Jack Pedersen (Photo: Isabella Serafini)
Photo by: Isabella Serafini
Five Bruins Earn CSC Academic All-District® Football Honors
January 07, 2025 | Football
GREENWOOD, Ind. – Five Bruins were honored Tuesday by College Sports Communicators (CSC), which announced its 2024 Academic All-District® Football teams. Chase Barry, Leo Kemp, Jack Pedersen, Carson Schwesinger and Sam Yoon make up UCLA's representatives on the list.
The 2024 Academic All-District® Football teams, selected by CSC, recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom. The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes football honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, and the NAIA. Student-athletes must possess a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.50 while competing in 90% of the institution's games played or starting in at least 66% of the institution's games.
Barry, a junior, was the team's holder on field-goal and extra-point units and did not mishandle a snap as primary kicker Mateen Bhaghani made 20 of 24 (83.3%) field-goal attempts and all 20 of his point-after tries. Barry also punted twice in the season opener at Hawai'i, driving one of his kicks 62 yards. Off the field, he was named to the Big Ten Conference Fall Academic Honor Roll.
Tight end Pedersen made the first 12 catches of his career in 2024, accumulating 126 yards through the air and a touchdown across all 12 games. The redshirt sophomore reeled in a 20-yard strike at LSU (Sept. 21). Pedersen later registered career highs of three receptions and 37 receiving yards at Washington (Nov. 15). He was also tabbed to the Big Ten Fall Academic Honor Roll.
In his first year as a Bruin, Kemp played in 11 games on special teams and in a reserve offensive role. He fielded two kickoffs, returning them a combined 17 yards (8.5 yards per return).
It was a breakout season for redshirt junior Schwesinger, who piled up 136 total tackles, four sacks, 8.5 tackles for loss, one fumble forced and two interceptions en route to first-team All-America recognition by the Associated Press. He also earned second-team honors from the American Football Coaches Association and the Walter Camp Football Foundation. Schwesinger was a finalist for the Butkus Award, which honors the nation's top linebacker, and a semifinalist for the Burlsworth Trophy, presented annually to the best player who began his career as a walk-on. Academically, he earned a spot on the Big Ten Fall Academic Honor Roll.
Sophomore Yoon took over the center spot in UCLA's fifth game of the season. From that point on, the team saw its total-offense-per-game average climb 100.1 yards. Among his eight starts were standout performances versus Iowa (Nov. 8) and at Rutgers (Oct. 19). The Bruins rushed for 211 yards opposite the Hawkeyes' stout run defense and amassed 478 yards of total offense in their first Big Ten victory, against the Scarlet Knights.
First-, second- and third-team Academic All-America® honorees will be announced January 28, 2025.
The 2024 Academic All-District® Football teams, selected by CSC, recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom. The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes football honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, and the NAIA. Student-athletes must possess a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.50 while competing in 90% of the institution's games played or starting in at least 66% of the institution's games.
Barry, a junior, was the team's holder on field-goal and extra-point units and did not mishandle a snap as primary kicker Mateen Bhaghani made 20 of 24 (83.3%) field-goal attempts and all 20 of his point-after tries. Barry also punted twice in the season opener at Hawai'i, driving one of his kicks 62 yards. Off the field, he was named to the Big Ten Conference Fall Academic Honor Roll.
Tight end Pedersen made the first 12 catches of his career in 2024, accumulating 126 yards through the air and a touchdown across all 12 games. The redshirt sophomore reeled in a 20-yard strike at LSU (Sept. 21). Pedersen later registered career highs of three receptions and 37 receiving yards at Washington (Nov. 15). He was also tabbed to the Big Ten Fall Academic Honor Roll.
In his first year as a Bruin, Kemp played in 11 games on special teams and in a reserve offensive role. He fielded two kickoffs, returning them a combined 17 yards (8.5 yards per return).
It was a breakout season for redshirt junior Schwesinger, who piled up 136 total tackles, four sacks, 8.5 tackles for loss, one fumble forced and two interceptions en route to first-team All-America recognition by the Associated Press. He also earned second-team honors from the American Football Coaches Association and the Walter Camp Football Foundation. Schwesinger was a finalist for the Butkus Award, which honors the nation's top linebacker, and a semifinalist for the Burlsworth Trophy, presented annually to the best player who began his career as a walk-on. Academically, he earned a spot on the Big Ten Fall Academic Honor Roll.
Sophomore Yoon took over the center spot in UCLA's fifth game of the season. From that point on, the team saw its total-offense-per-game average climb 100.1 yards. Among his eight starts were standout performances versus Iowa (Nov. 8) and at Rutgers (Oct. 19). The Bruins rushed for 211 yards opposite the Hawkeyes' stout run defense and amassed 478 yards of total offense in their first Big Ten victory, against the Scarlet Knights.
First-, second- and third-team Academic All-America® honorees will be announced January 28, 2025.
Players Mentioned
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