MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State freshman Joshua Youngblood was rewarded on a national scale for his performance in 2019 as the Tampa, Florida, product was named to a pair of All-America teams this week.

Youngblood earned Second Team All-America honors as a kick returner from CBS Sports, while he was named a First Team Freshman All-American as an all-purpose player from The Athletic. Youngblood’s designation by CBS Sports marked the first time a Wildcat true freshman was named to a First or Second Team All-America team since Tyler Lockett in 2011.

The 2019 Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Year and First Team All-Big 12 kick returner, Youngblood ranks first in the nation with three kickoff return touchdowns, going 98 yards for a score at Texas, 100 yards at Texas Tech and 93 yards on the opening kickoff against Iowa State. His three kickoff-return touchdowns rank third in school history for a season – and are tops among freshmen – while he ranks fourth in K-State history for a career. Youngblood also ranks third in Big 12 history and tops among freshmen for single-season kickoff-return touchdowns, while he is tied for seventh in league history for a career.

Youngblood holds a Big 12-leading 38.1-yard kickoff-return average, which would rank first in the nation if he had two more attempts to meet the NCAA required minimum.

Kansas State takes part in the 61st Annual AutoZone Liberty Bowl on Tuesday, December 31, when the Wildcats face Navy inside Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee. The game is slated for a 2:45 p.m. (CT) kick and will be shown nationally on ESPN.