2021 CBS Sports All-America team: SEC, Big Ten dominate list, combining for half of all selections – CBS Sports

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Graphic by Mike Meredith

With the 2021 season in the books, our panel of college football experts were faced with plenty of difficult decisions when convening to select the 2021 CBS Sports / 247Sports All-America team. Experts from CBS Sports and 247Sports joined forces once again to honor the players who shined the brightest on the gridiron over the last three months.

There are five unanimous All-America selections with Michigan State running back Kenneth Walker III, Iowa center Tyler Linderbaum, Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, Alabama linebacker Will Anderson Jr. and San DIego State punter Matt Araiza receiving first-team nods from all voters. 

Houston’s Marcus Jones picked up three separate All-America selections on his own, placing as a first-team all-purpose player and second-teamer at cornerback and punt returner. Jones and Iowa State RB Breece Hall are returning members of the All-America first team from 2020.

In total, 29 programs are represented across the two teams of 54 selections. Alabama led the way with four first-teamers and five All-America nods overall. Georgia slotted next with three on the first team, while Ohio State posted the second-most overall selections with four. The Big Ten and SEC each had five teams represented among their grand total of 27 selections, which combined makes up exactly half of the entire All-America team.

SEC 913
Big Ten814
ACC37
Pac-1234
American26
Big 1215
Mountain West12
Independent (Notre Dame)01
Conference USA01
Sun Belt01

2021 CBS Sports / 247Sports All-America

*  unanimous selection | classes listed according to official team rosters

First team

QB

Bryce Young

Alabama

Sophomore

RB

Kenneth Walker III *

Michigan State

Junior

RB

Breece Hall

Iowa State

Junior

WR

Jameson Williams

Alabama

Junior

WR

David Bell

Purdue

Junior

TE

Brock Bowers

Georgia

Freshman

C

Tyler Linderbaum *

Iowa

Junior

OL

Darian Kinnard

Kentucky

Senior

OL

Evan Neal

Alabama

Junior

OL

Ikem Okwonu

NC State

Sophomore

OL

Nicholas Petit-Frere

Ohio State

Junior

DL Aidan Hutchinson * MichiganSenior
DLJordan DavisGeorgiaSenior

DL

Jermaine Johnson II

Florida State

Senior

DL

DeMarvin Leal

Texas A&M

Junior

LB

Will Anderson Jr. *

Alabama

Sophomore

LB

Nakobe Dean

Georgia

Junior

LB

Devin Lloyd

Utah

Junior

CB

Ahmad Gardner

Cincinnati

Junior

CB

Riley Moss

Iowa

Senior

S

Verone McKinley III

Oregon

Sophomore

S

Jaquan Brisker

Penn State

Senior

K

Jake Moody

Michigan

Senior

P

Matt Araiza *

San Diego State

Junior

KR

Zonovan Knight

NC State

Sophomore

PR

Britain Covey

Utah

Junior

AP

Marcus Jones

Houston

Senior

Second team

QB

Kenny Pickett

Pittsburgh

Senior

RB

Tyler Badie

Missouri

Senior

RB

Sincere McCormick

UTSA

Junior

WR

Jordan Addison

Pittsburgh

Sophomore

WR

Chris Olave

Ohio State

Senior

TE

Trey McBride

Colorado State

Senior

C

Alec Lindstrom

Boston College

Senior

OL

Zion Johnson

Boston College

Graduate

OL

Kenyon Green

Texas A&M

Junior

OL

Thayer Munford

Ohio State

Graduate

OL

Max Mitchell

Louisiana

Junior

DL Kayvon ThibodeauxOregonJunior

DL

George Karlaftis

Purdue

Junior

DL

Will McDonald IV

Iowa State

Junior

DL

Josh Paschal

Kentucky

Senior

LB

David Ojabo

Michigan

Junior

LB

Nik Bonitto

Oklahoma

Junior

LB

Malcolm Rodriguez

Oklahoma State

Senior

CB

Coby Bryant

Cincinnati

Graduate

CB

Marcus Jones

Houston

Senior

S

Kyle Hamilton

 Notre Dame

Junior

S

Jordan Battle

Alabama

Junior

K

Noah Ruggles

Ohio State

Graduate

P

Jordan Stout

Penn State

Senior

KR

Brian Battie

South Florida

Sophomore

PR

Marcus Jones

Houston

Senior

AP

Deuce Vaughn

Kansas State

Sophomore

The Cover 3 Podcast parses through the 2021 CBS Sports All-America teams, giving their takes on the best players of the season. Subscribe here for the best college football insight and analysis on and off the field.