Football | 12/10/2024 12:18:00 PM

Utah Tech linebacker Rick Mua'e was named to the 2024 FCS Football Central All-American team on Tuesday. 

Mua'e was one of 69 freshmen from 52 programs across the subdivision recognized on the FCS Football Central's third-annual awards list. 
 
Mua'e (6-3, 235; St. George, Utah/Pine View HS) enjoyed a stellar collegiate debut season, during which he led the team and finished third in the United Athletic Conference with 6.5 total sacks, and finished in the UAC's top-10 in tackles for loss with a team-high 9.5 TFLs. 

The freshman played in all 12 games with seven starts, and was credited with at least 0.5 TFL in seven of those outings, all while he finished eighth on the team in total tackles (43).  
 
He picked up his first collegiate sack (1.5 TFLs) and racked up a career-high eight tackles at UNLV (9/7), and followed that up two weeks later with 1.5 sacks as part of a six-tackle effort at UC Davis (9/21).

Mua'e also recorded a pair of strip sacks against both Abilene Christian (9/28) and West Georgia (11/16), and posted a career-high 2.5 TFLs with one sack, one QB hurry, and six total tackles in the Trailblazers' upset home victory over then-nationally ranked Central Arkansas (11/2).