Midseason All-America team: College football’s best players so far
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Chris Low, ESPN Senior Writer
The 2023 college football season was always going to be memorable on several fronts.
It’s the last year of the Pac-12 as we know it, with Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington jet-setting to the Big Ten next season. Oklahoma and Texas are making one last tour through the Big 12 before bolting to the SEC. The Big 12 took on a revamped look with four new teams, and this is the last year of the four-team playoff, with the format moving to 12 teams in 2024.
Additionally, Coach Prime has made a few waves in what is Colorado’s final season in the Pac-12.
With the second half of the season still to play, we unveil ESPN’s midseason All-America team. Only six players on the preseason team made the cut this time around.
OFFENSE
Penix is currently the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy and has already had his big-stage moment in rallying Washington to a thrilling 36-33 win over Oregon last Saturday. Penix, one of the many talented transfer quarterbacks around the country, is No. 1 nationally by a wide margin with an average of 383.5 passing yards per game and has thrown 20 touchdown passes and just three interceptions.
Honorable mention: Jayden Daniels, LSU
The Longhorns just keep churning out talented running backs, and Brooks is next in line. The 6-foot, 207-pound sophomore leads all Power 5 players with an average of 121 rushing yards per game and has rushed for more than 100 yards in each of his last four games. He’s averaging 6.72 yards per carry and is tied for fifth nationally with five runs of 30 yards or longer while ranking in the top three among Power 5 backs in yards after contact (463).
Honorable mention: Ray Davis, Kentucky
Even though he’s a bigger back (227 pounds), Estime is tied for sixth among Power 5 players with eight runs of 20 yards or longer. He’s rushed for more than 80 yards in six of his eight games while averaging 6.2 yards per rush and scoring nine touchdowns. And when the Irish need the tough yards, Estime has delivered. He leads all Power 5 backs with 532 yards after contact.
Honorable mention: Jaylen Wright, Tennessee
Nabers and teammate Brian Thomas Jr. have both been lighting it up this season and benefiting from quarterback Jayden Daniels playing the best football of his career. Nabers leads the nation with an average of 122.9 receiving yards per game and is third among Power 5 players with 52 catches. The 6-foot, 200-pound junior leads all FBS players with 19 catches of 20 yards or longer.
Honorable mention: Rome Odunze, Washington
Keeping Burden at home was a coup for the Tigers, and he’s been everything he was supposed to be coming out of high school and then some. The sensational sophomore leads all Power 5 players with 56 catches and is as electric after the catch as he is making plays down the field. He leads Power 5 receivers with 489 yards after the catch and all FBS players in yards per route run, according to Pro Football Focus.
Honorable mention: Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State
The news that Bowers could be out four to six weeks with an ankle injury was gut-wrenching for Georgia fans. Bowers is one of the best players in college football, period, and can do a little bit of everything wherever he lines up. He leads Georgia with 41 catches for 567 yards and has five touchdowns (four receptions, one rush).
Honorable mention: Dallin Holker, Colorado State
The 6-6, 317-pound senior has been a rock at his left tackle position for the Nittany Lions. He hasn’t allowed a sack or pressure in pass protection and has been equally dominant as a run-blocker. Penn State was thrilled to get Fashanu back for another season, and he’s been an integral part of an offense that is tied for fifth nationally in scoring (44.3 points per game) and has scored at least 30 points in all six games.
Honorable mention: Patrick Paul, Houston
Beebe has been one of the best and most consistent offensive linemen in college football for the past two seasons. He’s made 41 career starts (38 in a row) and is again the heart and soul of the Kansas State offense from his left guard position. The 6-4, 335-pound senior hasn’t given up a sack since the 2020 season and is the highest-graded Power 5 guard, according to Pro Football Focus.
Honorable mention: Tanner Miller, Oregon State
What a luxury for Georgia to bring back the center who started every game during its two national championship seasons. Van Pran, a 6-4, 310-pound redshirt junior, is once again the centerpiece of an offensive line that has paved the way for the Dawgs to rank ninth nationally in scoring (40.1 points per game). Van Pran has played 446 snaps this season and has the second highest grade among centers, according to Pro Football Focus.
