Four Buckeyes earn Associated Press first-team All-American honors

COLUMBUS — Ohio State has four superstar players on the Associated Press’ first-team All-American team and four others on the second- or third-team All-American group.

It starts with defensive back Caleb Downs, who was a unanimous All-American selection last year and is an Associated Press All-American safety again this fall. He’s joined on the first team by wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, widely known as the best player in college football, defensive tackle Kayden McDonald and linebacker Arvell Reese. All four were also named first-team All-American selections by On3 on Wednesday, CBS Sports on Thursday and the Walter Camp Football Foundation on Friday, as well.

Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate and linebacker Sonny Styles, both potential first-round NFL Draft picks, are second-team All-Americans by the AP.

Quarterback Julian Sayin and defensive end Caden Curry were both third-team selections.

Of course, the Associated Press is one of the five All-American teams that count toward consensus and unanimous status — and it’s the second of the five to be released; the Walter Camp Football Foundation list was released Friday.

Those designations come from five All-American selections: the Walter Camp Football Foundation, the Associated Press, the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), The Sporting News and the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA). Those All-American teams will be released across the next week.

Somehow, Smith was snubbed from the Biletnikoff Award that was revealed Friday night, while Downs did win the Thorpe Award, which is given annually to the country’s best defensive back.

Ohio State on All-American teams

So far, the All-American honors are as follows, with one of the five major selectors now public:

WR Jeremiah Smith: On3 (first team), CBS Sports (first team), ProFootball Focus (first team), The Athletic (first team), Walter Camp Football Foundation (first team), Associated Press (first team)
DT Kayden McDonald: On3 (first team), CBS Sports (first team), ProFootball Focus (first team), The Athletic (first team), Walter Camp Football Foundation (first team), Associated Press (first team)
LB Arvell Reese: On3 (first team), CBS Sports (first team), The Athletic (first team), Walter Camp Football Foundation (first team), Associated Press (first team)
SAF Caleb Downs: On3 (first team), CBS Sports (first team), The Athletic (first team), Walter Camp Football Foundation (first team), Associated Press (first team)
DE Caden Curry: On3 (first team), The Athletic (second team), Associated Press (third team)
LB Sonny Styles: On3 (second team), ProFootball Focus (first team), The Athletic (second team), Associated Press (second team)
WR Carnell Tate: On3 (second team), Associated Press (second team)
QB Julian Sayin: Walter Camp Football Foundation (second team), Associated Press (third team)