Already known as one of the smartest and hardest working dudes on the team, Kansas University senior Trevor Marrongelli now has a little more proof to back that up.

Marrongelli, a center from Austin, Texas, was one of 19 KU football players named to the Big 12 all-academic squads released by the conference on Thursday.

That’s the highest number in KU history, surpassing the mark of 17 set by the 2010 squad.

For Marrongelli, it marks the fourth straight season he has earned first-team honors, making him just the fourth KU football player all-time to achieve such academic success.

Marrongelli was just one of three athletes in the entire conference to be nominated to the team with a 4.0 grade-point average. KU senior Brandon Hawks, a safety from Oskaloosa, was one of them.

Hawks and Marrongelli were joined on this year’s first team by Dylan Admire, Ryan Burton, Gavin Howard, Tyler Patmon, Justin Puthoff, James Sims and Shane Smith.

Second-team honorees included: Michael Cummings, Blake Jablonski, Pat Lewandowski, Jake Love, Toben Opurum, Daymond Patterson, Corrigan Powell, JaCorey Shepherd, Nick Sizemore and Andrew Turzilli.

This is the second time this calendar year that the Jayhawks made news in the classroom. Just before the season began it was learned that the team raised its overall GPA from 2.46 last fall to 3.0 in the spring.

KU coach Charlie Weis has made academics a top priority with this program and, clearly, his players know he means business.

KU will play host to Iowa State at 6 p.m. Saturday at Memorial Stadium in what will be the final home game for 23 seniors, many of whom are on the list above.