Eight Grizzlies named Academic All-District

Eight members of the Montana football team were named to the 2024 College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District team, the organization announced Tuesday. UM's eight honorees were tied for the most of any program in the Big Sky Conference.

Dillon Botner, Brandon Casey, Trevin Gradney, Hayden Harris, Patrick Hayden, Cooper Barnum, TJ Rausch, and Ryan Tirrell were each recognized for their academic achievement off the field. After each posting outstanding senior seasons on the field, Casey, Gradney, and Harris have also been selected Academic All-America finalists, and will advance to the national ballot to be voted on by CSC members in late January.

To be eligible for Academic All-District status, student-athletes must be at least a sophomore academically and must carry a minimum 3.5 GPA as either an undergraduate or graduate student (on a 4.0 scale). They must also have competed in at least 90 percent of the program's games or started at least 66 percent of games in the 2024 season.

Botner, a senior offensive tackle from Whitefish is working his way toward medical school, holding a 3.72 GPA in a post-bac major in cellular and molecular neuroscience, and two bachelor's degrees in biochemistry and biology with a minor in physics. He earned both his undergraduate degrees with Magna Cum Laude honors. Botner battled injury during his time at UM, but made three starts as a senior and made 37 career appearances.

Casey is a two-time All-America offensive lineman from Sandpoint, Idaho, that maintained a 3.53 GPA while earning an undergraduate degree in management & entrepreneurship and his MBA from the UM College of Business. The NFL prospect was a mainstay on the Grizzly O-line as a three-year starter at right tackle with 43 career starts to his name. He was at two-time first-team All-Big Sky selection as a junior and senior and to date will be a three-time academic all-conference pick.

Gradney, an All-America cornerback from Billings, was a semifinalist for the "Academic Heisman" – the William V. Campbell Trophy his senior season with a 3.80 GPA, an undergraduate degree in marketing and his MBA from the UM College of Business. He led the Grizzlies and was tied for third in the Big Sky in total passes defended this season with 11, racking up 10 breakups and one interception. He was a three-time all-conference honoree and a three-time Academic All-Big Sky pick.

Harris earned his MBA at Montana while carrying a 3.82 GPA after earning his bachelor's degree in political science from UCLA. He was one of the Big Sky's most disruptive defenders his senior season, leading the team and finishing top three in the Big Sky and top 15 in the FCS in both sacks and tackles for loss. Despite only playing two years at UM, he was second-team All-Big Sky as a senior and entered the program's top 30 list of all-time leaders in TFLs with 21.5 to his name.

Hayden also earned his MBA at Montana with a 3.87 GPA after earning his undergrad in business administration from Monmouth University in New Jersey. The grad transfer D-lineman totaled 19 tackles, 3.5 TFLs and logged one sack.

Barnum finished his career at UM with a 3.97 GPA as a graduate student earning his certificate of business entrepreneurship after earning his bachelor's degree in communications studies. A special teams standout, he totaled 25 tackles, two TFLs and one sack his 35 appearances for the Griz over three seasons.

Rausch, a junior safety from Missoula, graduated in the fall of '24 with a finance degree carrying a 3.79 GPA. He earned second-team All-Big Sky honors last season on special teams after grading-out as UM's best performer on kick coverage units by the coaches, and totaling 29 tackles this season while posting 1.5 TFLs and one forced fumble.

Tirrell maintained a 3.52 GPA while earning his MBA on top of an undergraduate degree in finance. The Missoula native was Montana's top tackler last season with 106, placing him fifth in the Big Sky in total stops. He entered the UM record books as one of just 35 players to total over 100 tackles in a season to earn second-team All-Big Sky honors for the first time in his career, and is a three-time Academic All-Big Sky pick as well.

University of Montana Athletics

Players Mentioned

Cooper Barnum

Dillon Botner

Brandon Casey

Trevin Gradney

Hayden Harris

Patrick Hayden

TJ Rausch

Ryan Tirrell

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