Conference champions have been crowned, a College Football Playoff field has been selected and awards season is upon us. It’s time to look back at the best players of the 2021 college football season with The Athletic’s two All-America teams.
Nominations were solicited from across our college football staff, with a panel of editors making final selections. The 50 players on The Athletic’s two teams come from 34 schools. Alabama leads all teams with four selections while Georgia, Iowa, Ohio State and Penn State have three each. Baylor, Oregon, Pitt, Purdue, San Diego State and Texas A&M have two each.
The wide receiver debate was particularly challenging, with a deep pool of worthy candidates. To make extra room, one second-team running back slot was converted to a wide receiver pick, though there was still not enough room to include everyone for whom an argument was made.
| Pos | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
QB | ||
RB | Kenneth Walker | |
RB | Breece Hall | |
WR | Garrett Wilson | |
WR | Jameson Williams | |
TE | Brock Bowers | |
OL | Evan Neal | |
OL | Connor Galvin | |
OL | Tyler Linderbaum | |
OL | Kenyon Green | |
OL | Ikem Ekwonu |
QB Bryce Young, Alabama: The Crimson Tide’s superb run of quarterback play continues. Young has been the most valuable player on the No. 1 team entering the Playoff, leading an offense that scores 42.5 points per game despite not being able to run the ball as well as usual behind an occasionally faulty offensive line. Young has completed 68 percent of his passes for 4,322 yards, 43 touchdowns and four interceptions, and he capped his Heisman campaign by torching the previously untouchable Georgia defense for an SEC championship game-record 461 yards of total offense.
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RB Kenneth Walker III, Michigan State: Mel Tucker dipped into the transfer portal to help the Spartans improve from 2-5 to 10-2. No addition was more valuable than Walker from Wake Forest. The 5-foot-10, 210-pound Walker is second nationally with 1,636 rushing yards, averaging 6.2 yards per carry with 18 touchdowns. He began his MSU career with 264 yards and four touchdowns in the opener against Northwestern and propelled the Spartans past Michigan with 197 yards and five touchdowns.
RB Breece Hall, Iowa State: The Cyclones fell back to 7-5 and didn’t meet high expectations, but Hall quietly put together another prolific season, rushing for 1,472 yards and 20 touchdowns with an average of 5.8 yards per carry. He added 36 catches for 302 yards and three TDs, placing him third in yards from scrimmage per game. Iowa State still ranks 14th in yards per play, and Hall’s steadiness is the biggest reason why.
WR Garrett Wilson, Ohio State: Consider this a three-person award with Wilson as the headliner. The Buckeyes have the best receiving corps in the country, with Jaxon Smith-Njigba leading the team with 80 catches for 1,259 yards and six TDs and Chris Olave continuing to stand out, as well, with 65 catches for 936 yards and 13 TDs. All three deserve All-America recognition. Wilson has 70 catches for 1,058 yards and 12 TDs and is the pick as the most talented of the bunch, with elite athleticism and body control that allow him to make the most breathtaking plays of the trio.
WR Jameson Williams, Alabama: Ohio State’s receiving corps is so talented that Williams left Columbus for a bigger role at Alabama, which needed an injection of speed after losing DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle. Williams provided just that. He averages 21.3 yards per catch (best among players with at least 50 catches), with 68 receptions for 1,445 yards and 15 TDs and six catches of at least 60 yards. For good measure, he’s returned two kicks for touchdowns, too.
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TE Brock Bowers, Georgia: Bowers signed with the Bulldogs out of California last December, enrolled early and made an instant impact by leading the team in receiving. The 6-foot-4, 230-pound Bowers looks pro-ready now, catching 47 passes for 791 yards and 11 touchdowns, with 100-yard games against UAB, Kentucky, Georgia Tech and Alabama. He averages 16.8 yards per catch, with 14 catches of at least 20 yards, and six of his eight red zone catches have gone for touchdowns.
OL Evan Neal, Alabama: Neal headlined Bruce Feldman’s preseason Freaks List, and he’s lived up to the hype in protecting Young on an offensive line that has struggled in other spots. Neal has allowed just one sack in 553 pass-block snaps, according to Pro Football Focus, and he’s been flagged for only one penalty all season. He’s done so while blocking for the probable Heisman winner at quarterback.
