UNLV roundup: Jacobson picked for all-star football game

UNLV senior offensive tackle Nathan Jacobson will play for the National team Saturday at the Tropical Bowl all-star game in Daytona Beach, Florida.

The native of Snohomish, Washington, Jacobson started 38 straight games for the Rebels and gained All-Mountain West honorable mention three times.

He is the first UNLV offensive lineman invited to a postseason game since Brett Boyko was picked for the East-West Shrine Game after 2014.

Jacobson joins UNLV senior running back Lexington Thomas in heading to an all-star game this year. Thomas previously was announced as an invitee to the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, set for Jan. 19 in Pasadena, California.

ACADEMICS

UNLV student-athletes achieved a record collective semester grade-point average of 3.09 in the fall, which surpassed the previous mark of 3.03 set in spring 2018.

Also, 146 student-athletes earned Dean’s List honors in fall 2018, up from the previous record of 121. To make the Dean’s List, one must achieve a semester GPA of better than 3.5 in at least 12 academic credits.

Sixty-two percent of all UNLV student-athletes earned at least a 3.0 semester GPA in the fall, the highest percentage in department history.

MEN’S SOCCER

Midfielder Nico Clasen, who had 10 assists for the Rebels (10-10-1) in 2018, was named all-freshman third team by College Soccer News.

A native of Monchengladbach, Germany, Clasen’s assist total was one off the UNLV single-season record and tied for seventh nationally.