Army Black Knights Star Linebacker Named CSC Academic All-District

An Army West Point Black Knights star linebacker has been recognized for his stellar work on the field and in the classroom.

Dec 6, 2024; West Point, NY, USA; Army Black Knights linebacker Andon Thomas (51) celebrates after his interception against the Tulane Green Wave during the first half at Michie Stadium. / Danny Wild-Imagn Images

The 2024 college football season was among the most successful in Army West Point Black Knights history.

While members of the team were certainly disappointed about losing the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy to the Navy Midshipmen, there were plenty of highlights throughout the campaign in which they won a program-record 12 games.

Given how much success the Black Knights had on the gridiron, it should come as no surprise that so many members of the team were recognized for their contributions throughout the year.

The most recent player to receive a distinct honor was star linebacker Andon Thomas.

A junior, he was selected for the College Sports Communications Academic All-District Team, which the organization announced on Jan. 7, via the Army official website.

This is a special team that Thomas has been selected for, as the work they do on the field and in the classroom is combined and taken into consideration. CSC members will also vote for All-America first, second and third teams, which will be announced on Jan. 28.

In addition to the All-District Team selection, Thomas was selected as a finalist for the CSC All-America team and will be part of the national ballot. Teams will be selected for Division I, Division II, Division III and NAIA participants.

A native of Liberty Hill, Texas, Thomas was a standout student, recording a 3.98 GPA with a major of chemical engineering.

“He is especially interested in the application of chemical engineering principles to Army technology development. Thomas plans to pursue graduate studies in chemical engineering, conduct advanced research in an area that will benefit the Army's technical challenges, and return to West Point as a faculty member in the department of chemistry and life science,” as shared in the news release.

On the field, the star linebacker had a breakout campaign. He led the Army defense with 98 total tackles, 48 of which were solo, adding four tackles for loss.

Thomas rounded out his stat line with 0.5 sacks, two interceptions, two passes defended and one fumble recovery across 14 games, all of which he started in.

That was good enough for him to be selected to the AAC All-Conference third team along with teammate Elo Modozie, Jaylen Smith of the North Texas Mean Green and Gavin Potter of the Tulsa Golden Hurricanes.

Nine other Black Knights players made AAC All-Conference teams, while quarterback Bryson Daily was named Player of the Year and Jeff Monken took home Coach of the Year.