No. 1 Alabama placed four players on The Associated Press All-America team, most of any school, and Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson and fellow Heisman Trophy finalists Jabrill Peppers of Michigan and Dede Westbrook of Oklahoma were also first-team selections.
The Crimson Tide and No. 2 Ohio State tied for the most players on the three All-America teams released Monday with six. No. 3 Clemson had five players on the three teams, but none on the first team. Washington, which has a spot in the College Football Playoff team along with Alabama, Ohio State and Clemson, had two players on the second team.
Jackson won the Heisman Saturday , finishing well ahead of Clemson’s Deshaun Watson and Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield. The three quarterbacks lined up similarly on the All-America teams with Watson second-team and Mayfield third-team.
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ALL-AMERICA POINTS
– The Crimson Tide’s top-ranked defense placed three players on the first team, one at each level: Defensive lineman Jonathan Allen; linebacker Reuben Foster; defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick. Offensive tackle Cam Robinson was the fourth Tide All-American. Outside linebacker Tim Williams was a second-team selection and tight end O.J. Howardmade the third team.
– Ohio State put center Pat Elflein on the first team with safety Malik Hooker and H-back Curtis Samuel, who was selected as an all-purpose player. Guard Billy Price and linebacker Raekwon McMillan made the second team.
– Clemson defensive tackle Carlos Watkins joined Watson on the second team and the Tigers had defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, cornerback Cordrea Tankersley and linebacker Ben Boulware on the third team.
– Washington’s two second-teamers were safety Budda Baker and receivers John Ross.
FABULOUS FRESHMAN
Houston defensive tackle Ed Oliver is the first freshman to be selected to the first-team since 2011 when Clemson’s Sammy Watkins made it as an all-purpose player and LSU punter Brad Wing also was picked.
Oliver had 19 tackles for loss to help lead a defense that ranks second in the nation in rushing defense at 2.83 yards per carry.
PROMOTIONS
Elflein was one of three players who made the second team last season to make the first team this season. Florida State running back Dalvin Cook and Michigan cornerback Jourdan Lewis also earned promotions.
There were no players who repeated as first-team All-Americans.
DEMOTIONS
Watson went from first-team All-America last season as a sophomore to second this year and Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey did the same. McCaffrey was first-team as an all-purpose player last year and a second-team pick at running back this season.
FIRST-TIMER
Western Michigan receiver Corey Davis is the first player in school history to be an AP first-team All-American.
CONFERENCE CALL
Players on first team broken down by conference
SEC – 8
Big Ten – 7
Pac-12 – 4
ACC – 2
Big 12 – 2
American – 1
MAC – 1
THE TEAMS
FIRST TEAM
OFFENSE
Quarterback – Lamar Jackson, sophomore, 6-foot-3, 205 pounds, Louisville
Running backs – D’Onta Foreman, junior, 6-2, 249, Texas; Dalvin Cook, junior, 5-11, 213, Florida State
Tackles – Cam Robinson, junior, 6-6, 310, Alabama; Ryan Ramczyk, junior, 6-6, 314, Wisconsin
Guards – Cody O’Connell, junior, 6-8, 354, Washington State; Dan Feeney, senior, 6-4, 305, Indiana.
