Big Ten puts 10 on AP All-America
first team, led by 4 from Ohio State and Hoosier star Mendoza
[December 16, 2025]
By ERIC OLSON
Four players from Ohio State are among 10 first-team picks
from the Big Ten Conference 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 Fernando Mendoza of Indiana.
The AP has named an All-America team every year since 1925, and
Notre Dame's 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 players Jeremiah Smith, Kayden McDonald and Arvell Reese.
Mendoza, who 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 for 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 Navy's first since 1975
and kicker Kansei Matsuzawa is Hawaii's first since 1986.
First-team All-Americans (by conference)
Big Ten 10
SEC 6
Big 12 3
ACC 1
Independent 3
Conference USA 2
American 1
Mountain West 1
___
The AP All-America team was selected by a panel of 52 college Top 25
poll voters.
First-team offense
Wide receiver Makai Lemon, Southern California, junior, 5-11, 195,
Los Angeles.
Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State, sophomore, 6-3, 223,
Miami Gardens, Florida.
Wide receiver Skyler Bell, UConn, senior, 6-0, 185, New York, N.Y.
Tackle Francis Mauigoa, Miami, junior, 6-6, 335, Iliili, American
Samoa.
Tackle Spencer Fano, Utah, junior, 6-6, 308, Spanish Fork, Utah.
Guard Emmanuel Pregnon, Oregon, senior, 6-5, 318, Denver.
Guard Beau Stephens, Iowa, senior, 6-5, 315, Blue Springs,
Missouri.
Center Logan Jones, Iowa, graduate, 6-3, 202, Council Bluffs,
Iowa.
Tight end Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt, graduate, 6-4, 235, Denton,
Texas.
Quarterback Fernando Mendoza, Indiana, junior, 6-5, 225, Miami.
Running back Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame, junior, 6-0, 214, St.
Louis.
Running back Ahmad Hardy, Missouri, sophomore, 5-10, 210, Oma,
Mississippi.
Kicker Kansei Matsuzawa, Hawaii, senior, 6-2, 200, Tokyo.
All-purpose KC Concepcion, Texas A&M, junior, 5-11, 190,
Charlotte, North Carolina.
First-team defense
Edge rusher David Bailey, Texas Tech, senior, 6-3, 250, Irvine,
California.
Edge rusher Cashius Howell, Texas A&M, senior, 6-2, 248, Kansas
City, Missouri.
Interior lineman Kayden McDonald, Ohio State, junior, 6-3, 326,
Suwanee, Georgia.
Interior lineman Landon Robinson, Navy, senior, 6-0, 287,
Fairlawn, Ohio.
Linebacker Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech, senior, 6-1, 235, Wichita
Falls, Texas.
Linebacker Arvell Reese, Ohio State, junior, 6-4, 243, Cleveland.
Linebacker CJ Allen, Georgia, junior, 6-1, 235, Barnesville,
Georgia.
Cornerback Leonard Moore, Notre Dame, sophomore, 6-2, 195, Round
Rock, Texas.
Cornerback Mansoor Delane, LSU, senior, 6-0, 190, Silver Spring,
Maryland.
Safety Caleb Downs, Ohio State, junior, 6-0, 205, Hoschton,
Georgia.
Safety Bishop Fitzgerald, Southern California, senior, 5-11, 205,
Woodbridge, Virginia.
Defensive back Jakari Foster, Louisiana Tech, senior, 6-0, 211,
Piedmont, Alabama.
Punter Cole Maynard, Western Kentucky, senior, 6-1, 180,
Mooresville, North Carolina.
Second-team offense
Wide receiver Carnell Tate, Ohio State, junior, 6-3, 195, Chicago.
Wide receiver Malachi Toney, Miami, freshman, 5-11, 188, Liberty
City, Florida.
Wide receiver Danny Scudero, San Jose State, sophomore, 5-9, 174,
San Jose, California.
Tackle Kadyn Proctor, Alabama, junior, 6-7, 366, Des Moines, Iowa.
Tackle Carter Smith, Indiana, junior, 6-5, 313, Powell, Ohio.
[to top of second column] |
Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) throws a pass during
the first half of an NCAA college football game against Penn State ,
Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, in State College, Pa. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger,
File)
Guard Olaivavega Ioane, Penn State, junior, 6-4,
323, Graham, Washington.
Guard Ar'maj Reed-Adams, Texas A&M, graduate, 6-5, 325, Dallas.
Center Jake Slaughter, Florida, senior, 6-4, 303,
Sparr, Florida.
Tight end Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon, junior, 6-3, 245, Idaho Falls,
Idaho.
