Redshirt freshman wide receiver/return specialist Giancarlo Woods sets up a punt return against Montana in September. Woods has landed on Phil Steele's Freshman All-American third team.
Photo by: Owen Main | Cal Poly Athletics
Woods Named Freshman All-American by Phil Steele Magazine
1/11/2022 9:58:00 AM | Football
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- Cal Poly wide receiver and return specialist Giancarlo Woods has landed on Phil Steele's 2021 Football Championship Subdivision Freshman All-American third team.
In addition, Woods, defensive end Elijah Ponder, linebacker Matt Shotwell and running back Ryan Rivera were named to Phil Steele's All-Big Sky Conference teams.
Woods was honored for his performance as a punt returner. The redshirt freshman from Santa Rosa, Calif., and a graduate of Cardinal Newman High School averaged 6.8 yards on 13 punt returns with a long of 20 yards.
Woods also was Cal Poly's third-leading receiver with 27 receptions for 339 yards and one touchdown. He scored on a fumble recovery in the end zone on a pass play against Sacramento State.
Woods is on Phil Steele's All-Big Sky fourth team along with Ponder, who played all 11 games as a redshirt freshman and made 35 tackles (28 solo) and also recorded a team-leading eight sacks, 11 tackles for lost yardage, four pass breakups, five quarterback hurries and forced a pair of fumbles.
Ponder (6-3, 200, Pomona, Calif./Bishop Amat HS) also returned an interception 75 yards for the clinching score in the season opener at San Diego.
Both Shotwell and Rivera landed on Phil Steele's All-Big Sky second team. Shotwell also was named to the Associated Press All-American third team last month.
Twice a third-team All-Big Sky Conference selection, including this past fall, Shotwell (6-0, 225, Goleta, Calif./Bishop Diego HS) was Cal Poly's leading tackler for the fourth time in 2021, finishing with 127 stops, No. 5 all time for a single season at Cal Poly.
His 345 career tackles ranks fourth in the record book and Shotwell notched 17 career games with double-digit tackles, including a career-high 19 against Idaho State in the penultimate game of the 2021 season.
The inside linebacker scored his only touchdown as a Mustang in the Idaho State contest with a 22-yard interception return and also recorded one sack among his five tackles for lost yardage, broke up two passes and recovered a pair of fumbles. He led the Big Sky with his 127 tackles (76 solo) and 11.5 tackles-per-game average.
Rivera (6-3, 240, Tracy, Calif./Kimball HS/Army Prep) played mostly as a tight end for the Mustangs, making four catches for 46 yards and one touchdown in 11 games. His longest catch was 32 yards at Montana and he scored on a two-yard reception from Spencer Brasch versus Idaho State.
Named Big Sky Offensive Player of the Year by Phil Steele was Eastern Washington quarterback Eric Barriere while Montana State linebacker Troy Andersen earned Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year honors. Tackle Braxton Jones of Southern Utah was named Big Sky Offensive Lineman of the Year while Northern Arizona running back Kevin Daniels was honored as Big Sky Freshman of the Year.
In addition, Woods, defensive end Elijah Ponder, linebacker Matt Shotwell and running back Ryan Rivera were named to Phil Steele's All-Big Sky Conference teams.
Woods was honored for his performance as a punt returner. The redshirt freshman from Santa Rosa, Calif., and a graduate of Cardinal Newman High School averaged 6.8 yards on 13 punt returns with a long of 20 yards.
Woods also was Cal Poly's third-leading receiver with 27 receptions for 339 yards and one touchdown. He scored on a fumble recovery in the end zone on a pass play against Sacramento State.
Woods is on Phil Steele's All-Big Sky fourth team along with Ponder, who played all 11 games as a redshirt freshman and made 35 tackles (28 solo) and also recorded a team-leading eight sacks, 11 tackles for lost yardage, four pass breakups, five quarterback hurries and forced a pair of fumbles.
Ponder (6-3, 200, Pomona, Calif./Bishop Amat HS) also returned an interception 75 yards for the clinching score in the season opener at San Diego.
Both Shotwell and Rivera landed on Phil Steele's All-Big Sky second team. Shotwell also was named to the Associated Press All-American third team last month.
Twice a third-team All-Big Sky Conference selection, including this past fall, Shotwell (6-0, 225, Goleta, Calif./Bishop Diego HS) was Cal Poly's leading tackler for the fourth time in 2021, finishing with 127 stops, No. 5 all time for a single season at Cal Poly.
His 345 career tackles ranks fourth in the record book and Shotwell notched 17 career games with double-digit tackles, including a career-high 19 against Idaho State in the penultimate game of the 2021 season.
The inside linebacker scored his only touchdown as a Mustang in the Idaho State contest with a 22-yard interception return and also recorded one sack among his five tackles for lost yardage, broke up two passes and recovered a pair of fumbles. He led the Big Sky with his 127 tackles (76 solo) and 11.5 tackles-per-game average.
Rivera (6-3, 240, Tracy, Calif./Kimball HS/Army Prep) played mostly as a tight end for the Mustangs, making four catches for 46 yards and one touchdown in 11 games. His longest catch was 32 yards at Montana and he scored on a two-yard reception from Spencer Brasch versus Idaho State.
Named Big Sky Offensive Player of the Year by Phil Steele was Eastern Washington quarterback Eric Barriere while Montana State linebacker Troy Andersen earned Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year honors. Tackle Braxton Jones of Southern Utah was named Big Sky Offensive Lineman of the Year while Northern Arizona running back Kevin Daniels was honored as Big Sky Freshman of the Year.
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