ITHACA, N.Y. -- Cornell senior offensive lineman
Hunter Nourzad was named to the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) All-America second team to cap off a stellar career at right tackles for the Big Red. He becomes the first Big Red player to earn All-America honors from the organization since Kevin Boothe '05 was a first-team pick in 2005.
A two-time All-Ivy League selection (first team in 2021, second team in 2019), Nourzad anchored an offensive line that led the Ivy League, ranked fifth nationally and set a school record for fewest sacks allowed with 0.9 per game. That total was three fewer than any other Ivy school. Nourzad started 20 consecutive games at right tackle, including all 10 in 2021. The Big Red averaged 121.7 yards rushing with 12 touchdowns on the ground despite not having one individual average more than 7.0 carries per game. As a sophomore, he opened all 10 contests and anchored a line that helped the offense increase its scoring average, total offense and rushing touchdowns from the previous season despite returning just one starter on the line. The line allowed one sack or less in five of the team's seven Ivy games. Cornell did not play during his junior season in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so Nourzad is expected to compete next season as a graduate transfer at another institution.
Nourzad was the lone Ivy League player chosen to the All-America team. He becomes the fifth player under head coach
David Archer '05 that earned All-America honors, joining quarterback Jeff Mathews, wide receiver Grant Gellatly, punter Chris Fraser and safety Nick Gesualdi.
2021 AFCA Football Championship Subdivision Coaches' All-America Team - First Team
Offense
Pos Name Ht. Wt. Cl. School Coach Hometown (High School)
QB Cole Kelley 6-7 260 Sr. Southeastern Louisiana Frank Scelfo Lafayette, La. (Teurlings Catholic)
RB Quay Holmes 6-1 220 R-Jr. East Tennessee St. Randy Sanders Powder Springs, Ga. (McEachern)
RB *Pierre Strong, Jr. 5-11 205 Sr. South Dakota St. John Stiegelmeier Little Rock, Ark. (McClellan)
WR Xavier Gipson 5-9 170 So. Stephen F. Austin Colby Carthel Dallas, Tex. (Woodrow Wilson)
WR BJ Byrd 6-0 190 Sr. Morehead St. Rob Tenyer Lawrenceville, Ga. (Grayson)
TE Kemari Averett 6-6 260 Sr. Bethune-Cookman Terry Sims Atlanta, Ga. (Grady)
OL Lewis Kidd 6-6 311 Sr. Montana St. Brent Vigen Minneapolis, Minn. (Totino-Grace)
OL P.J. Burkhalter 6-3 330 Sr. Nicholls Tim Rebowe Franklinton, La. (Franklinton)
OL Cole Strange 6-6 301 Sr. Chattanooga Rusty Wright Knoxville, Tenn. (Farragut)
OL Cordell Volson 6-7 313 Sr. North Dakota St. Matt Entz Balfour, N.D. (Drake)
OL Trevor Penning 6-7 321 R-Jr. Northern Iowa Mark Farley Clear Lake, Iowa (Newman Catholic)
Defense
Pos Name Ht. Wt. Cl. School Coach Hometown (High School)
DL James Houston 6-1 225 Sr. Jackson St. Deion Sanders Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (???)
