Ten CFP players make AP All-America team, led by Alabama

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Tuesday, December 11, 2018

The College Football Playoff semifinalists combined to place 10 players on The Associated Press All-America first team, including a high of four from No. 1 Alabama.



The Crimson Tide had six players chosen to the three All-America teams, more than any other school. No. 2 Clemsonhas three first-teamers, No. 4 Oklahomahas two All-Americans -- including quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray -- and No. 3 Notre Damehad one.



The Tide and Sooners meet in the Orange Bowl on Dec. 29 and the Tigers play the Fighting Irish at the Cotton Bowl that day. The winners meet in the College Football Playoff national championship game Jan. 7 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California.



The playoff teams combined for 17 overall selections on the teams chosen by a panel of AP poll voters and released Monday.



The Tide placed two players on each side of the ball, with Outland Trophy winner Quinnen Williams highlighting the defense. Receiver Jerry Jeudy, offensive tackle Jonah Williams and safety Deionte Thompson also made the first team while Tua Tagovailoa was the second-team quarterback.



Tagovailoa finished second behind Murray in the Heisman voting on Saturday. Ohio State's Dwayne Haskins was the third-team quarterback after finishing third in the Heisman voting.



Clemson placed defensive linemen Christian Wilkins and Clelin Ferrell on the first team, and offensive tackle Mitch Hyatt. Cornerback Julian Love represented Notre Dame on the first team.



Clemson, Oklahoma and LSU each had four players on the three teams, trailing only Alabama. Notre Dame, Kentucky, Iowa, Mississippi State, Texas A&M, Washington and Wisconsin each had three overall selections.



Kentucky placed two players on the first team: linebacker Josh Allen and guard Bunchy Stallings. The Wildcats have not an AP All-American since receiver/kick returner Derek Abney in 2002.



OFFENSE



Quarterback: Kyler Murray, junior, Oklahoma



Running backs:Jonathan Taylor, sophomore, Wisconsin; Darrell Henderson, junior, Memphis



Tackles: Jonah Williams, junior, Alabama; Mitch Hyatt, senior, Clemson



Guards:Beau Benzschawel, senior, Wisconsin; Bunchy Stallings, senior, Kentucky



Center:Garrett Bradbury, senior, North Carolina State



Tight end:Jace Sternberger, junior, Texas A&M



Wide receivers: Jerry Jeudy, sophomore, Alabama; Marquise Brown, junior, Oklahoma



All-purpose player:Rondale Moore, freshman, Purdue



Kicker:Andre Szmyt, freshman, Syracuse



DEFENSE



Ends: Clelin Ferrell, junior, Clemson; Sutton Smith, junior, Northern Illinois



Tackles: Quinnen Williams, junior, Alabama; Christian Wilkins, senior, Clemson



Linebackers:Josh Allen, senior, Kentucky; Devin White, junior, LSU; Ben Burr-Kirven, senior, Washington



Cornerbacks:Deandre Baker, senior, Georgia; Julian Love, junior, Notre Dame



Safeties:Grant Delpit, sophomore, LSU; Deionte Thompson, junior, Alabama



Punter:Braden Mann, junior, Texas A&M



SECOND TEAM



OFFENSE



Quarterback: Tua Tagovailoa, sophomore, Alabama



Running backs:Travis Etienne, sophomore, Clemson; Trayveon Williams, junior, Texas A&M



Tackles:Dalton Risner, senior, Kansas State; Andrew Thomas, sophomore, Georgia



Guards:Dru Samia, senior, Oklahoma; Michael Deiter, senior, Wisconsin



Center: Ross Pierschbacher, senior, Alabama



Tight end: T.J. Hockenson, sophomore, Iowa



Wide receivers:Tylan Wallace, sophomore, Oklahoma State; Andy Isabella, senior, Massachusetts



All-purpose player:Greg Dortch, sophomore, Wake Forest



Kicker:Cole Tracy, senior, LSU



DEFENSE



Ends:Montez Sweat, senior, Mississippi State; Jachai Polite, junior, Florida



Tackles:Jerry Tillery, senior, Notre Dame; Gerald Willis III, senior, Miami



Linebackers:Devin Bush, junior, Michigan; David Long Jr., junior, West Virginia; Joe Dineen, senior, Kansas



Cornerbacks:Greedy Williams, sophomore, LSU; Byron Murphy, sophomore, Washington



Safeties:Taylor Rapp, junior, Washington; Amani Hooker, junior, Iowa



Punter:Mitch Wishnowsky, senior, Utah



THIRD TEAM



OFFENSE



Quarterbacks:Dwayne Haskins, sophomore, Ohio State



Running backs: Benny Snell, junior, Kentucky; Eno Benjamin, sophomore, Arizona State



Tackles:Andre Dillard, senior, Washington State; Cody Ford, junior, Oklahoma



Guards: Terronne Prescod, senior, North Carolina State; Chris Lindstrom, senior, Boston College



Center:Michael Jordan, junior, Ohio State



Tight end: Noah Fant, junior, Iowa



Wide Receivers:A.J. Brown, junior, Mississippi; David Sills, senior, West Virginia



All-purpose player:J.J. Taylor, sophomore, Arizona



Kicker:Matt Gay, senior, Utah



DEFENSE



Ends:Chase Winovich, senior, Michigan; Jaylon Ferguson, senior, Louisiana Tech



Tackles:Jeffery Simmons, junior, Mississippi State; Ed Oliver, junior, Houston



Linebackers:Paddy Fisher, sophomore, Northwestern; David Woodward, sophomore, Utah State; Te'von Coney, senior, Notre Dame



Cornerbacks:Hamp Cheevers, junior, Boston College; Lavert Hill, junior, Michigan



Safeties:Andre Cisco, freshman, Syracuse; Johnathan Abram, senior, Mississippi State



Punter:James Smith, sophomore, Cincinnati



FIRST-TEAM BREAKDOWN



By school (first-team selections and overall)



Alabama: 4-6



Clemson: 3-4



Kentucky: 2-3



LSU: 2-3



Oklahoma: 2-4



Texas A&M: 2-3



Wisconsin: 2-3



Georgia: 1-2



Memphis: 1-1



Northern Illinois: 1-1



North Carolina State: 1-2



Notre Dame: 1-3



Purdue: 1-1



Syracuse: 1-2



Washington: 1-3



By conference



SEC: 11



ACC: 5



Big Ten: 3



Big 12: 2



American: 1



Pac-12: 1



MAC: 1



Independent: 1



By class/eligibility



Freshman: 2



Sophomore: 3



Junior: 12



Senior: 8



Selection panel: Rob Asmussen, Champaign (Illinois) News-Gazette; Matt Baker, Tampa Bay (Florida) Times; Michael Barber, Richmond (Virginia) Times-Dispatch; Matt Brown, The Athletic; Robert Cessna, Bryan-College Station (Texas) Eagle; Rece Davis, ESPN; Pat Dooley, Gainesville (Florida) Sun; Scott Hamilton, WECT-TV (Wilmington, North Carolina); Eric Hansen, The South Bend (Indiana) Tribune; Brian Howell, Buffzone.com, Boulder (Colorado) Daily Camera; Rob Long, WJZ FM 105.7 The Fan Baltimore; Sean Manning, The Dominion Post (Morgantown, West Virginia); Conor O'Neill, Winston-Salem (North Carolina) Journal; Soren Petro, 810 WHB Kansas City, Missouri.; Keith Sargeant, NJ.Com/Star-Ledger; Jon Wilner, San Jose (California) Mercury News.



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