Taylor Football Picks Up Eight Academic All-District Honors
UPLAND, Ind. – The Taylor football team once again secured the maximum number of College Sports Communicators NAIA Academic All-District honors recently, with eight student-athletes receiving the award. TU was one-of-14 teams from the NAIA to put the maximum of eight individuals on the list.
Jameson Chesser, Jacob Hockett, Hutson Hohlbein, Aven Jones, Reid Messer, Kyle Turanchick, Parker Whitby and David Worlds represented Taylor on the prestigious list.
Chesser earned his first CSC Academic All-District nod with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.79 in film and media production. The senior running back led the MSFA Mideast League with 1,174 rushing yards and 20 rushing scores, ranking fifth in the NAIA in those statistics.
Hockett took CSC Academic All-District honors for a third-straight year after posting a 3.86 GPA while working on a master's in higher education and student development. The senior linebacker posted his third-straight season with at least 70 tackles and eight hits for a loss.
Hohlbein joined Hockett in collecting a third Academic All-District nod for his 3.95 GPA in political science, philosophy and economics. The senior wide receiver averaged 13.7 yards per reception in 2024.
Jones added his first CSC All-District award on the heels of his All-American senior season. The linebacker boasts a 3.52 grade-point average in mechanical engineering and ranked second in the NAIA with 132 tackles and 12.1 tackles per game, leading the MSFA Mideast League in each.
Messer was recognized in his first year of eligibility for the honor with a 3.91 GPA in accounting. The sophomore safety posted career-highs across the board during his breakout season, ranking top three in the MSFA Mideast with four interceptions and 10 passes defended.
Turanchick also secured the CSC All-District award in his first year of eligibility for the honor, boasting a pristine 4.00 grade-point average in biology health science. In addition to his work in the classroom, the second-year back rushed for 5.8 yards per touch and nine scores.
Whitby closed his collegiate career with his first CSC Academic All-District nod, owning a 3.76 GPA in biology health sciences. The senior defensive end ranked second among all MSFA Mideast League players with 7.5 sacks and added 26 total tackles.
Worlds made the list in his first year of eligibility with a 3.77 GPA in sport management. The sophomore cornerback posted career-highs with 43 tackles, three takeaways and 13 passes defended, while also averaging 24.2 yards per kickoff return.
The CSC Academic All-District distinction is designed to recognize student-athletes for outstanding achievements in the classroom and on the field. To receive the honor, an athlete must have a cumulative grade-point average of 3.50 or higher on a 4.0 scale, must have reached sophomore status academically, and must have met the playing time criteria of 90-percent games played or 66-percent games started.
Each university is limited to eight individuals for the award and student-athletes are nominated for the honor by their own Sports Information Department.
Chesser, Hockett, Hohlbein, Jones, Messer, Turanchick, Whitby and Worlds will all advance to the ballot for CSC Academic All-American honors, which will be voted on by members of the CSC before being announced on January 28.
Those eight played major roles in No. 25 Taylor's historic turnaround campaign, which saw the Trojans rise from 2-9 in 2023 to 9-2 in 2024. The seven-win improvement marked a program record, while the nine victories were the second-best total in Taylor's history on the gridiron.