Frazier Becomes WVU’s 12th First Team Academic All-American
January 23, 2024 12:01 PM | Football
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia University senior center Zach Frazier has once again proven that the words "scholar" and "athlete" can co-exist.
Today, Frazier was one of 27 Division I football players recognized on the College Sports Communicators (CSC) 2023 Football Academic All-America Team. Frazier's stellar classroom work includes a 3.88 grade point average in sport management at WVU.
His on-field work is well known to everyone as the Fairmont resident earned first team All-America honors by Action Network and second-team status by several others, including The Sporting News, USA Today and The Athletic.
The three-time First Team All-Big 12 performer anchored a starting offensive line that led all power conference teams in rushing with an average of 228.9 yards per game and No. 2 among power conference schools in the fewest sacks allowed with an average of 0.75 per contest.
Frazier led the team with 57 knockdown blocks and amassed 174 over the last three seasons, easily the most of any WVU player. His courageous act of hopping off the field after suffering a broken foot on the team's final drive helped preserved enough time for West Virginia to come back to defeat Baylor 34-31.
"This is how smart he is and how tough he is; he limps off the field because he knows that's a 10-second runoff … I think that speaks to his intelligence, how tough he is and what a great player he is," West Virginia coach Neal Brown said after the Baylor victory.
"I can't say enough about Zach Frazier," Brown added. "I'm so appreciative of him and his family, and I think one play sums up who he is for his entire career. And I just hope our fan base really understands and appreciates the young man from Fairmont because I think he's the best center in college football."
Frazier was unable to play in the bowl-game victory over North Carolina but was instrumental in West Virginia achieving nine wins – the most under Brown in five seasons at WVU – and returning to the top 25 in the final coaches' poll released after the season.
It is Frazier's off-the-field work in the classroom and in the community, however, that is equally deserving of praise.
He becomes the 31st Academic All-American and just the 12th first team choice in school history. The three-time team captain joins a list of Mountaineer gridiron academic standouts that includes quarterback Fred Wyant, tackle Sam Huff, quarterbacks Oliver Luck and Jeff Hostetler and center Mike Compton.
Last month, Frazier was only the eighth player in school history to be named a finalist for the William V. Campbell Award presented to college football's most outstanding scholar-athlete. He received an $18,000 post-graduate scholarship and attended the award ceremonies in Las Vegas using a cart to get around because of his injured foot.
Frazier was also a semifinalist for the Wuerffel Trophy honoring college football's most impactful leaders in the community and was a semifinalist for the Jason Witten Man of the Year Award as well.
Unable to participate in this year's Senior Bowl while he continues to recuperate, Frazier has now turned his attention to this spring's NFL Draft where he is considered a top center prospect.
One recent draft projection listed him as a potential late second-round pick.
Frazier, Kansas State's Ben Sinnott and Cooper Beebe, Iowa State's Beau Freyler and Oklahoma State's Alex Hale were the other players from Big 12 schools recognized on the Academic All-America First Team.
Today, Frazier was one of 27 Division I football players recognized on the College Sports Communicators (CSC) 2023 Football Academic All-America Team. Frazier's stellar classroom work includes a 3.88 grade point average in sport management at WVU.
His on-field work is well known to everyone as the Fairmont resident earned first team All-America honors by Action Network and second-team status by several others, including The Sporting News, USA Today and The Athletic.
The three-time First Team All-Big 12 performer anchored a starting offensive line that led all power conference teams in rushing with an average of 228.9 yards per game and No. 2 among power conference schools in the fewest sacks allowed with an average of 0.75 per contest.
Frazier led the team with 57 knockdown blocks and amassed 174 over the last three seasons, easily the most of any WVU player. His courageous act of hopping off the field after suffering a broken foot on the team's final drive helped preserved enough time for West Virginia to come back to defeat Baylor 34-31.
"This is how smart he is and how tough he is; he limps off the field because he knows that's a 10-second runoff … I think that speaks to his intelligence, how tough he is and what a great player he is," West Virginia coach Neal Brown said after the Baylor victory.
"I can't say enough about Zach Frazier," Brown added. "I'm so appreciative of him and his family, and I think one play sums up who he is for his entire career. And I just hope our fan base really understands and appreciates the young man from Fairmont because I think he's the best center in college football."
Frazier was unable to play in the bowl-game victory over North Carolina but was instrumental in West Virginia achieving nine wins – the most under Brown in five seasons at WVU – and returning to the top 25 in the final coaches' poll released after the season.
It is Frazier's off-the-field work in the classroom and in the community, however, that is equally deserving of praise.
He becomes the 31st Academic All-American and just the 12th first team choice in school history. The three-time team captain joins a list of Mountaineer gridiron academic standouts that includes quarterback Fred Wyant, tackle Sam Huff, quarterbacks Oliver Luck and Jeff Hostetler and center Mike Compton.
Last month, Frazier was only the eighth player in school history to be named a finalist for the William V. Campbell Award presented to college football's most outstanding scholar-athlete. He received an $18,000 post-graduate scholarship and attended the award ceremonies in Las Vegas using a cart to get around because of his injured foot.
Frazier was also a semifinalist for the Wuerffel Trophy honoring college football's most impactful leaders in the community and was a semifinalist for the Jason Witten Man of the Year Award as well.
Unable to participate in this year's Senior Bowl while he continues to recuperate, Frazier has now turned his attention to this spring's NFL Draft where he is considered a top center prospect.
One recent draft projection listed him as a potential late second-round pick.
Frazier, Kansas State's Ben Sinnott and Cooper Beebe, Iowa State's Beau Freyler and Oklahoma State's Alex Hale were the other players from Big 12 schools recognized on the Academic All-America First Team.
Players Mentioned
OL
/ FootballRich Rodriguez | Dec. 3
Wednesday, December 03
Reid Carrico | Nov. 29
Saturday, November 29
Jeff Weimer | Nov. 29
Saturday, November 29
Rich Rodriguez | Nov. 29
Saturday, November 29
