It is officially time for All-American teams to be unveiled. Just about every entity on the internet and in the media has its own All-American team. However, there are only five that are held with such regard that making one of the teams helps out an eventual College Football Hall of Fame case. The Walter Camp, AFCA, FWAA, AP, and The Sporting News All-American teams carry significantly more weight than those from other outlets. Without being on at least one of those five, the player is not eligible for the Hall of Fame.

Any player who lands on at least three of the five recognized lists is considered a “consensus All-American.” Last Thursday, the Walter Camp All-American team was revealed. Last Friday, it was the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA)’s All-American team to be revealed. The Associated Press released its All-American selections on Monday.

21 From the Big Ten Earn AP All-American Honors

First-Team

Kaleb Johnson, RB, Iowa

It was a special season for Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson. The NFL-bound back was the first Iowa Hawkeye to win the Ameche-Dyche Running Back of the Year award in the Big Ten. Then, he became a finalist for the Doak Walker Award. He put together a season where he rushed for 1,537 yards and 21 touchdowns (both Big Ten bests) off 240 rushes. Johnson put together the program’s third-best season in terms of rushing yards and owns the record for touchdowns.

He was also First-Team All-American by Walter Camp and FWAA and Second-Team by the AFCA and AP. The NCAA announced that he is a Consensus All-American.

Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State

A First-Team All-Big Ten selection and Kwalick-Clark Tight End of the Year, Warren was widely considered to be the top tight end in the conference. Now with the Mackey Award, he’s the top tight end in the country.

The redshirt senior recorded an incredible 1,062 yards and six touchdowns off 88 receptions. Heading into this season, Warren had amassed just 606 yards and 11 touchdowns off 49 receptions in four years.

He was also honored as a First-Team tight end by the FWAA and the AP, Walter Camp, and AFCA selected Warren as a Second-Team player.

Donovan Jackson, OL, Ohio State

The former five-star recruit, Donovan Jackson has done everything for the Buckeyes this year. After starting the season at left guard, he had to kick outside to left tackle with the injury to Josh Simmons. According to Pro Football Focus, Jackson allowed two sacks on 296 pass-blocking snaps.

This was Jackson’s first First-Team selection as the AFCA and AP picked him on their Second-Team lists.

Mason Graham, DT, Michigan

Last year, Mason Graham earned second-team All-American from the Sporting News. This year, he was even better. Through 12 games, Graham had 45 tackles, seven tackles for loss, three-and-a-half sacks, a pass breakup, and a blocked field goal. According to Pro Football Focus, Graham has been credited with the second-most pressures (ie, sacks, hits, and hurries) with 32 among all interior defensive linemen at the FBS level. Additionally, he is rated the second-highest run defender among all interior defensive linemen by PFF (91.9).

Graham has been among the elites in college football over the last two seasons. He was a finalist for both the Outland Trophy and the Nagusrki Award. He has five First-Team All-American honors for the 2024 season now, earning him the moniker of “Unanimous All-American.”

Abdul Carter, EDGE, Penn State

It’s obvious that the move from linebacker to edge rusher has paid dividends for Abdul Carter and the Penn State defense. Carter was a superstar for the Nittany Lions last year but he’s kicked it up another notch for the likely College Football Playoff-bound Penn State team.

Through 13 games, Carter has terrorized offenses left and right. In total, he has amassed 60 tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss, and 10 sacks. He leads the Big Ten in tackles for loss and is third in the country. His eight sacks are tied for fourth in the conference. In eight of his 13 games, Carter amassed multiple tackles for loss.

The AP All-American honor is his fifth First-Team selection this year, joining the Graham as a unanimous All-American.

Jay Higgins, LB, Iowa

After leading the Big Ten in assisted tackles last year, Jay Higgins did it again this year. He finished the regular season with 69 assisted tackles, 118 total tackles, two-and-a-half tackles for loss, one sack, four interceptions, five pass breakups, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery.

This is Higgins’ second AFCA All-American selection as he was a Second-Team honoree last year. He now has five First-Team honors, also becoming a unanimous All-American.

Caleb Downs, SAF, Ohio State

One of the more dynamic defenders in college football, Caleb Downs transferred in from Alabama and made an immediate impact on the Buckeyes’ defense. Coming down from his safety spot, Downs recorded 62 tackles, six-and-a-half tackles for loss, half of a sack, three pass breakups, and an interception. He added a punt return touchdown in the win over Indiana.

Downs was also a finalist for the Thorpe Award and Bednarik Award. He joins Graham, Carter, and Higgins as unanimous All-Americans this year.

