SAN DIEGO -- San Diego State football juniors Matt Araiza (San Diego/Rancho Bernardo HS) and Cameron Thomas (Carlsbad, Calif./Carlsbad HS) were each named first-team All-America selections by various outlets on Wednesday.
Araiza, who is a Ray Guy Award finalist and the Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Year, was named a first-team All-American by The Athletic, ESPN and CBS Sports on Wednesday, and a first-team pick by Bleacher Report on Tuesday. Thomas, meanwhile, who was a semifinalist for the Bednarik Award and the MW Defensive Player of the Year, landed on The Athletic first team today.
The five teams that comprise the NCAA's consensus All-America team begin Thursday with the Walter Camp All-America team, followed by the FWAA (Dec. 10), Associated Press (Dec. 13), The Sporting News (Dec. 14) and the AFCA (Dec. 15).
On the season, Araiza 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), tied for eighth in kickoff touchbacks (56) and tied for eighth in 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).
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).
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.
Araiza and Thomas Earn First-Team All-America Honors
