College football was not just any year.
For the first time, we're going to have a College Football Playoff that doesn't include Alabama or any of the other teams.
On the All-America team, there are many surprises. When the season began, some of the players on everyone's radar didn't make it, and some of the players nobody was talking about played their way onto the team.
Bijan Robinson, Will Anderson Jr., and Peter Skoronski were the three players who made the playoffs. Georgia had three players on the team, followed by Alabama, Michigan and Pittsburgh.
QB: Caleb Williams, USC
The lasting image of Williams from USC's victory in the Pac-12 championship game is him limping around after he injured his leg and did his best to win the game. The USC lost to Utah and missed out on the playoffs, but Williams had an amazing season and won the trophy.
RB: Bijan Robinson, Texas
Robinson is one of the newest members of the Texas running back Fraternity. He had more than 1,500 rushing yards and 300 receiving yards. The junior gained more weight and was even more powerful. He ran for at least 100 yards in nine of his last 10 games. Five of Robinson's plays were at least 40 yards.
RB: Blake Corum, Michigan
The epitome of a go-to running back, Corum was the main part of a Michigan offense that ranked second nationally with 38 rushing touchdown. He had a knee injury that ended his season. The junior ran for 1,463 yards and 18 touchdown, and averaged 5.92 yards per run. Corum was limited to two runs against Ohio State.
WR: Jalin Hyatt, Tennessee
Hyatt was one of the most improved players in college football, and he was one of the most exciting players. One of the more memorable performances of the season was when Hyatt caught five touchdown passes in the Vols' win over Alabama.
WR: Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State
At Ohio State, the wide receiver program has been amazing. Harrison stepped into the spotlight when Jaxon Smith-Njigba was hurt. He was the nation's highest-graded receiver and tied for fourth with 12 touchdown catches. The true sophomore had two drops and was at his best on contested catches.
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TE: Brock Bowers, Georgia
There were so many good tight ends that it was difficult to pick one. The most complete player at the position is Bowers. He's a big-play threat in the passing game, runs great routes, blocks like an offensive lineman, and can make defenders miss after the catch. He was the leader in Georgia with 52 catches, six touchdown and three scores.
OT: Peter Skoronski, Northwestern
There was nothing disappointing about the way Skoronski played for the Cats. He is an elite pass-protector from his left tackle position. Skoronski was voted the Big Ten's offensive lineman of the year and has a lot of good football in front of him at the NFL level.
OG: O'Cyrus Torrence, Florida
It wasn't a long stay, but it was a success. After making a big impression at Louisiana, he was equally impressive in his one season with the Gators. He has started 46 times in his career at Louisiana. He has one more year of eligibility left, but has decided to enter the draft.
C: Olusegun Oluwatimi, Michigan
The University of Michigan's offensive line was one of the best in the country this season, and right in the middle was the 6-3, 301-pound Oluwatimi. After transferring from Virginia, he led a unit that allowed just 13 sacks in 13 games and helped the UM finish sixth in the nation in rushing offense.
OG: Cooper Beebe, Kansas State
There's nothing better than having someone on your offensive line who can play any position. He moved to left guard this season after starting 13 games at left tackle in the previous season. He's a mauler as a run-blocker and helped Deuce Vaughn motor his way to 1,450 rushing yards for the Big 12 champion Kansas State.
OT: Joe Alt, Notre Dame
Notre Dame fans should know that Alt is going to get better. An example of a player who wasn't the most recruited prospect coming out of high school but has quickly developed into one of the best in the game is the 6-7, 317-pound Alt, who is a true sophomore. Alt was the top offensive line in the country.
All-purpose: Israel Abanikanda, Pittsburgh
Field goals were not one of the things Abanikanda did. The junior was the nation's only player with more than 1,400 rushing yards, 100 receiving yards and 200 kick return yards. He scored 21 touchdown, was second in the nation in all-purpose yards and broke the school record in a win over Virginia Tech.
