Cullowhee, N.C. – A Western Carolina program-record eight student-athletes were named to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District NCAA Division I football team, which was released today by the organization.
 
Catamount senior offensive linemen Blake Whitmore and Xavier Graham, senior defensive lineman Micah Nelson, senior long-snapper Colby Cross, junior wide receiver AJ Colombo, redshirt sophomore tight end Jake Young, sophomore punter Stephen Brantley, and redshirt freshman defensive end Kenyon Partridge were each honored.
 
This year marks the third under the new selection parameters where all qualifying nominees submitted earn the all-district plaudits. WCU previously earned a program-high five all-district honors in both the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
 
Two Catamounts – Colby Cross (2023, 2024) and Micah Nelson (2022, 2024) – earned the second honors of their collegiate careers while WCU's remaining six student-athletes collected their first selection. Since 1975, 12 different Catamounts have been named Academic All-District with offensive lineman Jason Whaley selected a program-best three times.
 
Additionally, Blake Whitmore and Jake Young were denoted as CSC Academic All-America® finalists and will advance to the national ballot to be voted on by CSC members. WCU has had four student-athletes earn All-America honors all-time: Mike Wade (1975, 1976); Eddie Maddox (1984, 1985); Jason Whaley (2003); and Darius Ramsey (2014).
 
WCU's pair of upperclassmen offensive linemen helped the Catamounts amass over 5,000 yards of total offense for the fourth straight season, finishing with a program-record 5,665 yards in 2024. Originally from Niceville, Fla., Xavier Graham played in 11 games with 10 starts last season for the Catamounts. He had a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.50 and a graduate GPA of 3.67 while pursuing his Master of Business Administration.
 
Whitmore is a two-time WCU graduate who started each game for the Catamounts on the offensive front over the last three seasons – 2022 through 2024 – starting 39 of his 45 career games. The Raleigh product holds degrees in Integrated Health Science and Psychology from WCU with a 3.55 grade point average.
 
Redshirt senior Micah Nelson, nominated for the National Football Foundation (NFF) William V. Campbell Trophy for the nation's top football student-athlete, returned to the Catamount lineup after missing 2023 with an injury. He played in 11 games last season with 26 tackles including 10 solo stops and 6.5 for losses including a pair of sacks. The Murphy,  N.C., product boasts a 3.75 GPA while majoring in Health and Physical Education.
 
With a year of eligibility remaining, Nelson is expected to return to Cullowhee for the 2025 football season.
 
Long-snapper Colby Cross played in 12 of his 34 career games for the Catamounts in 2024, credited with a pair of tackles and forced a fumble against Campbell. The Mooresville, N.C., native had a cumulative GPA of 3.59 while majoring in Natural Resource and Conservation Management. Cross was named to the Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll four times and was selected to the NFF Hampshire Honor Society in 2023.
 
WCU's leading receiver last fall, AJ Colombo caught a team-best 61 passes in his 11 games in 2024 with 10 starts. The Waxhaw, N.C., product finished with 590 receiving yards to eclipse the career 1,000-yard mark, matching his single-season career-best with five touchdown catches to give him 10 in his career. A junior finance major, Colombo boasts a 3.95 cumulative GPA. Colombo has been named to the SoCon Academic Honor Roll twice, receiving a commissioner's medal in 2022 as a freshman.
 
Also hailing from Waxhaw, N.C., redshirt sophomore tight end Jake Young started all 12 games for the Catamounts last season. He finished with 28 receptions for 321 yards and his first two collegiate touchdowns. In the classroom, he has a 3.67 cumulative GPA as a finance major. Young, who has transferred to Charlotte through the portal, was named to the 2023-24 SoCon Academic Honor Roll back in 2023.
 
Second-year punter Stephen Brantley of Pilot Mountain, N.C., played in all 12 games, punting 47 times with a 41.9-yard average in 2024. He booted a career-long 65-yard punt at ETSU in the rivalry matchup with the Bucs. Majoring in construction management, Brantley had a cumulative grade point average of 3.72 at the time of nomination and was a SoCon academic honor roll recipient last year.
 
Kenyon Partridge, a redshirt freshman defensive lineman from Decatur, Ga., played in all 12 games last season as a defensive reserve. He was credited with nine total tackles including two for loss as sacks at Furman and against VMI. He also forced a fumble in WCU's home win over the Keydets. Partridge is in his second year at WCU and carries a 3.76 GPA while majoring in sport management. As a true freshman in 2023, Partridge was selected to the SoCon academic honor roll.
 
For more information about the CSC Academic All-District® and Academic All-America® Teams program, visit AcademicAllAmerica.com.
 
Keep track of everything related to Catamount football and WCU Athletics through its social media outlets on Facebook (FB.com/CatamountSports, FB.com/WesternCarolinaFootball), Twitter (@catamounts, @CatamountsFB), and Instagram (wcu_catamounts, catamountsfb).
 
Western Carolina's All-Time Academic All-District Selections:
1975: Mike Wade, LB
1976: Mike Wade, LB
1984: Eddie Maddox, RB
1985: Eddie Maddox, RB
1992: Thomas Jackson, OL
1993: Thomas Jackson, OL
1994: Chad Greene, QB
1995: Chad Greene, QB
2000: Caesar Campana, WR
2001: Pablo Abraham, DE; Jason Whaley, OL
2002: Jason Whaley, OL
2003: Jason Whaley, OL
2012: Conner Orr, TE; Clark Sechrest, P; Rock Williams, LB
2014: Darius Ramsey, RB; Richard Sigmon, PK
2015: Derrick Davis, DT; Darius Ramsey, RB; Daniel Riddle, LB
2016: Andrew Mayton, DE; A.J. Newman, LB
2017: A.J. Newman, LB
2022: Marlon Alexander, DL; Clayton Bardall, TE; Brandon Dickerson, P; Richard McCollum, PK; Micah Nelson, DE
2023: Marlon Alexander, DL; Clayton Bardall, TE; Colby Cross, LS; Richard McCollum, PK; Giovanni Ricciardi, LB
2024: Stephen Brantley, P; AJ Colombo, WR; Colby Cross, LS; Xavier Graham, OL; Micah Nelson, DE; Kenyon Partridge, DB; Blake Whitmore, OL; Jake Young, TE