Utah football duo receives AFCA All-America honors

A couple of Utes standouts continue to bring home postseason accolades

Two Utah Utes players have received All-America honors from the Associated Press, American Football Coaches Association and the Walter Camp. | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Much like the Associated Press, the American Football Coaches Association thought very highly of Utah standouts Spencer Fano and John Henry Daley at the conclusion of the 2025 regular season.

The AFCA tabbed the two Utes players as All-Americans on Tuesday, with Fano checking in on the first team offense and Daley appearing on the second team defense.

The AFCA, an association comprised of over 11,000 coaches ranging from Pop Warner Football to the NFL, released its respective list of the top players in college football on Tuesday. Fano became the first Utah offensive lineman to earn AFCA All-America honors since the organization began choosing first team selections in 1945, continuing his historic trend with every postseason accolade he receives.

No Utes offensive tackle had taken home the Outland Trophy, awarded annually the top lineman in college football, or been named an Associated Press All-American in back-to-back seasons until Fano accomplished both feats in the span of a few days, cementing his legacy as one of the best at his position in program history. The 6-foot-6 Spanish Fork, Utah, native also became the first Utah player to be named the Polynesian College Football Player of the Year on Tuesday.

Fano and Daley became the first Utah players to earn AFCA All-America honors since Bradlee Anae and Julian Blackmon were on the first and second team defense, respectively, in 2019.

It would've been hard to understate how impactful Daley's productivity off the edge was for the Utes defense prior to his season-ending injury on Nov. 22. The Chuck Bednarik Award semifinalist and quarterfinalist for the Lott IMPACT Trophy award led the country in tackles for loss (17.5) and was tied for No. 2 in sacks (11.5) going into the final week of the regular season. He was also third on the team in total tackles (48) and checked in as the only Utah player to force multiple fumbles through its first 11 games.

With Daley leading the way, Utah's 31 sacks in the regular season ranked No. 3 in the Big 12. The Utes defensive line also had the fastest time to pressure rate in the country at 3.12 seconds on average.

On the other side of the trenches, Fano helped pave the way for the No. 1 rushing attack among power conference teams while starting all 12 regular season games at right tackle. Utah ranked No. 4 in the league in passer rating (145.6) and No. 5 in completion percentage (62.9%), in addition to averaging 269.8 rush yards per game, second among Football Bowl Subdivision teams behind Navy (298.4).

The Utes' passing game might not have been as explosive compared to others in the Big 12, though it was among the most efficient due in large part to Fano, who didn't allow any sacks and yielded only five pressures across 382 pass-blocking snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. His 84.0 PFF grade ranked No. 8 in the FBS.

The AFCA was founded in 1921 and is headquartered in Waco, Texas, near Baylor's campus. According to its website, the organization is "the only national organization dedicated to improving football coaches through ongoing education, interaction, and networking" while serving a primary goal of providing "resources for personal and professional development."