MOREHEAD, Ky. -- Four standout football student-athletes from the Morehead State Eagle program have earned spots on the College Sports Communicators (formerly CoSIDA) Academic All-District Team.
2023 Eagle honorees include offensive lineman
Jaxsen Spears, linebacker
Keenan Wolf, defensive back
Matthew McClelland and defensive back
Jihad McCall. They represent the eighth through 11th all-time academic all-district picks for the program.
The College Sports Information Directors of America began the distinguished Academic All-America® program in 1952, and since then, has honored thousands of deserving student-athletes from numerous sports across all divisions with these elite Academic All-America® scholar-athlete honors. In 2022,
CoSIDA re-branded itself as the College Sports Communicators.
Currently, CSC sponsors Academic All-America® programs for men's soccer, women's soccer, football, volleyball, men's basketball, women's basketball, baseball, softball, swimming and diving and men's and women's track and field/cross country. Many other sports are eligible through the At-Large program. In 2022, the guidelines were updated to include more representation on the All-District teams. Sports have limitations to the number of athletes that can be nominated and the minimum grade-point average was raised to 3.50. All athletes nominated for all-district make the team. Student-athletes on an all-district team are then on the national ballot for Academic All-America consideration.
Spears, who has played every offensive line position, is junior from Plainfield, Ind. He has maintained a perfect 4.0 grade-point average and is one of only a small number of Eagles in the history of the program to earn three straight First-Team Academic All-PFL awards. He helped the offense rank among the best passing teams in the PFL at 232 yards per game.
Wolf, a redshirt junior from Fresno, Calif., has a 3.82 GPA in university studies. He ranked second on MSU's defensive unit with 87 total tackles. He had 4.5 tackles for losses and picked up a fumble forced as well.
McClelland is a sophomore from Mesa, Ariz., who also has a perfect 4.0 GPA - in his major of sports management. He totaled 30 tackles in 2023 and collected two interceptions, against Butler and Presbyterian.Â
McCall, a redshirt sophomore from Jersey City, N.J., has maintained a 3.54 GPA in his exercise science major. McCall also earned an Academic All-PFL honor this fall. He tied with teammate
Kaleb Lyons for the MSU lead with six interceptions, including two against Davidson. which ranks second among all players on the FCS level. He also had 36 total tackles.
