Lincoln – A solid class of 12 Husker student-athletes led by six current or former Nebraska football players, will earn their bachelor’s degrees from the University of Nebraska during summer commencement exercises at Lincoln’s new Pinnacle Bank Arena on Saturday morning.

Current Huskers Andrew Green, Thad Randle and Mohammed Seisay will claim their degrees in the first UNL graduation ceremonies at Pinnacle Bank Arena. All three Nebraska defenders will earn their diplomas before entering their senior seasons on the gridiron for Coach Bo Pelini. Overall, the Nebraska football program will have 10 active players who have already earned their undergraduate degrees as they enter their final seasons for the Huskers in 2013.

In addition to the three current football student-athletes, former Huskers Chris Patrick, Cory Ross and P.J. Smith are expected to receive their diplomas on Saturday. Patrick and Ross have both spent time in the NFL.

Coach Chuck Chmelka’s men’s gymnastics program will add a pair of summer graduates with Wyatt Baier and Gabriel Sanchez earning their degrees.

Volleyball All-American Hannah Werth will add her undergraduate degree to her lengthy list of accomplishments for Coach John Cook at Nebraska, while men’s basketball guard Dylan Talley also will claim his diploma for Coach Tim Miles’ squad. Coach Darin Erstad’s Nebraska baseball program will add Ryan Hander to the list of graduates, while Coach John Walker’s Husker soccer program will contribute Bri Badje as the lone Nebraska native among the dozen all-sport graduates.

The Husker graduating class provides a diverse mix of student-athletes who came from near and far to call Nebraska home during their collegiate careers. The 2013 August graduates came to Nebraska from 10 states, including Arizona, Colorado (2), Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan, Nebraska, New Jersey, South Dakota, Texas (2) and Virginia.

The Huskers continue to lead the nation in the number of CoSIDA Academic All-Americans (307) and NCAA Top Ten Award winners (16) across all sports.

August 2013 Nebraska Student-Athlete Graduates (12)

Student-Athlete (Sport) – Hometown (Major)

• ·     Bri Badje (Soccer) – Lincoln, Neb. (International Business)
• ·     Wyatt Baier (Men’s Gymnastics) – Denver, Colo. (Nutrition, Exercise & Health Science)
• ·     Andrew Green (Football) – San Antonio, Texas (Ethnic Studies)
• ·     Ryan Hander (Baseball) – Sioux Falls, S.D. (Business Administration)
• ·     Chris Patrick (Football) – Ithaca, Mich. (Criminology & Criminal Justice)
• ·     Thad Randle (Football) – Galena Park, Texas (Ethnic Studies)
• ·     Cory Ross (Football) – Denver, Colo. (Sociology)
• ·     Gabriel Sanchez (Men’s Gymnastics) – Phoenix, Ariz. (Advertising & Public Relations)
• ·     Mohammed Seisay (Football) – Springfield, Va. (Child, Youth & Family Studies)
• ·     P.J. Smith (Football) – River Ridge, La. (Child, Youth & Family Studies)
• ·     Dylan Talley (Men’s Basketball) – Camden, N.J. (Sociology)
• ·     Hannah Werth (Volleyball) – Springfield, Ill. (Communication Studies)