Botner and Peck named Academic All-Americans
1/27/2026 10:51:00 AM | Football
A pair of Montana Grizzlies bound for med school have been recognized for their achievements in the classroom as members of the College Sports Communicators Academic All-America team, CSC announced on Tuesday.
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Whitefish native Dillon Botner – the FCS Scholar-Athlete of the Year – was one of just 25 players in all of D-I football named First Team Academic All-American, while defensive lineman Hunter Peck was named to the second team.
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The Grizzly duo is half of just four players from the Big Sky Conference to be named to one of the two All-America teams, and are two of 16 honorees from the FCS, which includes Ivy League institutions.
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The CSC Academic All-America program recognizes honorees for excellence in the classroom and on the field of competition in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA. To be eligible for Academic All-American status, student-athletes must have at least a 3.50 cumulative grade point average and must be at least a sophomore academically and athletically. The All-American teams are then voted on by the College Sports Communicators from a list of regional honorees. Botner and Peck were selected as All-Americans from a list of eight Grizzlies to earn Academic All-District honors.
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Botner was presented the Doris Robinson Award for the top scholar in FCS Football in Nashville earlier this month after earning three Bachelor of Science degrees (with Magna Cum Laude honors in each) in Biochemistry (Health Professions), Biology (Human Biological Sciences) and Neuroscience (Cellular and Molecular), as well as a minor in Physics and most recently a certificate in Business Entrepreneurship. All the while he maintained a 3.70 GPA. He was the starting center for most of the season on one of the most prolific offenses in Montana history, helping pave the way for a record setting pass and rush attack. He is currently working his way through the medical school application process with hopes of becoming an orthopedic surgeon.
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Peck is now a two-time CSC Academic All-American after earning the same honor in 2024 following his junior season at Carroll College. As a grad transfer to Montana in 2025 he led the Grizzly defense in sacks (4.5), was second in QB hurries (4) and was third in TFLs (8) in 2025. He earned first team All-Big Sky defensive honors at UM and was a two-time All-American and the Frontier Conference Defensive Player of the Year at Carroll. He maintained a 3.70 GPA with a degree in biology, a minor in chemistry, and graduate certificate in business, and is also currently working through the med school application process with an eye toward orthopedics.
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Together, Botner and Peck are Montana's 39th and 40th all-time Academic All-Americans dating back to the early years of the program in 1970. Montana has far and away produced the most Academic All-Americans in Big Sky Conference history with 40, outpacing Montana State's 24 selections and Eastern Washington's 11. The Griz have also totaled the second-most Academic All-Big Sky honorees with 729.
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Academic success has been a cornerstone of Bobby Hauck's tenure at Montana. Since returning to UM in 2018 his Grizzlies have had eight Academic All-America selections and pair of honorees in both 2024 and 2025. In that time the Griz have also done what is nearly unthinkable in college football circles: posting an average team GPA of 3.00 or better in now 15 consecutive semesters.
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Whitefish native Dillon Botner – the FCS Scholar-Athlete of the Year – was one of just 25 players in all of D-I football named First Team Academic All-American, while defensive lineman Hunter Peck was named to the second team.
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The Grizzly duo is half of just four players from the Big Sky Conference to be named to one of the two All-America teams, and are two of 16 honorees from the FCS, which includes Ivy League institutions.
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The CSC Academic All-America program recognizes honorees for excellence in the classroom and on the field of competition in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA. To be eligible for Academic All-American status, student-athletes must have at least a 3.50 cumulative grade point average and must be at least a sophomore academically and athletically. The All-American teams are then voted on by the College Sports Communicators from a list of regional honorees. Botner and Peck were selected as All-Americans from a list of eight Grizzlies to earn Academic All-District honors.
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Botner was presented the Doris Robinson Award for the top scholar in FCS Football in Nashville earlier this month after earning three Bachelor of Science degrees (with Magna Cum Laude honors in each) in Biochemistry (Health Professions), Biology (Human Biological Sciences) and Neuroscience (Cellular and Molecular), as well as a minor in Physics and most recently a certificate in Business Entrepreneurship. All the while he maintained a 3.70 GPA. He was the starting center for most of the season on one of the most prolific offenses in Montana history, helping pave the way for a record setting pass and rush attack. He is currently working his way through the medical school application process with hopes of becoming an orthopedic surgeon.
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Peck is now a two-time CSC Academic All-American after earning the same honor in 2024 following his junior season at Carroll College. As a grad transfer to Montana in 2025 he led the Grizzly defense in sacks (4.5), was second in QB hurries (4) and was third in TFLs (8) in 2025. He earned first team All-Big Sky defensive honors at UM and was a two-time All-American and the Frontier Conference Defensive Player of the Year at Carroll. He maintained a 3.70 GPA with a degree in biology, a minor in chemistry, and graduate certificate in business, and is also currently working through the med school application process with an eye toward orthopedics.
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Together, Botner and Peck are Montana's 39th and 40th all-time Academic All-Americans dating back to the early years of the program in 1970. Montana has far and away produced the most Academic All-Americans in Big Sky Conference history with 40, outpacing Montana State's 24 selections and Eastern Washington's 11. The Griz have also totaled the second-most Academic All-Big Sky honorees with 729.
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Academic success has been a cornerstone of Bobby Hauck's tenure at Montana. Since returning to UM in 2018 his Grizzlies have had eight Academic All-America selections and pair of honorees in both 2024 and 2025. In that time the Griz have also done what is nearly unthinkable in college football circles: posting an average team GPA of 3.00 or better in now 15 consecutive semesters.
