Sports Illustrated's 2019 College Football All-America Team

Who made the cut for our first- and second-team All-America?

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
Dec 11, 2019

College Football All America team — USA TODAY Sports

With the college football regular season and championship weekend in the books, it's time to look back at the sport's stars of 2019. Many things this season didn't go quite the way many expected, and in fact, only eight of SI's 26 preseason First-Team All-America honorees made the end-of-season first team. Seven players on our first team will play in December's College Football Playoff, led by a trio of LSU stars, and four more second-teamers will join them. Without further ado: presenting our 2019 All-America team, as voted on by SI's college football writers.

An asterisk (*) next to a player's name indicates that he was a unanimous selection.

First-Team Offense

QB: Joe Burrow, LSU*

The LSU senior has put together a Heisman-level, record-breaking campaign in 2019, throwing for 4,715 yards and 48 touchdowns while completing a whopping 77.9% of his passes. Leading the program's long-awaited offensive overhaul, he's lifted the Tigers to a 13–0 record, SEC championship and No. 1 seed in the upcoming College Football Playoff.

RB: Chuba Hubbard, Oklahoma State

Hubbard has quietly been one of the best players in the country this season, an explosive rusher who has racked up 1,936 yards and 21 touchdowns on the ground. Averaging 161.33 rush yards per game, he's a big reason why the Cowboys had a top-35 scoring offense.

RB: Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin

Taylor continued his illustrious college career with another dominant season as a junior. The Badgers tailback ran for 1,909 yards and 21 touchdowns, while also adding a receiving element to his game to the tune of 209 yards and five scores.

WR: Ja'Marr Chase, LSU*

Chase is a favorite target of fellow first-teamer Joe Burrow and the leader of a formidable LSU receiver trio, catching 73 passes for 1,498 yards and 18 touchdowns, both of which were first in the nation. His 124.8 receiving yards per game also topped the country, making him a unanimous first-team selection.

WR: CeeDee Lamb, Oklahoma

Lamb is a highlight-reel playmaker for the Sooners and the main weapon for quarterback Jalen Hurts. The junior has caught 14 touchdowns in 2019 with 1,208 yards on the season, averaging 20.83 yards per catch—a smidge higher than Ja'Marr Chase's 20.52.

TE: Harrison Bryant, Florida Atlantic

The Group of Five standout played a key role in Lane Kiffin's offense, catching seven touchdowns across 1,004 yards, averaging 77.2 per game. He also excelled as a blocker for the Owls.

OT: Andrew Thomas, Georgia*

Thomas was a steadying force for UGA's offensive line protecting QB Jake Fromm, starting all 13 games and solidifying his status as a likely first-round NFL draft pick. He was also named SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week twice.

OT: Penei Sewell, Oregon

Sewell followed up an impressive freshman season with an even better one as a sophomore. He's started all 13 games for the Ducks, and he and his OT partner Calvin Throckmorton have allowed just one sack and three QB hits this season.

OG: Shane Lemieux, Oregon

Another key cog in a dominant Oregon offensive line, Lemieux finished up his college career with a strong senior season protecting Justin Herbert. He won Pac-12 Offensive Lineman of the Week twice in 2019.

OG: Kevin Dotson, Louisiana

Dotson was the headliner of a Ragin' Cajuns offensive line that ranked eighth nationally in sacks per game allowed, helping clear the way for a rushing attack that was seventh in yards per game.

C: Tyler Biadasz, Wisconsin*

Biadasz was a unanimous preseason All-America pick by our staff and did nothing to dispel his status as the top center in the country as a junior, leading a unit that entered the season with a lot of questions around him.

First-Team Defense

DL: Chase Young, Ohio State*

Young was suspended for two games in 2019 and yet was still named a Heisman Trophy finalist as a defensive player, which is a true testament to his dominance. The defensive end will enter the playoff with 16.5 sacks on the season, which broke the Ohio State single-season record. He's forced six fumbles and wreaked havoc on numerous backfields despite opponents doing everything they can to slow him down.

DL: Derrick Brown, Auburn*

As expected, Brown has been a force again in the Tigers' fearsome defensive front, racking up 30 solo tackles and 50 overall. He's also made four sacks and forced two fumbles this season. In the Iron Bowl win over Alabama, the senior had five solo tackles.

DL: Bradlee Anae, Utah

Anae checks in at seventh nationally in sacks with 12.5, including a three-sack effort in a game where the Utes shut down a then-ranked Arizona State team. The 6'3" senior from Hawaii has made 26 solo tackles while headlining a stout Utah defensive line in 2019.