Center – Pat Elflein, senior, 6-3, 300, Ohio State
Tight end – Evan Engram, senior, 6-3, 235, Mississippi
Wide receivers – Dede Westbrook, senior, 6-0, 176, Oklahoma; Corey Davis, senior, 6-3, 213, Western Michigan
All-purpose player – Curtis Samuel, junior, 5-11 197, Ohio State
Kicker – Zane Gonzalez, senior, 6-1, 195, Arizona State
DEFENSE
Ends – Myles Garrett, junior, 6-5, 270, Texas A&M; Derek Barnett, junior, 6-3, 265, Tennessee
Tackles – Jonathan Allen, junior, 6-3, 291, Alabama; Ed Oliver, freshman, 6-2, 290, Houston
Linebackers – Reuben Foster, senior, 6-1, 228, Alabama; Zach Cunningham, junior, 6-2, 230, Vanderbilt; Jabrill Peppers, junior, 6-1, 205, Michigan
Cornerbacks – Jourdan Lewis, senior, 5-11, 186, Michigan; Adoree’ Jackson, junior, 5-11, 185, Southern California
Safeties – Malik Hooker, sophomore, 6-2, 205, Ohio State; Minkah Fitzpatrick, sophomore, 6-1, 200, Alabama
Punter – Mitch Wishnowsky, sophomore, 6-2, 220, Utah
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SECOND TEAM
OFFENSE
Quarterback – Deshaun Watson, junior, Clemson
Running backs – Donnel Pumphrey, senior, San Diego State; Christian McCaffrey, junior, Stanford
Tackles – Connor Williams, sophomore, Texas; Orlando Brown, sophomore, Oklahoma
Guards – Billy Price, junior, Ohio State; Will Hernandez, junior, UTEP
Center – Tyler Orlosky, senior, West Virginia
Tight end – Jake Butt, senior, Michigan
Wide receivers – Zay Jones, senior, East Carolina; John Ross, junior, Washington
All-purpose player – Quadree Henderson, sophomore, Pitt
Kicker – Daniel Carlson, junior, Auburn
DEFENSE
Ends – DeMarcus Walker, senior, Florida State; Harold Landry, junior, Boston College
Tackles – Carlos Watkins, senior, Clemson; Montravius Adams, senior, Auburn
Linebackers – Raekwon McMillan, junior, Ohio State; T.J. Watt, junior, Wisconsin; Tim Williams, senior, Alabama
Cornerbacks – Rasul Douglas, senior, West Virginia; Desmond King, senior, Iowa
Safeties – Budda Baker, junior, Washington; Jamal Adams, junior, LSU
Punter – Cameron Johnston, senior, Ohio State
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THIRD TEAM
OFFENSE
Quarterback – Baker Mayfield, junior, Oklahoma
Running backs – Saquon Barkley, sophomore, Penn State; Aaron Jones, junior, UTEP
Tackles – Mike McGlinchey, senior, Notre Dame; Forrest Lamp, senior, Western Kentucky
Guards – Nico Siragusa, senior, San Diego State; Quenton Nelson, junior, Notre Dame
Center – Ethan Pocic, senior, LSU
Tight end – O.J. Howard, senior, Alabama
Wide receivers – Amba Etta-Tawo, senior, Syracuse; Austin Carr, senior, Northwestern
All-purpose player – Christian Kirk, sophomore, Texas A&M
Kicker – Gary Wunderlich, junior, Mississippi
DEFENSE
Ends – Hunter Dimick, senior, Utah; Jordan Willis, senior, Kansas State
Tackles – Christian Wilkins, sophomore, Clemson; Solomon Thomas, junior, Stanford
Linebackers – Kendell Beckwith, senior, LSU; Jimmie Gilbert, senior, Colorado; Ben Boulware, senior, Clemson
Cornerbacks – Teez Tabor, junior, Florida; Cordrea Tankersley, senior, Clemson
Safeties – Nathan Gerry, senior, Nebraska; Weston Steelhammer, senior, Air Force
Punter – Michael Dickson, sophomore, Texas
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AP All-America team panel: Bob Asmussen, Champaign News-Gazette; Kirk Bohls, Austin American-Statesman; Chuck Carlton, Dallas Morning News; Robert Cessna, Bryan-College Station Eagle; Matt Charboneau, Detroit News; Scott Hamilton, Winston-Salem Journal; Eric Hansen, The South Bend Tribune; Brian Howell, Buffzone.com/Boulder (Colo.) Daily Camera; Bill Landis, Cleveland Plain Dealer; Rob Long, WJZ-FM The Fan (Baltimore); Tony Parks, KZNS-FM The Zone (Salt Lake City); Keith Sargeant, New Jersey Advance Media; Gary Smits, Florida Times-Union; Dana Sulonen, Opelika-Auburn News; Joe Walljasper, Columbia (Mo.) Tribune; Jon Wilner, San Jose (Calif.) Mercury News.