OL Connor Galvin, Baylor: A 6-foot-7 senior, Galvin has enjoyed a breakout season as the Big 12’s offensive lineman of the year in his fourth season as a starter at left tackle. He has not allowed a sack on 389 pass-block snaps and graded out as the Big 12’s No. 1 pass blocker, according to PFF.
OL Tyler Linderbaum, Iowa: Linderbaum is the nation’s best center, and there has been no debate about it from the preseason to midseason to postseason. He has not been penalized all season, and PFF graded him as the No. 1 offensive lineman in the country. He’s a technically sound and tenacious anchor of the Iowa line.
OL Kenyon Green, Texas A&M: With the Aggies rebuilding on the offensive line beyond Green, he played four different positions before settling in at left guard in the second half of an All-America-worthy season. The Aggies have a 1,000-yard rusher in Isaiah Spiller and could have another in Devon Achane, and Green is the driving force behind the offensive line, allowing just one sack in 404 pass-block snaps, per PFF. He’s the only person to play at least 80 snaps at four O-line positions.
OL Ikem Ekwonu, NC State: An overlooked star last year, Ekwonu is now receiving proper recognition as a draft prospect and Outland Trophy finalist. The left tackle was graded by PFF as the top overall lineman in the ACC, and he’s helped open the door for a stellar season for QB Devin Leary.
| Pos | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
DL | Kayvon Thibodeaux | |
DL | Aidan Hutchinson | |
DL | Jordan Davis | |
DL | Cameron Thomas | |
LB | Will Anderson | |
LB | Devin Lloyd | |
LB | Nakobe Dean | |
CB | Sauce Gardner | |
CB | Roger McCreary | |
S | Kyle Hamilton | |
S | Jalen Pitre |
DL Aidan Hutchinson, Michigan: Hutchinson was No. 2 on Feldman’s preseason Freaks List, is projected by Dane Brugler to be the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft and is a Heisman Trophy finalist, making him one of just 10 defensive players in the past 50 years to finish in the top four of the vote. He’s earned the Heisman invite as the best player on a defense that helped propel the Wolverines over the hump against Ohio State and into the Playoff. Hutchinson has 14 sacks, including three each in dominant performances down the stretch against Penn State and Ohio State. He’s formed a relentless pass-rush tandem with David Ojabo.
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DL Kayvon Thibodeaux, Oregon: Thibodeaux is projected to be the No. 2 pick in the draft by Brugler, in a close debate with Hutchinson. He’s had top-pick potential since signing with Oregon as the No. 2 player in the 247Sports Composite for 2019. Though he missed the Ducks’ win at Ohio State with an injury, he’s been a force when on the field, with seven sacks and 12 tackles for loss and a skill set that forces offenses to pay extra attention to him at all times.
DL Jordan Davis, Georgia: The Georgia defense is loaded with five-star recruits, but Davis was an underrated three-star, ranked 424th in the 247Sports Composite in 2018. The 340-pound senior has emerged as an Outland Trophy finalist who got some Heisman buzz during a season in which he did not miss a tackle while on the field for 128 opponent rushes, per PFF. When Davis was on the field, Georgia allowed 0.97 yards before contact per rush. When he was off the field, the Bulldogs allowed 1.4 yards before contact per rush. Traditional numbers don’t tell the full story for Davis, who was a load to handle and constantly impacted plays up the middle.
DL Cameron Thomas, San Diego State: The 6-foot-5, 270-pound junior has been the best player on a stellar Aztecs defense in a season in which they’ve won numerous close games. Thomas has racked up 68 tackles and 20.5 tackles for loss, generating relentless pressure and disruption off the edge for a team giving up only 79.5 rushing yards per game.
LB Will Anderson, Alabama: A five-star recruit, Anderson broke out in the second half of his freshman season in 2020, setting the table for skyrocketing expectations in 2021. Somehow, he’s met all of them. He’s posted 15.5 sacks and an absurd 32.5 tackles for loss. NCAA defensive records go back to only 2000, but he’s broken the mark of 32 by Western Michigan’s Jason Babin in 2003. Alabama’s records go back further, with Derrick Thomas credited with 39 in 1988, but Anderson is in rare territory in a season in which he has consistently disrupted opposing offenses and made life difficult for quarterbacks.
LB Devin Lloyd, Utah: Lloyd has been a standout player on good Utah defenses for three years now, and this has been his best season yet. He’s recorded 22 tackles for loss — including five against Stanford and four against Arizona State — with 106 tackles, eight sacks, six pass breakups and four interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns. He’s an explosive playmaker and the best player on the Rose Bowl-bound Utes.
