Big Ten puts 10 on AP All-America first team, led by 4 from Ohio State and Hoosier star Mendoza
Ohio State defensive lineman Kayden McDonald (98) celebrates after recovering a fumble during an NCAA football game on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez, File)2025-12-15T17:07:18Z
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Four players from Ohio State are among 10 first-team picks from the Big Ten on The Associated Press All-America team released Monday, a group headed by repeat selection Caleb Downs of the Buckeyes and AP Player of the Year data-gtm-enhancement-style="LinkEnhancementA" href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-player-of-year-c74829567a6d158eb90a821e512ad281">Fernando Mendoza of Indiana.
data-gtm-enhancement-style="LinkEnhancementA" href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-allamerica-football-team-d34dd22effa802c282e88ea8c5ab98d9">The AP has named an All-America team every year since 1925, and Notre Dameβs two first-team picks this season increased its all-time lead to 87.
Downs, the Big Ten defensive player of the year, has made the first team each of his two seasons at Ohio State after landing on the second team as a freshman at Alabama in 2023. He is one of 12 players on the 27-man first team who did not start their careers at their current school. Downs is joined on the first team by fellow Buckeyes Jeremiah Smith, Kayden McDonald and Arvell Reese.
Mendoza, who data-gtm-enhancement-style="LinkEnhancementA" href="https://apnews.com/article/heisman-trophy-winner-645f544b5455ee74ec167fa632aa752d">won the Heisman Trophy over the weekend, led the top-ranked Hoosiers to a 13-0 record and the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff after transferring from California. He has thrown a nation-leading 33 touchdown passes and is the catalyst of one of the most productive offenses in the country.
A total of 18 schools are represented on the first team, including seven of the 12 in the CFP.
Iowa has had at least one first-team player seven straight years and in 10 of the last 12. This is the fourth year in a row Miami, Notre Dame and Ohio State have had at least one.
Punter Cole Maynard gave Western Kentucky its first-ever first-team pick. Defensive lineman Landon Robinson is Navyβs first since 1975 and kicker Kansei Matsuzawa is Hawaiiβs first since 1986.
First-team All-Americans (by conference)
Big Ten β 10
SEC β 6
Big 12 β 3
ACC β 1
Independent β 3
Conference USA β 2
American β 1
Mountain West β 1
___
The AP All-America team was selected by a panel of 52 college Top 25 poll voters.
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First-team offense
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Wide receiver βMakai Lemon, Southern California, junior, 5-11, 195, Los Angeles.
Wide receiver β Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State, sophomore, 6-3, 223, Miami Gardens, Florida.
Wide receiver β Skyler Bell, UConn, senior, 6-0, 185, New York, N.Y.
Tackle β Francis Mauigoa, Miami, junior, 6-6, 335,Iliβili, American Samoa.
Tackle β Spencer Fano, Utah, junior, 6-6, 308, Spanish Fork, Utah.
Guard β Emmanuel Pregnon, Oregon, senior, 6-5, 318, Denver.
Guard β Beau Stephens, Iowa, senior, 6-5, 315, Blue Springs, Missouri.
Center β Logan Jones, Iowa, graduate, 6-3, 202, Council Bluffs, Iowa.
Tight end β Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt, graduate, 6-4, 235, Denton, Texas.
Quarterback β Fernando Mendoza, Indiana, junior, 6-5, 225, Miami.
Running back β Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame, junior, 6-0, 214, St. Louis.
Running back β Ahmad Hardy, Missouri, sophomore, 5-10, 210, Oma, Mississippi.
Kicker β Kansei Matsuzawa, Hawaii, senior, 6-2, 200, Tokyo.
All-purpose β KC Concepcion, Texas A&M, junior, 5-11, 190, Charlotte, North Carolina.
First-team defense
Edge rusher β David Bailey, Texas Tech, senior, 6-3, 250, Irvine, California.
Edge rusher β Cashius Howell, Texas A&M, senior, 6-2, 248, Kansas City, Missouri.
Interior lineman β Kayden McDonald, Ohio State, junior, 6-3, 326, Suwanee, Georgia.
Interior lineman β Landon Robinson, Navy, senior, 6-0, 287, Fairlawn, Ohio.
Linebacker β Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech, senior, 6-1, 235, Wichita Falls, Texas.
Linebacker β Arvell Reese, Ohio State, junior, 6-4, 243, Cleveland.
Linebacker β CJ Allen, Georgia, junior, 6-1, 235, Barnesville, Georgia.
Cornerback β Leonard Moore, Notre Dame, sophomore, 6-2, 195, Round Rock, Texas.
Cornerback β Mansoor Delane, LSU, senior, 6-0, 190, Silver Spring, Maryland.
Safety β Caleb Downs, Ohio State, junior, 6-0, 205, Hoschton, Georgia.
Safety β Bishop Fitzgerald, Southern California, senior, 5-11, 205, Woodbridge, Virginia.
Defensive back β Jakari Foster, Louisiana Tech, senior, 6-0, 211, Piedmont, Alabama.
Punter β Cole Maynard, Western Kentucky, senior, 6-1, 180, Mooresville, North Carolina.
Second-team offense
Wide receiver β Carnell Tate, Ohio State, junior, 6-3, 195, Chicago.
Wide receiver β Malachi Toney, Miami, freshman, 5-11, 188, Liberty City, Florida.
Wide receiver β Danny Scudero, San Jose State, sophomore, 5-9, 174, San Jose, California.
