AUSTIN, Texas – Augustana football's Peyton Buckley and Jarod Epperson have been named to the College Sports Communicators (formerly CoSIDA) Academic All-America First Team announced Tuesday.
 
Buckley, a senior hailing from Rice Lake, Wisconsin, earns Academic All-America Honors for the third consecutive season. A member of the first team last season, the NSIC Defensive Player of the Year racked up 84 tackles, including 7.5 tackles for loss and a sack. He tallied 59 solo stops and nine pass breakups with a total of 10 passes defended. Buckley anchored a defense that finished in the top two of the NSIC in interceptions, red zone defense, scoring defense and fourth down conversion percentage. He is also the program's all-time leader with 54 career passes defended (42 PBU, 12 INT).
 
Augustana's all-time career rushing leader, Epperson finished his final season earning NSIC Offensive Player of the Year honors after running for 1042 yards and 11 touchdowns in 11 games. He led the NSIC with 5.95 yards per carry and 118.36 all-purpose yards per game. Epperson scored multiple touchdowns in four games and ran for at least 100 yards in five games. He earns Academic All-America honors for the first time in his career. 
 
The duo make up an Augustana football legacy that now consists of 38 CSC Academic All-America honors.
 
1972 - Pat McNerney, 1st
1973 - Pat McNerney, 1st
1974 - Jim Clemens, 1st
1975 - Jim Clemens, 1st
1975 - Roger Goebel, 2nd
1977 - Stan Biodni, 1st
1977 - Dee Jay Donlin, 2nd
1977 - Roger Goebel, 2nd
1978 - Bob Timmons, 2nd
1980 - Bill Dannehl, 1st
1986 - David Gubbrud, 1st
1987 - David Gubbrud, 1st
1988 - David Gubbrud, 1st
1989 - David Gubbrud, 1st
1996 - Mitch Pruett, 1st
1997 - Thayne Munce, 1st
2008 - Jason Donnelly, 1st
2010 - Dan Schoen, 2nd
2016 - Bryson Hamilton, 2nd
2016 - Kirby Hora, 2nd
2017 - Kirby Hora, 1st
2017 - Joey Newman, 2nd
2017 - Avram Tynes
2018 - Kirby Hora, 1st (Academic All-American of the Year)
2021* - Eli Weber, 1st
2021* - Luke Fritsch, 2nd
2021 - Eli Weber, 1st 
2021 - Luke Fritsch, 2nd
2021 - T.J. Liggett, 2nd
2022 - T.J. Liggett, 1st
2022 - Eli Weber, 1st
2022 - Ben Limburg, 1st
2022 - Mitchell Goodbary, 2nd
2022 - Peyton Buckley, 2nd
2023 – Peyton Buckley, 1st
2023 – Mitchell Goodbary, 2nd
2024 - Peyton Buckley, 1st
2024 - Jarod Epperson, 1st

*Awarded in spring of 2021 due to COVID-19