{"id":156524,"date":"2025-08-18T19:47:12","date_gmt":"2025-08-18T19:47:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/156524\/"},"modified":"2025-08-18T19:47:12","modified_gmt":"2025-08-18T19:47:12","slug":"ap-all-america-team-highlights-texas-penn-states-college-football-stars","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/156524\/","title":{"rendered":"AP All-America team highlights Texas, Penn State’s college football stars"},"content":{"rendered":"

Texas and Penn State, the top two teams in The Associated Press preseason Top 25<\/a>, each had three players selected for the preseason AP All-America team announced Monday.<\/p>\n

No. 1 Texas had one player from each level of its defense on the first team: edge rusher Colin Simmons, linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. and safety Michael Taaffe. No. 2 Penn State\u2019s picks were running back Nicholas Singleton, offensive lineman Olaivavega Ioane and defensive lineman Zane Durant.<\/p>\n

No. 3 Ohio State, No. 4 Clemson, No. 6 Notre Dame, No. 8 Alabama and Pittsburgh each had two players on the first team. <\/p>\n

The Southeastern Conference had 12 players on the 27-man first team determined by media members on the AP Top 25 voting panel. <\/p>\n

The Big Ten had seven players, the ACC four and the Big 12 two.<\/p>\n

Clemson\u2019s Cade Klubnik<\/a> was the overwhelming preseason choice for first-team quarterback after throwing for 3,639 yards with 39 touchdowns and just six interceptions.<\/p>\n

Ohio State safety Caleb Downs and Florida center Jake Slaughter are returning first-team AP All-Americans. <\/a><\/p>\n

Downs, whose late interception against Texas helped wrap up a College Football Playoff semifinal win for defending champion Ohio State, starred as a freshman at Alabama two years ago and established himself as the nation\u2019s top safety in his first season with the Buckeyes. He\u2019s a projected top-three pick in the 2026 NFL draft.<\/p>\n

Downs was joined on the preseason-All-America first team by Buckeyes receiver Jeremiah Smith.<\/p>\n

Slaughter, a leading candidate for the Rimington Trophy as the nation\u2019s top center, played 800 snaps in his breakout season for the Gators. He allowed just one sack and was among the highest-rated run and pass blockers in the country, according to Pro Football Focus.<\/p>\n

The AP All-America team for this season will be released in December. It will mark the 100th anniversary of the first team<\/a> published in 1925.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Florida<\/p>\n

Florida center Jake Slaughter (66). (AP Photo\/Gary McCullough, File)<\/p>\n

Florida center Jake Slaughter (66). (AP Photo\/Gary McCullough, File)<\/p>\n

Read More<\/p>\n

First team offense<\/p>\n

Quarterback \u2014 Cade Klubnik, fourth year, Clemson.<\/p>\n

Running backs \u2014 Jeremiyah Love, third year, Notre Dame; Nicholas Singleton, fourth year, Penn State.<\/p>\n

Tackles \u2014 Spencer Fano, fourth year, Utah; Kadyn Proctor, third year, Alabama.<\/p>\n

Guards \u2014 Olaivavega Ioane, fourth year, Penn State; Ar\u2019maj Reed-Adams, sixth year, Texas A&M.<\/p>\n

Center \u2014 Jake Slaughter, fifth year, Florida.<\/p>\n

Tight end \u2014 Eli Stowers, fifth year, Vanderbilt.<\/p>\n

Wide receivers \u2014 Jeremiah Smith, second year, Ohio State; Ryan Williams, second year, Alabama; Jordyn Tyson, fourth year, Arizona State.<\/p>\n

All-purpose player \u2014 Desmond Reid, fourth year, Pittsburgh.<\/p>\n

Kicker \u2014 Dominic Zvada, fourth year, Michigan.<\/p>\n

First team defense<\/p>\n

Edge \u2014 Dylan Stewart, second year, South Carolina; Colin Simmons, second year, Texas.<\/p>\n

Tackles \u2014 Peter Woods, third year, Clemson; Zane Durant, fourth year, Penn State.<\/p>\n

Linebackers \u2014 Anthony Hill Jr., third year, Texas; Whit Weeks, fifth year, LSU; Kyle Louis, fourth year, Pittsburgh.<\/p>\n

Cornerbacks \u2014 Leonard Moore, second year, Notre Dame; Jermod McCoy, third year, Tennessee.<\/p>\n

Safeties \u2014 Caleb Downs, third year, Ohio State; Dillon Thieneman, third year, Oregon.<\/p>\n

Defensive back \u2014 Michael Taaffe, fifth year, Texas.<\/p>\n

Punter \u2014 Brett Thorson, fourth year, Georgia.<\/p>\n

Second team offense<\/p>\n

Quarterback \u2014 Garrett Nussmeier, fifth year, LSU.<\/p>\n

Running backs \u2014 Makhi Hughes, fourth year, Oregon; Isaac Brown, second year, Louisville.<\/p>\n

Tackles \u2014 Francis Mauigoa, third year, Miami; Blake Miller, fourth year, Clemson.<\/p>\n

Guards \u2014 Cayden Green, third year, Missouri; Keylan Rutledge, fourth year, Georgia Tech.<\/p>\n

