The first 12-team College Football Playoff bracket has been selected, and now awards season is upon us before the games kick off.
Colorado’s Travis Hunter, Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty, Miami’s Cam Ward and Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel have been named Heisman Trophy finalists ahead of Saturday night’s ceremony, and all four are represented among the 50 players on The Athletic’s two All-America teams. Who joins them? Thirty-five schools have at least one selection, led by three each from Texas and Oregon and two each from Miami, Boise State, Penn State, Ohio State, South Carolina, Michigan, Iowa, Tennessee, Alabama, Indiana and Pitt.
First-team offense
Pos.PlayerTeam
QB
Cam Ward
RB
Ashton Jeanty
RB
Cam Skattebo
WR
Tetairoa McMillan
WR
Xavier Restrepo
TE
Tyler Warren
OL
Kelvin Banks Jr.
OL
Will Campbell
OL
Wyatt Milum
OL
Josh Conerly Jr.
C
Seth McLaughlin
QB Cam Ward, Miami: The Hurricanes just missed the Playoff, but the Washington State transfer was by far the biggest reason they were in the hunt all year. He’s passed for 4,123 yards in 12 games, averaging 343.6 yards per game and 9.5 yards per attempt while throwing a national-high 36 touchdown passes to seven interceptions. Ward repeatedly delivered in big moments as the Hurricanes stayed undefeated into November, and even in the two November losses he totaled 697 yards, five TDs and zero picks. He’s set to be Miami’s first top-five Heisman Trophy finisher since 2002.
RB Ashton Jeanty, Boise State: Jeanty has had one of the most prolific seasons in college football history, chasing Barry Sanders’ remarkable 1988 season with 344 carries for 2,497 yards and 29 touchdowns. He averages 7.3 yards per rush, with 12 rushes of 50-plus yards — eight more than any other FBS player and the most since Bryce Love had 13 in 2017. Jeanty was the driving force behind Boise State’s run to the Mountain West title and a Playoff bid, and he’s heading to New York as a deserving Heisman Trophy finalist.
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RB Cam Skattebo, Arizona State: After three years at Sacramento State in the FCS, Skattebo was solid in coach Kenny Dillingham’s first season at Arizona State, rushing for 783 yards and nine TDs for a team that went 3-9 in 2023. This year? Skattebo helped propel a breakthrough in which the Sun Devils won their final six games, captured the Big 12 title and earned a surprise Playoff bid. Skattebo rushed for 170 yards, had 38 receiving yards and finished with three total TDs in the Big 12 championship blowout of Iowa State, giving him 2,074 yards from scrimmage (1,568 rushing and 506 receiving) for the season.
WR Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona: The Wildcats may not have met soaring preseason expectations, but McMillan posted his second consecutive big season to deliver on the preseason hype after he elected to stay at Arizona following the departure of coach Jedd Fisch to Washington. As a junior, he caught 84 passes for 1,319 yards and eight touchdowns, including 304 yards in the opener against New Mexico and 202 yards against West Virginia. He continues to show a knack for highlight-reel catches.
WR Xavier Restrepo, Miami: Ward gets the most credit for Miami leading the nation in scoring and yards per play, but don’t discount Restrepo’s contributions as the QB’s favorite target. Restrepo has 69 catches for 1,127 yards and 11 touchdowns, with 100-plus yards in six of 12 games, to give him 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons. According to TruMedia, he’s dropped just two passes, and he has 20 catches of at least 20 yards.
Miami is scoring 44.2 PPG behind Xavier Restrepo and Cam Ward. (Carmen Mandato / Getty Images)
TE Tyler Warren, Penn State: Warren is the versatile go-to weapon in an offense that has jumped from 75th to sixth in yards per play despite having a lack of go-to playmakers at wideout. Warren is one of two 1,000-yard receivers in the Big Ten, catching 88 passes for 1,062 yards and six touchdowns — including a staggering 17 catches for 224 yards and a TD in a comeback win at USC. He’s also completed three passes for 35 yards and a TD and rushed 23 times for 191 yards and four TDs, lining up as a traditional tight end, out wide, at quarterback and in the backfield.
