School-Record 45 Spartans Named to Football Academic All-Big Ten Team
12/14/2021 2:00:00 PM | Football
Second-straight year setting school record, bettering last year’s 33 honorees.
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- For the second-straight season, Michigan State football set a program record with 45 Spartan football players being named to the 2021 Academic All-Big Ten Team, the conference office announced on Tuesday.
To be eligible for Academic All-Big Ten selection, students must be on a varsity team, be enrolled full-time at the institution for a minimum of 12 months, and carry a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or higher.
Â
Michigan State's list of honorees includes 18 multi-year selections. Three Spartans – AJ Arcuri, Luke Campbell and Matt Coghlin – were named to the Academic All-Big Ten team for the fifth time, joining a group of just five Spartans in program history to earn that distinction (Jake Hartbarger, Brandon Sowards).
Drew Beesley, Blake Bueter, Michael Dowell and Parks Gissinger are on the academic all-conference team for the third time, while Adam Berghorst, Evan Brunning, J.D. Duplain, Michael Fletcher, Maverick Hansen, Cade McDonald, Evan Morris, James Ohonba, Nick Samac, Payton Thorne, Dan VanOpstall and Torrell Williams made the honor roll for the second time.
This marks the third time in the last four seasons of setting new a school record of Academic All-Big Ten selections, including last year's 33, along with 31 in 2018.
2021 Michigan State Football Academic All-Big Ten Team
Player, Times Selected, Major, Hometown
AJ Arcuri, (5), Packaging, Powell, Ohio
Drew Beesley, (3), Sport Coaching and Leadership, Rochester Hills, Mich.
Adam Berghorst, (2), Communication, Zeeland, Mich.
Sebastian Brown, (1), Advertising Management, Detroit, Mich.
Evan Brunning, (2), Hospitality Business, Oxford, Mich.
Blake Bueter, (3), Packaging, Howell, Mich.
Luke Campbell, (5), Sport Coaching and Leadership, Lewis Center, Ohio
Matt Coghlin, (5), Business Analytics, Cincinnati, Ohio
Aubrey Dawkins, (1), Journalism, Verona, Wis.
Cole DeMarzo, (1), Business, Hilton Head Island, S.C.
Zach Denha, (1), Business, Rochester Hills, Mich.
Michael Dowell, (3), Finance, North Ridgeville, Ohio
J.D. Duplain, (2), Communication, Strongsville, Ohio
Donovan Eaglin, (1), Business, Rosharon, Texas
Sam Edwards, (1), Political Theory, Williamston, Mich.
Dallas Fincher, (1), Journalism, Kentwood, Mich.
Michael Fletcher, (2), Criminal Justice, Flint, Mich.
Montorie Foster, (1), Kinesiology, Cleveland, Ohio
Zach Gillespie, (1), Exploratory Preference, East Lansing, Mich.
Parks Gissinger, (3), Marketing, Los Angeles, Calif.
Angelo Grose, (1), Interdisciplinary Studies in Social Science, Mansfield, Ohio
Cal Haladay, (1), Chemical Engineering, Elysburg, Pa.
Tate Hallock, (1), Advertising Management, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Maverick Hansen, (2), Hospitality Business, Farmington Hills, Mich.
Noah Kim, (1), Advertising Management, Centreville, Va.
Kyle King, (1), Advertising Management, Greenfield, Ind.
Terry Lockett Jr., (1), Business, Minneapolis, Minn.
Joseph Martinez, (1), Business, Holt, Mich.
Cade McDonald, (2), Marketing, Naperville, Ill.
Evan Morris, (2), Interdisciplinary Studies in Social Science, Elsie, Mich.
Jackson Morse, (1), Business, East Lansing, Mich.
Tre Mosley, (1), Advertising Management, Pontiac, Mich.
Kobe Myers, (1), Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Pontiac, Mich.
James Ohonba, (2), Criminal Justice, Stockbridge, Ga.
Jeff Pietrowski, (1), Business, Medina, Ohio
Nick Samac, (2), Communication, Mentor, Ohio
Andrew Schorfhaar, (1), Business, DeWitt, Mich.
Jordon Simmons, (1), Advertising Management, Marietta, Ga.
Zach Slade, (1), Kinesiology, Lewis Center, Ohio
Darius Snow, (1), Graphic Design, Frisco, Texas
Ian Stewart, (1), Business, Woodhaven, Mich.
Payton Thorne, (2), Communication, Naperville, Ill.
Dan VanOpstall, (2), Economics, Jenison, Mich.
Justin White, (1), Communication, Agoura Hills, Calif.
Torrell Williams, (2), Human Capital and Society, Detroit, Mich.
Â
To be eligible for Academic All-Big Ten selection, students must be on a varsity team, be enrolled full-time at the institution for a minimum of 12 months, and carry a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or higher.
Â
Michigan State's list of honorees includes 18 multi-year selections. Three Spartans – AJ Arcuri, Luke Campbell and Matt Coghlin – were named to the Academic All-Big Ten team for the fifth time, joining a group of just five Spartans in program history to earn that distinction (Jake Hartbarger, Brandon Sowards).
