MOBILE, Ala. – For the third straight season, the University of South Alabama football program had multiple players honored for their work in the classroom with the announcement Thursday of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-District® Football Team.

Both Brian Ankerson and Gi'Narious Johnson were honored and will now be on the ballot for the organizaton's Academic All-America Team that will be announced next month.  Ankerson becomes the first individual in program history to earn CoSIDA academic all-district accolades on three different occasions while Johnson is the first Jaguar defensive lineman to be recognized since Jesse Kelley in 2014.

Ankerson — a senior from Theodore, Ala., who received his undergraduate degree from South in criminal justice and his master's degree in public administration — had the highest overall grade on team at the end of both the 2018 and '19 campaigns and was second on the squad last fall while concluding his career with 119 pancake blocks.  In addition to being named to the Rimington Trophy Watch List each of the last two years, the offensive lineman was USA's nominee for both the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team and the Wuerffel Trophy during that time as well.  After being named to the Sun Belt Conference Commissioner's List each of his first four seasons in the program, Ankerson was a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy in 2020.

In his first two years at South, Johnson has been credited with a total of 36 tackles with 4½ of those behind the line of scrimmage including 2½ sacks.  The junior was an honorable mention all-Sun Belt selection in the fall after finishing second among the team's defensive linemen with career-high totals of 23 stops and three for loss, which included a career-best five tackles against rival Troy in the season finale.  The Gulfport, Miss., resident — who made the SBC Commissioner's List following his first season at the university — is majoring in professional health sciences.

In order to be considered for honors individuals must have a cumulative grade-point average of 3.30 or higher, be a starter or important reserve, and must have sophomore status both academically and athletically.  The Jaguars' district includes the states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

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