DL *Isaiah Chambers 6-5 251 Gr. McNeese Frank Wilson Houston, Tex. (Aldine MacArthur)
DL Vaughn Taylor, Jr. 6-3 252 Sr. Morehead St. Rob Tenyer Washington, D.C. (Friendship Collegiate Academy)
DL *Jared Brinkman 6-2 290 R-Sr. Northern Iowa Mark Farley Iowa City, Iowa (Regina)
LB Isaiah Land 6-4 215 R-Jr. Florida A&M Willie Simmons Buffalo, N.Y. (Grayson)
LB Troy Andersen 6-4 235 Sr. Montana St. Brent Vigen Dillon, Mont. (Beaverhead County)
LB Forrest Rhyne 6-1 235 Gr. Villanova Mark Ferrante Waynesboro, Pa. (Area)
DB Devin Hafford 6-1 210 Sr. Tarleton Todd Whitten Atascocita, Tex. (Atascocita)
DB Justin Ford 6-2 190 R-Jr. Montana Bobby Hauck Concord, N.C. (Cox Mill)
DB Koby Perry 6-0 174 Gr. Austin Peay Scotty Walden Covington, Ga. (Alcovy)
DB *Decobie Durant 5-11 180 Gr. South Carolina St. Buddy Pough Lamar, S.C. (Lamar)
Specialists
Pos Name Ht. Wt. Cl. School Coach Hometown (High School)
P Brian Buschini 6-0 206 R-Fr. Montana Bobby Hauck Helena, Mont. (Capital)
PK *Ethan Ratke 5-10 186 R-Sr. James Madison Curt Cignetti Mechanicsville, Va. (Atlee)
AP Montrell Washington 5-10 170 Sr. Samford Chris Hatcher Canton, Ga. (Cherokee)
LS Matthew O'Donoghue 6-1 260 R-Sr. Montana Bobby Hauck Santa Ana, Calif. (Foothill)
*-2021 Spring AFCA All-American
2021 AFCA Football Championship Subdivision Coaches' All-America Team - Second Team
Offense
Pos Name Ht. Wt. Cl. School Coach Hometown (High School)
QB *Eric Barriere 6-1 210 R-Sr. Eastern Washington Aaron Best Inglewood, Calif. (La Habra)
RB Ramon Jefferson 5-10 215 R-Jr. Sam Houston K.C. Keeler Bronx, N.Y. (Truman)
RB Isaiah Ifanse 5-10 202 Jr. Montana St. Brent Vigen Bellevue, Wash. (Bellevue)
WR Dai'Jean Dixon 6-4 200 Sr. Nicholls Tim Rebowe New Orleans, La. (Edna Karr)
WR Tyler Hudson 6-2 195 So. Central Arkansas Nathan Brown Spring, Tex. (Klein Oak)
TE Marshel Martin 6-2 209 So. Sacramento St. Troy Taylor Vallejo, Calif. (St. Patrick-St. Vincent)
OL *Tristen Taylor 6-6 320 Sr. Eastern Washington Aaron Best Stockton, Calif. (Stagg)
OL Colby Thomas 6-2 300 Sr. Sam Houston K.C. Keeler Manvel, Tex. (Manvel)
OL Braxton Jones 6-7 310 R-Jr. Southern Utah Demario Warren Murray, Utah (Murray)
OL
Hunter Nourzad 6-4 298 Sr. Cornell David Archer Marietta, Ga. (The Walker School)
OL Matt Waletzko 6-7 305 Sr. North Dakota Bubba Schweigert Cold Spring, Minn. (Rocori)
Defense
Pos Name Ht. Wt. Cl. School Coach Hometown (High School)
DL Daniel Hardy 6-3 240 Sr. Montana St. Brent Vigen Beaverton, Ore. (Valley Catholic)
DL Bryce Carter 6-1 252 R-Sr. James Madison Curt Cignetti Steelton, Pa. (Highspire)
DL Brevin Allen 6-4 265 Sr. Campbell Mike Minter Greensboro, N.C. (Northeast Guilford)
DL *Devonnsha Maxwell 6-2 296 Jr. Chattanooga Rusty Wright Valdosta, Ga. (Valdosta)
LB Jacob Dobbs 6-0 232 Jr. Holy Cross Bob Chesney Macomb, Mich. (De La Salle Collegiate)
LB Patrick O'Connell 6-2 225 R-Jr. Montana Bobby Hauck Kalispell, Mont. (Glacier)
LB Stone Snyder 6-3 240 Jr. VMI Scott Wachenheim Richmond, Va. (Monacan)
DB *Zyon McCollum 6-4 200 Sr. Sam Houston K.C. Keeler Galveston, Tex. (Ball)
DB Markquese Bell 6-3 205 R-Sr. Florida A&M Willie Simmons Bridgeton, N.J. (Bridgeton)
DB Greg Ross 6-1 186 R-Sr. James Madison Curt Cignetti Temple Hills, Md. (Potomac)
DB Davion Ross 5-10 165 Jr. Eastern Kentucky Walt Wells Perry, Ga. (Perry)
Specialists
Pos Name Ht. Wt. Cl. School Coach Hometown (High School)
P Grant Burkett 6-0 180 R-Fr. Missouri St. Bobby Petrino Joplin, Mo. (Webb City)
PK Matthew Cook 5-11 180 So. Northern Iowa Mark Farley Cedar Falls, Iowa (Cedar Falls)
AP Rashid Shaheed 6-0 180 Sr. Weber St. Jay Hill San Diego, Calif. (Mt. Carmel)
LS Robert Soderholm 6-1 230 Sr. VMI Scott Wachenheim Stafford, Va. (Mountain View)
*-2021 Spring AFCA All-American
