GREENWOOD, Ind. – Mount Union senior guard Giovanni Kennedy (Avon, OH/St. Edward) was named to the College Sports Communicators NCAA Division III Academic All-America® First Team for his impressive work on the field and in the classroom.

Kennedy is the first Mount Union football player to earn First Team Academic All-America® since 2020 (LB Mitch O'Hara) and only the second Purple Raider guard to earn this prestigious honor and the first in over 40 years (1984, G Rick Marabito).

Kennedy was an anchor on the offensive line that led the conference in scoring (43.5 ppg) and total offense (476.0 ypg) in 2025, while being top-15 in the country in scoring offense, total offense, and rushing offense. A three-time First Team All-Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) honoree, Kennedy has earned numerous athletic All-American honors during his junior and senior campaigns. He played in two Stagg Bowls, including as a starter in 2024.

Kennedy, a finance major, was named All-OAC Academic as a senior. He was a 2025 American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Good Works Team nominee. Kennedy volunteered with the National Marrow Donor Program and "Walk a Mile in Her Shoes," a march that raises awareness of sexual and domestic violence.