Colorado's Travis Hunter, Boise State's Ashton Jeanty lead USA TODAY Sports All-America team

Colorado’s Travis Hunter, Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty lead USA TODAY Sports All-America team

Posted by author December 12, 2024 Sports

Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel earns first-team honors ahead of Miami’s Cam Ward, and teams in the College Football Playoff are heavily represented on the USA TODAY Sports All-America teams for the 2024 season.

Playing at his third school after transferring this offseason from Oklahoma, Gabriel has thrown for 3,558 yards and 28 touchdowns with another 192 yards and seven scores on the ground to help the Ducks post the only unbeaten regular season in the Bowl Subdivision.

The first and second teams were picked by a panel of voters who cover college football for USA TODAY Sports and the USA TODAY Network.

The only unanimous selection was Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, a Heisman Trophy finalist and the nation’s leading rusher with 2,497 yards. Jeanty also leads all running backs with 29 touchdowns and is only player in the FBS with at least 200 carries to average more than 6.8 yards per run.

Heisman favorite Travis Hunter of Colorado earned accolades across three positions, indicating his historic impact as an every-down player. Hunter was a first-team pick at cornerback and as an all-purpose player and was a second-team pick at wide receiver.

First team

Offense

QB: Dillon Gabriel, Oregon (Sr.)

Gabriel heads into the playoff as the FBS all-time leader in total touchdowns (187) and in second place in passing touchdowns (153), passing yards (18,423) and total yards (19,675).

RB: Ashton Jeanty, Boise State (Jr.)

RB: Kaleb Johnson, Iowa (Jr.)

Jeanty ran for at least 128 yards in every game against FBS competition and closed with a 209 yards and a score in the Mountain West championship game against UNLV. Johnson led the Big Ten by a wide margin in rushing yards (1,537) and touchdowns (21).

WR: Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona (Jr.)

WR: Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State (Fr.)

McMillan was the bright spot in an otherwise dismal year for the Wildcats with 84 receptions for 1,319 yards, including a season-high 202 yards against West Virginia. Smith took the Big Ten by storm with 57 grabs for a team-best 934 yards and 10 scores.

TE: Harold Fannin, Bowling Green (Jr.)

In a very tight vote, Fannin earned first-team honors over Penn State’s Tyler Warren after a historic regular season: 100 receptions, second-most in the FBS, for 1,342 yards and nine touchdowns.

OT: Kelvin Banks, Texas (Jr.)

OG: Tyler Booker, Alabama (Jr.)

C: Cooper Mays, Tennessee (Sr.)

OG: Donovan Jackson, Ohio State (Sr.)

OT: Will Campbell, LSU (Jr.)

Banks and Campbell shared the Jacobs Blocking Trophy as the best offensive linemen in the SEC. Mays is the Volunteers’ first finalist for the Rimington Trophy as the nation’s top center. Booker was a three-time SEC offensive lineman of the week who helped Alabama run for 41 touchdowns, fourth in the FBS. Jackson also spent time at left tackle in the second half of the year as the Buckeyes tied for fifth in the Power Four in giving up just 13 sacks.

AP: Travis Hunter, Colorado (Jr.)

No one player in modern or not-so-modern college football history has impacted games quite like Hunter in 2024, from his work as a receiver (92 receptions for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns) to his dominance as a cornerback.

Defense

DE: Abdul Carter, Penn State (Jr.)

DT: Mason Graham, Michigan (Jr.)

DT: Walter Nolen, Mississippi (Jr.)

DE: Kyle Kennard, South Carolina (Sr.)

Carter is third in the FBS in tackles for loss (19½) and ranks second in the Big Ten in sacks (10), with four multiple-sack games. A two-time All-Big Ten pick, Graham was a finalist for the Nagurski Trophy as the nation’s top defender and the Outland Trophy as the top interior offensive or defensive lineman. Nolen (14 tackles for loss) made a living in SEC backfields as the most disruptive tackle in the country. Kennard led the SEC in tackles for loss (15½) and sacks (11½) and won the Nagurski Trophy after transferring from Georgia Tech.

LB: Chris Paul, Mississippi (Jr.)

LB: Jay Higgins, Iowa (Sr.)

LB: Jalon Walker, Georgia (Jr.)

Paul (88 tackles, 11 for loss) had a terrific second half to the regular season as the Rebels came up just shy of the playoff. One of the most productive linebackers in Iowa history, Higgins (118 tackles) finished second in the Big Ten in stops. Walker stepped into a full-time starting role as a junior and came up big in Georgia’s biggest games, tallying a combined four sacks in two wins against Texas.

CB: Travis Hunter, Colorado (Jr.)

CB: Jahdae Barron, Texas (Sr.)

S: Caleb Downs, Ohio State (So.)

S: Xavier Watts, Notre Dame (Sr.)

In addition to his work at receiver, Hunter added a team-best four interceptions as the Buffaloes’ shutdown cornerback. Barron (five interceptions) is one major reason why the Longhorns’ pass defense has been by far the best in the FBS. Downs shined in his transfer from Alabama to Ohio State with 61 tackles, an interception and a special-teams touchdown. Watts has 49 tackles and five interceptions, one returned for a score, in the final season of his outstanding Notre Dame career.

Specialists

K: Kenneth Almendares, Louisiana-Lafayette

P: Alex Mastromanno, Florida State

RET: Keelan Marion, Brigham Young (Jr.)

Almendares made 27 of 29 attempts, including 10 of 12 from 40-plus yards, with a long of 53 yards. Mastromanno was the MVP of the Seminoles’ woeful season with an FBS-best 49.3 yards per punt and is a Ray Guy finalist as the nation’s best punter. Marion averaged 26.2 yards per kick return and was one of only three players with multiple return scores.