Dominic Zvada, K, Michigan

Dominic Zvada transferred to Michigan after an incredible two-year career with Arkansas State. This year, Zvada converted in 25-of-26 extra points and made 17 of his 18 field goal attempts. The most impressive part of his season was that he was perfect from beyond 50 yards, making all seven attempts. He was honored by the Big Ten with the Bakken-Andersen Kicker of the Year Award.

He was also selected as a Second-Team kicker for the AP.

Eddie Czaplicki, P, USC

2024 was a great year for Eddie Czaaplicki. In total, he launched 40 punts for an average of 48.5 yards, raising his career average to 45.3 yards. That per punt average this year led the Big Ten and netted him the Big Ten Eddleman-Fields Punter of the Year award with First-Team All-Big Ten honors. Of those 40 punts, 21 went at least 50 yards and 24 were downed inside the 20. In terms of Trojan history, Czaplicki had the best yards per punt average in program history and was a solid 1.8 yards ahead of the next.

He won the Ray Guy Award as the nation’s top punter this year. Walter Camp and the AFCA tabbed Czaplicki as a Second-Team All-American while the AP picked him as a Third-Team player.

Second-Team

Dillon Gabriel, QB, Oregon

Few quarterbacks, if any, have been as efficient and dominant as Gabriel this year. He led the top-ranked Ducks to a 13-0 mark, a Big Ten Championship in the program’s first season, and a top overall seed in the College Football Playoff. Gabriel led the Big Ten with 3,558 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 297 completions while completing 73.2 percent of his passes. Only one player had a better completion percentage (Shedeur Sanders). This year also marked the third time in his six-year career that he led his conference in passing.

This is Gabriel’s fifth selection, joining his First-Team selection from at FWAA, Second-Team All-American selections from the Walter Camp and AFCA, and Third-Team selection from the AP.

Seth McLaughlin, C, Ohio State

Two of Ohio State’s three Alabama transfers made an immediate, significant impact. After starting 24 games with the Crimson Tide, Seth McLaughlin took over the Buckeyes’ center job. Unfortunately, after 10 games, McLaughlin suffered a torn Achilles in the practice week leading up to the matchup with Indiana, thus ending his season. Despite a truncated season, McLaughlin racked in honors. In addition to winning the Rimington Trophy, he was a finalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy and earned a First-Team All-Big Ten selection. Ohio State grades its players on a week-by-week basis and McLaughlin graded out as a “champion” in all 10 games.

This is McLaughlin’s third All-American selection as he was also a First-Team Walter Camp, AFCA, and FWAA All-American and Second-Team All-American from the AP. He was named a consensus All-American by the NCAA.

Aireontae Ersery, OT, Minnesota

Airoentae Ersery was a force on the Minnesota offensive line. He helped the Golden Gophers with a strong season as a run blocker. According to Pro Football Focus, he earned a 79.9 grade as a run blocker. As a pass protector, he allowed just 13 pressures and one sack on the year. He won the Rimington-Pace Offensive Lineman of the Year in the Big Ten.

Ersery was also a Second-Team pick by the FWAA and Third-Team by the AP.

Derrick Harmon, DT, Oregon

After three seasons at Michigan State, Derrick Harmon flew west to join the Oregon Ducks. As a result, he was a dominant force on the interior defensive line. He heads into the CFP with 42 tackles, eight-and-a-half tackles for loss, five sacks, four pass breakups, two forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries.

Harmon was also a Second-Team selection by the FWAA and AP.

Aiden Fisher, LB, Indiana

Another James Madison-to-Indiana defection, Aiden Fisher did not miss a beat when following his head coach to Bloomington. He finished with the third-most tackles in the Big Ten with 108 and added four tackles for loss, one-and-a-half-sacks, and four pass breakups. Fisher tallied double-digit tackles four times this year.

This is his second All-American honor of any kind for the 2024 season, joining the FWAA’s First-Team honor.

Koi Perich, DB, Minnesota

The only Big Ten true freshman to earn an honor from The Sporting News, Koi Perich made an immediate impact for the Golden Gophers. As a safety, Perich recorded 42 tackles, one-and-a-half tackles for loss, two pass breakups, five interceptions, and one forced fumble. He was also dynamic as a returner with 15 kick returns for an average of 19.9 yards per return and 17 punt returns for 10.2 per.

Kaden Wetjen, PR, Iowa

As a wide receiver, Kaden Wetjen did not make much of an impact with just one catch. As a returner, however, he was dynamic. He led the way in the Big Ten with 23 kick returns for 576 yards and 25 punt returns for 312 yards. In the win over Northwestern, he returned a punt 85 yards for a touchdown.