AP All-America team: Tide leads with 4 of 10 CFP players

The College Football Payoff semifinalists combined to place 10 players on The Associated Press All-America first team, including a high of four from No. 1 Alabama.

The Crimson Tide had six players chosen to the three All-America teams, more than any other school. No. 2 Clemson has three first-teamers, No. 4 Oklahoma has two, including quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray, and No. 3 Notre Dame had one.

The Tide and Sooners meet in the Orange Bowl on Dec. 29 and the Tigers play the Fighting Irish at the Cotton Bowl that day.

The playoff teams combined for 17 overall selections on the teams chosen by a panel of AP poll voters and released Monday.

The Tide placed two players on each side of the ball, with Outland Trophy winner Quinnen Williams highlighting the defence. Receiver Jerry Jeudy, offensive tackle Jonah Williams and safety Deionte Thompson also made the first team while Tua Tagovailoa was the second-team quarterback.

Clemson placed defensive linemen Christian Wilkins and Clelin Ferrell on the first team, and offensive tackle Mitch Hyatt. Cornerback Julian Love represented Notre Dame on the first team.

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FIRST TEAM

Offence

Quarterback — Kyler Murray, junior, Oklahoma

Running backs — Jonathan Taylor, sophomore, Wisconsin; Darrell Henderson, junior, Memphis

Tackles — Jonah Williams, junior, Alabama; Mitch Hyatt, senior, Clemson

Guards — Beau Benzschawel, senior, Wisconsin; Bunchy Stallings, senior, Kentucky

Center — Garrett Bradbury, senior, North Carolina State

Tight end — Jace Sternberger, junior, Texas A&M

Wide receivers — Jerry Jeudy, sophomore, Alabama; Marquise Brown, junior, Oklahoma

All-purpose player — Rondale Moore, freshman, Purdue

Kicker — Andre Szmyt, freshman, Syracuse

Defence

Ends — Clelin Ferrell, junior, Clemson; Sutton Smith, junior, Northern Illinois

Tackles — Quinnen Williams, junior, Alabama; Christian Wilkins, senior, Clemson

Linebackers — Josh Allen, senior, Kentucky; Devin White, junior, LSU; Ben Burr-Kirven, senior, Washington

Cornerbacks — Deandre Baker, senior, Georgia; Julian Love, junior, Notre Dame

Safeties — Grant Delpit, sophomore, LSU; Deionte Thompson, junior, Alabama

Punter — Braden Mann, junior, Texas A&M

SECOND TEAM

Offence

Quarterback — Tua Tagovailoa, sophomore, Alabama

Running backs — Travis Etienne, sophomore, Clemson; Trayveon Williams, junior, Texas A&M

Tackles — Dalton Risner, senior, Kansas State; Andrew Thomas, sophomore, Georgia

Guards — Dru Samia, senior, Oklahoma; Michael Dieter, senior, Wisconsin

Center — Ross Pierschbacher, senior, Alabama

Tight end — T.J, Hockenson, sophomore, Iowa

Wide receivers — Tylan Wallace, sophomore, Oklahoma State; Andy Isabella, senior, Massachusetts

All-purpose player — Greg Dortch, sophomore, Wake Forest

Kicker — Cole Tracy, senior, LSU

Defence

Ends — Montez Sweat, senior, Mississippi State; Jachai Polite, junior, Florida

Tackles — Jerry Tillery, senior, Notre Dame; Gerald Willis III, senior, Miami

Linebackers — Devin Bush, junior, Michigan; David Long Jr., junior, West Virginia; Joe Dineen, senior, Kansas

Cornerbacks — Greedy Williams, sophomore, LSU; Byron Murphy, sophomore, Washington

Safeties — Taylor Rapp, junior, Washington; Amani Hooker, junior, Iowa

Punter — Mitch Wishnowsky, senior, Utah

THIRD TEAM

Offence

Quarterbacks — Dwayne Haskins, sophomore, Ohio State

Running backs — Benny Snell, junior, Kentucky; Eno Benjamin, sophomore, Arizona State

Tackles — Andre Dillard, senior, Washington State; Cody Ford, junior, Oklahoma

Guards — Terrone Prescod, senior, North Carolina State; Chris Lindstrom, senior, Boston College

Center — Michael Jordan, junior, Ohio State

Tight end — Noah Fant, junior, Iowa

Wide Receivers — A.J. Brown, junior, Mississippi; David Sills V, senior, West Virginia

All-purpose player — J.J. Taylor, sophomore, Arizona

Kicker — Matt Gay, senior, Utah

Defence

Ends — Chase Winovich, senior, Michigan; Jaylon Ferguson, senior, Louisiana Tech

Tackles — Jeffery Simmons, junior, Mississippi State; Ed Oliver, junior, Houston

Linebackers — Paddy Fisher, sophomore, Northwestern; David Woodward, sophomore, Utah State; Te’Von Coney, senior, Notre Dame

Cornerbacks — Hamp Cheevers, junior, Boston College; Lavert Hill, junior, Michigan

Safeties — Andre Cisco, freshman, Syracuse; Jonathan Abram, senior, Mississippi State

Punter — Jason Smith, sophomore, Cincinnati

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FIRST-TEAM BREAKDOWN

By school (first-team selections-overall)

Alabama — 4-6.

Clemson — 3-4.

Kentucky — 2-3.

LSU — 2-3.

Oklahoma — 2-4.

Texas A&M — 2-3.

Wisconsin — 2-3.

Georgia — 1-2.

Memphis — 1-1.

Northern Illinois — 1-1.

North Carolina State — 1-2.

Notre Dame — 1-3.

Purdue— 1-1.

Syracuse — 1-2.

Washington — 1-3.

By conference

SEC — 11.

ACC — 5.

Big Ten — 3.

Big 12 — 2.

American — 1.

Pac-12 — 1.

MAC — 1.

Independent — 1.

By class/eligibility

Freshman — 2.

Sophomore — 3.

Junior — 12.

Senior — 8.

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Selection panel: Rob Asmussen, Champaign (Ill.) News-Gazette; Matt Baker, Tampa Bay (Fla.) Times; Michael Barber, Richmond (Va.) Times-Dispatch; Matt Brown, The Athletic; Robert Cessna, Bryan-College Station (Texas) Eagle; Rece Davis, ESPN; Pat Dooley, Gainesville (Fla.) Sun; Scott Hamilton, WECT-TV (Wilmington, N.C.); Eric Hansen, The South Bend (Ind.) Tribune; Brian Howell, Buffzone.com, Boulder (Colo.) Daily Camera; Rob Long, WJZ FM 105.7 The Fan Baltimore; Sean Manning, The Dominion Post (Morgantown, W.Va.); Conor O’Neill, Winston-Salem (N.C.) Journal; Soren Petro, 810 WHB Kansas City, Mo.; Keith Sargeant, NJ.Com/Star-Ledger; Jon Wilner, San Jose (Calif.) Mercury News.

Ralph D. Russo, The Associated Press