DeKALB, Illinois – Twenty-one members of the Northern Illinois University football team were named to the 2022 Academic All Mid-American Conference team Monday, led by tight end Liam Soraghan (Dearborn, Mich./Divine Child), the seventh Huskie all-time to be a four-time Academic All-MAC honoree.
 
NIU's 21 selections ranked second among all league schools behind Eastern Michigan's 23 players.
 
Five Huskies earned their third Academic All-MAC recognition with offensive linemen J.J. Lippe (Milwaukee, Wis./Whitefish Bay HS) and Leif Engstrand (Oconomowoc, Wis./Oconomowoc HS), linebacker Nick Rattin (Palatine, Ill./Fremd HS) and tight end Tristen Tewes (Pleasant Plains, Ill./Pleasant Plains HS) adding the 2022 honor after previously qualifying for the team in 2020 and 2021, while super senior linebacker Kyle Pugh (Chicago Heights, Ill./Bloom Township HS) achieved the GPA and playing time minimums in 2016 and 2020 in addition to this year.
 
Seven student-athletes made the squad for the second time, including defensive linemen Ivan Davis (Canton, Mich./Plymouth HS), Michael Kennedy (Chicago, Ill./Mt. Carmel HS), Jacob Waskow (Canton, Ill./Canton HS), Raishein Thomas (Racine, Wis./Washington Park HS) and Pierce Oppong (Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson HS), along with offensive lineman Nolan Potter (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Washington HS) and wide receiver Cole Tucker (DeKalb, Ill./DeKalb HS).   
   
C.J. Brown, Sophomore, Leadership and Management, 3.351 GPA
Evan Buss, Sophomore, Mechanical Engineering, 3.808 GPA
Ivan Davis, Sophomore, Kinesiology, 3.45 GPA*
Leif Engstrand, Sophomore (R), History, 3.833 GPA*$
Tom Foley, Sophomore (R), Finance, 3.583 GPA
Isaac Hatfield, Freshman (R), Kinesiology, 3.419 GPA
Michael Kennedy, Senior (R), Business Administration, 3.811 GPA*
Brock Lampe, Freshman (R), Health Science-Pre-Physical Therapy, 3.882 GPA
J.J. Lippe, Sophomore (R), Leadership and Management, 3.723 GPA*$
Cyrus McGarrell, Freshman (R), Business Administration, 3.33 GPA
Pete Nygra, Freshman (R), Kinesiology, 3.792 GPA
Pierce Oppong, Sophomore, Mechanical Engineering, 3.575 GPA*
Nolan Potter, Junior (R), Sport Management, 3.328 GPA*
Kyle Pugh, Senior (R), Sport and Exercise Psychology, 3.445 GPA$^
Nick Rattin, Junior, Finance, 3.529 GPA*$
Dayven Shinhoster, Sophomore, Political Science-Public Law, 3.29 GPA
Liam Soraghan, Senior (R), Business Administration, 3.833 GPA*$#
Tristen Tewes, Sophomore (R), Environmental Studies, 3.885 GPA*$
Raishein Thomas, Sophomore, Kinesiology, 3.479 GPA*
Cole Tucker, Senior (R), Business Administration, 3.511 GPA*
Jacob Waskow, Sophomore, Kinesiology, 3.467 GPA*
 
*2021 Academic All-MAC
$2020 Academic All-MAC
#2019 Academic All-MAC
^2016 Academic All-MAC
 
In order to qualify for the Academic All-MAC team, student-athletes must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 or above and have played in 50 percent of the team's games during the season. Players must be in their second year at the school as true freshmen and transfers are not eligible for the team.  
 
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