Tackle β Kadyn Proctor, Alabama, junior, 6-7, 366, Des Moines, Iowa.
Tackle β Carter Smith, Indiana, junior, 6-5, 313, Powell, Ohio.
Guard β Olaivavega Ioane, Penn State, junior, 6-4, 323, Graham, Washington.
Guard β Arβmaj Reed-Adams, Texas A&M, graduate, 6-5, 325, Dallas.
Center β Jake Slaughter, Florida, senior, 6-4, 303, Sparr, Florida.
Tight end β Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon, junior, 6-3, 245, Idaho Falls, Idaho.
Quarterback β Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt, graduate, 6-0, 207, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Running back β Emmett Johnson, Nebraska, junior, 5-11, 200, Minneapolis.
Running back β Kewan Lacy, Mississippi, sophomore, 5-11, 210, Dallas.
Kicker β Tate Sandell, Oklahoma, junior, 5-9, 182, Port Neches, Texas.
All-purpose β Wayne Knight, James Madison, junior, 5-7, 190, Smyrna, Delaware.
Second-team defense
Edge rusher β Rueben Bain Jr., Miami, junior, 6-3, 270, Miami.
Edge rusher β John Henry Daley, Utah, sophomore, 6-4, 255, Alpine, Utah.
Interior lineman β A.J. Holmes Jr., Texas Tech, junior, 6-3, 300, Houston.
Interior lineman β Peter Woods, Clemson, junior, 6-3, 310, Alabaster, Alabama.
Linebacker β Sonny Syles, Ohio State, senior, 6-5, 243, Pickerington, Ohio.
Linebacker β Anthony Hill Jr., Texas, junior, 6-3, 238, Denton, Texas.
Linebacker β Red Murdock, Buffalo, graduate, 6-1, 240, Petersburg, Virginia.
Cornerback β DβAngelo Ponds, Indiana, junior, 5-9, 173, Miami.
Cornerback β Chris Johnson, San Diego State, senior, 6-0, 195, Eastvale, California.
Safety β Dillon Thieneman, Oregon, junior, 6-0, 205, Westfield, Indiana.
Safety β Louis Moore, Indiana, senior, 5-11, 200, Mesquite, Texas.
Defensive back β Hezekiah Masses, California, senior, 6-1, 185, Deerfield Beach, Florida.
Punter β Brett Thorson, Georgia, senior, 6-2, 235, Melbourne, Australia.
Third-team offense
Wide receiver β Eric McAlister, TCU, senior, 6-3, 205, Azle, Texas.
Wide receiver β Chris Brazzell II, Tennessee, junior, 6-5, 200, Midland, Texas.
Wide receiver β Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State, junior, 6-2, 200, Allen, Texas.
Tackle β Keagen Trost, Missouri, graduate, 6-4, 316, Kankakee, Illinois.
Tackle β Brian Parker II, Duke, junior, 6-5, 305, Cincinnati.
Guard β Keylan Rutledge, Georgia Tech, senior, 6-4, 330, Royston, Georgia.
Guard β Evan Tengesdahl, Cincinnati, sophomore, 6-3, 320, Dayton, Ohio.
Center β Iapani Laloulu, Oregon, junior, 6-2, 329, Honolulu.
Tight end β Michael Trigg, Baylor, senior, 6-4, 240, Tampa, Florida.
Quarterback β Julian Sayin, Ohio State, redshirt freshman, 6-1, 208, Carlsbad, California.
Running back β Cam Cook, Jacksonville State, junior, 5-11, 200, Round Rock, Texas.
Running back β Kaytron Allen, Penn State, senior, 5-11, 219, Norfolk, Virginia.
Kicker β Aidan Birr, Georgia Tech, junior, 6-1, 205, Kennedale, Texas.
All-purpose β Jadarian Price, Notre Dame, junior, 5-11, 210, Denison, Texas.
Third-team defense
Edge rusher β Caden Curry, Ohio State, senior, 6-3, 260, Greenwood, Indiana.
Edge rusher β Nadame Tucker, Western Michigan, senior, 6-3, 250, New York.
Interior lineman β Tyrique Tucker, Indiana, junior, 6-0, 302, Norfolk, Virginia.
Interior lineman β Lee Hunter, Texas Tech, senior, 6-4, 330, Mobile, Alabama.
Linebacker β Aiden Fisher, Indiana, senior, 6-1, 231, Fredericksburg, Virginia.
Linebacker β Caden Fordham, North Carolina State, graduate, 6-1, 230, Ponte Vedra, Florida.
Linebacker β Owen Long, Colorado State, sophomore, 6-2, 230, Whittier, California.
Cornerback β Avieon Terrell, Clemson, junior, 5-11, 180, Atlanta.
Cornerback β Treydan Stukes, Arizona, senior, 6-2, 200, Litchfield Park, Arizona.
Safety β Michael Taaffe, Texas, senior, 6-0, 189, Austin, Texas.
Safety β Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Toledo, senior, 6-2, 202, Tampa, Florida.
Defensive back β Bray Hubbard, Alabama, junior, 6-2, 213, Ocean Springs, Mississippi.
Punter β Ryan Eckley, Michigan State, junior, 6-2, 207, Lithia, Florida.
___
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ERIC OLSON Olson is an Associated Press college football writer based in Omaha, Nebraska. He also covers the Big Ten, the NCAA, the College Football Playoff alongside local teams Nebraska and Creighton.
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Big Ten puts 10 on AP All-America first team, led by 4 from Ohio State and Hoosier star Mendoza
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October 20, 2014, 12:40:44 PM