The Sporting News 2024 College Football All-America Team

The Sporting News 2024 College Football All-America Team | Sporting News

Posted by Admin December 18, 2024 Football

Colorado two-way superstar Travis Hunter leads the 2024 Sporting News College Football All America Team.

The only question was where to put him. Hunter – who played 1,443 snaps this season mostly between receiver and cornerback – landed as a first-team receiver on our list. He also would have fit at our all-purpose player position and cornerback, and it makes sense to put him in any of these positions. Ultimately, Hunter is a two-time Sporting News All-American as a first-team selection. That is all that matters.

Notre Dame’s Xavier Watts is a first-team Sporting News All-American for the second straight season. Hunter and Watts are the only two-time first-team selections on this list.

The Big Ten led all conferences with 16 players on our All-America team. The SEC was second with 13 players, followed by the ACC with 10 and Big 12 with eight. Texas, Ohio State and Iowa each had three players spread across our first and second teams.

MORE: Picks against the spread for Round 1 of the College Football Playoff

Sporting News is one of five outlets used to determine consensus All-American status at the end of the season. A look at our 2024 Sporting News All-America team:

First-team offense

QB: Cam Ward, Miami

Ward – the Davey O’Brien Award winner – finished with 4,123 yards and led the FBS with 36 TD passes. He led Miami to 10 victories in a turnaround season, and he had 10 games with at least 300 yards or more. Ward maintained a 67.4% completion percentage and added 196 rushing yards and four rushing TDs. He guided the Hurricanes back from a 25-point deficit in incredible fashion at Cal.

RB: Ashton Jeanty, Boise State

Jeanty rushed for 2,497 yards and 29 TDs in a remarkable season where he led the Broncos to the College Football Playoff. Jeanty won the Maxwell Award and the Doak Walker Award for his efforts, which started with a 267-yard, six-TD performance against Georgia Southern and did not stop through a 209-yard performance against UNLV in the Mountain West Conference championship game.

RB: Kaleb Johnson, Iowa

Johnson led the Big Ten with 1,537 rushing yards and 21 TDs – and he finished with 23 total TDs for the season. He had seven games with at least two rushing TDs, including three-TD games against Minnesota and Northwestern. Johnson added 188 receiving yards and two receiving TDs for the Hawkeyes. He is the first Iowa All-American running back since Shonn Greene (2008).

WR: Travis Hunter, Colorado

Hunter won the Heisman Trophy as a two-way player, and also won the Biletnikoff Award and Bednarik Award. He could fit on three different spots on this list, but we chose receiver. Hunter had 92 catches for 1,152 yards and 14 TDs for the Buffaloes. He had seven games with at least 100 yards receiving and three games with 10 or more receptions.

MORE: Travis Hunter’s family tree, from parents to brother

WR: Nick Nash, San Jose State

Nash – a senior – won the FBS triple crown for receivers with a fantastic season. He led the nation with 104 receptions, 1,382 yards and 16 TDs – a banner season for the Spartans. He had 172 targets this season, and he had a nine-catch, 126-yard performance against Boise State.

TE: Tyler Warren, Penn State

Warren – the Mackey Award winner – had 88 catches for 1,062 yards and six TDs. He finished with a 78.6% catch percentage, but that was not the extent of his value. Warren also had 191 rushing yards and four rushing TDs. The 17-catch, 224-yard performance against USC on Oct. 12 was one of the best individual efforts of the college football season.

T: Kelvin Banks, Texas

Banks – a 6-foot-4, 320-pound junior – lived up to the hype as the most-dominant offensive lineman in college football. He won the Lombardi Award and Outland Trophy after a stellar season with the Longhorns. Banks allowed one sack and one quarterback hit this season while logging 725 total snaps at left tackle.

G: Donovan Jackson, Ohio State

Jackson was dominant at guard in the first half of the season for the Buckeyes. He allowed just two quarterback hits in that stretch. Jackson switched to tackle after injuries forced the Buckeyes to reshuffle their offensive line. Jackson allowed two sacks in his first start at tackle, but he settled in afterward and that versatility earns a spot on this list.

C: Cooper Mays, Tennessee

Mays was a Rimington Trophy finalist in 2024 and was a constant presence for the Volunteers in their run to the College Football Playoff. Mays did not give up a sack in 816 snaps, and he was an anchor for an offense that piled up 232 rushing yards per game with SN second-team All-American Dylan Sampson leading the way.

G: Willie Lampkin, North Carolina

Lampkin – a 5-11, 290-pound senior – continued to be a reliable inside force for the Tar Heels while blocking for SN second-team All-American Omarion Hampton. Lampkin graded out with his best season in run blocking, and he allowed four quarterback hurries. That consistency stood out for the Tar Heels.

T: Wyatt Milum, West Virginia

The 6-foot-6, 317-pound tackle was a force for the Mountaineers. He did not allow a sack or a quarterback hit in 356 snaps as a pass-blocker. He did not allow a sack in 2023 either. Milum made 43 starts with the Mountaineers, and he improved as a run blocker throughout the course of his final season with the Mountaineers.

AP: Cam Skattebo, Arizona State

Skattebo finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting after spearheading a Big 12 championship run for the Sun Devils. Skattebo rushed for 1,568 yards and 19 TDs on 6.0 yards per carry, but he was a multi-purpose threat with 37 catches for 506 yards and three TDs. He finished second to Jeanty with 2,074 all-purpose yards.

