SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - The College Sports Communicators (CSC) announced their 2024 Academic All-District® Football team today with seven USF standouts making the list. This honor recognizes their performance both in the classroom and on the field, showcasing their dedication to both athletic and academic excellence. 

To qualify for Academic All-District® honors, student-athletes must meet rigorous eligibility criteria. Undergraduate student-athletes must have at least a 3.50 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale). Additionally, student-athletes must have competed in 90% of their team's games or started in at least 66% of them. 

Mark Leonard, Matt Goehring, Alex Macksam, Cade Morse, Dawson Raabe, Preston Yohnke and Travis Yohnke represent the Cougars on this year's Academic All-District® list with Leonard and Goehring advancing to the Acadmic All-America® ballot. 

About the Honorees 

Mark Leonard, a senior tight end, had his season cut short with an injury during the final quarter against Augustana. The two-time all-conference selection finished the season with 376 receiving yards on 21 receptions with three scores while averaging 17.9 yards per catch. The Rochester, Minnesota native finishes his career with 1,002 receiving yards on 73 receptions with nine touchdowns in 37 games played for The Coo. In the classroom, Leonard is a three-time NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence member, two-time CSC Academic All-District® honoree and two-time D2 ADA Academic Achievement Award winner. 

Matt Goehring, a redshirt sophomore linebacker, finished the season with a career-high 59 tackles along with five tackles for a loss of 10-yards. The Sioux Falls native added four game closing interceptions, three QB hurries and a pass break up. The two-time all-conference selection currently sits with 114 career tackles and 10 tackles for a loss of 10-yards. Goehring picked up NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence honors earlier this year and is also a two-time CSC Academic All-District® honoree and a D2 ADA Academic Achievement Award winner. 

Alex Macksam, a redshirt sophomore defensive lineman, closed the season with 11 games played for The Coo. Macksam added 18 tackles on the year with 6.5 tackles for a loss of 21-yards. Recently named to the 2024 NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence, Macksam has also earned the D2 ADA Academic Achievement Award for his academic excellence. 

Cade Morse, a redshirt freshman safety, helped lead the Cougar Defense with 40 tackles on the season with 1.5 tackles for a loss of 2-yards. Morse added five pass breakups along with two interceptions and was recently named to the 2024 NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence. 

Dawson Raabe, a sophomore defensive lineman, was another key player for the Cougars defensive line. Raabe played in 11 games for USF and recorded 25 tackles with 3.5 tackles for a loss of 15-yards and 1.5 sacks for a loss of 12-yards while forcing a fumble and adding a pass breakup. Raabe also earned NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence honors this season for The Coo. 

Preston Yohnke, a redshirt junior defensive lineman, got the defense started up front with 18 tackles, 3.5 tackles for a loss of 7-yards and a sack this season. The Carlos, Minnesota native currently sits with 31 career tackles for The Coo in 21 games played while helping lead the defense to 22 points per game. Yohnke was also named to the NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence this year and is now a two-time CSC Academic All-District® honoree and D2 ADA Academic Achievement Award winner. 

Travis Yohnke, a senior tight end out of Carlos, Minnesota, closed out his grad year with a career-high 171 receiving yards and three scores on 18 receptions. Yohnke averaged 9.5 yards per catch and finished his career with 333 receiving yards and five touchdowns. Yohnke finishes his career as a two-time NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence member, a two-time CSC Academic All-District® honoree and a two-time D2 ADA Academic Achievement Award winner. 

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