Honorable mention: Jackson Powers-Johnson, Oregon
Michigan is seeking to win its third straight Joe Moore Award as the best offensive line in the country. The interior of that line is headlined by Zinter, a 6-6, 322-pound senior in his third season as the full-time starter at right guard. He’s made 36 career starts for the Wolverines. In 360 snaps this season, Zinter has allowed no sacks and just one hurry, according to Pro Football Focus.
Honorable mention: Christian Haynes, UConn
The right side of the Oregon State offensive line has been dominant this season. The 6-6, 334-pound Fuaga is among the best run-blocking tackles in college football and teams with guard Tanner Miller on the right side to build a wall for the 6-1 Beavers. In his second season as a full-time starter, Fuaga has transformed from a second-team All-Pac 12 selection a year ago to one of the most imposing offensive linemen in the country.
Honorable mention: Joe Alt, Notre Dame
Even though Boise State has struggled, Jeanty has been one of the most electric players in the country. The sophomore running back leads the nation with 1,264 yards from scrimmage (868 rushing and 396 receiving) and has scored an FBS-best 15 touchdowns. Get Jeanty the ball, and he makes things happen. He leads all FBS running backs with 598 yards after contact and is fourth in the country with 430 yards after the catch.
Honorable mention: Travis Hunter, Colorado
DEFENSE
With Will Anderson Jr. off to the NFL, Turner has stepped up as Alabama’s top defender and is playing at an elite level. He’s been both consistent and productive in key situations. The 6-4, 242-pound junior is the team leader in sacks (seven), tackles for loss (9.5), quarterback hurries (10) and forced fumbles (two) on a defense ranked in the top 15 nationally in both scoring and total defense.
Honorable mention: Jonah Elliss, Utah
When he showed up on Ohio State’s campus, Williams weighed more than 350 pounds. He’s now in the best shape of his career and playing his best football. The 6-2, 290-pound junior is fifth on the Buckeyes in total tackles (27) and leads the team in tackles for loss (six), while ranking second in pass breakups (four). In other words, he’s a menace in the middle of an Ohio State defense that has given up just seven touchdowns in six games.
Honorable mention: Jer’Zhan Newton, Illinois
Cross is making the most of his first full season as a starter. He leads Notre Dame in both total tackles (42) and tackles for loss (five), and has forced two fumbles. His 26 pressures rank second among all interior defenders, while his 21 run stops on defense are tied for second, according to Pro Football Focus. Cross had a career-high 13 tackles in the Irish’s win over Duke.
Honorable mention: T’Vondre Sweat, Texas
It’s hard to believe Latu had to medically retire from football after missing the 2020 and 2021 seasons with a neck injury while at Washington. But getting clearance from doctors to play again has paid dividends for both him and UCLA. In his second season with the Bruins, Latu is again one of the more disruptive defenders in the country with 9 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks and 2 forced fumbles.
Honorable mention: James Pearce Jr., Tennessee
It hasn’t been a great season for the Wolfpack, but Wilson has been a tackling machine. He ranks second among Power 5 defenders with 81 total tackles. The sixth-year senior is a sure tackler in space from his outside linebacker spot, and he has great instincts. One of those guys who just seems to find the football, Wilson has four sacks to go along with an interception and two fumble recoveries.
Honorable mention: Jason Henderson, Old Dominion
The 6-3, 230-pound Cooper is in his fourth year in the program and was having a breakout season until he was injured last week in the first half against Tennessee and was unable to return. Few inside linebackers have been better, as Cooper leads all FBS players with 13.5 tackles for loss. He has the perfect blend of size and speed to make life miserable for both quarterbacks and running backs.
Honorable mention: Tommy Eichenberg, Ohio State
A year ago, Stutsman led the Big 12 in total tackles, and he’s taken his game to another level this season on an Oklahoma defense that has given up more than 20 points only once. Stutsman leads the Sooners with 10.5 tackles for loss. Most notably, he’s grown more comfortable in pass coverage and took an interception back 30 yards for a touchdown earlier this season.
Honorable mention: Cedric Gray, North Carolina
Since the beginning of last season, DeJean has seven interceptions, including two this season. Nobody else in the FBS ranks has more during that span. The 6-1, 207-pound junior is also strong against the run and ranks fourth on the team with 33 total tackles. DeJean has played 309 snaps this season in coverage without giving up a touchdown, and he returned a punt for a touchdown against Michigan State.
