BYU Football Produces First Academic All-American In 14 Years
Jan 28, 2025, 12:45 PM
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.
ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA FIRST TEAM@YsTanman11 👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/JUkw2JO3ej
— BYU FOOTBALL (@BYUfootball) January 28, 2025
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 sports.ksl.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.
