Conference USA Football saw 15 student-athletes named to the 2014 C-USA All-Academic Team, including four that earned Academic All-America honors. Rice led the way with three selections, while Marshall, Old Dominion and Southern Miss each had two honorees apiece. The team is comprised of three sophomores, four juniors, seven seniors and a graduate student. The all-academic team consists of student-athletes who have earned a 3.2 cumulative grade point average or better and are a starter or key reserve for their team. The squad is selected by the league's football media relations directors for football.

Louisiana Tech DB Xavier Woods maintains a 3.78 GPA in general studies. The sophomore out of nearby West Monroe, Louisiana, has started in all 12 games for the Bulldogs, recording five interceptions, including one for a score. Woods is a key cog on a defense that helped LA Tech win the West Division and his five picks are the second-most in C-USA.

East Division champ Marshall placed a pair on squad as TE Eric Frohnapfel and OL Trevor Mendelson were each named all-academic honorees.

Frohnapfel, a native of Stafford, Virginia, sports a 4.0 GPA in his MBA and is part of a high-powered Marshall attack that leads C-USA total offense and is third in passing offense. The senior is second on the Herd in receptions (33) and has 389 yards to go with five TD catches on the season.

Mendelson, a senior out of Dublin, Ohio, possesses a 3.8 GPA in his MBA. He is the left tackle on a Marshall line that leads the conference in rushing offense.

Middle Tennessee RB Jordan Parker joins his first all-academic unit after boasting a 3.63 GPA in liberal studies. The Georgia native ranks second on the team in rushing yards (546) and his 10 100-yard rushing performances ranks seventh all-time in the Blue Raider record books.

Cyril Lemon, an anchor on the North Texas offensive line, owns a 3.42 GPA in kinesiology. The senior is a three-time all-conference honoree and started all 49 possible games his career, which ties him for second-most starts and consecutive starts in Mean Green history.

League newcomer Old Dominion saw a pair named to the all-academic unit as OG Tyler Compton and OL Josh Mann were voted onto the squad.

Compton, a member of the 2014 Academice All-District Team by CoSIDA, holds a 3.97 GPA in mathematics. The Virginia Beach product began his career as a walk-on and started games at both left guard and right guard for the potent Monarch offensive attack.

Mann, another key component on the ODU offensive line, maintains a 3.44 in mechanical engineering. Also hailing from Virginia Beach, Virginia, Mann was a three-year starter and the leader of the Monarch line that averaged 30 points per game during each of the last three seasons.

A trio of Owls received all-academic honors as P James Farrimond, James Hairston and DE Brian Nordstrom were each placed on the squad.

Farrimond, a native of San Antonio, owns a 3.64 GPA in economics and is a three-time C-USA Academic Medal honoree. The special teams ace was 8-11 on field goals and recorded 60 punts for an average of 42.2 yard per punt for the Owls.

Hairston, another Owls kicker, sports a 4.0 GPA in his MS statistics graduate program. The Dallas product leads C-USA with 43 touchbacks as the Owls' kickoff specialist. The graduate student is also 4-8 on field goal attempts on the season with a long of 35.

Nordstrom, a redshirt junior who was named a first team Academic All-American by CoSIDA, maintains a 3.63 GPA in civil engineering. A native of The Woodlands, Texas, Nordstrom was fifth on the squad in tackles (43) and posted 7. 5 sacks on the season along with 18.5 tackles for loss.

Southern Miss' Corey Acosta and Cameron Tom were each given the C-USA all-academic nod, with Tom being placed on the 2014 Academic All-District Team by CoSIDA and Acosta gaining second team Academic All-American recognition.

Acosta, the lone returning member from the 2013 C-USA All-Academic Team, improved his overall GPA from a year ago to a 3.81 in biological sciences. The standout place kicker for the Golden Eagles made 1.58 field goals per game, tops in the conference. The Memphis native also booted kicks at a 76 percent clip and had a long of 53 yards, a career-high mark.

Tom, a product of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, owns a 3.80 GPA in business. After moving from right tackle to center for the 2014 campaign, Tom has flourished, starting all 12 games for a Southern Miss squad that ranked fourth in passing offense in C-USA.

UAB junior quarterback Cody Clements was named to his first all-academic team after posting a 3.35 GPA in communications. The California native was third in the league in passing efficiency (145.6) and eight in passing yards per game (202.5).

UTEP senior Wesley Miller closed up his undergrad with a 3.94 GPA in business and economics and now owns a 4.0 in his master's program in economics. He also gained second team Academic All-America honors from CoSIDA. Miller led the Miners in tackles (74) and recorded a pair of interceptions along with six pass breakups. His 74 tackles were good for 14th in C-USA.

UTSA senior center Nate Leonard maintained a 3.99 GPA in physical education. Leonard is the only player on the Roadrunners to start every game in the program's history. The McKinney, Texas, native was named to the 2014 Academic All-America second team by CoSIDA and posted a 4.0 GPA in all but on semester at UTSA.

The 2014 C-USA Football Championship will take place Saturday, December 6, at Joan C. Edwards Stadium in Huntington, West Virginia. The game will showcase Louisiana Tech and Marshall and will be televised live by ESPN2, beginning at Noon EST/11 a.m. CST.

2014 C-USA FOOTBALL ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM
NAME SCHOOL YEAR GPA MAJOR
Xavier Woods Louisiana Tech Sophomore 3.78 General Studies
Eric Frohnapfel Marshall Senior 4.0 MBA
Trevor Mendelson Marshall Senior 3.8 MBA
Jordan Parker Middle Tennessee Junior 3.63 Liberal Studies
Cyril Lemon North Texas Senior 3.42 Kinesiology
Tyler Compton Old Dominion Sophomore 3.97 Mathematics
Josh Mann Old Dominion Senior 3.44 Mech. Engineering
James Farrimond Rice Junior 3.64 Economics
James Hairston Rice Graduate 4.0 MS Statistics
Brian Nordstrom Rice Junior 3.63 Civ. Engineering
Corey Acosta Southern Miss Senior 3.81 Biological Science
Cameron Tom Southern Miss Sophomore 3.80 Business
Cody Clements UAB Junior 3.35 Communications
Wesley Miller UTEP Senior 3.94 Business/Economics
Nate Leonard UTSA Senior 3.99 Physical Education