Quarterback Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt, graduate, 6-0, 207,
Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Running back Emmett Johnson, Nebraska, junior, 5-11, 200,
Minneapolis.
Running back Kewan Lacy, Mississippi, sophomore, 5-11, 210,
Dallas.
Kicker Tate Sandell, Oklahoma, junior, 5-9, 182, Port Neches,
Texas.
All-purpose Wayne Knight, James Madison, junior, 5-7, 190, Smyrna,
Delaware.
Second-team defense
Edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr., Miami, junior, 6-3, 270, Miami.
Edge rusher John Henry Daley, Utah, sophomore, 6-4, 255, Alpine,
Utah.
Interior lineman A.J. Holmes Jr., Texas Tech, junior, 6-3, 300,
Houston.
Interior lineman Peter Woods, Clemson, junior, 6-3, 310,
Alabaster, Alabama.
Linebacker Sonny Styles, Ohio State, senior, 6-5, 243,
Pickerington, Ohio.
Linebacker Anthony Hill Jr., Texas, junior, 6-3, 238, Denton,
Texas.
Linebacker Red Murdock, Buffalo, graduate, 6-1, 240, Petersburg,
Virginia.
Cornerback DAngelo Ponds, Indiana, junior, 5-9, 173, Miami.
Cornerback Chris Johnson, San Diego State, senior, 6-0, 195,
Eastvale, California.
Safety Dillon Thieneman, Oregon, junior, 6-0, 205, Westfield,
Indiana.
Safety Louis Moore, Indiana, senior, 5-11, 200, Mesquite, Texas.
Defensive back Hezekiah Masses, California, senior, 6-1, 185,
Deerfield Beach, Florida.
Punter Brett Thorson, Georgia, senior, 6-2, 235, Melbourne,
Australia.
Third-team offense
Wide receiver Eric McAlister, TCU, senior, 6-3, 205, Azle, Texas.
Wide receiver Chris Brazzell II, Tennessee, junior, 6-5, 200,
Midland, Texas.
Wide receiver Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State, junior, 6-2, 200,
Allen, Texas.
Tackle Keagen Trost, Missouri, graduate, 6-4, 316, Kankakee,
Illinois.
Tackle Brian Parker II, Duke, junior, 6-5, 305, Cincinnati.
Guard Keylan Rutledge, Georgia Tech, senior, 6-4, 330, Royston,
Georgia.
Guard Evan Tengesdahl, Cincinnati, sophomore, 6-3, 320, Dayton,
Ohio.
Center Iapani Laloulu, Oregon, junior, 6-2, 329, Honolulu.
Tight end Michael Trigg, Baylor, senior, 6-4, 240, Tampa, Florida.
Quarterback Julian Sayin, Ohio State, redshirt freshman, 6-1, 208,
Carlsbad, California.
Running back Cam Cook, Jacksonville State, junior, 5-11, 200,
Round Rock, Texas.
Running back Kaytron Allen, Penn State, senior, 5-11, 219,
Norfolk, Virginia.
Kicker Aidan Birr, Georgia Tech, junior, 6-1, 205, Kennedale,
Texas.
All-purpose Jadarian Price, Notre Dame, junior, 5-11, 210,
Denison, Texas.
Third-team defense
Edge rusher Caden Curry, Ohio State, senior, 6-3, 260, Greenwood,
Indiana.
Edge rusher Nadame Tucker, Western Michigan, senior, 6-3, 250, New
York.
Interior lineman Tyrique Tucker, Indiana, junior, 6-0, 302,
Norfolk, Virginia.
Interior lineman Lee Hunter, Texas Tech, senior, 6-4, 330, Mobile,
Alabama.
Linebacker Aiden Fisher, Indiana, senior, 6-1, 231,
Fredericksburg, Virginia.
Linebacker Caden Fordham, North Carolina State, graduate, 6-1,
230, Ponte Vedra, Florida.
Linebacker Owen Long, Colorado State, sophomore, 6-2, 230,
Whittier, California.
Cornerback Avieon Terrell, Clemson, junior, 5-11, 180, Atlanta.
Cornerback Treydan Stukes, Arizona, senior, 6-2, 200, Litchfield
Park, Arizona.
Safety Michael Taaffe, Texas, senior, 6-0, 189, Austin, Texas.
Safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Toledo, senior, 6-2, 202, Tampa,
Florida.
Defensive back Bray Hubbard, Alabama, junior, 6-2, 213, Ocean
Springs, Mississippi.
Punter Ryan Eckley, Michigan State, junior, 6-2, 207, Lithia,
Florida.
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