           3.97             Biology
DB       Robby Hauck       University of Montana          Gr.           3.95/3.95   MIS/MBA
DB       Ahmad Wilson      Georgetown University         Gr.           3.89             Finance/MS Business Analytics
P         Colin Goodfellow     University of Kentucky          Sr.           3.83             Nursing/Kinesiology
ST       Dalton Godfrey            University of South Dakota      Sr.           4.00             Business Admin.
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Players Mentioned
Thursday, October 01
Friday, September 25
Friday, September 25
Monday, September 21
