SAN ANTONIO — UTSA's Hunter Duplessis and Ahofitu Maka have been named to the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-District® Football First Team, the organization announced Thursday.
Duplessis and Maka are two of 27 student-athletes from the states of Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma and Texas voted by CoSIDA members to the first team for District 7. They both will advance to the CoSIDA Academic All-America® ballot. First- and second-team Academic All-America® honorees will be announced in July.
Duplessis carries a 4.0 GPA as a post-graduate student in business/technology management after graduating in May 2020 with a 3.77 GPA as a double major in cyber security and information systems. A Conference USA All-Academic Team selection, he was a semifinalist for the 2020 William V. Campbell Trophy and a C-USA Academic Medal recipient. A five-time C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll member, he also serves on the Society for Collegiate Leadership & Achievement.
On the field, Duplessis earned honorable mention All-America honors at kicker by Phil Steele and he was a first-team all-conference pick and second-team Dave Campbell's Texas Football All-Texas College selection. One of 20 semifinalists for the Lou Groza Award and a Burlsworth Trophy nominee, he made 17 of 20 field goals and 40 of 41 extra points to help lead the Roadrunners to a 7-5 record and an appearance in the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl last fall. The San Antonio Cole High School product ranked ninth nationally in field goals made, 21st in field-goal percentage (.850) and 25th in field goals per game (1.42), and he scored a UTSA-record 91 points, good for second in C-USA and 23rd nationally. For his career, he has made 26 of 31 field goals and 65 PATs to give him 143 points, second most by a Roadrunner.
Maka totes a 3.76 GPA as a cyber security major. He has received the C-USA Academic Medal and is a two-time C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll listee after transferring to UTSA from Independence Community College prior to the 2019 season.
A native of Hawai'I, Maka has emerged as the starting center and one of the leaders on the offensive line the past two years. He has started all 23 games in which he has been available for the Roadrunners with 21 of those starts at center. He earned second-team all-conference accolades last fall after helping the offense break UTSA single-season records for rushing yards (2,585), rushing yards per game (215.4), yards per rush (5.21) and rushing touchdowns (24). He also helped pave the way for All-American running back Sincere McCormick, who rushed for a school-record 1,467 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2020.
Duplessis and Maka are the first UTSA football student-athletes to receive CoSIDA Academic All-District® recognition since Nate Leonard earned the last of three straight honors in 2014. Leonard also was named a first-team Academic All-American in 2014 and a second-team honoree in 2013.
This year's selections also give UTSA six total CoSIDA Academic All-District® certificates in its football history, as Eric Soza was a first-team pick in 2013.
The 2020-21 Academic All-District® Football Team, selected by CoSIDA, recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom. The CoSIDA Academic All-America® program separately recognizes football honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA.
Awarded by CoSIDA to the most accomplished student-athletes for academic and athletic achievement each year since 1952, the CoSIDA Academic All-America® program is the longest-running and most prestigious academic and athletic award program for student-athletes. All nominees must have a cumulative GPA of 3.30 or better and be a starter or important reserve.
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