Drew Beesley, Blake Bueter, Michael Dowell and Parks Gissinger are on the academic all-conference team for the third time, while Adam Berghorst, Evan Brunning, J.D. Duplain, Michael Fletcher, Maverick Hansen, Cade McDonald, Evan Morris, James Ohonba, Nick Samac, Payton Thorne, Dan VanOpstall and Torrell Williams made the honor roll for the second time.
This marks the third time in the last four seasons of setting new a school record of Academic All-Big Ten selections, including last year's 33, along with 31 in 2018.
2021 Michigan State Football Academic All-Big Ten Team
Player, Times Selected, Major, Hometown
AJ Arcuri, (5), Packaging, Powell, Ohio
Drew Beesley, (3), Sport Coaching and Leadership, Rochester Hills, Mich.
Adam Berghorst, (2), Communication, Zeeland, Mich.
Sebastian Brown, (1), Advertising Management, Detroit, Mich.
Evan Brunning, (2), Hospitality Business, Oxford, Mich.
Blake Bueter, (3), Packaging, Howell, Mich.
Luke Campbell, (5), Sport Coaching and Leadership, Lewis Center, Ohio
Matt Coghlin, (5), Business Analytics, Cincinnati, Ohio
Aubrey Dawkins, (1), Journalism, Verona, Wis.
Cole DeMarzo, (1), Business, Hilton Head Island, S.C.
Zach Denha, (1), Business, Rochester Hills, Mich.
Michael Dowell, (3), Finance, North Ridgeville, Ohio
J.D. Duplain, (2), Communication, Strongsville, Ohio
Donovan Eaglin, (1), Business, Rosharon, Texas
Sam Edwards, (1), Political Theory, Williamston, Mich.
Dallas Fincher, (1), Journalism, Kentwood, Mich.
Michael Fletcher, (2), Criminal Justice, Flint, Mich.
Montorie Foster, (1), Kinesiology, Cleveland, Ohio
Zach Gillespie, (1), Exploratory Preference, East Lansing, Mich.
Parks Gissinger, (3), Marketing, Los Angeles, Calif.
Angelo Grose, (1), Interdisciplinary Studies in Social Science, Mansfield, Ohio
Cal Haladay, (1), Chemical Engineering, Elysburg, Pa.
Tate Hallock, (1), Advertising Management, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Maverick Hansen, (2), Hospitality Business, Farmington Hills, Mich.
Noah Kim, (1), Advertising Management, Centreville, Va.
Kyle King, (1), Advertising Management, Greenfield, Ind.
Terry Lockett Jr., (1), Business, Minneapolis, Minn.
Joseph Martinez, (1), Business, Holt, Mich.
Cade McDonald, (2), Marketing, Naperville, Ill.
Evan Morris, (2), Interdisciplinary Studies in Social Science, Elsie, Mich.
Jackson Morse, (1), Business, East Lansing, Mich.
Tre Mosley, (1), Advertising Management, Pontiac, Mich.
Kobe Myers, (1), Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Pontiac, Mich.
James Ohonba, (2), Criminal Justice, Stockbridge, Ga.
Jeff Pietrowski, (1), Business, Medina, Ohio
Nick Samac, (2), Communication, Mentor, Ohio
Andrew Schorfhaar, (1), Business, DeWitt, Mich.
Jordon Simmons, (1), Advertising Management, Marietta, Ga.
Zach Slade, (1), Kinesiology, Lewis Center, Ohio
Darius Snow, (1), Graphic Design, Frisco, Texas
Ian Stewart, (1), Business, Woodhaven, Mich.
Payton Thorne, (2), Communication, Naperville, Ill.
Dan VanOpstall, (2), Economics, Jenison, Mich.
Justin White, (1), Communication, Agoura Hills, Calif.
Torrell Williams, (2), Human Capital and Society, Detroit, Mich.
Â
Players Mentioned
DL
/ Football
TE
/ Football
WR
/ Football
DT
/ Football
OL
/ Football
OT
/ Football
K
/ Football
WR
/ Football
LB
/ Football
DB
/ Football
S
/ Football
OL
/ Football
RB
/ Football
LB
/ Football
OL
/ Football
DE
/ Football
WR
/ Football
QB
/ Football
DE
/ Football
S
/ Football
LB
/ Football
S
/ Football
DT
/ Football
P
/ Football
WR
/ Football
WR
/ Football
WR
/ Football
TE
/ Football
TE
/ Football
WR
/ Football
S
/ Football
/ Football
DE
/ Football
C
/ Football
QB
/ Football
RB
/ Football
DE
/ Football
S
/ Football
WR
/ Football
WR
/ Football
QB
/ Football
OT
/ Football
CB
/ Football
DB
/ FootballJonathan Smith | Football Press Conference | Oct. 6, 2025
Monday, October 06
Jonathan Smith Post Game Comments | Nebraska
Sunday, October 05
Jonathan Smith | Football Press Conference | Sep. 29 2025
Monday, September 29
Jonathan Smith Postgame Comments | USC
Sunday, September 21