LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The University of Nevada, Las Vegas Rebels are picking up All-America awards for several players.
On Monday, the athletics department announced that kicker Jose Pizano was named to the second team while wide receiver Ricky White III was a member of the third team. This was the first time the school has had two players named to the AP All-America Teams in the same season.
Pizano was also named First Team All-American by the Football Writers Association of America and the Second Team All America by the Walter Camp Foundation and Sports Illustrated. The Utah native has set new records for field goals in a game, field goals in a season, kicking points in a game, and kicking points in a season. He also broke the UNLV record for consecutive field goals made.
White was the First Team All-Mountain West and was previously named Second Team All-America by the College Football Network. He is fourth in the U.S,. with 1,386 receiving yards on 81 catches, including seven touchdowns. He has set two UNLV records this season including yards in a season and becoming the first Rebel to reach 100 yards in receiving yards in five consecutive games. He is seven catches away from tying Ryan Wolfe's UNLV single-season record for receptions, which is 88 and was set in 2008.
On Tuesday, the athletics department announced that White was made the 2023 Action Network All-American first team and kick returner Jacob De Jesus was named to the second team.
De Jesus transferred to UNLV this season from Modesto Junior College and is the first Rebel in program history to earn All-America honors as a kick returner. He leads all of college football with 1,019 total return yards and is the only player in the nation to rank in the top 15 for both punt and kickoff returns. He is third in punt returns with 16.1 yards per attempt and 13th in kickoff returns with 26.3 yards.
UNLV is getting ready to play Kansas in the 2023 Guaranteed Rate Bowl in Phoenix, which is scheduled for Dec. 26.