DE: Tuli Tuipulotu, USC
The nation's leader in tackles for loss among Power 5 players is Tuipulotu. He is a menace when it comes to chasing down quarterbacks. He uses his strength and speed to beat offensive linemen. He made his presence known even when he was double-teamed.
DT: Calijah Kancey, Pittsburgh
Kancey is the latest in a long line of defensive linemen that have come out of Pitt. He was the leader of all interior defensive linemen with over 15 tackles for loss. The only player in the country who was a finalist for both the Outland and Nagurski trophies was the redshirt junior. He will not play in the bowl game due to his injuries.
DT: Jalen Carter, Georgia
Carter is the most unblockable defensive player in college football. He may be the best player in college football. He battled foot, ankle and knee injuries, but he recovered to play some of his best football in Georgia's most important games. Carter does a great job of creating pressure in the pocket. He is the center of the Georgia defense.
Edge/DE: Will Anderson Jr., Alabama
For the second year in a row, Anderson won the Bronko Nagurski Trophy as the nation's best defensive player, and for the second year in a row, he was one of the defensive players every opposing offensive schemed around. The junior was second in the Power 5 with 17 tackles for loss.
LB: Jack Campbell, Iowa
Campbell is Iowa's first winner of the Butkus Award, which is given to the nation's top middle blocker. One of the top defenders in school history will leave as a senior after he has been Mr. Steady the entire time he has been on campus. He had more tackles this season than he did a year ago. Campbell recovered a fumbled ball.
LB: Jamon Dumas-Johnson, Georgia
Is there a time when Georgia didn't have a dynamic LB? In his first season as a starter, Dumas-Johnson led the team with 64 total tackles, including a team-leading eight for loss. A true sophomore, the 6-1, 245-pound, did a little bit of everything from his inside linebacker position, from making plays in space in the run game to racked up 21 quarterback hurries.
LB: Ivan Pace Jr., Cincinnati
A tackler for the Bearcats, Pace was the leader of the team. He made 19 for loss. He also forced two turnovers. After three years at Miami, the senior made an immediate impact for Cincinnati from his inside position. One of the best big-play defenders is due to the combination of speed, strength and instincts of pace.
CB: Emmanuel Forbes, Mississippi State
Forbes was someone the opposing quarterbacks did not want to face. He has the speed and ball skills to be a difference-maker on any defense. Forbes returned three picks for touchdown. He blocked the field goal.
CB: Tre'Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, TCU
For several years now, Hodges-Tomlinson has been one of the main players in the College Football Playoff. The nation's top defensive back, Hodges-Tomlinson, broke up 11 other passes.
S: Brian Branch, Alabama
Alabama asked Branch to do a bit of everything and he did it. He was versatile enough to play a number of positions for the Tide. Branch was second on the team to Will Anderson Jr. with 10 tackles for loss. He returned a punt for a touchdown.
S: Kamren Kinchens, Miami
Kinchens became one of the better defensive backs in college football as a sophomore. He's smart, has good size, and is always around the ball, as evidenced by his six pick ups. He had three picks in the win over Georgia Tech and returned one of them for a touchdown. Kinchens was the leader of the Hurricanes with 59 tackles.
PK: Christopher Dunn, NC State
The nation's top place-kicker, a fifth-year senior, won the Lou Groza Award, capping a record-setting career. He made 24 of 25 field goals and 10 of 11 field goals of 40 yards or longer. The all-time leading scorer in NC State history made both of his field goal attempts from 50-plus yards.
P: Kai Kroeger, South Carolina
The best punting in college football was an important part of the game. The Beamer name is associated with great special teams play. He was second in the nation in punting average, and had 27 of his 52 punts downed inside the 20. In the biggest win of the season for the South Carolina, he averaged 53 yards on seven punts and four were downed inside the 10.
KR: Anthony Gould, Oregon State
Gould missed the last two games of the season because of an injury, but he still returned two punts for scores. The redshirt sophomore leads the country in punt return average and always seems to make big plays. He was second on the team with 27 catches and scored three times.
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