Ashton Jeanty lone unanimous AP All-America selection

Boise State’s junior tailback has 2,497 rushing yards this season

Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty. / Brian Losness-Imagn Images

The only unanimous selection on The Associated Press All-America team didn’t receive the Heisman Trophy. 

Boise State junior running back Ashton Jeanty is the lone unanimous first-team All-America pick, the AP announced Monday. 

Jeanty leads the nation in most rushing categories, including carries (344), yards (2,497) and touchdowns (29). Jeanty ranks fourth on the FBS all-time single-season rushing list, trailing only Oklahoma State’s Barry Sanders (2,628 yards, 1988 season), Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon (2,587, 2014) and UCF’s Kevin Smith (2,567, 2007).

Jeanty is 132 rushing yards away from breaking Sanders’ record. Boise State (12-1), the No. 3 overall seed for the College Football Playoff, will play the winner of a first-round matchup between No. 6 Penn State (11-2) and No. 11 SMU (11-2) in the Fiesta Bowl on New Year’s Eve.

The 5-foot-9, 215-pound back finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting to Colorado’s Travis Hunter. It was the closest Heisman Trophy voting since 2009.

Jeanty, a two-time Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year, won the Maxwell Award (college football player of the year) and Doak Walker Award (best running back in college football) last week. He was second in the AP player of the year voting to Hunter.

Hunter was a first-team All-America selection on offense and defense.

Here are the AP All-America teams: 

First-team offense

Wide receivers: Nick Nash, San Jose State, senior; Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona; Xavier Restrepo, Miami, senior

Tackles: Kelvin Banks, Texas, junior; Will Campbell, LSU, junior

Guards: Addison West, Western Michigan, senior; Willie Lampkin, North Carolina, senior

Center: Jake Slaughter, Florida, junior

Tight end: Harold Fannin Jr., Bowling Green, junior

Quarterback: Cam Ward, Miami, senior

Running backs: Ashton Jeanty, Boise State, junior; Cam Skattebo, Arizona State, senior

Kicker: Kenneth Almendares, Louisiana-Lafayette, senior

All-purpose: Travis Hunter, Colorado, junior

First-team defense

Edge rushers: Abdul Carter, Penn State, junior; Donovan Ezeiruaku, Boston College, senior

Interior linemen: Mason Graham, Michigan, junior; Walter Nolen, Mississippi, junior

Linebackers: Jay Higgins, Iowa, senior; Shaun Dolac, Buffalo, graduate; Carson Schwesinger, UCLA, junior

Cornerbacks: Jahdae Barron, Texas, senior; Travis Hunter, Colorado, junior

Safeties: Xavier Watts, Notre Dame, graduate; Caleb Downs, Ohio State, sophomore

Defensive back:  Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina, junior

Punter — Alex Mastromanno, Florida State, senior

Second-team offense

Wide receivers: Travis Hunter, Colorado, junior; Tre Harris, Mississippi, senior; Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State, freshman

Tackles: Spencer Fano, Utah, sophomore; Wyatt Milum, West Virginia, senior

Guards: Tyler Booker, Alabama, junior; Donovan Jackson, Ohio State, senior; Dylan Fairchild, Georgia, junior

Center: Seth McLaughlin, Ohio State, graduate

Tight end: Tyler Warren, Penn State, senior, 6-6, 261, Mechanicsville, Virginia.

Quarterback: Shedeur Sanders, Colorado, senior

Running backs: Omarion Hampton, North Carolina, junior; Kaleb Johnson, Iowa, junior

Kicker: Dominic Zvada, Michigan, junior; Alex Raynor, Kentucky, senior

All-purpose: Desmond Reid, Pittsburgh, junior

Second-team defense

Edge rushers: Kyle Kennard, South Carolina, senior;  Mike Green, Marshall, sophomore

Interior linemen: Derrick Harmon, Oregon, junior; Alfred Collins, Texas, senior

Linebackers: Anthony Hill Jr., Texas, sophomore; Danny Stutsman, Oklahoma, senior; Kyle Louis, Pittsburgh, sophomore

Cornerbacks: Nohl Williams, California, senior;  Jermod McCoy, Tennessee, sophomore

Safeties: Malaki Starks, Georgia, junior; Malachi Moore, Alabama, graduate

Defensive back: Michael Taaffe, Texas, junior

Punter: Brett Thorson, Georgia, junior

Third-team offense

Wide receivers: Tai Felton, Maryland, senior; Jayden Higgins, Iowa State, senior,; Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State, sophomore; Eric Rivers, Florida International, senior

Tackles: Josh Conerly Jr., Oregon, junior; Aireontae Ersery, Minnesota, senior

Guards: Tate Ratledge, Georgia, senior; Paolo Gennarelli, Army, sophomore

Center: Jacob Gardner, Colorado State, graduate

Tight end: Oronde Gadsden II, Syracuse, junior

Quarterback: Dillon Gabriel, Oregon, graduate

Running backs: Dylan Sampson, Tennessee, junior; RJ Harvey, UCF, senior

Kicker: Ryan Fitzgerald, Florida State, senior

All-purpose: Brashard Smith, SMU, senior

Third-team defense

Edge rushers: Antwaun Powell-Ryland, Virginia Tech, senior; Mikail Kamara, Indiana, junior

Interior linemen: Aeneas Peebles, Virginia Tech, graduate; Kenneth Grant, Michigan, junior

Linebackers: Chris Paul Jr., Mississippi, junior; Barrett Carter, Clemson, senior; Jalon Walker, Georgia, junior

Cornerbacks: Chandler Rivers, Duke, junior; Will Johnson, Michigan, junior,

Safeties: Lathan Ransom, Ohio State, graduate; Jalen Catalon, UNLV, senior

Defensive back: Mello Dotson, Kansas, senior

Punter: Eddie Czaplicki, Southern California, senior

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