Marcus Mariota headlines SI.com's 2014 Midseason All-America Team

2014 Midseason All-America Team: Marcus Mariota, Melvin Gordon and Leonard Williams are three players highlighting SI.com's first-half college football stars.

August was a very a long time ago. Seven weeks after SI.com presented its 2014 Preseason All-America Team, key games and results have revealed some necessary changes. So, here is the Midseason All-America Team.

Among the more notable tweaks is the absence of a Seminoles quarterback, who couldn't make the cut given the play of Oregon's Marcus Mariota and Mississippi State's Dak Prescott. After freshmen stole the spotlight in the past two seasons, upperclassmen now have superiority, with all but five of the 26 first-team spots.

The SEC leads all conferences with 10 first-team selections -- eight from SEC West teams -- while the Big 12 was second with six. Alabama topped all teams with three first-team honorees, while Florida State and Ole Miss each landed two.

For more midseason coverage, be sure to check out our Crystal Ball and playoff predictions, as well as Andy Staples' thoughts on what we learned and what we still don't know after the season's first half.

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First Team

. QB - Marcus Mariota

Oregon, Junior

Stunningly accurate, Oregon’s passer has yet to throw an interception this year and has 22 total touchdowns.

. RB - Melvin Gordon

Wisconsin, Junior

Badgers back averages 36.5 yards per carry on his first touch of the second half. He averages 7.9 on all carries.

. RB - Todd Gurley

Georgia, Junior

Only a suspension could stop the Bulldogs’ bulldozer. He averages 194.6 all-purpose yards per game.

. WR - Amari Cooper

Alabama, Junior

A threat to score at any time, the speedster has scored three touchdowns from 22-plus yards.

. WR - Kevin White

West Virginia, Senior

White caught 10 passes for 101 yards against Towson -- and that was the senior’s worst game this season.

. TE - Ben Koyack

Notre Dame, Senior

The senior has one touchdown this season. It was a big one: the game-winner against Stanford.

. OT - Cedric Ogbuehi

Texas A&M, Senior

Ogbuehi is set to continue the Aggies’ trend of having an offensive lineman drafted in the first round of the NFL draft.

. OG - Josue Matias

Florida State, Senior

The 6-foot-6, 325-pound senior is versatile and helped contain Vic Beasley in an overtime win over Clemson.

. C - Reese Dismukes

Auburn, Senior

Auburn has allowed just six sacks this season and is gaining 5.6 yards per carry. Dismukes is a reason why.

. OG - A.J. Cann

South Carolina, Senior

The 6-4, 311-pound senior has been bright spot in an otherwise forgettable Gamecocks' season.

. OT - Spencer Drango

Baylor, Junior

DEFENSE

. DL - Robert Nkemdiche

Ole Miss, Sophomore

The sophomore’s stats are misleading (one sack, one TFL). Just watch this play to see his dominance.

. DL - Malcom Brown

Texas, Junior

The defensive tackle is incredibly disruptive and clogged lanes for four tackles against Oklahoma.

. DL - Leonard Williams

USC, Junior

The Trojans’ star forced a red-zone fumble and stopped an attempted game-tying two-point try against Arizona.

. LB - Shaq Thompson

Washington, Junior

The linebacker has four defensive touchdowns, nearly matching Wake Forest’s team points production.

. LB - Benardrick McKinney

Mississippi State, Junior

The 6-5, 249-pound junior fills up the stat sheet and is a key reason the Bulldogs are No. 1 in the AP Poll.

. LB - Eric Striker

Oklahoma, Junior

Despite constant double-teams, the Sooners’ junior still has 8.5 tackles for loss, including 4.5 sacks, this season.

. LB - Scooby Wright III

Arizona, Sophomore

The sophomore made the key strip to seal the win over Oregon and has 70 tackles and 11 TFLs already.

. CB - Trae Waynes

Michigan State, Junior

The 6-1, 182-pounder made the key fourth-quarter interception to clinch a win over Nebraska.

. S - Landon Collins

Alabama, Junior

Collins’ instincts and athleticism are sensational, as his interception against Arkansas showed.

. S - Cody Prewitt

Ole Miss, Senior

Prewitt can cover, hit and make plays on the ball, like he did with his 75-yard pick-six against Texas A&M.

. CB - Kendall Fuller

Virginia Tech, Sophomore

. K - Roberto Aguayo

Florida State, Sophomore

The sophomore has been automatic, making all 13 of his field goal attempts, including five of 40-plus yards.

. P - JK Scott

Alabama, Freshman

The freshman has shined, and he downed seven of eight punts inside the 20-yard line in a win over Arkansas.

. R - Tyreek Hill

Oklahoma State, Junior

The junior became the first Cowboys player to return a kickoff for a touchdown in back-to-back games.

. AP - Tyler Lockett

Kansas State, Senior