OL Kelvin Banks Jr., Texas: Banks has made 39 starts in three years after signing with Texas as a five-star recruit. A stalwart at left tackle, he’s allowed a total of four sacks in his career, per PFF, including just one sack and six pressures this year. He’s projected to be an early first-round draft pick.
OL Will Campbell, LSU: It is likely to be Banks or Campbell as the first offensive tackle off the board in the NFL Draft. And like Banks, Campbell was one of the top tackle prospects in the 2022 class, instantly earning a starting role upon arrival in college. He’s made 38 career starts and, according to PFF, has allowed one sack this season and four in three years.
OL Wyatt Milum, West Virginia: The Big 12’s offensive lineman of the year has been a four-year starter at tackle for the Mountaineers. Per PFF, he’s given up zero sacks and just eight pressures this season — in fact, he hasn’t given up a sack since he was a freshman.
OL Josh Conerly Jr., Oregon: Conerly emerged as a standout tackle for the Ducks last year and blossomed into a first-team All-Big Ten pick as a junior in Oregon’s first year in the conference. According to PFF, he’s allowed one sack and just six pressures — tied with Banks for the fewest among Power 4 tackles with at least 300 pass-blocking snaps.
C Seth McLaughlin, Ohio State: Can a player validate his All-America status by not playing? The Alabama transfer overcame the snapping problems of last year to be a midseason All-America pick by The Athletic in October, and his standout play continued until he was injured before the final two games. According to TruMedia, Ohio State averaged 2.79 yards before contact per rush in its first 10 games, with McLaughlin in the lineup, which ranked fifth in the FBS. Without McLaughlin? It averaged 0.21 against Indiana and 0.54 in the loss to Michigan. He was a first-team All-Big Ten pick by conference coaches despite the late injury.
First-team defense
Pos.PlayerTeam
DE
Abdul Carter
DE
Kyle Kennard
DT
Mason Graham
DT
Walter Nolen
LB
Anthony Hill Jr.
LB
Jay Higgins
LB
Shaun Dolac
CB
Jahdae Barron
CB
Nohl Williams
S
Xavier Watts
S
Caleb Downs
DE Abdul Carter, Penn State: The junior moved from outside linebacker to defensive end and thrived as the season progressed. Despite some early inconsistency, he developed into one of the most disruptive players in the country, showcasing his speed and athleticism in racking up 60 tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, three pass breakups and two forced fumbles.
DE Kyle Kennard, South Carolina: The Gamecocks are tied for third nationally with 40 sacks, with a ferocious defensive front helping to lead their surge into the top 20 in the polls. Though five-star freshman Dylan Stewart has had a big season as well, Kennard has stolen the show with 15.5 tackles for loss, including 11.5 sacks, and three forced fumbles after transferring from Georgia Tech.
DT Mason Graham, Michigan: The Wolverines defense wasn’t as dominant as in their national title season, but Graham erased any doubt about his All-America status with an individually dominant performance in the upset of Ohio State. The 320-pound junior has 45 tackles, including seven TFLs. He’s strong, physical and disruptive and appears destined for the top 10 in the NFL Draft.
DT Walter Nolen, Ole Miss: Nolen signed with Texas A&M as the No. 2 recruit in the Class of 2022, and after a stellar two seasons, he transferred to Ole Miss and blossomed into an All-American. The Rebels own one of the nation’s most disruptive defenses, ranking No. 1 in tackles for loss and No. 5 in yards per play allowed, and the 305-pound Nolen has been a key force at tackle. He shares the team lead with 14 tackles for loss and has 6.5 sacks and three pass breakups.
Walter Nolen leads Ole Miss’ fourth-ranked scoring defense. (Jonathan Bachman / Getty Images)
LB Anthony Hill Jr., Texas: He’s the best player on one of the nation’s best defenses. Texas leads the FBS in yards per play allowed, and the sophomore has been the centerpiece as a disruptive and versatile linebacker. He has 90 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, seven sacks and an interception, taking a step up from a Freshman All-America season in 2023.
