Everyone’s got an All-America team these days. In fact, I was at Target this weekend and a cashier tried to hand me a pamphlet with their All-America team. I took it to be polite but pitched it in a trash can on my way out of the store. (I’m kidding. If Target had its own All-America team, I’m absolutely taking that flier home with me.)
There’s no shortage of All-America teams, but the gold standard will always be the Associated Press All-America team. That team was released Monday.
As should surprise no one, the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the country led the way, as both No. 1 LSU and No. 2 Ohio State placed three players apiece on the First Team.
LSU’s were Heisman winner Joe Burrow, Biletnikoff winner J’Marr Chase and not Thorpe Award winner Grant Delpit, but instead true freshman Derek Stingley, Jr. (Delpit made the second team.) For Ohio State, guard Wyatt Davis, defensive end Chase Young and cornerback Jeff Okudah made the first team, while backfield mates Justin Fields and JK Dobbins made the Second Team, and guard Jonah Jackson and linebacker Malik Harrison earned Third Team spots.
Elsewhere, three teams placed two players among the 25 on the First Team -- Georgia, Wisconsin... and Kentucky. The 7-5 Wildcats were immortalized by punter Max Duffy and quarterback Lynn Bowden, Jr., whose 330 passing yards, 1,235 rushing yards, 348 receiving yards, 200 kick return yards and 53 punt returns yards were enough to earn him a nod as an all-purpose player.
The First Team can be found below.
OFFENSE
QB: Joe Burrow, LSU
RB: Chuba Hubbard, Oklahoma State; Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin
WR: Ja’Marr Chase, LSU; CeeDee Lamb, Oklahoma
TE: Harrison Bryant, Florida Atlantic
OT: Penei Sewell, Oregon; Andrew Thomas, Georgia
OG: Wyatt Davis, Ohio State; Kevin Dotson, Louisiana-Lafayette
C: Tyler Biadasz, Wisconsin
AP: Lynn Bowden, Jr., Kentucky
K: Keith Duncan, Iowa
DEFENSE
DE: Chase Young, Ohio State; James Lynch, Baylor
DT: Derrick Brown, Auburn; Javon Kinlaw, South Carolina
LB: Isaiah Simmons, Clemson; Evan Weaver, Cal; Micah Parsons, Penn State
S: Antoine Winfield, Jr., Minnesota; JR Reed, Georgia
CB: Derek Stingley, Jr., LSU; Jeff Okudah, Ohio State
P: Max Duffy, Kentucky