LB Nakobe Dean, Georgia: Davis got more publicity this year, but Dean was representative of what made the Bulldogs defense so dominant in the regular season. A five-star recruit in 2019, Dean put his explosive playmaking ability and range on full display as a leader of Georgia’s highly active defensive front. He has 61 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions and a forced fumble, with dominant sideline-to-sideline ability.
CB Sauce Gardner, Cincinnati: The Bearcats rank No. 1 in pass efficiency defense behind the corner tandem of Coby Bryant and Gardner. Gardner has three interceptions, four tackles for loss and a forced fumble, but his contributions go far beyond the box score because he rarely sees targets. According to PFF, he allowed zero touchdowns in 448 snaps in pass coverage. He was targeted once per 11.9 snaps in coverage, the second-lowest target rate in the FBS.
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CB Roger McCreary, Auburn: McCreary has been excellent in coverage all season, with 14 pass breakups and two interceptions, including a pick six, to lead the SEC in passes defended. He’s PFF’s highest-graded cornerback in the Power 5 and was included as a projected first-round draft pick in Brugler’s latest mock draft.
S Kyle Hamilton, Notre Dame: Hamilton is a tough choice given that he was sidelined by an injury for much of the second half of the season, but his impact before then is undeniable. He’s the best safety in the country. Per PFF, he allowed one touchdown in 262 snaps in pass coverage and averaged 17.6 coverage snaps for every reception allowed. He had three interceptions, including two in the close win against Florida State.
S Jalen Pitre, Baylor: Pitre fills a versatile role at Baylor’s star position as a hybrid linebacker/safety/nickelback. However he’s labeled, he deserves an All-America nod after filling the stat sheet for a Big 12 championship defense. The Big 12’s defensive player of the year, Pitre has 70 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, seven pass breakups, three forced fumbles, 2.5 sacks and two interceptions. He’s eighth nationally in tackles for loss, making him the only player listed as a defensive back anywhere near the top of the leaderboard.
| Pos | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
K | Harrison Mevis | |
P | Matt Araiza | |
AP | Marcus Jones |
K Harrison Mevis, Missouri: Harrison and his brother Andrew, who kicks for Iowa State, have combined to make 38 of 42 field goal attempts this year. Harrison has been particularly prolific from long range, making all three kicks of at least 50 yards — including a 56-yarder to force overtime at Boston College — and 11 of 13 from 40-49. He’s also 40-for-40 on PATs.
P Matt Araiza, San Diego State: Texas A&M’s Braden Mann set the FBS punting record with an average of 51 yards per kick in 2018. Araiza can break it with a strong bowl performance. He’s been a magician for a team that wins with defense and field position, averaging 51.37 yards per punt. San Diego State is 11-2 despite ranking fifth in punts per game, in part because Araiza has been such a valuable weapon. Of his 76 punts, 36 have been downed inside the 20. He has two punts of at least 80 yards, including one 86-yarder.
AP Marcus Jones, Houston: Jones meets the very definition of all-purpose. He’s tied for second in the country with five interceptions and eighth with 13 pass breakups. He plays some on offense, with 10 catches for 109 yards and a touchdown. And he’s the best return man in the country: He averages 14.38 yards per punt return with two touchdowns and 34 yards per kick return with two touchdowns, ranking in the top four in average in both categories.
| Pos | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
QB | Kenny Pickett | |
RB | Sean Tucker | |
WR | Jerreth Sterns | |
WR | Jordan Addison | |
WR | David Bell | |
TE | Trey McBride | |
OL | Darian Kinnard | |
OL | Max Mitchell | |
OL | Bernhard Raimann | |
OL | Zach Tom | |
OL | Nicholas Petit-Frere | |
DL | Arnold Ebiketie | |
DL | DeMarvin Leal | |
DL | Jermaine Johnson | |
DL | George Karlaftis | |
LB | Leo Chenal | |
LB | Jack Campbell | |
LB | Malcolm Rodriguez | |
CB | Ja'Quan McMillian | |
CB | Trent McDuffie | |
S | Jaquan Brisker | |
S | Verone McKinley | |
K | Caleb Shudak | |
P | Jordan Stout | |
AP | Jahmyr Gibbs |
(Illustration: John Bradford / The Athletic; Photos: Rich Schultz, Mike Mulholland, Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)