DALLAS – A team cannot be great without great individuals and those individuals were recognized on Tuesday morning as Conference USA announced its all-conference honors for the 2023 football season.
 
In total, the Aggies garnered 11 All-CUSA awards, including three first team selections. In the midst of a historic season, the Aggies received five offensive awards, four defensive distinctions and two special teams accolades.
 
On the offensive side of the ball, Shiyazh Pete collected first team honors while Diego Pavia, Star Thomas and Canaan Yarro were named to the league's second team and Eli Stowers secured honorable mention. Defensively, Sterling Webb was the Aggies' lone first team honoree while Keyshaun Elliott claimed second team laurels and both Izaiah Reed and Jordan Vincent were recognized with honorable mention selections.
 
After landing on the preseason all-conference lists awarded by Athlon Sports and PhilSteele.com, redshirt sophomore left tackle Shiyazh Pete proved his believers right during the 2023 season as he was one of the Aggies' top offensive linemen for the second consecutive season. This year, Pete has started all 13 games for the Aggies despite battling through a hand injury that left the Montana native in a cast for much of the season. Pete has served as the Aggies' blindside protector on a line which enters bowl season ranked 33^rd in the nation and third in the conference in sacks allowed per game. Additionally, Pete has provided support along the outside for a rushing attack which ranks 11^th nationally in yards per game at 202.7.
 
Sophomore defensive tackle Sterling Webb served a vital role on an Aggie defense which ranked first among all CUSA teams in points allowed per game during the regular season at just 19.7 points. The St. Louis native only improved as the year went on – recording 5.5 tackles for loss in the Aggies' most recent nine games. Webb's season was also highlighted by a stretch of play in which he tallied 3.5 sacks across five games, capped off by a sack during the Aggies' victory over Auburn. In his first year with the program, Webb ranks tied for first on the team in total sacks with 4.5 and is first among defensive tackles in the conference in sacks per game (0.35)
 
Ethan Albertson capped off a lengthy Aggie career with arguably the best season from a statistical standpoint. With one game remaining on the Aggies' schedule, the San Diego native has connected on 18 of his 23 field goal attempts – marking a career high in made field goals in a single season in his final year with the program while also ranking first in the conference in made field goals and third in field goal percentage. Additionally, Albertson has managed to convert on 48 of his 49 point-after attempts. The stellar season has also led Albertson to rank second in CUSA in scoring among all players – averaging 7.29 points per game. With 102 points currently, Albertson also ranks 27^th in the nation and first in the conference in total points scored.
 
Leading off the second team honorees was quarterback Diego Pavia who has put together one of the most impressive seasons in all of college football. The former junior college walk-on is currently one of only 10 quarterbacks at the FBS level to lead his team in both passing (2,915) and rushing yards (986). The two-time CUSA Offensive Player of the Week currently ranks fourth in the league in total offense (269.0 ypg) while ranking fifth in rushing yards per game (60.8) and seventh in passing yards per game (208.21). Pavia has also taken his game to the next level by posting a passing efficiency number of 153.86 to rank second in the conference and a completion percentage of 61.6 to rank third among CUSA quarterbacks. Pavia's 26 passing touchdowns is not only a career high, but it also ranks 14^th in the nation and third in the conference. Pavia has also consistently proven his ability to push the ball down field – ranking 15^th in the nation and second in the in passing yards per completion at 13.9. In addition to the contributions that Pavia brings from a statistical standpoint, he is also an unquestioned leader for an NM State team which recorded 10 wins for the first time since 1960 and tallied the program's first-ever win over an SEC institution.
 
Joining Pavia on the list of offensive second team selections for the Aggies was running back Star Thomas who reached the end zone four times this season and rushed for nearly 700 yards to rank second among NM State rushers. After pacing the Aggies in rushing yards in 2022, Thomas increased his output from 40.0 yards per game to 45.9 during his junior campaign. The Homer, La., native also served as the Aggies' leading rusher in four games this season – outgaining his fellow running mates versus Western Illinois, LA Tech, Western Kentucky and Auburn.
 
NM State's final second team selection on the offensive side of the ball was center Canaan Yarro who is arguably one of the most important players for the NM State offense. This season, the redshirt junior from Provo, Utah, started all 13 games up front while helping lead the Aggies' rushing attack which currently averages 202.7 yards per game to rank 11^th in the nation while making NM State one of only 13 programs at the FBS level to average over 200 yards on the ground per tilt. Yarro and the Aggie offensive line has also given up only 1.4 sacks per game to rank third in the conference. Yarro's contributions have also helped the Aggies improve in the area of pass protection over the course of the season as they have given up only five sacks in the last six games compared to 15 across the first eight games of the season.
 
Defensive leader Keyshaun Elliott was also named to the conference's second team after serving as the Aggies' leading tackler with 101 total tackles entering the bowl game. This includes a team-high 55 solo tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks on the season. At 7.21 tackles per game, the sophomore ranks ninth in the league in tackles per game while ranking fifth in solo tackles. Elliott was also one of just five Aggies this season to recover a fumble this season. Elliott has also finished as the Aggies' leading tackler in four games – the most of any Aggie defender this season.
 
NM State's fifth and final member of the All-CUSA Second Team was junior long snapper Charlie Eberle who made zero snapping errors while serving on a kicking unit which ranked first in the conference in made field goals and total points. While serving as the Aggies' primary long snapper for the entirety of the season, Eberle has played a role in several of the Aggies' victories this season including a direct snap to Ron Tiavaasue on fourth down to successfully move the chains during the fourth quarter of the Aggies' memorable win over Auburn.
After beginning the season as the Aggies' primary backup quarterback, honorable mention selection Eli Stowers has since become one of the Aggies' top pass catchers. From the time that the Denton, Texas, native first appeared as a wideout on Oct. 4 versus FIU, Stowers has paced the Aggies in receptions, receiving yards or both in five different games. Stowers currently ranks third on the team in both receptions (32) and yards (346) while also catching his first two collegiate touchdowns in back-to-back weeks – doing so against Western Kentucky and Auburn.
 
Senior defensive tackle Izaiah Reed also garnered honorable mention recognition after appearing in all 14 games this season and registering a tackle in all but one game this season despite playing all downs on the interior of the defensive line. The Houston native is one of only three Aggies to log four or more sacks this season, including one on Senior Day versus Jax State. Currently, Reed is one of the Aggies' top run stoppers and ranks tied for 16^th on the team in total tackles with 22.
 
The final member of the Aggie squad to appear on the all-conference lists was safety Jordan Vincent who currently ranks tied for second on the team and 29^th in the conference in total tackles with 64.0. Vincent has also added three tackles for loss to rank first among members of the Aggie secondary. Additionally, the junior from Chicago has tallied three pass breakups this season to rank seventh on the team.
 
First Team All-CUSA
Offense
Shiyazh Pete, OT, R-So.
 
Defense
Sterling Webb, DT, So.
 
Special Teams
Ethan Albertson, K, R-Sr.
 
Second Team All-CUSA
Offense
Diego Pavia, QB, Jr.
Star Thomas, RB, Jr.
Canaan Yarro, OL, R-Jr.
 
Defense
Keyshaun Elliott, LB, So.
 
Special Teams
Charlie Eberle, LS, Jr.
 
All-CUSA Honorable Mention
Offense
Eli Stowers, QB/TE, R-So.
 
Defense
Izaiah Reed, DT, Sr.
Jordan Vincent, DB, Jr.