LB Jay Higgins, Iowa: Another stout Iowa defense has allowed just three rushing touchdowns all season, with Higgins the backbone of the unit. He’s second in the Big Ten with 118 tackles and has forced two fumbles, and he has also shined in coverage, racking up four interceptions and five pass breakups.
LB Shaun Dolac, Buffalo. It’s hard to stuff the stat sheet as much as Dolac has. A former walk-on, Dolac had his 2023 season cut short after four games by an injury. He returned this season to lead the nation with 153 tackles while also finishing with 16.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks — plus five interceptions, including a pick six.
CB Jahdae Barron, Texas: Barron has shifted from primarily a slot corner to playing outside this season as a fifth-year senior. According to PFF, he hasn’t allowed a touchdown while intercepting five passes and breaking up nine more for a Texas defense that has allowed the fewest passing yards per attempt (5.1) and per game (143.1) in the FBS.
CB Nohl Williams, Cal: A fifth-year senior who started his career at UNLV, Williams leads the nation with seven interceptions, including a pick six against Miami, and has also broken up nine passes, forced a fumble and returned a kick for a touchdown.
S Xavier Watts, Notre Dame: Watts has earned All-America recognition for the second year in a row as a ball-hawking weapon in the secondary for the nation’s top pass efficiency defense. He has 49 tackles, nine pass breakups, a forced fumble and five interceptions, including a 100-yard pick six to break open the Irish’s win over USC.
S Caleb Downs, Ohio State: A former five-star recruit, Downs shined as a freshman at Alabama last year, then carried over that success as a transfer to Ohio State. He has 62 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, one interception and three pass breakups, showcasing a well-rounded skill set as the best player on a loaded defense that ranks No. 2 in yards per play and No. 1 in points allowed.
First-team specialists
Pos.PlayerTeam
K
Dominic Zvada
P
Eddie Czaplicki
AP
Travis Hunter
K Dominic Zvada, Michigan: An Arkansas State transfer, Zvada has gone 7-for-7 on field goals of 50-plus yards this season, including a 54-yarder in the 13-10 upset of Ohio State. He’s 17-for-18 on field goals, his only miss being a kick blocked by Illinois.
P Eddie Czaplicki, USC: Czaplicki leads the nation in net punting average at 45.45, per TruMedia. Nine of his 40 punts (22.5 percent) have been downed inside the 10-yard line, and he has just one touchback.
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AP Travis Hunter, Colorado: Few players can make a case for “all-purpose” All-American without gaudy special teams stats, but Hunter is unlikely anyone else. He plays full-time on offense, where he had an All-America season at wide receiver. He plays full-time on defense, where he also had an All-America season. He could be a top-10 pick at either position. He’s caught 92 passes for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns, and he has four interceptions and 11 pass breakups. According to PFF, he allowed just 205 passing yards, fourth fewest among FBS cornerbacks who played 700-plus defensive snaps.
Second team
Pos.PlayerTeam
QB
Dillon Gabriel
RB
Kaleb Johnson
RB
Dylan Sampson
WR
Nick Nash
WR
Jayden Higgins
TE
Harold Fannin Jr.
OL
Aireontae Ersery
OL
Kage Casey
OL
Tyler Booker
OL
Willie Lampkin
C
Cooper Mays
DE
Donovan Ezeiruaku
DE
Mikail Kamara
DT
Derrick Harmon
LB
Danny Stutsman
LB
Kyle Louis
LB
Jihaad Campbell
LB
Jackson Woodard
CB
D’Angelo Ponds
CB
Chandler Rivers
S
Malaki Starks
S
Nick Emmanwori
K
Kenneth Almendares
P
Alex Mastromanno
AP
Desmond Reid
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(Top illustration: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic; photos of Anthony Hill, Travis Hunter and Tyler Warren: Tim Warner, Ed Zurga, Scott Taetsch / Getty Images)
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Publish date : 2024-12-10 21:00:00
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