Jayhawks Field 21 Academic All-Big 12 Honorees

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Highlighted by senior defensive end T.J. Semke – who earned his third-consecutive selection as an Academic All-Big 12 honoree – Kansas football placed 21 student-athletes on Academic All-Big 12 Teams, as announced by the conference office Thursday.
 
Kansas’ 21 honorees were the third-most in the Big 12 this season and rank as the program’s second highest total in the Big 12 era. KU fielded 23 honorees in 2014.
 
Of KU’s 21 total student athletes who garnered honors on the first and second teams, Semke picked up his third honor, while 10 other Jayhawks were repeat selections from previous seasons. Semke, who is now a three-time member of the conference’s academic teams, was named a member of the first team in 2013 and second team in 2014 and 2015.

Kansas’ 2015 first team honorees include: Seth Conway (Sr., WR), Taylor Cox (Sr., RB), Joe Gibson (So., OL), Michael Glatczak (Sr., S), Matt Hentges (Jr., WR), T.J. Millweard (Jr., QB), Bryan Peters (Sr., OL), Preston Randall (Jr., RB), Cameron Rosser (Jr., LB), Colin Spencer (So., CB).
 
Earning second team honors in 2015 were the following Jayhawks: Beau Bell (Sr., LB), Michael Cummings (Sr., QB), Joe Dineen, Jr. (So., LB), Jordan Goldenberg (RSo, LS), Chevy Graham (Jr., CB), Tyler Patrick (RFr., WR), Semke, Jordan Shelley-Smith (Jr., OL), John Wirtel (Jr., LS), Matthew Wyman (Jr., P/K) and Michael Zunica (Jr., FB).
 
The following KU players were honored for the second time in their careers: Bell (2014, second team), Cummings (2012, second team), Gibson (2014, second team), Glatczak (2014, second team), Graham (2014, second team), Millweard (2014, first team), Peters (2014, second team), Randall (2014, first team), Spencer (2014, first team) and Zunica (2014, second team).
 
Nominated by each institution’s director of student-athlete support services, the football academic all-league squad consisted of 91 first-team members combined with 65 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 over the two previous semesters, and must have participated in 60 percent of their team’s scheduled contests. True 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.
 
UP NEXT
The Jayhawks host West Virginia for the first of back-to-back home games to close out the 2015 slate, Saturday, Nov. 21. Kickoff against the Mountaineers is set for 11 a.m., and the game can be seen on FOX Sports Net.
 
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