Mandatory Credit: Eric Seals / USA TODAY NETWORK

First-team defense

DL: Mason Graham, Michigan

Graham – a SN second-team All-American last season – remained a dominant force on the interior for the Wolverines. He had five sacks and 21 quarterback hurries, and he had five tackles and two assists in the 13-10 upset against Ohio State on Nov. 30. According to PFF, he had 25 stops on running plays this season, which ranked fifth in the FBS.

DL: Walter Nolen, Ole Miss

Nolen had a 12.3% stop percentage on running plays as an interior force for the Rebels in 2024. Nolen – a Texas A&M transfer – had 48 tackles and 6.5 sacks. He had four games with at least five tackles and a sack this season, including a two-sack performance against South Carolina on Oct. 5.

DE/EDGE: Abdul Carter, Penn State

Carter was moved to defensive end in the spring, but he made the same impact as an edge rusher for new defensive coordinator Tom Allen. Carter had 11 sacks, 31 quarterback hits and nine hurries for the Nittany Lions. Carter led the Big Ten with 20 tackles for loss. He had four games with multiple sacks, including a two-sack performance against Ohio State on Nov. 2.

DE/EDGE: Donovan Ezeiruaku, Boston College

Ezeiruaku had an incredible season for the Eagles with 16.5 sacks and 21 tackles for loss, and he was a dominant force off the edge in Bill O’Brien’s first season. According to PFF, Ezeiruaku had 18 quarterback hits and 29 hurries, and he closed the regular season with a 3.5-sack performance against Pitt.

LB: Shaun Dolac, Buffalo

Dolac led the FBS with 159 tackles – and he had double-digit tackles in all but one game this season. Dolac, however, was more than just a tackling-machine for the Bulls. He added 5.5 sacks and five interceptions. He had 19 tackles and a sack in a 23-20 victory against Northern Illinois on Sept. 21.

LB: Jay Higgins, Iowa

Higgins was a SN second-team selection in 2023. He had 118 tackles as the primary run-stopper for an Iowa defense that allowed just three rushing TDs this season. Higgins also had four interceptions, five pass breakups and a fumble recovery. Higgins had 14 tackles, a sack, and a fumble recovery against Ohio State on Oct. 5.

LB: Kyle Louis, Pitt

Louis was one of two linebackers in the FBS to compile at least 95 tackles, five sacks and four interceptions. He was the only Power 4 linebacker to hit all three of those marks with 96 tackles, seven sacks and four interceptions for the Panthers. Louis totaled 15 tackles and three sacks in ACC matchups against SMU and Clemson.

CB: Jahdae Barron, Texas

Barron – the Thorpe Award winner – had an amazing well-rounded season for the Longhorns’ loaded defense. The senior had five interceptions and nine pass breakups. Three of those interceptions were in the two games against Georgia. He added 47 tackles and a fumble recovery as a senior leader for Texas.

CB: Nohl Williams, Cal

Williams made a strong impression in his second season with the Golden Bears after transferring from UNLV. He led the FBS with seven interceptions, and he also had nine pass breakups. Williams had a 40-yard interception return for a TD against Miami on Oct. 5. Williams added 50 tackles and also was involved in the return game. He averaged 27.6 yards on 12 kickoff returns.

S: Xavier Watts, Notre Dame

Watts earns SN first-team honors for the second straight season. He had almost identical production to 2023. Watts finished with 49 tackles, five interceptions and nine pass breakups as the playmaker for Notre Dame’s defense, which allowed 13.6 points per game. Watts added a pick six and a fumble recovery. He’s the first two-time All-American in the secondary for Notre Dame since Todd Lyght (1989-90).

S: Caleb Downs, Ohio State

Downs lived up to expectations with Ohio State after transferring from Alabama. The sophomore safety was the centerpiece of the Buckeyes’ defense that allowed 10.9 points per game this season. Downs totaled 61 tackles and seven tackles for loss, and according to PFF he allowed just 14 receptions in coverage this season.

DB: Nick Emmanowori, South Carolina

Emmanowori – a junior – enjoyed a breakout season for the Gamecocks. He totaled 83 tackles and four interceptions. That included a pair of interception returns for TDs in victories against Oklahoma and Kentucky. Emmanowori had 46 tackles in six games against top-25 teams.

First-team specialists

K: Dominic Zvada, Michigan

Zvada, a junior, nailed 9 of 9 field goals of 40 yards or more – including 7 of 7 from beyond 50 yards – and emerged as a clutch kicker for the Wolverines. He hit 50-yard field goals in Michigan’s last three games, and he also chipped in the 21-yard field goal with 45 seconds remaining to beat Ohio State.

P: Eddie Czaplicki, USC

Czaplicki – the Ray Guy Award winner – averaged 48.1 yards per punt. According to Pro Football Focus, Czaplicki had a net punt of 45.5 yards, which was the most among punters with at least 40 punts this season. He also placed 26 of 40 punts inside the 20-yard line.

KR: Rayshawn Pleasant, Tulane

Pleasant averaged 34.5 yards on kickoff returns – and he made the most of those opportunities. He had a 94-yard return for a touchdown against Louisiana and added a 100-yard return for a TD against UAB. He had five kickoff returns for 126 yards in the AAC championship game against Army.

PR: Kam Shanks, UAB

Shanks was the only punt returner in the FBS with two returns for TDs. Shanks led the country in punt return yards (329) and he averaged 20.6 yards per return. He had a punt return for a TD and three receiving TDs in a memorable performance against Tulsa on Nov. 2.