CLEVELAND – The Football Championship Subdivision Athletics Directors Association (FCS ADA) has named 52 student-athletes to the 26th Annual Academic All-Star Team. Included on that list is Fordham senior wide receiver MJ Wright, who previously was named Academic All-Patriot League.
 
These 52 individuals were selected from a pool of 104 applicants. Two conferences led the way with eight student-athletes placed on the 2023 All-Star Team, Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) and the United Athletic Conference. The Missouri Valley Football Conference recorded seven honorees and the Big Sky Conference had six representatives.
 
MJ Wright (Gr., WR, Freehold, N.J./Red Bank Catholic)
• Named First Team All-Patriot League
• Named Academic All-Patriot League
• Caught 65 passes for 970 yards and seven touchdowns.
• Led team in receptions and receiving yards and second in receiving scores.
• Second in the Patriot League and tenth in the nation in receiving yards/game (88.2).
• Second in the Patriot League and 15th in the NCAA FCS in receiving yards.
• Third in the Patriot League and 18th in the NCAA FCS in receptions/game (5.9).
• Compiled 2,887 career receiving yards, sixth on the Fordham all-time list.
• Has 185 career receptions, sixth all-time at Fordham.
• 2021 and 2022 Second Team All-Patriot League.

Current FCS ADA President, Ryan Ivey, Director of Athletics at Stephen F. Austin State University, reflected, "These young men excel at high levels in the classroom and demonstrate the commitment on the field and in the community. Annually, we have the good fortune to read about and select the next group of outstanding leaders for our division and this year is no different. My congratulations to each of the student-athletes nominated and those selected below for this outstanding achievement."
 
To view the complete list of winners, click here.
 
Football players from all Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) institutions are eligible for the award. Each of the nominees were required to have a minimum grade point average of 3.20 (on a 4.00 scale) in undergraduate or graduate study and have been a starter or key player with legitimate athletics credentials. They must have reached their second year of athletics and academic standing at the nominated institution and have completed a minimum of one full academic year at the nominated institution. They also must have participated in 50 percent of the games played at their designated position.
 
2023 Academic All-Star Team and FCS ADA Postgraduate Scholarship finalists. This year's Review Committee consisted of: Ryan Ivey, Stephen F. Austin State (Chair); Mark Benson, Albany; Kurt McGuffin, UT Martin; Sherryta Freeman, Lafayette; and Tom Michael, Eastern Illinois.
 
About the FCS ADA: Now in its 30th year, the Football Championship Subdivision Athletics Directors Association's mission is to enhance Football Championship Subdivision football. For more information on the FCS ADA, please visit www.fcsada.com. The FCS ADA is administered by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), which is in its 59th year. For more information on NACDA and the 18 professional associations that fall under its umbrella, please visit https://nacda.com/.