Harold Mitchell, Special to the HeraldBYU junior Keelan Marion returns a kickoff during the Big 12 game against Arizona State at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe, Arizona, on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024.
BYU wide receiver and kick returner Keelan Marion was named to the Pro Football Focus All-America Team as the return specialist. Marion was one of 27 student-athletes named to the 2024 PFF team.
A junior from Atlanta, Georgia, Marion is also one of three finalists for the Jet Award, which honors the premier return specialist in college football. The winner of award will be announced following the FBS national title game on January 21, 2025.
Marion is the FBS co-leader in kickoff touchdowns with two and is 12th nationally in yards per return at 26.2. He has returned 18 kickoffs for 472 yards. Following his 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown at Utah, Marion was named the Jet Award return specialist of the week on Nov. 11. His other kick return for a touchdown was for 100 yards against Wyoming in week three of the season.
In addition, Marion has 23 catches for 340 yards and a score in 2024, averaging 14.8 yards per reception as a receiver. He also has added 18 carries for 95 yards and two additional touchdowns.
Three other Big 12 Conference student-athletes joined Marion on the PFF All-America Team, including wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan of Arizona, defensive tackle Spencer Fano of Utah and flex receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter of Colorado.
Led by region freshman of the year Alex Bower, BYU women's volleyball had three student-athletes earn American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-West Region honors, the organized announced on Tuesday morning.
With their young setter Bower tabbed West Region Freshman of the Year, the Cougars also had outside hitter Claire Little named to the All-West Region First Team and middle blocker Brielle Kemavor earn All-West Region Honorable Mention.
The trio helped BYU to its 13th-straight NCAA Tournament appearance and a sixth-place finish in the Big 12 as the Cougars posted a 19-10 (12-6 Big 12) record on the season.
Being placed in the AVCA Southwest Region last year after representing the Pacific South Region for a number of years previously, BYU will now reside in the West Region as the AVCA opted to realign its regions to display state lines as opposed to conference affiliation.
Bower, also a Big 12 All-Rookie honoree and two-time Big 12 Rookie of the Week, set the Cougars' rally-scoring era freshman assist record this season with 1,131 assists, surpassing her older sister and BYU alum, Whitney Bower's previous record of 1,070.
The setter from Nampa, Idaho posted 11 double-doubles across the Cougars' 29 games in 2024, also breaking Whitney's freshman rally-era record for most double-doubles in a season. Bower led BYU to the nation's 34th-best hitting percentage at .259.
Now the third Cougar to be named region freshman of the year, Bower joins Heather Gneiting (2018) and McKenna Miller (2016) as BYU freshmen to earn a region award.
An All-Big 12 First Team honoree, Little led the Cougars with 427 kills, averaging 3.88 per set. The outside hitter finished third in the Big 12 in total kills, kills per set and points per set (4.39), ranking No. 72 nationally in kills per set.
Hailing from Winchester, California, Little finished in double figures in 24 matches, recorded team-high kills in 21 matches, and posted six double-doubles. The sophomore hit .275 on the year, contributing to BYU's .259 season hitting percentage.
Also named to the All-Big 12 First Team, Kemavor is a two-time Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week who led the league in both total blocks (166) and blocks per set (1.47), statistics she ranks No. 7 and No. 11 nationally in, respectively.
The Bristow, Virginia product carded three double-doubles this season, tying BYU's rally-scoring era for most double-doubles by a middle blocker in a single season and career. Kemavor led the team in blocks in 21 matches, also finishing with double-digit kills in eight matches.
This is the first all-region award for all three Cougars. It also marks the 14th-conseuctive season that BYU has had at least one player earn an all-region honor.
Utah Valley redshirt senior forward Omar Yehya has been named first team Academic All-America by College Sports Communicators, the organization announced in a release on Tuesday.
Yehya, a business major from Redlands, Calif., put up one of the most impressive offensive seasons in Utah Valley men's soccer history in 2024. Yehya scored a WAC-leading 12 goals and added three assists for a total of 27 points, tying the program record. Yehya's 12 goals were the most scored in a regular season in program history and second most overall. Yehya currently has a 4.0 cumulative GPA.
Yehya is the fourth different Wolverine to be named Academic All-America in men's soccer and the first since Zach Maas and Mark Brown in spring 2021. Yehya also joins Maas as the only men's soccer player to be named to the Academic All-America first team.
Yehya's Academic All-America selection is the 10th for a UVU student-athlete in the school's Division I era, and the fifth for men's soccer.
In addition, Yehya has been named first team All-Far West region by the United Soccer Coaches, the organization announced on Tuesday.
Yehya's All-Region nod is the 14th in the program's history and first since Blake Frischknecht and Ahmed Longmire in 2019. Yehya is also the fifth to earn first team honors.
Yehya will now advance to the USC All-America ballot, which will be announced in about a week.