DENVER, Colo. – The Colorado State University Pueblo football team had a total of 28 players named the annual National Football Foundation Colorado Chapter (NFFCC) All-Academic Teams that were announced on April 5 by the organization.

The ThunderWolves placed 22 players on the first team and had another six players named to the honorable mention squad. The 28 players selected were was tied for fourth among the Centennial State's 10 football programs across all NCAA Divisions. The Pack's 22 first team selections was tied with Western Colorado for third most in the state. First-Team Academic All-Colorado selections hold cumulative GPA's of 3.3 or above, while Honorable Mention All-Colorado selections having GPA's from 3.0-3.29.

Overall, a record 291 student-athletes were named Academic All-Colorado (184 first-team, 107 honorable mention) this season. Eighteen members of the first-team were also selected either first- or second-team All-Colorado for  their play on the field in 2023, including all three players of the year: John Matocha, Colorado School of Mines (offense), Mohamed Kamara, Colorado State (defense) and Blake Doud, Colorado Schoo of Mines (special teams).

Colorado Mesa led the way with 54 overall selections, including a state-best 39 first-team selections. In addition to Colorado Mesa, Colorado School of Mines was second with 43 overall selections, including 32 first-teamers, while Western Colorado was third with 32 overall selections and 22 first-team honorees. Colorado State was sixth with 25 (12 first-team) overall selections and the University of Colorado was seventh with 23 (14 first-team) overall selections. Air Force was eighth with 21 (8 first-team) overall selections, Fort Lewis was ninth with 20 (13 first-team) selections and Adams State was 10th with 17 (7 first-team) selections.

In addition, sophomore receiver Zack Rakowsky (Loveland, Colo./Loveland) was one of 10 finalists for the Colorado Chapter/National Football Foundation's Scholar-Athlete of the Year. The average grade point average for the 10 finalists for the Scholar-Athlete of the Year award computed to a 3.72.

Rakowsky, who was a Second-Team College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-American and an Honorable Mention All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference selection, caught a team-leading 58 passes for 769 yards and had six touchdown receptions. His 58 receptions were second-most on the school's single season charts, while his 769 receiving yards are seventh on the school's single season charts. Rakowsky, who carries a 3.739 cumulative GPA in health sciences, tallied three 100-plus yard receiving games and ranked third in the RMAC in receptions per game (5.3) and was eighth in receiving yards (769). Also recorded six games with five or more receptions and had two games with 10 or more receptions and ranked 10th in the league in touchdown receptions.

Colorado School of Mines senior linebacker Nolan Reeve was named the 2023 Colorado Chapter/NFF Scholar-Athlete of the Year as the CSC Academic All-American of the Year for Division II football carries a 3.77 GPA in his Master's Studies in Additive Manufacturing. He also earned his bachelor's degree from Mines in Mechanical Engineering.

CSU Pueblo's First-Team Academic All-Colorado selections along with Rakowsky were redshirt freshman running back/return specialist Moosah Alsaffar (3.88, Accounting), senior offensive lineman Cade Chapman (3.33, Exercise Science), redshirt junior receiver Andrew Cook (3.80, Economics), senior quarterback Steven Croell (3.51/Business Management & Marketing), sophomore tight end Tyler Dvorak (3.73/Pre-Business), freshman defensive back Donovan English (3.77/Pre-Business), freshman offensive lineman Tyler Ethridge (3.50/Computer Information Systems), junior linebacker Wilde Germano (3.84/Business Management), sophomore receiver Nate Gravagno (3.93/Exercise Science), freshman defensive back Donovan Guyton (3.48/Pre-Business), sophomore punter Andre Haddad (4.00/Exercise Science), junior tight end Curtis Luckadoo (3.57/Exercise Science), freshman kicker Evan Lyons (4.00/Pre-Business), junior linebacker Jon Nuschy (3.62/Business Management), junior defensive back Isaiah Pittman (3.95/Health Sciences), redshirt freshman tight end Colton Rose (3.49/Biology), junior running back Howard Russell (3.75/Criminology), freshman linebacker Gary Seidenberger (3.33/Construction Management), junior defensive lineman Kaden Shelton (3.88/Business Management), freshman linebacker Miles Sprague (3.56/Pre-Business) and junior defensive lineman James Turrentine (3.50/Exercise Science).

The Pack players named Academic All-Colorado Honorable Mention were junior defensive back Isaiah Hereford (3.05/Business Administration), sophomore offensive lineman Domingo Prince II (3.07/Undeclared), sophomore receiver/return specialist Dorion McGarity (3.04/Criminology), graduate student defensive back Alec Prince (3.25/MBA), senior running back Adrian Soto (3.28/Undeclared) and sophomore kicker Jacob Willig (3.15/Business Management).