DL: Quincy Roche, Temple

Roche isn't as familiar a name to casual fans as many others on this list, but his production speaks for itself. With 13 sacks, 44 tackles (33 solo) and a forced fumble, he was a major part of the Owls' defense in 2019.

LB: Isaiah Simmons, Clemson*

After moving from safety to linebacker in 2018, Simmons put together a stellar junior season for the Tigers, winning the Butkus Award as college football’s best LB. He's recorded 93 total tackles (58 solo) while adding six sacks and two interceptions, helping anchor an elite Clemson defense

LB: Micah Parsons, Penn State

Originally a defensive end in high school, Parsons has been dominant since switching to linebacker with the Nittany Lions, tallying 95 total tackles (45 solo), three sacks and two forced fumbles in 2019. A true sophomore, Parsons was the only underclassman named as a Butkus Award finalist this season.

LB: Hamilcar Rashed Jr., Oregon State

The Beavers aren't known for their defense, but Rashed Jr. is the real deal. His 14 sacks this season trail only Chase Young, and he's made 62 tackles, 42 of which were solo. Five of the junior linebacker's 12 games featured multi-sack efforts.

CB: Jeff Okudah, Ohio State

Much of the focus with Ohio State's defense has been on Chase Young, but Okudah will also see himself highly touted in the 2020 NFL draft. The junior cornerback has three interceptions this year, made in a two-week span, and two forced fumbles.

CB: Derek Stingley Jr., LSU

A true freshman who was the No. 3 national recruit in 2019, Stingley Jr. has had a major impact in his first year in college. The LSU standout picked off six passes this season, including intercepting Jake Fromm twice in the SEC title game and tallying one apiece in big matchups with Florida and Auburn.

S: Antoine Winfield Jr., Minnesota

After having each of the last two seasons cut short after four games due to injury, Winfield Jr. roared back in 2019 with a campaign worthy of winning Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year. He grabbed seven interceptions, had 58 solo tackles and forced a pair of fumbles.

S: Julian Blackmon, Utah

Blackmon has wrapped up his career nicely, as the Utes' senior made 60 tackles (41 solo), grabbed four interceptions (one returned for a TD) and forced two fumbles to help lead a Utah passing defense that ranks 12th nationally in yards allowed per game and fifth in yards allowed per attempt.

First-Team Specialists

K: Rodrigo Blankenship, Georgia

The Bulldogs' bespectacled kicker made 25 of 31 field goals as a senior, including hitting 3 of 5 from 50+ yards and making all 44 of his extra-point attempts.

P: Braden Mann, Texas A&M

This is the second year in a row that Mann has been honored on the SI All-America First Team. The Aggies' senior punter was second nationally in average yards per punt (47.75) in 2019.

All-Purpose: Lynn Bowden Jr., Kentucky

Thrust into the quarterback role in October due to injuries on the Wildcat roster after playing most of his career at receiver, Bowden Jr. did just about everything offensively for Kentucky this season. After taking over under center he led the 'Cats to a 5–2 mark, totaling 14 touchdowns (11 rushing, two passing, one receiving) in all in 2019. Bowden rushed for 1,235 yards at an average of 8.2 per carry, and even contributed on the return teams before moving to QB.

Returner: Jaylen Waddle, Alabama

Waddle mainly served as a punt returner for the Crimson Tide, bringing one back for a score and totaling 474 yards, but he also fielded four kickoffs, taking one 98 yards to the house against Auburn in the Iron Bowl.

Second-Team Offense

QB Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma; RB J.K. Dobbins, Ohio State; RB Travis Etienne, Clemson; WR DeVonta Smith, Alabama; WR Rashod Bateman, Minnesota; TE Brycen Hopkins, Purdue; OT Mekhi Becton, Louisville; OT Jedrick Wills Jr., Alabama; OG Wyatt Davis, Ohio State; OG Solomon Kindley, Georgia; C Nick Harris, Washington

Second Team-Defense

DL A.J. Epenesa, Iowa; DL James Lynch, Baylor; DL Chris Rumph II, Duke; DL Alex Highsmith, Charlotte; LB: Anfernee Jennings, Alabama; LB Curtis Weaver, Boise State; LB Evan Weaver, Cal; CB Jaylon Johnson, Utah; CB Amik Robertson, Louisiana Tech; S: Grayland Arnold, Baylor; S: JR Reed, Georgia