With two-time honoree Kameron McQueen leading the way, six Kansas football players made the Academic All-Big 12 first team this year, the conference announced on Tuesday.

Joining McQueen, a junior KU receiver, on the first team were junior defensive tackle Sam Burt, redshirt freshman tight end Mac Copeland, redshirt junior running back Donovan Franklin, redshirt freshman linebacker Cody McNerney and sophomore linebacker Cooper Root.

Student-athletes on the first team must have a GPA of 3.20 or higher.

Seventeen Jayhawks, meanwhile, earned second-team distinction for their academic work: senior offensive tackle Hakeem Adeniji, sophomore defensive end Jelani Arnold, sophomore safety Nick Caudle, senior linebacker Denzel Feaster, senior offensive tackle Kevin Feder, redshirt sophomore safety Davon Ferguson, redshirt sophomore receiver Quan Hampton, redshirt freshman returner Jamahl Horne, senior linebacker Azur Kamara, junior receiver Kwamie Lassiter II, redshirt junior offensive lineman Adagio Lopeti, senior offensive tackle Clyde McCauley III, senior safety Jeremiah McCullough, junior receiver Stephon Robinson Jr., redshirt freshman fullback Spencer Roe, junior punter Kyle Thompson and senior safety Bryce Torneden.

It was the third year in a row Torneden, a Lawrence native and Free State High graduate, made one of the Academic All-Big 12 teams. Adeniji, McCauley and Thompson appeared on the list for the second time in their careers.

Second-team honorees must have a GPA between 3.00 and 3.19. To qualify student-athletes must maintain a 3.00 GPA or higher, either cumulative or over the two previous semesters, and must have participated in 20 percent of their team’s games.

Nominated by each institution, 149 first-team members combined with 73 on the second team to give the conference a record 222 honorees.