NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Seven Vanderbilt football student-athletes were named Academic All-District selections by College Sports Communicators on Tuesday.
Julian Ashby, Richie Hoskins, Langston Patterson, Nick Rinaldi, Cole Spence, Brock Taylor and Linus Zunk set a school record with seven selections, topping last year’s mark of five. Ashby and Taylor will now advance to the ballot for Academic All-America honors.
Hoskins and Rinaldi become the fifth and sixth players in school history to earn a spot on the list in multiple seasons and the second and third to accomplish the feat under head coach Clark Lea (Ethan Barr).
Ashby served as Vanderbilt’s long snapper for all 12 games this season, executing 114 snaps. A semifinalist for the Patrick Mannelly Award, Ashby also recorded a tackle against South Carolina. He was pursuing a master’s degree in mechanical engineering last fall during his lone season at Vanderbilt and owns a 3.90 grade-point average as a graduate student. He was named to the SEC Community Service team.
The Lilburn, Georgia, native graduated from Furman in three years. He recorded a 3.96 undergraduate degree while majoring in physics. With the Paladins, Ashby executed 363 long snaps in three seasons while twice earning Academic All-District honors to go with Academic All-America accolades in 2023.
Hoskins boasts a 3.59 grade-point average while majoring in political science. A native of Lake Forest, Illinois, the team captain played in all 13 games and made 11 receptions for 131 yards and two touchdowns. It marks the second consecutive season Hoskins has earned Academic All-District accolades from CSC.
Patterson, also a team captain, has a 3.51 grade-point average while majoring in human and organizational development. The Nashville, Tennessee, native finished second on the team and 18th in the SEC in total tackles. He added five tackles for loss, a pair of break-ups and a fumble recovery.
Rinaldi has recorded a 3.99 grade-point average while majoring in economics. The Dover, Massachusetts, product led the Commodores with six sacks this season while totaling 32 tackles and a pair of fumble recoveries. He ranked sixth in sacks among all SEC linebackers. He made the First-Year SEC Academic Honor Roll as a freshman and SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll last year and has been a Dean’s List selection every semester at Vanderbilt.
Spence owns a 3.74 grade-point average with a major in human and organizational development. The Roswell, Georgia, native had 10 receptions for 101 yards and two touchdowns on the season. He had a touchdown reception among three catches in Vandy’s Birmingham Bowl win over Georgia Tech.
Taylor has posted a 3.86 grade-point average while majoring in human and organizational development. The Knoxville, Tennessee, native capped a stellar redshirt freshman campaign which saw him become a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award, earn SEC All-Freshman honors and have the second-highest scoring season in Vanderbilt history (93 points). He finished the season 18-for-21 on field goals, including five from at least 50 yards which gives him the school record for career 50-plus-yard field goals. He made his last 11 field goals to finish the season and connected on 39-of-40 extra points on the year. Taylor also kicked off 44 times, with 25 touchbacks.
Zunk has recorded a 3.62 grade-point average with a major in human and organizational development. The German played all 13 games as he emerged as a key cog on the defensive line. He finished the season with 16 total tackles, 2.5 for loss with 1.5 sacks, two quarterback hurries and a break-up.
The school-record number of CSC Academic All-District selections concludes another strong academic semester for the program under Lea. The Commodores posted a semester grade-point average over 3.0 for the fall, giving them two-straight fall semesters with at least a 3.0. There were 11 student-athletes who had a perfect 4.0 for the term and 10 student-athletes who earned Vanderbilt diplomas.
The Commodores had a historic fall on the field as well, earning their first winning season and first bowl victory in over a decade under Lea, the 2024 SEC Coach of the Year. The 2025 campaign opens on Aug. 30 when Charleston Southern visits FirstBank Stadium.
