UTSA Punter Lucas Dean Named AAC Football Scholar Athlete of the Year

Joe Londergan | Jul 11, 2024

Dec 19, 2023; Frisco, TX, USA; UTSA Roadrunners head coach Jeff Traylor holds the trophy towards his players after winning the Frisco Bowl against the Marshall Thundering Herd at Toyota Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Dieb-USA TODAY Sports / Andrew Dieb-USA TODAY Sports

This week, UTSA punter Lucas Dean was announced as the Football Scholar Athlete of the Year for 2023-2024 by the American Athletic Conference.

The 2023-2024 season was UTSA's first as a member of the AAC. The Roadrunners finished last season with a 9-4 record and picked up their first bowl win with a victory in the Frisco Bowl over Marshall.

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Dean was a second-team All-AAC pick in 2023, averaging 42.3 yards on 51 punts. He also booted 11 balls over 50 yards. The Australian spent five seasons with the Roadrunners earning all-conference honors a total of four times. UTSA were members of Conference USA prior to joining the AAC. Dean was also named an All-American by Sporting News and Phil Steele as a sophomore in 2020.

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Selections for the Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards are made by the Academic Committee on the basis of academic credentials and athletic performance. Each conference school may nominate one student-athlete per sport who has achieved senior academic standing as determined by the institution. A winner is chosen from each of the conference’s 21 sponsored sports in addition to at-large selections from sports not sponsored by the conference.