2025 Academic All-America Football Team - NCAA Division I
| First Team | |||||
| Pos. | Name | School                                         | Yr.   | GPA     | Major |
| QB | Blake Horvath | U.S. Naval Academy | Sr. | 3.69 | Operations Research |
| WR | Duce Robinson | Florida State University | Jr. | 3.82 | Social Science |
| WR | Carnell Tate | Ohio State University | Jr. | 3.50 | Sports Industry |
| WR | Bryce Lance | North Dakota State University | Sr. | 3.78/3.87 | Marketing (U) / Business Administration (G) |
| RB | Jonah Coleman | University of Washington | Sr. | 3.93 | Education Studies: Sports & Education |
| TE | Boden Groen | University of Kansas | Gr. | 4.00/4.00 | Business Administration |
| OL | Titan Fleischmann | Montana State University | Jr. | 3.81/4.00 | Political Science (U) / Exercise & Nutrition Science (G) |
| OL | Kadyn Proctor | University of Alabama | Jr. | 3.76 | Sport Management |
| OL | Dillon Botner | University of Montana | Gr. | 3.70/3.70 | Biochemistry, Biology, & Neuroscience |
| OL | James Brockermeyer | University of Miami (FL) | Sr. | 4.00 | Exploratory Arts & Sciences |
| OL | Connor McLaughlin | University of South Florida | Gr. | 3.78/4.00 | Civil Engineering |
| DB | Dillon Thieneman | Oregon | Jr. | 3.95 | Business Administration |
| DB | Tanner Wall | BYU | Sr. | 3.82/4.00 | Finance (U) / Business Administration (G) |
| DB | Robert Fitzgerald | University of Northwestern | Jr. | 3.76 | Learning & Organizational Change |
| DB | Ty Bryant | University of Kentucky | Jr. | 3.77 | Communication |
| DL | Kobe Clayborne | South Dakota State University | Sr. | 4.00/4.00 | Economics |
| DL | Jordan van den Berg | Georgia Tech | Gr. | 3.78/3.57 | International Affairs, Science & Technology |
| DL | Akheem Mesidor | University of Miami (FL) | Gr. | 3.71 | Liberal Studies |
| DL | James Reinbold | Cornell University | Sr. | 4.00 | Government & Performing & Media Arts |
| LB | Keyshaun Elliott | Arizona State University | Sr. | 3.91 | Liberal Studies |
| LB | Jaxton Eck | University of New Mexico | Jr. | 3.90 | Liberal Arts & Integrative Studies |
| LB | John Perdue | Brown University | Sr. | 4.00 | Computer Science & Economics |
| K | Kansei Matsuzawa | University of Hawai'i | Sr. | 3.68 | Interdisciplinary Studies |
| P | Alec Clark | Tulane University | So. | 4.00 | Economics |
| ST | Mark Langston | Indiana University | Gr. | 3.72/3.60 | Business Administration (G) |
| Second Team | |||||
| Pos.                  | Name | School                                         | Yr.   | GPA     | Major |
| QB | Parker Navarro | Ohio University | Gr. | 3.96/3.97 | Management (G) |
| WR | Keagan Johnson | University of New Mexico | Sr. | 3.94 | Liberal Arts & Integrative Studies |
| WR | Jacob De Jesus | California | Sr. | 3.67 | Business Marketing |
| WR | Hank Beatty | University of Illinois | Sr. | 3.87 | Marketing |
| RB | Mark Fletcher | University of Miami (FL) | Jr. | 3.53 | Sport Administration |
| TE | Sage Ennis | University of Virginia | Gr. | 3.88/3.92 | Leadership Certificate |
| OL | Konstantin Spörk | Dartmouth College | Sr. | 3.74 | Engineering |
| OL | Xavier Jennings | Mercer University | Gr. | 3.783.83 | Business Administration (G) |
| OL | Markel Bell | University of Miami (FL) | Sr. | 3.78 | American Studies |
| OL | Gennings Dunker | University of Iowa | Sr. | 3.59 | Human Physiology |
| OL | Jeremy Perkins | Southern Utah University | Jr. | 3.94 | Mathematics Education |
| DB | Brice Pollock | Texas Tech | Jr. | 3.71 | Leadership Studies |
| DB | Dylan Rowsey | Murray State University | Jr. | 4.00 | Agricultural Business |
| DB | Bray Hubbard | University of Alabama | Jr. | 3.53 | Sport Management |
| DB | Maximus Pulley | Wofford College | Sr. | 3.64 | Sociology & Anthropology |
| DL | Edward Vesterinen | West Virginia University | Gr. | 3.72/4.00 | Business (U) / Sport Management (G) |
| DL | Hunter Peck | University of Montana | Gr. | 3.70/3.70 | Biology (U) / Business (G) |
| DL | Kenneth Eiden IV | Montana State University | Sr. | 3.53 | Accounting |
| DL | Emmanuel Oyebadejo | Jacksonville State | Jr. | 3.82 | Professional Biology |
| LB | Sammy Brown | Clemson University | So. | 3.98 | Biological Sciences |
| LB | Shane Hartzell | Villanova University | Gr. | 3.89 | Public Administration (G) |
| LB | Koby-Sebasyen King | East Texas A&M University | Sr. | 4.00 | Business Administration |
| K | Nate Reed | University of Delaware | Gr. | 4.00/4.00 | Statistics |
| P | Max Pelham | South Dakota State University | Sr. | 3.64 | Civil Engineering |
| ST | David Neuberger | University of North Dakota | Sr. | 4.00 | Kinesiology |
Players Mentioned
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