SAN DIEGO -- San Diego State football's Matt Araiza (San Diego/Rancho Bernardo HS) has been named to the 2021 Sporting News Midseason All-America team, released Wednesday. It is the fourth midseason All-America selection for the junior, including three on first teams (AP, ESPN and Sporting News) and one on the second team (The Athletic).
Araiza is one of three from a Group of 5 program on the Sporting News midseason team, which includes 12 on offense, 11 on defense, a kicker, return specialist and Araiza at punter.
On the season, Araiza has punted 40 times for 2,154 yards (53.9 avg.) with 25 of at least 50 yards, 18 inside the 20, eight fair catches and a long of 86 yards, posting a net punt average of 46.2. Araiza's also made all 24 of his PATs and is 7-for-11 in field goal attempts with a pair of 50-yarders, while kicking off 34 times for 2,208 yards and a 64.9 average (perfect is 65.0) along with 27 touchbacks.
Araiza leads all FBS players in punt average (53.85), total punt yards (2,154) and punt yards per game (359.00), and ranks in a tie for first in PAT percentage (1.000), third in kickoff average (64.94), tied for third in punts per game (6.67, 2nd in MW), fourth in punts inside the 20-yard line (18, 2nd in MW), tied for seventh in total punts (49, 3rd in MW), 17th in kickoff touchback percentage (79.41, 1st in MW) and tied for 17th in total touchbacks (27, 1st in MW). Araiza also is tied for the league lead in made PATs (24, T-32nd in FBS) and attempted PATs (24, T-33rd in FBS), and ranks fourth in kickoff yards (2,208, 50th in FBS)), fifth in field goal attempts per game (1.17, T-31st in FBS) and kicking points (45, T-39th in FBS), tied for fifth in total kickoffs (34, T-56th in FBS), sixth in points per game (7.50, T-71st in FBS), tied for seventh in total field goals (7, T-53rd in FBS), tied for eighth in field goals per game (1.17, T-46th in FBS), and ninth in both field goal percentage (63.36) and total points (45). Araiza has the longest punt this season (86 yards), the ninth longest (77), the 13th (75) and the 18th (72).
SDSU, which is off to a 6-0 start for just the second time in the last 46 seasons (also 2017), plays at Air Force on Saturday at 5 p.m. MT (4 p.m. PT).
Araiza Named a Sporting News Midseason All-American