Honorable mention: Mike Sainristil, Michigan
Coming into the season, Kool-Aid McKinstry was the Alabama cornerback getting most of the publicity, but Arnold has emerged as one of the Tide’s best and most versatile defenders. He moved over to the hybrid “star” position last week against Arkansas with Malachi Moore out with an injury. A basketball star in high school, Arnold leads Alabama with four pass breakups and has four tackles for loss.
Honorable mention: Kris Abrams-Draine, Missouri
Starks was one of the best true freshmen in college football last season and has only gotten better as a sophomore. He’s third on the team with 25 total tackles to go along with two interceptions and four pass breakups. The 6-1, 205-pound Starks is the only safety in the country to rank in the top 15 for both coverage grade and run defense grade, according to Pro Football Focus.
Honorable mention: Cole Bishop, Utah
Formerly a cornerback, Simpson has blossomed as a safety in Ron Roberts’ defense. The 6-1, 178-pound senior is second nationally among safeties with four interceptions and is fifth on Auburn with 20 total tackles. Simpson’s 90.3 coverage grade leads all safeties, according to Pro Football Focus, and he hasn’t allowed a touchdown in 160 coverage snaps.
Honorable mention: Caleb Downs, Alabama
SPECIAL TEAMS
The SEC’s all-time leader for career points with 486, Reichard is perfect on kicks this season. He’s made all 13 of his field-goal attempts, including six from 40-plus yards (with a long of 51 yards), and has also made all 21 of his extra-point attempts. Nick Saban said Reichard has probably been as good a player at his position as anybody Saban has coached at Alabama.
Honorable mention: Graham Nicholson, Miami (Ohio)
The Hawkeyes are sitting atop the Big Ten West standings, and Taylor may be the MVP on a team that has struggled offensively. The 26-year-old Aussie is tied for the FBS lead with 45 punts. Only one of those has gone for a touchback, and he’s fourth nationally with a 48.3-yard average, with 17 punts downed inside the 20. He punted 10 times in the Hawkeyes’ 15-6 win over Wisconsin and kept the Badgers in bad field position all game.
Honorable mention: Matthew Hayball, Vanderbilt
After missing two games with an injury, Branch returned to the lineup for USC’s 48-20 loss at Notre Dame. In his first four games, the true freshman receiver returned both a kickoff and a punt for touchdowns. He’s averaging more than 24 yards a return on both punts and kickoffs. Branch, who also has two receiving touchdowns this season, didn’t score against Notre Dame, but did have a 60-yard punt return.
Honorable mention: Matthew Golden, Houston
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Jeff Legwold
BOULDER, Colo. — For the horde of NFL talent evaluators and some bleachers full of fans, Colorado coach Deion Sanders said Friday that they all got to see the top two players available in this year’s NFL draft.
Quarterback Shedeur Sanders and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter were among the 16 Colorado players who took part in the school’s showcase event for scouts, coaches and personnel executives from every NFL team. And Deion Sanders said the two marquee players confirmed what he has known for a long time.
“It’s tremendous,” Sanders said. “… They should be going 1-2 [in the draft], that’s the way I feel about it. They are the two best players in this draft. … The surest bets in this draft are those two young men, and I didn’t stutter or stammer when I said that.”
Neither Shedeur Sanders nor Hunter took part in most of the position drills or physical testing, but Sanders had a throwing session for just under an hour and Hunter was one of the wide receivers who participated. Neither player worked out at the scouting combine earlier this year, so it was the first time Sanders had thrown in such a setting since the end of the season. He showed some full seven-step drops and play-action from the shotgun and under center.
“I think I did pretty good, to my expectations,” said Sanders, who set the career FBS accuracy mark in his two years at Colorado (71.8%) to go with his 4,134 passing yards and 37 touchdowns last season. “I know I did the best in college football right now, for sure.”
Asked after the throwing session whether he believed he was the best quarterback in the draft, Sanders said: “I feel like I’m the No. 1 quarterback, and that’s what I know. But at the end of the day, I’m not stuck on that because it’s about the situation, so whatever situation, whatever franchise believes in me, I’m excited to go. … I’m comfortable in any situation.”
