Siaki Ika Earns All-America Honors from Phil Steele

WACO, Texas — Baylor junior defensive lineman Siaki Ika has been named a third-team All-America selection and 10 total BU standouts earned All-Big 12 honors from Phil Steele, it was announced.

Ika, a native of Salt Lake City, Utah, was tabbed third-team All-America by Phil Steele, highlighting the end-of-season awards from the magazine. He was also tabbed first-team All-Big 12.

Offensive lineman Connor Galvin earned first-team All-Big 12 honors, with fellow offensive linemen Jacob Gall and Grant Miller tabbed to the second team. Freshman running back Richard Reese was named third-team All-Big 12, with wide receiver Monaray Baldwin named to the fourth team.

Defensively, linebacker Dillon Doyle earned second-team honors, with linebacker Matt Jones and safety Al Walcott named to the fourth team. Punt returner Gavin Holmes was named third-team as a specialist.

A year ago, the Bears had several standouts earn All-America accolades from the Associated Press, American Football Coaches Association, Football Writers Association of America, Sporting News and Walter Camp. Jalen Pitre earned honors from the AP, AFCA, FWAA, Sporting News and Walter Camp, while Galvin was named All-America by the AP, with Gall named All-America by the FWAA.

Ika anchored the middle of the Bears' defensive line, and earned first-team All-Big 12 honors from the league’s coaches. The 2021 Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year, Ika played in all 12 games in 2022 with 11 starts, earning 24 tackles, including two for a loss, with five QB hurries and two pass breakups.

Galvin broke the Baylor record in 2022 with his 49th career start and earned second-team All-Big 12 honors from the league’s coaches, fueling Baylor to a distinction as Pro Football Network’s Offensive Line of the Year in the Big 12. He graded out as the third-best tackle in the league and the 54th in the nation from Pro Football Focus.

Gall, a native of Cincinnati, Ohio, earned second-team all-conference honors from the league’s coaches and was named the Best Offensive Lineman in the State by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football. According to PFF, Gall was rated as the 10th-best center in the nation and the second-best in the Big 12.

Miller was named second-team All-Big 12 by the AP and first-team from Pro Football Network. He graded out as the third-best guard in the Big 12 by PFF, ranking 49th in the nation at his position. Miller, a native of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., has played in 57 games over his career.

Doyle, a native of Iowa City, Iowa, ranked tied with Walcott for the team lead with 80 tackles. He added two interceptions, three QB hurries and two pass breakups in 2022. While playing fullback offensively and middle linebacker defensively, Doyle became the first player in program and league history to earn first or second team all-conference accolades at an offensive and defensive position. Over his career, Doyle has 251 tackles, 11.5 tackles for a loss, three interceptions and two sacks.

Reese, the 2022 Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year, shattered the program standard for rushing yards in a season, totaling 962 yards and 14 TDs on 190 carries, including three games with over 100 yards rushing and two contests with three rushing TDs. He ranks second in the nation among freshmen in rushing TDs and third in rushing yards. Reese was named a First-Team Freshman All-America by College Football news and the Offensive Freshman of the Year by DCTF.

Walcott, a native of Wilmington, N.C., moved to the STAR position in 2022 after playing cornerback a year ago. He tied with Doyle for the team lead with 80 tackles, with a team-leading 10 for a loss, adding two sacks and one interception, forcing three fumbles and breaking up four passes.

Baldwin caught a team-leading 33 passes for 565 yards in 2022 as a sophomore, going for four TDs. He also rushed seven times for 71 yards and a score and returned six kickoffs for 103 yards. He had a career-high eight catches vs. Kansas State and went for a career-best 174 yards and two TDs vs. Oklahoma State in 2022.

A native of Justin, Texas, Holmes averaged 13.3 yards per punt return and took a 72-yarder to the house in the season-opening win over UAlbany, marking Baylor’s first punt return for a TD since 2019 and the 11th-longest in program history. Offensively, he caught 22 balls for 470 yards, including three TDs. Holmes totaled career highs in catches (seven) and yards (210) at West Virginia.

Baylor (6-6) will play in its 11th bowl in the last 13 years on Thursday, traveling to Fort Worth to face Air Force (9-3) — the nation’s top-ranked rushing attack — at 6:30 p.m. at Amon G. Carter Stadium on ESPN and the Baylor Sports Network from Learfield.

For the latest news on the Baylor football team, follow its official Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts: @BUFootball.

2022 BAYLOR FOOTBALL POSTSEASON HONORS

Monaray Baldwin, WR

• All-Big 12 Fourth Team (Phil Steele)
• All-Big 12 Honorable Mention (Coaches, PFN)

Dillon Doyle, FB

• All-Big 12 Second Team (Coaches)

Dillon Doyle, LB

• All-Big 12 Second Team (Coaches, AP, PFN, Phil Steele)

Jacob Gall, OL

• All-Big 12 First Team (PFN)
• All-Big 12 Second Team (Coaches, Phil Steele)
• Big 12 Honorable Mention Offensive Lineman of the Year (Coaches)
• DCTF's Best Offensive Lineman
• All-Texas First Team (DCTF)

Connor Galvin, OL

• All-Big 12 First Team (AP, PFN, Phil Steele)
• All-Big 12 Second Team (Coaches)
• All-Texas Second Team (DCTF)

Gabe Hall, DL

• All-Big 12 Honorable Mention (Coaches, PFN)

Gavin Holmes, KR/PR

• All Big 12 Third Team (Phil Steele)
• All-Big 12 Honorable Mention (Coaches, PFN)

Siaki Ika, DL

• Third Team All-America (Phil Steele)
• All-Big 12 First Team (Coaches, AP, Phil Steele)
• All-Big 12 Honorable Mention (PFN)
• Big 12 Honorable Mention Defensive Lineman of the Year
• Polynesian Player of the Year Award Finalist
• All-Texas Second Team (DCTF)

Matt Jones, LB

• All-Big 12 Fourth Team (Phil Steele)
• All-Big 12 Honorable Mention (Coaches)

Devin Lemear, S

• All-Big 12 Honorable Mention (Coaches)
• Big 12 Honorable Mention Defensive Freshman of the Year (Coaches)

John Mayers, K

• All-Big 12 Honorable Mention (Coaches)

Micah Mazzccua, OL

• All-Big 12 Honorable Mention (Coaches, PFN)

Grant Miller, OL

• All-Big 12 First Team (PFN)
• All-Big 12 Second Team (AP, Phil Steele)
• All-Big 12 Honorable Mention (Coaches)

Mark Milton, CB

• All-Big 12 Honorable Mention (Coaches)

Issac Power, P

• All-Big 12 Honorable Mention (Coaches)

Hal Presley, WR

• All-Big 12 Honorable Mention (Coaches)

Richard Reese, RB

• Freshman All-America First Team (College Football News)
• Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year (Coaches)
• DCTF Offensive Freshman of the Year
• Shaun Alexander Freshman Player of the Year Award Semifinalist
• All-Big 12 Second Team (PFN)
• All-Big 12 Third Team (Phil Steele)
• All-Big 12 Honorable Mention (Coaches)

Blake Shapen, QB

• All-Big 12 Honorable Mention (Coaches)

Ben Sims, TE

• All-Big 12 Honorable Mention (Coaches)
• All-Texas Second Team (DCTF)

Al Walcott, S

• All-Big 12 Honorable Mention (Coaches)
• All-Big 12 Second Team (AP, PFN)
• All-Big 12 Fourth Team (Phil Steele)

Team

• Big 12 Offensive Line of the Year (PFN)
• Baylor vs. TCU - Big 12 Game of the Year (PFN)