The 2025-26 College Football All-Bowl Season Team
While the college football world shifts its attention to the national championship between Miami and Indiana, bowl season is moving to the rear view.
But, as always, what an enjoyable postseason it was.
Throughout the 28-day stretch, more than 80 teams took the field for a final game (or two). Within that action, the matchups produced some terrific individual performances and gaudy stat lines.
We're picking out the best of the best.
The bowls in the College Football Playoff are included in consideration—not first-round matchups—but the performances are viewed singularly. Otherwise, the list would be made of players with multiple CFP games.
Quarterback and Running Backs
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QB: Devon Dampier, Utah
Utah dropped the hammer on Nebraska in a comfortable 44-22 victory at the Las Vegas Bowl. Leading the way, clearly, was dual-threat quarterback Devon Dampier, who completed 19 of his 31 attempts for 310 yards and two scores with 148 yards and three touchdowns as a runner.
RB: Caleb Hawkins, North Texas
Ashton Gray scampered for 152 yards and two touchdowns, yet he was North Texas' second-best rusher in a high-scoring New Mexico Bowl. Star runner Caleb Hawkins put up 198 yards and two scores on the ground, also catching three passes for 25 yards and a third touchdown in UNT's 49-47 win over San Diego State.
RB: Godspower Nwawuihe, Army
During the regular season, Godspower Nwawuihe handled a total of nine carries for 25 yards. So, naturally, he exploded for 171 yards and two touchdowns in the 41-16 rout of Connecticut in the Fenway Bowl.
Wide Receivers and Tight End
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WR: Que'Sean Brown, Duke
Arizona State and Duke combined for more than 1,100 yards in a dramatic Sun Bowl. No non-QB had a bigger game than Que'Sean Brown, who caught 10 passes for 178 yards and two touchdowns—including the game-winning 17-yard score that he capped with a celebratory plunge into a cereal bowl.
WR: Anthony Smith, East Carolina
East Carolina QB Chaston Ditta only completed eight passes in the Military Bowl. Anthony Smith reeled in four of them, however, and he certainly made them count. The senior—who topped 1,000 yards for the season in the 23-17 win against Pitt—recorded 47-yard and 72-yard touchdowns among his 156 yards.
TE: DJ Vonnahme, Iowa
Oh, shocker, the Hawkeyes had a standout tight end in the ReliaQuest Bowl. DJ Vonnahme, a freshman, set early career highs with seven receptions for 146 yards and a touchdown, one that pushed Iowa to a commanding 21-3 advantage on Vanderbilt en route to a 34-27 triumph.
Offensive Line
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Heading into the Idaho Potato Bowl, Washington State sported season-best marks of 279 passing yards and 186 rushing.
Utah State proved a gracious opponent.
Led by the offensive line—from left tackle to right, the starters being Ashton Tripp, Jonny Lester, Kyle Martin, AJ Vaipulu and Christian Hilborn—Wazzu piled up 373 yards through the air with 255 on the ground.
No, the group wasn't perfect in the 34-21 win. Utah State tallied nine tackles for loss, in particular. But when an offense shatters both of its previous highs, the blocking unit deserves a considerable share of praise.
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Defensive Line
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DE: Aidan Hubbard, Northwestern
In a 34-7 rout of Central Michigan at the GameAbove Sports Bowl, Northwestern saw Aidan Hubbard close his college career on a high note. Hubbard posted three sacks, two of which stalled a drive on third down and another on which he forced a fumble that led to an easy NU touchdown.
DT: Lee Hunter, Texas Tech
Despite the 23-0 loss to Oregon in the Orange Bowl, Lee Hunter had a terrific game on the interior of Texas Tech's defensive line. Among his seven tackles, Hunter registered three for loss—highlighted one forcing a turnover on downs. Oregon gained no more than four yards on any of those plays, too.
DT: Cody Sigler, Arkansas State
Cody Sigler had a busy performance as Arkansas State bested Missouri State 34-28 in the Xbox Bowl. He tallied six stops with 2.5 for loss (1.5 sacks) and a pass breakup. Sigler has announced he's transferring to Auburn for the 2026 season.
DE: Anthony Smith, Minnesota
New Mexico struggled to keep Anthony Smith out of the backfield. Minnesota won its ninth straight bowl thanks to a 20-17 overtime escape, and Smith produced six tackles with four TFLs (two sacks) and two pass breakups.
Linebackers
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LB: Rasheem Biles, Pitt
Although the Panthers lost 23-17 to ECU in the Military Bowl, Rasheem Biles stuffed the stat sheet. He amassed 16 tackles—including a ridiculous five for loss (two sacks)—broke up a pass and returned a fumble that he forced 23 yards for a touchdown. Biles recently committed to Texas as a transfer.
LB: Sifa Leota, Louisiana Tech
In a glorified home game at the Independence Bowl, Sifa Leota put on a show in front of the Louisiana Tech crowd. While notching 10 stops, he posted three TFLs (two sacks), one hurry and a forced fumble. Leota played a key role in a 23-14 victory over Coastal Carolina.
LB: Coleman Cauley, Navy
Navy smoked Cincinnati in the Liberty Bowl, and an excellent defensive effort powered the Midshipmen. Coleman Cauley stood out with a team-high 10 tackles, and his short interception return for a touchdown capped the 35-13 rout.
Defensive Backs
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CB: Brandon Finney Jr., Oregon
Texas Tech fans probably had nightmares about Brandon Finney Jr. after the Orange Bowl. While he registered six tackles, Finney had three takeaways—two picks and a fumble recovery—in the 23-0 shutout. Most notably, he thwarted a key Texas Tech drive with an interception in the end zone as Oregon held a 13-0 lead.
CB: D'Angelo Ponds, Indiana
Other corners may have put together stat lines, but D'Angelo Ponds kickstarted the demolition of Oregon with a 25-yard pick-six on the first snap of the Peach Bowl. Ponds finished the 56-22 blowout with six tackles—two of which happened at or behind the line of scrimmage—in addition to his interception.
S: Will Jones II, North Texas
Given that North Texas surrendered 47 points to SDSU in the New Mexico Bowl, I wouldn't call it a great team effort. Will Jones II, nevertheless, posted 14 tackles (one for loss) and made a couple of critical plays. He forced a fumble in a goal-to-go situation, and Jones' interception occurred on the next snap after UNT's own giveaway. Jones provided a much-needed last line of defense in the 49-47 win.
S: Jerome Carter, Old Dominion
During a clash of backup QBs at the Cure Bowl, Jerome Carter stepped into the spotlight. Carter returned a pick 26 yards to set up a short go-ahead touchdown for Old Dominion in the third quarter, then his fourth-down interception in the fourth quarter iced ODU's 24-10 victory. He added three tackles and a pass breakup.
Specialists
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K: Lucas Carneiro, Ole Miss
In a rematch of a fantastic regular-season game, Ole Miss exacted some revenge on Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. That happened in no small part because of Lucas Carneiro, who drilled a 56- and 55-yard field goal in the first quarter and buried a last-second, game-winning 47-yard kick to beat UGA 39-34.
P: Chase Allen, Rice
The good news is Chase Allen had a stellar performance in the Armed Forces Bowl, averaging 47.7 yards per punt. He blasted a long of 66, and Texas State only mustered four yards on returns, too. The bad news is Rice lost 41-10—although that also explains why Allen had a busy outing.
KR/PR: Koredell Bartley, Wake Forest
Mississippi State opened the Mayo Bowl with a field goal, but Koredell Bartley immediately responded with a 100-yard return for a touchdown. Later, his 37-yard return sparked a key scoring drive in a 43-29 Wake Forest win.
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