SAN DIEGO -- A school-record three San Diego State football players were named Associated Press All-Americans on Monday. Punter Matt Araiza (San Diego/Rancho Bernardo HS) made the first team, while right guard William Dunkle (Chula Vista, Calif./Eastlake HS) and defensive end Cameron Thomas (Carlsbad, Calif./Carlsbad HS) each were second-team selections.
San Diego State's three first or second teamers are tied with Michigan for the fourth most in the nation, only training Ohio State (6), Alabama (4) and Georgia (4). It is just the third time in program history that the Aztecs had multiple AP All-Americans. The other two times it happened (1986 and 2016) were without a first-team pick (and just one second-team honoree).
Araiza is the second SDSU punter to make an AP All-America team (Noel Prefontaine first team in 1996), while Thomas is the first San Diego State defensive lineman to ever make an AP first, second or third team. Dunkle joined Pete Inge (1978-79) and Kyle Turley (1997) as the only Aztec offensive linemen to make an AP second team (SDSU has yet to have a first-team offensive lineman).
Araiza (first team) and Thomas (second team) have now made each of the first three teams that comprise the NCAA's consensus All-America team (Walter Camp, FWAA and AP). The Sporting News (Tuesday) and the AFCA (Wednesday) release their All-America squads in the coming days.
The AP All-America team presented by Regions Bank is selected by a panel of Top 25 college football poll voters.
Araiza, who last week was named the winner of the Ray Guy Award for the nation's best collegiate punter, has punted 76 times for 3,904 yards, ranking first in FBS history in punt average (51.4 avg.), 60-yard punts (18) and 50-yard punts (39). Out of Araiza's 76 punts, 36 have landed inside the 20-yard line as Araiza has posted a 44.3 net punt average. One of four players in the nation who is handling all three kicking duties (punts, PATs/field goals and kickoffs), Araiza has added 17 field goals, including three 50-plus yarders, and has kicked off 67 times (excluding onside kicks) for a 65.06 average with 56 going for a touchback.
Araiza leads all FBS players in punt average (51.37), total punt yards (3,904) and punt yards per game (300.31), and is tied for first in PAT percentage (100.00), tied for second in punts inside the 20-yard line (36) and total punts (76), third in kickoff average (65.06), tied for fifth in punts per game (5.85), sixth in net punt average (44.28), tied for sixth in field goal attempts (28), eighth in kickoff touchback percentage (83.58), and tied for eighth in kickoff touchbacks (56) and field goal attempts per game (2.08).
Araiza has six punts of at least 70 yards, the most in the country (five are tied for second with two 70-yard punts), including the longest (86 yards), fifth-longest (81, tied), ninth longest (79), 12th longest (77, tied), 17th longest (75, tied) and 28th longest (72, tied).
Araiza has also been named The Action Network's Special Teams Player of the Year, and a first-team All-America selection by Walter Camp, FWAA, AP, The Athletic, USA Today, ESPN, CBS Sports, Bleacher Report, The Action Network and Sports Info Solutions (SIS). Araiza has also been selected as the Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Year, a first-team all-league punter and a second-team kicker.
Dunkle, meanwhile, started all 13 games for the Aztecs at right guard this season. According to Pro Football Focus, Dunkle has allowed just eight pressures (no sacks) on the season in 388 passing opportunities. Among offensive linemen, Dunkle has the fourth-highest overall grade (93.2, min. 600 snaps) by PFF and the second-highest run block grade (96.0, min. 600 snaps).
Dunkle has also been named an All-America selection by Pro Football Network (first team) and Pro Football Focus (third team), and an all-MW first team pick by the league's media and coaches, and Pro Football Focus.
Thomas has totaled 68 tackles, while leading the team in tackles for loss (20.5), sacks (11.5) and quarterback hurries (21). The 11.5 sacks this year by Thomas are the sixth most in SDSU single-season history, while his 20.5 tackles for loss are seventh and tied for the most in league history. Among the national leaders, he is third in tackles for loss (20.5), fourth in tackles for loss per game (1.58), tied for sixth in sacks (11.5) and 12th in sacks per game (0.88).
According to Pro Football Focus, Thomas has the fourth-highest defensive grade (90.3, min. 600 snaps) in the country. Thomas also has the most quarterback pressures (sacks/hits/hurries) (77) and hits (21) in FBS, and the sixth-most hurries (44).
Thomas has also been named a first-team All-America pick by The Athletic and Sports Info Solutions (SIS), a second-team pick by Walter Camp, FWAA, AP and USA Today, as well as the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year and a first-team all-league selection for a third straight year.
San Diego State (11-2), which has tied a school record with 11 victories this season and was 24th in the final College Football Playoff Rankings, plays No. 24 (AP) UTSA (12-1) in the Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl on Tuesday, Dec. 21 in Frisco, Texas.
SDSU All-Time AP All-Americans
1963 - 3rd team - Neal Petties, WR
1970 - 3rd team - Tim Delaney, WR
1973 - 3rd team - Jesse Freitas, QB
1978 - 2nd team - Pete Inge, OG
1979 - 2nd team - Pete Inge, OL
1985 - 2nd team - Webster Slaughter, WR
1986 - 3rd team - Doug Aronson, OG
1986 - 3rd team - Rob Awalt, TE
1990 - 2nd team - Patrick Rowe, WR
1991 - 1st team - Marshall Faulk, RB
1992 - 1st team - Marshall Faulk, RB
1993 - 1st team - Marshall Faulk, RB
1995 - 2nd team - George Jones, RB
1996 - 1st team - Noel Prefontaine, P
1997 - 2nd team - Kyle Turley, OT
2001 - 2nd team - Larry Ned, RB
2011 - 3rd team - Ronnie Hillman, RB
2016 - 2nd team - Donnel Pumphrey, RB
2016 - 3rd team - Nico Siragusa, OG
2017 - 1st team - Rashaad Penny, RB
2019 - 3rd team - Luq Barcoo, CB
2021 - 1st team - Matt Araiza, P
2021 - 2nd team - William Dunkle, OG
2021 - 2nd team - Cameron Thomas, DE
SDSU's All-America Selections (Recognized by the NCAA)
Walter Camp (Dec. 9): P Matt Araiza (1st team), DE Cameron Thomas (2nd team)
FWAA (Dec. 10): P Matt Araiza (1st team), DE Cameron Thomas (2nd team)
Associated Press (Dec. 13): P Matt Araiza (1st team), RG William Dunkle (2nd team), DE Cameron Thomas (2nd team)
The Sporting News (Dec. 14): TBA
AFCA (Dec. 15): TBA
Three Aztecs Named AP All-Americans
