Collegefootballfan.com 2017 All-American Team

As we start to put together our draft analysis among the players entering the NFL draft next month who we’ve seen play these last few years, we finally started evaluating the talent we witnessed this past season to come up with our Collegefootballfan.com 2017 All-American Team.  During 2017, we attended 27 games consisting of 29 Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) teams and seven Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) teams.  We couldn’t see every D1 team play in person, of course, and some teams played multiple times on our schedule and several conferences were represented significantly more than others. Having seen 22% of all FCS teams compete this past year, we feel that we’ve seen a good cross-section of top programs to come up with a very competitive team. This roster compares favorably to many All-American teams selected based on all 129 team that played this past season.

Our schedule consisted of nine ACC teams, six Big Ten programs, three Pac-12 schools, and three from the American Athletic conference.  Two play in the Mountain West, and one each competes in the SEC, the Big 12, the Sun Belt, and ConferenceUSA.  Two compete as Independents.

We limited our Collegefootballfan.com 2017 All-American Team to only players from football programs we watched play this season. Our team does not always consist of players who may have had the best season statistically, but we primarily took into account the performances we watched in the particular games we attended, and in the cases of breaking a tie, we would lean a little toward other post-season awards that they were recognized for.

Some of our selections may surprise you, but again, a performance or multiple performances that impressed us by some players may have taken precedent over some players who are more noteworthy than the players we chose.  For instance, we saw Sam Darnold and USC defeat Josh Rosen and UCLA, 28-23.   Rosen outdueled Darnold with 421 passing yards and three TDS to 264 yards and no TDs.  Each threw an interception.  You’ll see that we selected a QB that you may not hear about again until later in the draft, maybe as a free agent, or possibly some day of becoming a head coach somewhere based on what impressed us when we saw him play.  His team even defeated a Heisman trophy winner that you all know the first of two times we watched him play.

With that, I give you our Collegefootballfan.com 2017 All-American Team:

OFFENSE:

QB John Wohlford, Wake Forest:  Smart, gutsy QB with a good arm who led the Deacons to victories over Louisville, 42-32, and Texas A&M, 55-52, in the Belk Bowl. 158 QBR, 3,192 yds, 29 TDS.

RB Saquon Barkley, Penn State: 1271 rushing yards and 18 TDs; 54 catches for 632 yards, 3 TDs; 15 kick returns for 426 yards and 2 TDs for 11-2 No. 8 Nittany Lions. Saw him in wins versus Pitt, Michigan, Rutgers, and Maryland.

RB Ronald Jones II, USC:  rushed 28 times for 122 yards and two TDs against UCLA in 28-23 win.  1,550 rushing yards, 19 TDs; 14 catches for 187 yards, 1 TD.

WR Christian Kirk, Texas A&M: caught 13 passes for 189 yards and three TDs in 55-52 loss to Wake Forest in the Belk Bowl. Totaled 919 receiving yards and ten TDs on 71 catches for the Aggies.

WR Greg Dortsch, Wake Forest (FR): Impressed us with 10 catches for 167 yards and four TDs receiving plus 50 yards on two kickoff returns in Wake’s 42-32 victory over Louisville.  He left the game with a stomach injury falling on a pylon for a touchdown.  Had another diving catch in the end zone called back for a penalty.  Elusive, fast and shifty. Heisman potential.  Never returned from the injury for balance of the season.  In eight games, tallied 53 catches for 722 yards and nine TDs.

TE Mike Gesicki, Penn State: Senior TE made key grabs in four contests we saw him play in.  15 catches for 171 yards and five TDs.  Overall, 57 for 563 yards and nine Touchdowns.

OT Mitch Hyatt, Clemson – 1^st team All-ACC

OT Wyatt Teller, Virginia Tech – 1^st team All-ACC

OG Sean Welsh, Iowa – 1st team All-Big 10

OG Kaleb McGary, Washington – 1^st team All-Pac-12

C    Ryan Anderson, Wake Forest – 1^st team All-ACC

PK   Frank Raggo, Delaware (FCS) – 55-yd FG, UD record vs. JMU

KR Joe Reed, Virginia – Two TD returns vs. Georgia Tech/Navy

 

DEFENSE:

DE Maurice Hurst, Michigan – 1st team All-Big 10

DL Christian Wilkins, Clemson – 1^st team All-ACC

DL Vita Vea, Washington – 1^st team All-Pac-12

DE Alton Robinson, Syracuse – key tackles in upset win over Clemson

LB Thomas Barber, Minnesota – 115 tackles and one INT (vs. MTSU)

LB Josey Jewell, Iowa – 136 tackles, 13.5 TFLs

LB Micah Kiser, Virginia – 145 tackles, 9.5 TFLs, 5.8 sacks

CB Josh Jackson, Iowa –  48 tackles, 8 INTs

CB Marcus Allen, Penn State – 72 tackles, 4 TFLs, 1 INT

S    Quinn Blanding, Virginia –  137 tackles, 4 INTs

S    Marvel Tell III, USC – 79 tackles, 3 INTs

P   Lester Nelson, Virginia – 43.7 ypp, dead accurate, 29 inside 20-yd

PR Dante Pettis, Washington – 19.5 ypr, 4 TDs (vs. RU)