Football: School-Record Three Titans Earn D3football.com All-America Honors

NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. – D3football.com announced its 2020-21 postseason honors and the Westminster football team had four players recognized, including a school-record three All-Americans.

Juniors linebacker Ian Barr (State College, PA / State College Area) and defensive end Brayden Thimons (Natrona Heights, PA / Highlands) both earned First Team All-America, both the first D3football.com First Team All-Americans in program history. Also earning All-America honors was junior safety Bryce Thomas (Saint Marys, GA / Camden County) who was named on the Second Team. All three Titans are the first to represent their respective position as a D3football.com All-American in program history. In total, there have been only four other D3football.com All-Americans in Westminster history (Brady Hogue, OL, 2019, HM; Todd Jeter, CB, 2017, Third; Ryan Chmura, DT, 2005, Second; Tony Ventresco, DT, 2004, HM).

Additionally, senior kicker Dylan Kidder (Senior East Liverpool, OH / East Liverpool) was named D3football.com First Team All-Region. Kidder is the first Titan kicker ever to earn a D3football.com postseason honor.

Barr, who was also named the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) Defensive Player of the Year, First Team All-PAC, and the "In The (D3FB) Huddle" Defensive Player of the Season, led all of NCAA Division III with six forced fumbles while his three fumble recoveries were tied for the most in the country. Barr also had a pair of defensive touchdowns.

Thimons led the PAC and was tied for second in the country with 7.5 total sacks. His 8.5 tackles for loss also led the conference, while tied for ninth in the nation. Thimons's four sacks against Washington & Jefferson in the PAC Championship game tied for the second-most in a game in all of NCAA Division III this season.

Thomas commanded the Titan secondary and led the PAC with six pass breakups.  Thomas was third on the team with 23 total tackles and he snagged an interception in the PAC Championship game.

Kidder assumed the duties as the starting kicker this season and tied for the second-most made field goals in the PAC with three, while his 16 made extra points ranked second in the conference. Kidder's 40-yard field goal at Grove City was the first Titan field goal of 40 yards or longer since 2017.

Players were nominated by the Sports Information Directors at the various schools. All-America and All-Region teams were selected in balloting by Sports Information Directors by the D3football.com staff.

Westminster, under the guidance of PAC Coach of the Year, seventh-year Head Coach Scott Benzel, won its first PAC Championship in school history with an undefeated season (5-0) - capping off its most successful season since joining NCAA Division III.

The Titans are scheduled to start the 2021 season against No. 1 Mount Union at home on Saturday, September 4 at 1 p.m.

For more Westminster Athletics news, go to westminster.edu/athletics. 

*Written by Nathan LaRiccia, Sports Information Director

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