At the halfway point of the college football season, some new faces have made their way to the forefront of the line.
The Vols are the highest ranked team in the season since 2001. The Rebels have won 11 straight regular-season games since last year. They cracked the AP top 10. It's the highest ranking for the Frogs since the beginning of the year.
Five players who were on the preseason team have been added to the All-America team. Tennessee placed two players on the team. There are 26 players selected on offense, defense and special teams.
QB: Hendon Hooker, Tennessee
Hooker gets the nod over the two special players. Tennessee's resurgence has been led by the fifth-year senior. He's third nationally among Power 5 quarterbacks in total offense and has accounted for 18 touchdown with just one interception, and he's done it without his most accomplished receiver for much of the season.
RB: Blake Corum, Michigan
Corum is a big man. It doesn't matter if he gets the ball or not. He keeps increasing the amount of yards. In his past four games, Corum has 666 rushing yards and has 13 touchdown runs. He leads all Power 5 running backs with an average of 6.2 yards per carry.
RB: Bijan Robinson, Texas
Making defenders miss is a specialty of Robinson. He's the top Power 5 back in terms of creating missed tackles. The junior is a carryover from the preseason team and he catches the ball like a receiver. He has more than 700 rushing and 200 receiving yards in a single season. He has 11 total touchdown, including 10 on the ground, and has rushed for more than 100 yards in each of his last five games.
WR: Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State
When has Ohio State not had a lot of good players? Harrison and Emeka have formed a one-two punch with the other slowed by a injury. Harrison is second in the Power 5 with nine touchdown catches and is averaging 17.3 yards per catch. He has the most targets without dropping the Power 5.
WR: Jalin Hyatt, Tennessee
Hyatt has been one of college football's most compelling stories and one of the most improved players. He torched Alabama with a school-record five touchdown catches. The junior has elite speed and consistency in his game. Prior to this season, he had made just two career starts and had taken over for the injured Tillman as the Vols' go to receiver.
T: Paris Johnson Jr., Ohio State
The move from guard to left tackle by Johnson has been one of the main reasons Ohio State's offense has been so good. The Buckeyes are ranked first in the nation in scoring offense and have not given up a single sack. One of the offensive linemen who made our preseason team, Johnson, hasn't allowed a sack since the 2020 season, and his tackle cohort on the right side, Jones, is a top NFL prospect.
G: Nick Broeker, Ole Miss
This is the third year in a row that he has started at left guard for the Rebels, and he has grown as a guard after playing left tackle as a sophomore and junior. The offenses of Lane Kiffin always run the ball effectively, and the 6-5, 315-pound broeker has been a mauler. Ole Miss is third in the country in rushing with an average of 271.4 yards per game.
C: John Michael Schmitz, Minnesota
Schmitz is one of the most experienced and dominant interior offensive linemen in college football. The sixth-year senior helped clear the way for the fourth-ranked running back in the country. According to Pro Football Focus, Schmitz's 91.2 run- block grade is the best among centers. The preseason team carried over.
G: Steve Avila, TCU
Avila started at center a year ago and moved to left guard this season. He is the unquestioned leader of the offensive line and has been playing his way into being a top NFL prospect. He has started at center, guard and tackle during his career. The Frogs moved into the top 25 in both rushing and passing offense thanks to his play in the interior of the offensive line.
T: Peter Skoronski, Northwestern
Skoronski is playing his left tackle position as well as any other player in the country. Since his freshman year in 2020, the junior has been a fixture in the lineup. Skoronski has the strength to play anywhere on the offensive line, but he has excelled at tackle, even though he has the strength to play anywhere on the offensive line.
TE: Michael Mayer, Notre Dame
A lot of good tight ends are available. Georgia's Brock Bowers is having a big year, but he is not the only one. He leads Notre Dame in receiving yards and catches. The junior running back is a good runner after the catch and also holds his own as a blocker.
All-purpose: Jahmyr Gibbs, Alabama
The transfer from Georgia Tech has made a huge difference for the Alabama offense. He has more than 600 rushing yards, 200 receiving yards, and 150 return yards in a single season. One of the players who looks like he's going to score every time he touches the ball is him.
