Four Bison Named to CSC Academic All-District Teams

GREENWOOD, Ind. – The Oklahoma Baptist football program landed four players on the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Football teams on Tuesday.

The honorees are as follows: junior defensive back Jaxon Canard, junior wide receiver Nick Harris, junior tight end Sam Sharp, and sophomore offensive lineman Andrew Sawyer.

It is the second-most Bison named to the squad in program history and the second-straight year with at least four recipients. OBU previously earned eight all-district honors in 2022.

To qualify, a student-athlete had to have possessed at least a 3.50 grade point average, been of sophomore standing and have legitimate playing credentials. Furthermore, each honoree was selected as CSC Academic All-America finalists and will advance to the national ballot to be voted on CSC members. First-, second- and third-team Academic All-America® honorees will be announced Jan. 23, 2024.

Canard, a Health Clinical Track major, becomes the third Bison to pick up back-to-back all-district honors in the NCAA era.

Canard produced 26 tackles, including 15 solo stops, in his final season on Bison Hill. He added 44 rushing yards, two receiving yards, and one touchdown in 21 career games.

Harris, a Finance major, collects his first all-district nod after an outstanding season on the field. Harris earned second-team All-GAC honors after leading the league in touchdowns (7) and racking up the second-most yards on the team (545).

Harris caught 32 balls and averaged a team-best 49.5 yards per game. His best outing came against Southern Nazarene, where he hauled in five passes for 115 yards and two scores. Harris was one of three Bison to catch two touchdowns in a game this season.

Additionally, he had a three-game streak with a touchdown catch, including back-to-back games with 90-plus yards during the span.

Sharp, a Forensic Psychology major, is also a back-to-back recipient. Sharp and Canard join Kimes Gilbert as the only OBU football student-athletes to garner the award twice in program history.

Sharp was a dependable weapon at the tight end position in 2023, hauling in six receptions for 93 yards and a score. He recorded 28 or more yards in two games, which included the second-longest catch of his career (30) against Arkansas Tech.

The last recipient, Andrew Sawyer, is just the second offensive lineman to receive an all-district nod in school history.

A Pre-Allied Health major, Sawyer started 10 games this season. His reliability at the right guard position yielded dividends for the third-best passing offense in the GAC and for an offensive line that allowed the second-least amount of sacks.