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BYU Football Produces First Academic All-American In 14 Years

Jan 28, 2025, 12:45 PM

BYU Football, Tanner Wall, Academic All-American...

BYU football starting safety Tanner Wall earned First Team Academic All-American honors in 2024. (Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images)

(Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images)

PROVO, Utah For the first time since 2010, a BYU football player has received Academic All-American recognition.

BYU starting safety Tanner Wall was named a First Team Academic All-American by the College Sports Communicators.

BYU football safety Tanner Wall earns First-Team Academic All-American

Wall is the first BYU player since running back Bryan Kariya in 2010 to receive Academic All-American.

The first and second team selections are based on performances on the field and in the classroom. Wall started in all 13 games at safety as part of a BYU football defense that finished as the top defense in the Big 12.

A former preferred walk-on wide receiver, Wall switched to defense in 2023 and has thrived at safety. Wall had three interceptions this past season and was a co-leader in picks on BYU’s defense.

Wall had a career-high 53 tackles and one pass deflection, along with his three interceptions.

Wall is a finance major at BYU

Off the field, Tanner Wall is a finance major at BYU and boasts a cumulative GPA of 3.89.

Wall is the 17th BYU football player to earn First Team Academic All-America recognition.

The Arlington, Virginia native will be one of the top players returning to BYU’s defense in 2025.

Wall joins a talented Academic All-American team that includes Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter.

2024 CSC Academic All-America Team

First Team

QB – Tommy Mellott | Montana State | Sr. | 4.00 GPA | Financial Engineering

WR – Elic Ayomanor | Stanford | Soph. | 3.96 | Computer Science

WR – Ricky White III | UNLV | Sr. | 3.58 | Human Services

RB – Tahj Brooks | Texas Tech | Sr. | 3.56 | Sports Management (Undergrad) / Sports Comm. (Grad)

RB – Raheim Sanders | South Carolina | Sr. | 3.88 | Non-Degree Seeking

TE – Anthony Torres | Toledo | Sr. | 3.83/3.93 | Business Administration (G)

OL – Seth McLaughlin | Ohio State | Gr. | 4.00/3.89 | Human Development & Family Sciences

OL – Riley Adcock | Mercer | Gr. | 3.94/3.94 | Civil Engineering

OL – Jake Majors | Texas | Sr. | 3.64 | Management

OL – Donovan Jackson | Ohio State | Sr. | 3.68 | Sport Industry

OL – Easton Kilty | Kansas State | Sr. | 4.00 | Communication Studies

DB – Travis Hunter | Colorado | Jr. | 3.79 | Anthropology

DB – Beau Freyler | Iowa State | Sr. | 3.90 | Kinesiology

DB – Tanner Wall | BYU | Jr. | 3.89 | Finance

DB – Jalen Catalon | UNLV | Sr. | 3.52 | Sociology

DL – Brody Grebe | Montana State | Sr. | 3.93 | Mechanical Engineering

DL – Patrick Passalacqua | Columbia | Sr. | 3.83 | Industrial Engineering & Operations Research

LB – Jack Kiser | Notre Dame | Gr. | 3.82/3.97 | Business Analytics (U) / Accounting (G)

LB – Andon Thomas | Army West Point | Jr. | 3.98 | Chemical Engineering

LB – Jackson Woodard | UNLV | Sr. | 3.81 | Kinesiology

K – Bert Auburn | Texas | Sr. | 3.57 | Finance

P – Riley Riethman | Navy | Sr. | 3.93 | Aerospace Engineering

ST – Julian Ashby | Vanderbilt | Gr. | 3.96/3.90 | Mechanical Engineering (G)

Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference on X: @Mitch_Harper.

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BYU Football Produces First Academic All-American In 14 Years