Aggie captain maintaining a 4.0 GPA and is lone offensive lineman to earn recognition.
Source: NMSU Athletics
By Micheal Navarrette
Photo By John Knope for NMSU: Courtesy
DALLAS – NM State center Canaan Yarro exemplifies what it means to be a leader on and off the field and Friday, his hard work was recognized by the league office. Following a vote of the academic advisors at each Conference USA institution, Yarro was selected as one of 11 individuals to garner 2024 CUSA Football All-Academic Team honors.
The senior captain from Provo, Utah, is currently majoring in Communication Studies and is one of four individuals on the all-academic team to hold a 4.0 GPA. Yarro is also one of only two student-athletes on this year’s team to have also earned the honor in 2023. With the distinction, Yarro becomes one of just 41 players in the history of CUSA to earn all-academic honors multiple times.
This season, Yarro has served as one of the Aggies’ unquestioned leaders and has started at center in all but one game. The Rimington Watch List honoree anchors an offensive line which currently ranks fourth in the conference in rushing yards per game (181.2) and fifth in the conference in sacks allowed per game (2.10).
Yarro has also helped the Aggies rush for a season-high 331 yards at home against Western Kentucky on Nov. 9. With Yarro at center, the Aggies’ pass protection has continued to improve and NM State has given up just two sack in its last three CUSA contests.
2024 Conference USA Football All-Academic Team
| Name | Year | GPA | Major(s) |
| Ross Fournet, FIU | R-Jr. | 3.90 | Biological Sciences |
| Lexington Joseph, FIU | R-Sr. | 3.97 | Mass Communication |
| Sean Brown, Jax State | R-Sr. | 4.00 | Sport Management |
| Tyler Huff, Jax State | Sr. | 4.00 | Sport Management |
| Michael Benefield, Kennesaw State | R-Sr. | 4.00 | Exercise Science |
| Nicholas Vattiato, MTSU | R-Jr. | 3.96 | Exercise Science |
| Canaan Yarro, NM State | Sr. | 4.00 | Communication Studies |
| Kavian Gaither, Sam Houston | Sr. | 3.30 | Entrepreneurship |
| Skyler Locklear, UTEP | R-So. | 3.83 | Business |
| KD Johnson, UTEP | Sr. | 3.60 | Nursing |
| Hosea Wheeler, WKU | R-Jr. | 3.41 | Business Administration |
Yarro and the Aggies will return to action on Saturday, Nov. 23, when they travel to Murfreesboro, Tenn., to take on the Blue Raiders of Middle Tennessee in what will be NM State’s final road game of the 2024 season. The game is set to kick off at 12:30 p.m. MT and will be streamed live on ESPN+.
For complete coverage of the NM State football program, visit NMStateSports.com – the official home of Aggie athletics – and follow the Aggies on Facebook (NM State Football), Twitter (@NMStateFootball) and Instagram (@NMStateFB).