DE: Tuli Tuipulotu, USC
As a sophomore, Tuipulotu was one of the most disruptive defenders in the conference. Tuipulotu is athletic and can do a lot of things. He leads all defensive linemen in tackles for loss and sacks.
DT: Calijah Kancey, Pittsburgh
Kancey had 3.5 tackles for loss and a sack against Georgia Tech and heads into the second half of the season with a total of 8.5 tackles for loss and three sacks. Kancey has freed up other teammates to make plays because he's crushing the pocket when facing double teams.
DE: Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Kansas State
The defense has led the way for the Cats, who are in the running for the Big 12 title. They're ranked 14th in the nation in scoring defense and Anudike-Uzomah has picked up right where he left off. Kansas State's defense has been fueled by his constant pressure off the edge and his 6.5 sacks.
LB: Will Anderson Jr., Alabama
Will Anderson Jr. makes a 25-yard return to the house.
Alabama used Anderson a little differently in the loss to Tennessee, but he's still one of the most feared defenders in college football and a player who must be accounted for. The junior, the final carryover from the preseason team, is tied for sixth in the nation with ten tackles for loss. He blocked a field goal in the 1-point win over Texas and had nine quarterback hurries.
LB: Jack Campbell, Iowa
Campbell has been one of college football's most productive defenders from the middle position over the past two years. In Iowa's win over South Dakota State, the senior recorded a safety and had 63 tackles. Campbell's presence in the middle is a big reason why the Hawkeyes have not allowed a rushing touchdown.
LB: Ivan Pace Jr., Cincinnati
The transfer from Miami to Cincinnati has paid dividends for both him and the city. The 6-foot, 235-pound senior has created havoc from his middle linebacker position and is tied for the lead with 12.5 tackles for loss. He has made an average of 10 tackles per game.
LB: Drew Sanders, Arkansas
The transfer from Alabama to Arkansas has been a force for the Razorbacks and could be used by the Tide. The numbers show that the junior is playing at an "elite" level. He has 7.5 tackles for loss and has forced three turnovers. He's fourth in the SEC in tackles.
Pick games and play for prizes. Pick your favorites.
CB: Clark Phillips III, Utah
During the 2020 shortened season when he was a freshman,Phillips started all five games, including the last one. In that time,Phillips has developed into one of the top corners in the country and is currently tied for the lead in the country with five intercepts. In back-to-back games against Oregon State and UCLA, he had an intercept return for a touchdown.
CB: Emmanuel Forbes, Mississippi State
Forbes will be found wherever the ball is. He's one of the best cover corners in the country and already has five picks this season, more than he had a year ago. He has five pick-sixes in his Mississippi State career and has returned two of his picks for touchdown this season.
S: Christopher Smith, Georgia
The Dawgs lost a lot of talent on defense to the NFL last season and have been hampered by injuries to some key players. Smith has been vital to the Georgia defense that is second nationally in scoring defense and third in total defense. The senior has three tackles for loss, two picks and a recovery.
S: Jartavius Martin, Illinois
The defense ranked first in the nation in scoring defense (8.9 points per game) and it starts with the coach. The Fighting Illini are a tough team to beat on passing games. They have allowed two touchdown passes. The safety tandem of Martin and Smith has been great. Martin is second on the team in tackles and has a pair of intercepts.
PK: Christopher Dunn, NC State
There is perfect and then there is Christopher. He hasn't missed an extra point this season and is 14-of-18 on field goals. There have been eight field goals from 40 yards or more. The Wolfpack would have lost their second game of the season had it not been for the four field goals made by Dunn. In the fourth quarter, he kicked a 53-yarder and a 27 yarder.
P: Bryce Baringer, Michigan State
Baringer has been playing football in the Big Ten for a long time. He started his college career at Illinois. He leads the country with a 51.4-yard average and is the only one in the country to do that. The best punt in the Big Ten this season has been downed inside the 10-yard line, and he has a long of 70 yards.
KR: Eric Garror, Louisiana
Garror has two punt returns for touchdown. Garror had an 83-yard return for a touchdown and a 69-yard return for a touchdown in the Ragin' Cajuns' opener. Garror has averaged 18.4 yards on 13 returns and had a 34 yard return against Eastern Michigan.
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