Kennard named to Pac-10 All-Academic second team

Sophomore linebacker Devon Kennard was named to the Pac-10 All-Academic second team Tuesday, the only Trojan player to receive the honor this year. Kennard is majoring in communication at the Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism. He has maintained a 3.37 grade point average while managing his time between studies and sports.

Sophomore quarterback Matt Barkley, redshirt sophomore offensive lineman Khaled Holmes and redshirt junior offensive lineman Michael Reardon all received honorable mentions on the All-Academic team.

In order to be named to the All-Academic team, the student-athlete needed higher than a 3.0 GPA and also needed to be a starter or a significant substitute on the team.

USC had the least amount of players on the All-Academic team. Every other Pac-10 school had at least three players named to either the first or second team. Washington State led the pack, with seven first-team players on the roster. Stanford had 11 All-Academic players overall, with four on the first team.

First-year special teams coach John Baxter is highly regarded for his “academic game plan” which teaches students about study skills and organization tactics. During his tenure as special teams coach at Fresno State, 141 players from his team were named to the WAC All-Academic team. Baxter has begun to implement the “Academic Gameplan” at USC, which should lead to a heavier Trojan presence on the All-Academic team.