Players Hunter, who did not speak to the media after the workout, and Sanders met with the Cleveland Browns contingent, including team co-owner Jimmy Haslam, on Thursday night in Boulder.
“They got me really full,” Sanders said. “I definitely needed to go to the sauna after that. … It was a good vibe.”
Said Deion Sanders said: “[I] spoke to the owner, truly delightful. He was engaging. … I think one of those guys is going to be there [at No. 2].”
Hunter, the No. 1 player on Mel Kiper Jr.’s Big Board, did not do any defensive drills Friday, but he ran a full assortment of routes.
Colorado safety Shilo Sanders, Shedeur’s brother, offered plenty of encouragement, shouting commentary and clapping after each throw, including “not a lot of quarterbacks can make that throw” after one deep completion.
The highly attended event — by NFL representatives as well as fans packing small bleachers — had a festive atmosphere. Deion Sanders named it the “We Ain’t Hard 2 Find Showcase,” complete with a large lighted “The Showcase” sign next to the drills.
Hunter, who has said he wants to play offense and defense in the NFL, won the Chuck Bednarik (top defensive player) and Fred Biletnikoff (top receiver) awards in addition to the Heisman. He said whether he will primarily be a wide receiver or a cornerback in the NFL depends “on the team that picks me.”
On Friday, Deion Sanders said “ain’t nobody like Travis.”
Hunter had 96 catches for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns as a receiver last season to go with 35 tackles, 11 pass breakups and 4 interceptions at cornerback. In the Buffaloes’ regular-season finale against Oklahoma State, he became the only FBS player in the past 25 years with three scrimmage touchdowns on offense and an interception in the same game, according to ESPN Research.
He played 1,380 total snaps in Colorado’s 12 regular-season games: 670 on offense, 686 on defense and 24 on special teams. He played 1,007 total snaps in 2023.
Shilo Sanders, who hoped to show teams more speed than expected, ran a 4.52 40-yard dash after he measured in at 5-foot-11⅞, 196 pounds. He did not participate in the jumps or bench press that opened the workout, citing a right shoulder injury.
With all NFL eyes on the Colorado campus to see Shedeur Sanders throw, one player who made the most of it was wide receiver Will Sheppard. Sheppard, who measured 6-2¼, 196 pounds, ran the 40 in 4.56 and 4.54 to go with a 40½-inch vertical jump and a 10-foot-11 broad jump.
Baltimore Orioles All-Star shortstop Gunnar Henderson was activated from the 10-day injured list and will make his season debut Friday night against the Kansas City Royals.
Henderson has been sidelined with a right intercostal strain and missed the first seven games of the big league campaign.
The 23-year-old Henderson will lead off and play shortstop against the host Royals.
Henderson was injured during a spring training game Feb. 27. He was fourth in American League MVP voting last season when he batted .281 and racked up career bests of 37 homers and 92 RBIs.
Henderson completed a five-game rehab stint at Triple-A Norfolk on Wednesday. He batted .263 (5-for-19) with two homers and four RBIs and played four games at shortstop and one as the designated hitter. He did commit three errors.
“I think everybody’s looking forward to having Gunnar back on the team,” Baltimore manager Brandon Hyde said Thursday. “The rehab went really, really well. I talked to him a couple days ago, he feels great swinging the bat. The timing came, especially the last few days. He just had to get out there and get some reps defensively and get some games in, and it all went well.”
Baltimore optioned outfielder Dylan Carlson to Triple-A Norfolk to open up a roster spot. The 26-year-old was 0-for-4 with a run and RBI in two games this season.
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Jorge Castillo
When New York Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns attempted to assemble the best possible roster for the 2025 season this winter, the top priority was signing outfielder Juan Soto. Next was the need to replenish the starting rotation and bolster the bullpen. Then, days before pitchers and catchers reported for spring training, the lineup received one final significant reinforcement when first baseman Pete Alonso re-signed.
Acquiring a player with a singing career on the side didn’t make the cut.
“No, that is not on the list,” Stearns said with a smile.
Stearns’ decision not to re-sign Jose Iglesias, the infielder behind the mic for the viral 2024 Mets anthem “OMG,” was attributed to creating more roster flexibility. But it also hammered home a reality: The scrappy 2024 Mets, authors of a magical summer in Queens, are a thing of the past. The 2025 Mets, who will report to Citi Field for their home opener Friday, have much of the same core but also some prominent new faces — and the new, outsized expectations that come with falling two wins short of the World Series, then signing Soto to the richest contract in professional sports history.
