Gophers' Aireontae Ersery receives AP All-American honors

Minnesota has an AP All-American for the third straight season.

Sep 10, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers offensive lineman Aireontae Ersery (69) blocks Western Illinois Leathernecks defensive back JJ Ross (1) in the second quarter at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images / Matt Blewett-Imagn Images

The Associated Press (AP) released its 2024 All-America teams on Monday and Gophers left tackle Aireontae Ersery received third-team honors.

NEWS: #Gophers star LT Aireontae Ersery (@Aireontae_69) has been named an AP Third-Team All-American.

It is the third straight season that Minnesota has had at least one player on any of the three teams. Nubin (2023, 2nd), Ibrahim (2022, 2nd) https://t.co/Nw3rLYQpuz pic.twitter.com/Z1s08A1WFN

— Tony Liebert (@TonyLiebert) December 16, 2024

Ersery found himself on just about every single preseason watchlist before the season, and he ended the year on the AP's All-American third team. He played 691 snaps for Minnesota this regular season, earning a 79.7 Pro Football Focus (PFF) grade.

Minnesota has now had at least one player named to an AP All-American team in each of the last three seasons. Safety Tyler Nubin was on the second team in 2023, and John Michael Schmitz was on the first team in 2022, along with Mohamed Ibrahim on the second team.

Since P.J. Fleck took over the program in 2017, Minnesota has had six different players earn AP All-American status. Ersery joins Nubin, Schmitz, Ibrahim (twice), Rashod Bateman and Antoine Winfield Jr.

Ersery has already accepted an invitation to the 2025 Senior Bowl. His status for the Duke's Mayo Bowl has not been confirmed, but there's a great chance that he has already begun his preparation for the 2025 NFL Draft. He is expected to hear his name called very early next spring.