2017 FWAA All-America Team

December 11, 2017 by FWAA

The 2017 Football Writers Association of America All-America Team was announced Monday, headlined by seven first-team players from the Big 12 Conference and with eight of the 10 Football Bowl Subdivision conferences represented.

Oklahoma led the field with three members on the first team, punctuated by Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield at quarterback. Tight end Mark Andrews and offensive tackle Orlando Brown, an Outland Trophy finalist for the best interior lineman in college football, also represented the Sooners on the first team. Mayfield was the FWAA's second-team quarterback in 2015 and ‘16, and moved to the first team along with 2016 second-teamers Brown, Texas punter Michael Dickson and Houston defensive tackle Ed Oliver, the Outland Trophy winner.

The Big 12's other selections came from Texas, Oklahoma State and Iowa State. Two other schools – Iowa and Notre Dame – had multiple first-team players. Both of Notre Dame's All-Americans were up front, with Mike McClinchey and Quenton Nelson earning spots on the offensive line. Iowa's representation came from the defense, linebacker Josey Jewell and defensive back Josh Jackson. Besides Dickson, Texas also included defensive back DeShon Elliott. The first team also featured Bradley Chubb of North Carolina State, the Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner as the best defensive player in college football.

The first team included a mix of 12 seniors, 11 juniors and four sophomores. The conference breakdown on the first team was: Big 12 (7), Big Ten (4), ACC (3), Pac-12 (3), American Athletic (2), Independents (2), Mid-American (2), Mountain West (2) and SEC (2). There are no repeat members on the 27-player first team, and overall 46 of the 54 honored players are first-time selections.

Oklahoma State wide receiver James Washington and Iowa State linebacker Joel Lanning were also a part of the Big 12's first-team contingent. Skill-position players Rashaad Penny of San Diego State (running back) and Michael Gallup of Colorado State (wide receiver) headlined the two first-team picks from the Mountain West Conference. The Mid-American Conference produced two first-team picks up front in Western Michigan offensive lineman Chukwuma Okorafor and Northern Illinois defensive lineman Sutton Smith, who was one of four sophomores on the team joining Houston's Oliver, Florida State defensive back Derwin James and Memphis kick returner Tony Pollard. Oliver and Pollard were the two picks from the American Athletic Conference.

The two first-team selections from the Southeastern Conference came on defense: linebacker Roquan Smith of Georgia and defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick of Alabama. The ACC's third selection to the first-team, in addition to NC State's Chubb and Florida State's James, was also on defense in Clemson lineman Austin Bryant. Two of the Pac-12's three first-team honorees came on special teams – punter Matt Gay of Utah and punt returner Dante Pettis of Washington – and in the backfield with running back Bryce Love of Stanford.

The FWAA's All-America Committee selected this 74th annual team based on nominations from the entire membership. This is just the fifth season in the modern era (post-1950) that the FWAA has named a second team. The FWAA also selected an all-purpose player for the first time – Saquon Barkley of Penn State was the 2017 first-team member – raising the number of first- and second-team players (27 on each) to 54. Barkley was one of four Big Ten players on the first team, along with Jewell and Jackson from Iowa and Ohio State center Billy Price.

Eight players were repeat members of the All-America team. Joining Mayfield, Brown, Dickson and Oliver as multi-year selections were Auburn kicker Daniel Carlson, Virginia linebacker Micah Kiser, Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson and Utah punter Mitch Wishnowsky. Jackson and Wishnowsky were first-team members in 2016, and Carlson and Kiser each made the second team for a second straight season. Mayfield is the only three-time selection on this year's team.

Auburn and Wisconsin both had three second-team selections and Clemson, Stanford and Virginia had two each.

*-CollegeFootballPoll.com's Dave Congrove is a member of the nominating panel.