THE FLATS – The Atlantic Coast Conference recognized over 260 graduate student-athletes, eight of which earned their degrees at Georgia Tech, with the announcement of the conference’s 2025-26 ACC Graduate Scholar Athlete honors on Friday.
Of the eight Jackets to receive the honor, football had honors in the forms of Josh Beetham, Daylon Gordon, Ronald Triplette, and 2026 NFL Draft sixth-round defensive tackle Jordan van den Berg, alongside Phil Steele third-team all-American and first-team preseason all-ACC kicker, Aidan Birr. Tech’s cross country/track & field program saw two of their own recognized as Ethan Curnow and Isabella Turner received the honor. DeAndra Pierce rounded out Tech’s honorees as she represented the Tech volleyball program.
The Atlantic Coast Conference recognized over 260 student-athletes as the inaugural class of ACC Graduate Scholar-Athletes for the 2025–26 academic year, honoring individuals who have excelled both in the classroom and in competition while pursuing graduate degrees. Representing all 18 ACC member institutions, the first-year recognition program reflects the conference’s continued commitment to academic achievement and athletic excellence.
“We’re excited to celebrate the inaugural class of ACC Graduate Scholar-Athletes and recognize what they’ve accomplished both academically and athletically,” said ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips, Ph.D. “Earning a graduate degree while competing at the highest level speaks to their commitment, discipline and drive. These student-athletes embody the ACC’s dedication to developing leaders who excel long after their playing careers are over.”
To earn ACC Graduate Scholar-Athlete of the Year recognition, student-athletes must successfully complete a graduate degree program (excluding certificate programs) and meet the Conference’s athletic participation requirements during at least one season while enrolled as a graduate student.
Click HERE to view the full 2025-26 ACC Graduate Scholar-Athletes.
Full Steam Ahead is a $500 million fundraising initiative to achieve Georgia Tech athletics’ goal of competing for championships at the highest level in the next era of intercollegiate athletics. The initiative will fund transformative projects for Tech athletics, including renovations of Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field (the historic home of Georgia Tech football), the Zelnak Basketball Center (the practice and training facility for Tech basketball) and O’Keefe Gymnasium (the venerable home of Yellow Jackets volleyball), as well as additional projects and initiatives to further advance Georgia Tech athletics through program wide-operational support. All members of the Georgia Tech community are invited to visit atfund.org/FullSteamAhead for full details and renderings of the renovation projects, as well as to learn about opportunities to contribute online.
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