Center \u2014 Parker Brailsford, fourth year, Alabama.<\/p>\n

Tight end \u2014 Max Klare, fourth year, Ohio State.<\/p>\n

Wide receivers \u2014 Antonio Williams, fourth year, Clemson; Elijah Sarratt, fourth year, Indiana; Cam Coleman, second year, Auburn.<\/p>\n

All-purpose player \u2014 Kaytron Allen, fourth year, Penn State.<\/p>\n

Kicker \u2014 Peyton Woodring, third year, Georgia.<\/p>\n

Second team defense<\/p>\n

Edge \u2014 T.J. Parker, third year, Clemson; Matayo Uiagalelei, third year, Oregon.<\/p>\n

Tackles \u2014 Tim Keenan III, fifth year, Alabama; Christen Miller, fourth year, Georgia.<\/p>\n

Linebackers \u2014 Taurean York, third year, Texas A&M; Harold Perkins Jr., fourth year, LSU; Aiden Fisher, fourth year, Indiana.<\/p>\n

Cornerbacks \u2014 Chandler Rivers, fourth year, Duke; D\u2019Angelo Ponds, third year, Indiana.<\/p>\n

Safeties \u2014 Koi Perich, second year, Minnesota; KJ Bolden, second year, Georgia.<\/p>\n

Defensive back \u2014 Jalon Kilgore, third year, South Carolina.<\/p>\n

Punter \u2014 Ryan Eckley, fourth year, Michigan State.<\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/ap-top-25-college-football-poll<\/a> and https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/college-football<\/a><\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

This story has been updated to correct LSU LB Weeks\u2019 first name to Whit.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Texas and Penn State, the top two teams in The Associated Press preseason Top 25, each had three…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":156525,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[27131,12955,91160,66719,5643,1578,11029,91164,40676,91148,91147,91146,1373,83543,91143,1428,1369,91152,91150,91155,91141,91158,91157,6064,723,1318,91156,10104,26603,57,4353,6323,2862,91159,26600,57459,91162,91161,361,91165,353,91149,91163,91145,214,91144,13874,24780,1574,1573,4733,83542,6065,212,5217,1381,11139,2830,67509,91153,91151,26187,32857,3036,31596,91154,62,1229,358,9662,20815,26192,6066,5028,61,67,132,68,91142],"class_list":{"0":"post-156524","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports","8":"tag-al-state-wire","9":"tag-alabama","10":"tag-anthony-hill-jr","11":"tag-antonio-williams","12":"tag-arizona","13":"tag-associated-press","14":"tag-az-state-wire","15":"tag-brett-thorson","16":"tag-caleb-downs","17":"tag-cam-coleman","18":"tag-cayden-green","19":"tag-christen-blake-miller","20":"tag-clemson-tigers","21":"tag-clemson-tigers-football","22":"tag-colin-simmons","23":"tag-college-football","24":"tag-college-sports","25":"tag-desmond-reid","26":"tag-dillon-thieneman","27":"tag-dominic-zvada","28":"tag-dylan-stewart","29":"tag-eli-stowers","30":"tag-elijah-sarratt","31":"tag-fl-state-wire","32":"tag-florida","33":"tag-football","34":"tag-francis-mauigoa","35":"tag-ga-state-wire","36":"tag-garrett-nussmeier","37":"tag-general-news","38":"tag-georgia","39":"tag-in-state-wire","40":"tag-indiana","41":"tag-isaac-brown","42":"tag-jake-slaughter","43":"tag-jeremiah-smith","44":"tag-jordyn-tyson","45":"tag-kyle-louis","46":"tag-la-state-wire","47":"tag-leonard-moore","48":"tag-louisiana","49":"tag-louisiana-state-tigers","50":"tag-max-klare","51":"tag-michael-taaffe","52":"tag-michigan","53":"tag-nicholas-singleton","54":"tag-notre-dame-fighting-irish","55":"tag-notre-dame-fighting-irish-football","56":"tag-oh-state-wire","57":"tag-ohio","58":"tag-ohio-state-buckeyes","59":"tag-ohio-state-buckeyes-football","60":"tag-or-state-wire","61":"tag-oregon","62":"tag-pa-state-wire","63":"tag-penn-state-nittany-lions","64":"tag-penn-state-nittany-lions-football","65":"tag-pennsylvania","66":"tag-peter-woods","67":"tag-peyton-woodring","68":"tag-ryan-eckley","69":"tag-ryan-williams","70":"tag-sc-state-wire","71":"tag-south-carolina","72":"tag-southeastern-conference","73":"tag-spencer-fano","74":"tag-sports","75":"tag-tennessee","76":"tag-texas","77":"tag-texas-longhorns","78":"tag-texas-longhorns-football","79":"tag-tim-keenan-iii","80":"tag-tn-state-wire","81":"tag-tx-state-wire","82":"tag-u-s-news","83":"tag-united-states","84":"tag-unitedstates","85":"tag-us","86":"tag-zane-durant"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":"Validation failed: Text character limit of 500 exceeded"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156524","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=156524"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156524\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/156525"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=156524"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=156524"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=156524"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}