GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.— Eight Colorado Mesa University Maverick football players were named to the NCAA Division II Academic All-District® Team as selected by College Sports Communicators, the organization announced on Tuesday.
To be eligible for Academic All-District® honors, football student-athletes must have a 3.50 or higher cumulative GPA and be at least a sophomore, both academically and athletically. They must have also played in 90 percent of their team's matches or start 66 percent of them.
Furthermore, each institution was limited to eight nominations.
The Mavericks honorees were
Kash Bradley (3.90 GPA – Exercise Science),
Zach Dibella (3.76 – Outdoor Recreation Studies),
Jack Horsford (3.78 – Exercise Science),
Trek Keyworth (3.79 – Business Administration),
Max Kibbee (3.81 – Exercise Science),
Colton Mills-Younger (3.84 – Business Administration),
Brody Robinson (3.94 – Adaptive Physical Education),
Jake Sinz (3.75 – Exercise Science).
Bradley has now been recognized in three straight seasons and is on the ballot for a third straight Academic All-America® honor. He and Keyworth were also advanced on to the national ballot for those awards, that will be announced on Jan. 27.
Bradley, Keyworth and Kibbee were also named to the First Team Academic All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference squad and also earned honorable mention all-conference honors for their on-field performances.
Bradley, a senior defensive back and return specialist from Bushland, Texas, was fourth on the team with 52 total tackles and led the team with three interceptions despite missing two games due to injury in 2025.
Keyworth, a redshirt sophomore out of Windsor, Colorado, was the Mavs' top wide receiver with 38 catches for 645 yards and five touchdowns. He had three 100-yard games.
Kibbee, a junior from Aurora, Colorado, and Dibella, a sophomore from Mead, are offensive linemen who blocked for a pair of All-RMAC running backs while helping the Mavs rank third in the RMAC for rushing offense and fourth for total offense. They both started all 11 games.
Horsford, a senior receiver from Highlands Ranch, Colorado, made a career-high nine receptions and played in all 11 games.
Mills-Younger, a sophomore from Wellington, Colorado, made eight starts at tight end and coughed 15 passes for 175 yards and a touchdown.
Robinson, a redshirt sophomore out of Aurora, Colorado, made 12 tackles, including a sack, and helped the Mavs finish fourth in the RMAC for team defensive statistics.
Sinz, a sophomore linebacker from Temecula, California, made 61 stops in his first season as a Maverick after transferring from San Diego State. He was second on the team with that tackle total.
