2025 AP All-America Team: Big Ten leads the way with 10 first-team selections

The Big Ten had four more first-team AP All-America selections than the SEC

By Robby Kalland

Dec 15, 2025 at 1:24 pm ET • 3 min read

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The 2025 AP All-America teams were released on Monday, with 81 players earning a spot on one of the three teams. The first team is headlined by four Ohio State Buckeyes -- Caleb Downs, Jeremiah Smith, Arvell Reese and Kayden McDonald. Downs is the only player in the country to make the first team in 2024 and 2025.

In total, 10 Big Ten players earned first-team honors, leading all conferences -- the SEC was second with six, ahead of the Big 12 (3) and Independents (3).

Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza took the first-team quarterback spot over Vanderbilt's Diego Pavia, who earned a second-team nod. Mendoza is one of six Hoosiers to earn an All-America spot, as Indiana enjoyed its best regular season in program history. Texas Tech is another school putting together one of its greatest seasons, and the Red Raiders were likewise rewarded with four All-America selections -- all on defense.

Miami wide receiver Malachi Toney is the lone true freshman to earn a 2025 All-America spot with a second-team selection, while Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin picked up a third-team selection as a redshirt freshman.

Check out the full list of AP All-American team selections below.

First team

Offense

QB: Fernando Mendoza, junior, Indiana
RB: Jeremiyah Love, junior, Notre Dame
RB: Ahmad Hardy, sophomore, Missouri
OT: Francis Mauigoa, junior, Miami
OT: Spencer Fano, junior, Utah
OG: Emmanuel Pregnon, senior, Oregon
OG: Beau Stephens, senior, Iowa
C: Logan Jones, graduate, Iowa
TE: Eli Stowers, graduate, Vanderbilt
WR: Makai Lemon, junior, USC
WR: Jeremiah Smith, sophomore, Ohio State
WR: Skylar Bell, senior, UConn
AP: KC Concepcion, junior, Texas A&M
K: Kansei Matsuzawa, senior, Hawaii

Defense

EDGE: David Bailey, senior, Texas Tech
EDGE: Cashius Howell, senior, Texas A&M
DT: Kayden McDonald, junior, Ohio State
DT: Landon Robinson, senior, Navy
LB: Jacob Rodriguez, senior, Texas Tech
LB: Arvell Reese, junior, Ohio State
LB: CJ Allen, junior, Georgia
CB: Leonard Moore, sophomore, Notre Dame
CB: Mansoor Delane, senior, LSU
S: Caleb Downs, junior, Ohio State
S: Bishop Fitzgerald, senior, USC
DB: Jakari Foster, senior, Louisiana Tech
P: Cole Maynard, senior, Western Kentucky

Second team

Offense

QB: Diego Pavia, graduate, Vanderbilt
RB: Emmett Johnson, junior, Nebraska
RB: Kewan Lacy, sophomore, Ole Miss
OT: Kadyn Proctor, junior, Alabama
OT: Carter Smith, junior, Indiana
OG: Olaivavega Ioane, junior, Penn State
OG: Ar'maj Reed-Adams, graduate, Texas A&M
C: Jake Slaughter, senior, Florida
TE: Kenyon Sadiq, junior, Oregon
WR: Carnell Tate, junior, Ohio State
WR: Malachi Toney, freshman, Miami
WR: Danny Scudero, sophomore, San Jose State
AP: Wayne Knight, junior, James Madison
K: Tate Sandell, junior, Oklahoma

Defense

EDGE: Rueben Bain Jr., junior, Miami
EDGE: John Henry Daley, sophomore, Utah
DT: A.J. Holmes, junior, Texas Tech
DT: Peter Woods, junior, Clemson
LB: Sonny Syles, senior, Ohio State
LB: Anthony Hill Jr., junior, Texas
LB: Red Murdock, graduate, Buffalo
CB: D'Angelo Ponds, junior, Indiana
CB: Chris Johnson, senior, San Diego State
S: Dillon Thieneman, junior, Oregon
S: Louis Moore, senior, Indiana
DB: Hezekiah Masses, senior, Cal
P: Brett Thorson, senior, Georgia