AP preseason All-America team highlighted by Alabama stars

By RALPH D. RUSSO
AP College Football Writer

Alabama stars Bryce Young and Will Anderson Jr. are among four players from the top-ranked Crimson Tide selected to The Associated Press preseason All-America team.

Joining Young, the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback, and Anderson, the star pass rusher, were Alabama defensive backs Jordan Battle and Eli Ricks as first-team selections.

The AP preseason All-America team presented by Regions Bank was selected by a panel of Top 25 poll voters and released Monday.

Alabama running back Jahmyr Gibbs made the second team as an all-purpose player and Crimson Tide guard Emil Ekiyor was also a second-team selection.

Alabama’s four first-teamers and six players on the two teams overall were the most for any school.

Ohio State was second behind Alabama, just like in the AP Top 25, with three first-team selections and five players overall.

Offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr., running back TreVeyon Henderson and receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba were all selected to the first team. C.J. Stroud, who finished fourth in the Heisman voting last year, is the second-team quarterback. Tackle Dawand Jones made the second-team offensive line.

Defending national champion and No. 3 Georgia had three players picked to the first-team: tight end Brock Bowers, defensive tackle Jalen Carter and cornerback Kelee Ringo. Nolan Smith made the second-team at edge rusher.

In a sign of college football’s new era of loosened transfer rules, seven players selected to the two teams have transferred in their college careers, including Gibbs (Georgia Tech) and Ricks (LSU) from Alabama.

Southern California receiver Jordan Addison, the Biletnikoff Award winner at Pitt in 2021, was a first-team selection.

Transfers joining Gibbs on the second-team were Florida guard O’Cyrus Torrence (Louisiana-Lafayette); Baylor defensive tackle Siaki Ika (LSU); Notre Dame safety Brandon Joseph (Northwestern); and Florida State defensive back Jammie Robinson (South Carolina).

FIRST TEAM

Offense

Quarterback — Bryce Young, junior, Alabama

Running backs — Bijan Robinson, junior, Texas; TreVeyon Henderson, sophomore, Ohio State.

Tackles — Peter Skoronski, junior, Northwestern; Paris Johnson Jr., junior, Ohio State.

Guards — Andrew Vorhees, sixth-year, Southern California; Caleb Chandler, sixth-year, Louisville.

Center — Jarrett Patterson, senior, Notre Dame.

Tight end — Brock Bowers, sophomore, Georgia.

Wide receivers — Jordan Addison, junior, Southern California; Jaxon Smith-Njigba, junior, Ohio State; Kayshon Boutte, junior, LSU.

All-purpose player — Deuce Vaughn, junior, Kansas State.

Kicker — Jake Moody, senior, Michigan.

Defense

Edge rushers — Will McDonald IV, senior, Iowa State; Isaiah Foskey, senior, Notre Dame.

Linemen — Bryan Bresee, junior, Clemson; Jalen Carter, junior, Georgia.

Linebackers — Will Anderson Jr., junior, Alabama; Noah Sewell, junior, Oregon; Jack Campbell, senior, Iowa.

Cornerbacks — Kelee Ringo, sophomore, Georgia; Eli Ricks, junior, Alabama.

Safeties — Jordan Battle, junior, Alabama; Antonio Johnson, junior, Texas A&M.

Defensive back — Riley Moss, senior, Iowa.

Punter — Adam Korsak, senior, Rutgers.

SECOND TEAM

Offense

Quarterback – C.J. Stroud, junior, Ohio State.

Running backs — Braelon Allen, sophomore, Wisconsin; Sean Tucker, junior, Syracuse.

Tackles — Connor Galvin, senior, Baylor; Dawand Jones, senior, Ohio State.

Guards — O’Cyrus Torrence, senior, Florida; Emil Ekiyor, senior, Alabama.

Center — John Michael Schmitz, sixth-year, Minnesota.

Tight end — Michael Mayer, junior, Notre Dame.

Wide receivers — Xavier Worthy, sophomore, Texas; Josh Downs, junior, North Carolina; A.T. Perry, senior, Wake Forest.

All-purpose player — Jahmyr Gibbs, junior, Alabama

Kicker — Harrison Mevis, junior, Missouri

Defense

Edge rushers — Myles Murphy, junior, Clemson; Nolan Smith, senior, Georgia.

Linemen — Calijah Kancey, junior, Pittsburgh; Siaki Ika, junior, Baylor.

Linebackers — Nick Herbig, junior, Wisconsin; Andre Carter II, senior, Army; Edefuan Ulofoshio, senior, Washington.

Cornerbacks — Cam Smith, junior, South Carolina; Clark Phillips III, junior, Utah.

Safeties — Brandon Joseph, junior, Notre Dame; Jalen Catalon, junior, Arkansas.

Defensive back — Jammie Robinson, senior, Florida State.

Punter — Kyle Ostendorp, junior, Arizona.

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