Baker Mayfield, Bryce Love Headline 2017 AP All-America Team
December 11, 2017
Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield and Stanford running back Bryce Love, the top two vote-getters in the Heisman Trophy race, spearhead the list of the Associated Press first-team All America selections announced Monday.
The Sooners had the most selections among all schools, as offensive tackle Orlando Brown and tight end Mark Andrews joined Mayfield.
Mayfield ran away with the Heisman Trophy on Saturday, a result that had become a foregone conclusion over the last month. The senior threw for 4,340 yards and 41 touchdowns against five interceptions during the regular season, adding 310 yards and five scores on the ground. A former Texas Tech walk-on, Mayfield threw for 117 touchdowns over his three years as Oklahoma's starter.
"I really do believe it's a simple, powerful, inspiring story for any athlete, musician, dancer, anything in life," Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione said of Mayfield. "What opportunities they have, the naysayers that they face of the constant pervasive rhetoric around what you can't do. And yet you can find a way to bring strength to what you can and how you accentuate one's own attributes and not let anyone tell you it can't be done."
Love rushed for 1,973 yards and 17 touchdowns for Stanford during his junior campaign, averaging 8.3 yards per carry. He was the focal point of the Cardinal offense throughout the season on a team that came within three points of a Pac-12 title.
Lamar Jackson, who finished third in the Heisman voting, was named the second-team quarterback.
Penn State star Saquon Barkley was the first-team all purpose player after spending most of the early part of the campaign as the Heisman favorite. Barkley ranked second in the country in all-purpose yards at 179.5 per game. Only San Diego State’s Rashaad Penny, who was named a first-team running back with Love, had more.
Here is a look at how every team panned out:
First Team
Offense
Quarterback — Baker Mayfield, senior, Oklahoma
Running backs — Bryce Love, junior, Stanford; Rashaad Penny, senior, San Diego State
Tackles — Orlando Brown, junior, Oklahoma; Mike McGlinchey, senior, Notre Dame
Guards — Quenton Nelson, senior, Notre Dame; Braden Smith, senior, Auburn
Center — Billy Price, senior, Ohio State
Tight end — Mark Andrews, junior, Oklahoma
Receivers — James Washington, senior, Oklahoma State; Anthony Miller, senior, Memphis
All-purpose player — Saquon Barkley, junior, Penn State
Kicker — Matt Gay, junior, Utah
Defense
Ends — Bradley Chubb, senior, North Carolina State; Clelin Ferrell, sophomore, Clemson
Tackles — Hercules Mata'afa, junior, Washington State; Maurice Hurst, senior, Michigan
Linebackers — Roquan Smith, junior, Georgia; Josey Jewell, senior, Iowa; T.J. Edwards, junior, Wisconsin
Cornerbacks — Josh Jackson, junior, Iowa; Denzel Ward, junior, Ohio State
Safeties — Minkah Fitzpatrick, junior, Alabama; DeShon Elliott, junior, Texas
Punter — Michael Dickson, junior, Texas
Second Team
Offense
Quarterback — Lamar Jackson, junior, Louisville
Running backs — Jonathan Taylor, freshman, Wisconsin; Kerryon Johnson, junior, Auburn
Tackles — Mitch Hyatt, junior, Clemson; Isaiah Wynn, senior, Georgia
Guards — Cody O'Connell, senior, Washington State; Will Hernandez, senior, UTEP
Center — Bradley Bozeman, senior, Alabama
Tight end — Troy Fumagalli, senior, Wisconsin
Receivers — David Sills V, junior, West Virginia; Michael Gallup, senior, Colorado State
All-purpose player — Dante Pettis, senior, Washington
Kicker — Daniel Carlson, senior, Auburn
Defense
Ends — Sutton Smith, sophomore, Northern Illinois; Nick Bosa, sophomore, Ohio State
Tackles — Ed Oliver, sophomore, Houston; Christian Wilkins, junior, Clemson
Linebackers — Malik Jefferson, junior, Texas; Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, senior, Oklahoma; Dorian O'Daniel, senior, Clemson
Cornerbacks — Jalen Davis, senior, Utah State; Carlton Davis, junior, Auburn
Safeties — Derwin James, junior, Florida State; Justin Reid, junior, Stanford
Punter — Johnny Townsend, senior, Florida
Third Team
Offense
Quarterback — Mason Rudolph, senior, Oklahoma State
Running backs — Ronald Jones II, junior, Southern California; Devin Singletary, sophomore, Florida Atlantic
Tackles — David Edwards, sophomore, Wisconsin; Jonah Williams, sophomore, Alabama
Guards — Beau Benzschawel, junior, Wisconsin; Tyrone Crowder, senior, Clemson
Center — Frank Ragnow, senior, Arkansas
Tight end — Jaylen Samuels, senior, North Carolina State
Receivers — Steve Ishmael, senior, Syracuse; A.J. Brown, sophomore, Mississippi
All-purpose player — D.J. Reed, junior, Kansas State
Kicker — Eddy Piniero, junior, Florida
Defense
Ends — Austin Bryant, junior, Clemson; Mat Boesen, senior, TCU
Tackles — Vita Vea, junior, Washington; Harrison Phillips, senior, Stanford
Linebackers — Micah Kiser, senior, Virginia; Tremaine Edmunds, junior, Virginia Tech; Devin Bush, sophomore, Michigan
Cornerbacks — Andraez Williams, redshirt freshman, LSU; Jack Jones, sophomore, Southern California
Safeties — Armani Watts, senior, Texas A&M; Quin Blanding, senior, Virginia
Punter — Mitch Wishnowsky, junior, Utah
This article will be updated to provide more information on this story as it becomes available.