Football Boasts Seven to College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Football Team

WORCESTER – WPI football tallied seven members of the program to the 2024 College Sports Communicators (CSC) Football Academic All-District Team.
 
The 2024 Academic All-District Football teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom.
 
Graduate student Douglas Cain (Holden, MA) and senior Billy Tyrrell (Dudley, MA) are three-time selections for CSC Academic All-District honors as both earned the honors in 2022 and 2023 as senior Jimmy Espinal (Salem, MA) and graduate student Frankie Polito (Shrewsbury, MA) collect their second consecutive in 2024. Senior Thomas McDonagh (Northport, NY) and juniors Ryan Hannigan (Needham, MA) and Nate Ambrad (Wakefield, RI) received their first career academic accolades.
 
Cain concludes his career in the Crimson and Gray as a two-time D3football.com All-Region selection and back-to-back NEWMAC Postseason first team honoree. The graduate student tight end served as a key offensive piece, posting career highs in receptions (36), receiving yards (294), and touchdowns (4). The graduate tight end excelled as both a receiver and blocker, bolstering the Engineers’ dynamic passing game. Cain finishes his career with 80 receptions for 758 yards and nine touchdowns across 38 games.
 
Off the gridiron, Cain sports a 3.81 grade-point average in mechanical engineering and is a four-time NEWMAC Academic All-Conference honoree.
 
Tyrrell served as a vital member of the offensive line, playing a pivotal role in the Engineers’ success on the ground, logging 1,519 rushing yards, an average of 4.3 yards per carry, and seven rushing touchdowns. Additionally, the 2024 All-NEWMAC first teamer supported a passing game that registered 24 touchdowns. Tyrrell wraps up his WPI career with 35 appearances in the Crimson and Gray.
 
The senior is a two-time NEWMAC All-Academic team selection and boasts a 3.97 grade-point average as a double major in Electrical and Computer Engineering and Computer Science.
 
Polito returns to the CSC Academic All-District team after racking up 70 total tackles including 40 solo stops, 6.5 tackles-for-loss and a pair of sacks in WPI’s 10 games this season. The veteran linebacker recorded a 21-yard pick six to seal the 38-14 season finale victory versus MIT.
 
Off the field, Polito earned NEWMAC Academic All-Conference honors four times and sports a 3.87 grade-point average in civil engineering.
 
Fellow linebacker Espinal recorded 53 total tackles featuring 24 solo takedowns, 4.5 tackles-for-loss and a sack in nine contests this fall for WPI’s defensive unit. Espinal posted 9 tackles and 2.5 tackles-for-loss of a total 22 yards including a sack in a gritty 14-9 season-opening win over Worcester State.
 
In the classroom, Espinal is a three-time Academic All-Conference recipient as he possesses a 3.89 grade-point average in civil engineering.
 
McDonagh earned his first postseason all-conference recognition after providing vital blind-side protection at left tackle in 2024. Working alongside Tyrrell, he contributed to WPI’s offensive success, which included 1,519 rushing yards and 24 passing touchdowns. His blocking was instrumental in driving both the ground game and the passing attack.
 
The first-time CSC Academic All-District honoree is a three-time Academic All-Conference team member and sports a 3.78 GPA in computer science.
 
Hannigan served in multiple roles for the Engineers this fall tallying 115 yards in just four kickoff returns averaging 28.75 yards per attempt including a 59-yard return. The junior defensive back recorded 35 total tackles including 27 solo stops, an interception, six pass breakups, a forced fumble and recovery.
 
Off the field, the junior aerospace engineering major computes a 3.92 grade-point average and is a two-time Academic All-Conference recipient.
Ambrad logged 23 total tackles in the trenches of WPI’s defensive linemen unit and racked up 4.5 tackles-for-loss including a sack and a fumble recovery. The junior linemen tacked on an interception and pair of tackles in WPI’s 31-13 win in the 2024 home opener over UNE.
 
In the classroom, the junior electrical and computer engineering major boasts a 3.96 grade-point average and claimed back-to-back Academic All-Conference honors from the NEWMAC.
 
WPI finished the 2024 campaign with a 6-4 overall record and a 4-3 mark in NEWMAC play, marking the program’s first winning season since 2019.
 
CSC Release