K-State’s 33 total honors were the sixth most in conference history and the third-highest total this season. Since 2014, K-State has tallied 200 total Academic All-Big 12 accolades, which is 31 more than the next closest program (Oklahoma State, 169).
Headlining this year’s list were two Wildcats that were nominated with a 4.0 GPA in senior Brock Monty (Graduate School – Business Administration) and redshirt freshman Austin Moore (Kinesiology).
Monty was a first-team honoree for the fourth-straight year and was joined by 11 other repeat first-team members in Nick Allen (Business Administration), Nick Ast (Arts and Sciences Open Option), Tyler Burns (Graduate School – Communications), Ross Elder (Finance), Ryan Henington (Professional Strategic Selling), Noah Johnson (Marketing), Logan Long (Political Science), Blake Lynch (Graduate School – Business Administration), Randen Plattner (Mechanical Engineering), Landry Weber (Accounting) and Drew Wiley (Animal Sciences & Industry).
Wildcats earning first-team accolades for the first time in 2020 include Cooper Beebe (Secondary Education), Jack Blumer (Elementary Education), Ekow Boye-Doe (Social Sciences), Phillip Brooks (Business Administration), Wesley Burris (Professional Strategic Selling), Ben Driver (Life Sciences), Cody Fletcher (Management), Eli Huggins (Finance), Cameron Key (Biochemistry), Kaitori Leveston (Human Development & Family Sciences), Seth Porter (Communication Studies), Skylar Thompson (Management), Sammy Wheeler (Kinesiology) and Ty Zentner (Education – Physical Education and Health).
K-State’s second-team members included Mason Barta (Graduate School – Data Analytics), Jax Dineen (Arts and Sciences Open Option), Keenan Garber (Arts and Sciences Open Option), Hayden Gillum (Professional Strategic Selling), D.J. Render (Graduate School – Communication Studies) and Harry Trotter (Kinesiology).
Nominated by each institution’s director of student-athlete support services, the 2020 football academic all-league squad is comprised of 189 first-team members combined with 86 on the second team. First-team members consist of those who have maintained a 3.20 or better GPA, and the second team are those who have a 3.00 to 3.19 GPA.
To qualify, student-athletes must maintain a 3.00 GPA or higher either cumulative or the two previous semesters and must have participated in 20% of their team’s scheduled contests. Freshmen and transfers are not eligible in their first year of academic residence. Senior student-athletes who have participated for a minimum of two years and meet all the criteria except percent of participation are also eligible.