SAN DIEGO -- San Diego State football's Matt Araiza (San Diego/Rancho Bernardo HS) and Cameron Thomas (Carlsbad, Calif./Carlsbad HS) continued to garner All-America status as the Sporting News' 2021 All-America team was released on Tuesday. Araiza made the first team while Thomas landed on the second team.
It is the first time in program history that the Aztecs have had multiple Sporting News' All-America selections. Both Araiza (punter) and Thomas (defensive line) are the first SDSU players to make the team at their position.
Araiza (first team) and Thomas (second team) have now made each of the first four teams that comprise the NCAA's consensus All-America team (Walter Camp, FWAA, AP and Sporting News). The AFCA releases their All-America squads on Wednesday.
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, Sporting News, 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.
Thomas, meanwhile, 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, Sporting News 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 Sporting News All-Americans
1967 - 1st team - Haven Moses, WR
1970 - 1st team - Henry Allison, OG
1971 - 1st team - Willie Buchanon, DB
1975 - 1st team - Craig Penrose, QB
1987 - 2nd team - Todd Santos, QB
1991 - 1st team - Marshall Faulk, RB
1992 - 1st team - Marshall Faulk, RB
1993 - 1st team - Marshall Faulk, RB
1997 - 1st team - Kyle Turley, OT
1998 - 3rd team - Damon Gourdine, WR/KR
2001 - 4th team - Larry Ned, RB
2002 - 3rd team - J.R. Tolver, WR
2004 - 2nd team - Kirk Morrison, LB
2016 - 2nd team - Donnel Pumphrey, RB
2017 - 1st team - Rashaad Penny, RB
2021 - 1st team - Matt Araiza, P
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): P Matt Araiza (1st team), DE Cameron Thomas (2nd team)
AFCA (Dec. 15): TBA
Araiza, Thomas Named Sporting News' All-Americans