But there’s a question surrounding this year’s team that you can’t put a price tag on: Can these Mets rekindle the magic — the vibes, the memes, the feel-good underdog story — that seemed to come out of nowhere to help carry them to Game 6 of the National League Championship Series last season?
“Last year the culture was created,” Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor said. “It’s a matter of continuing it.”
For all the success Stearns has engineered — his small-market Milwaukee Brewers teams reached the postseason five times in eight seasons after he became the youngest general manager in history in 2015 — the 40-year-old Harvard grad, like the rest of his front office peers knows there’s no precise recipe for clubhouse chemistry. There is no culture projection system. No Vibes Above Replacement.
“Culture is very important,” Stearns said last weekend in the visiting dugout at Daikin Park before his club completed an opening-weekend series against the Houston Astros. “Culture is also very difficult to predict.”
Still, it seems the Mets’ 2024 season will be all but impossible to recreate.
There was Grimace, the purple McDonald’s blob who spontaneously became the franchise’s unofficial mascot after throwing out a first pitch in June. “OMG,” performed under Iglesias’ stage name, Candelita, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Latin Digital Songs chart, before a remix featuring Pitbull was released in October. Citi Field became a karaoke bar whenever Lindor stepped into the batter’s box with The Temptations’ “My Girl” as his walk-up song. Alonso unveiled a lucky pumpkin in October. They were gimmicks that might have felt forced if they hadn’t felt so right.
“I don’t know if what we did last year could be replicated because it was such a chaos-filled group,” Mets reliever Ryne Stanek said. “I don’t know if that’s replicable because there’s just too many things going on. I don’t know if that’s a sustainable model. But I think the expectation of winning is really important. I think establishing what we did last year and coming into this year where people are like, ‘Oh, no, that’s what we’re expecting to do,’ makes it different. It’s always a different vibe whenever you feel like you’re the hunter versus being the hunted.”
For the first two months last season, the Mets were terrible hunters. Lindor was relentlessly booed at Citi Field during another slow start. The bullpen got crushed. The losses piled up. The Mets began the season 0-5 and sunk to rock bottom on May 29 when reliever Jorge Lopez threw his glove into the stands during a 10-3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers that dropped the team to 22-33.
That night, the Mets held a players-only meeting. From there, perhaps coincidentally, everything changed. The Mets won the next day, and 67 of their final 107 games.
This year, to avoid an early malaise and to better incorporate new faces like Soto and Opening Day starter Clay Holmes, players made it a point to hold meetings during spring training to lay a strong foundation.
“At the end of the day, we know who we are and that’s the beauty of our club,” Alonso said. “Not just who we are talent-wise, but who each individual is as a man and a personality. For us, our major, major strength is our collective identity as a unit.”
Organizationally, the Mets are attempting a dual-track makeover: Becoming perennial World Series contenders while not taking themselves too seriously.
The commemorative purple Grimace seat installed at Citi Field in September — Section 302, Row 6, Seat 12 in right field — remains there as part of a two-year contract. Last week, the franchise announced it will feature a New York-city themed “Five Borough” race at every home game — with a different mascot competing to represent each borough. For a third straight season, USA Today readers voted Citi Field — home of the rainbow cookie egg roll, among many other innovative treats — as having the best ballpark food in baseball.
In the clubhouse, their identity is evolving.
“I’m very much in the camp that you can’t force things,” Mets starter Sean Manaea said. “I mean, you can, but you don’t really end up with good results. And if you wait for things to happen organically, then sometimes it can take too long. So, there’s like a nudging of sorts. It’s like, ‘Let’s kind of come up with something, but not force it.’ So there’s a fine balance there and you just got to wait and see what happens.”
Stearns believes it starts with what the Mets can control: bringing positive energy every day and fostering a family atmosphere. It’s hard to quantify, but vibes undoubtedly helped fuel the Mets’ 2024 success. It’ll be a tough act to follow.
“It’s fluid,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “I like where guys are at as far as the team chemistry goes and things like that and the connections and the relationships. But it’ll continue to take some time. And winning helps, clearly.”
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