2007 All-America teams

First Team All-America
Offense
QB    John David Booty, USC    6'3"    210    Sr.
In his first year at the reins of the Trojans attack, Booty completed 62 percent of his passes for 3,347 yards and 29 touchdowns. In his first career start, at Arkansas, he connected on 69 percent with three second-half touchdowns. He enters 2007 on track to finish in the top 5 in school history in passing and total offense despite only two years as a starter.

RB    Darren McFadden, Arkansas    6'2"    205    Jr.
McFadden is the only returning Heisman Trophy finalist from last season, having finished second. The Little Rock native set an Arkansas record with 1,647 rushing yards last season and won the Doak Walker Award as the nation’s top running back. He was consensus All-America, first team All-SEC and SEC Offensive Player of the Year. In SEC history, only 1982 Heisman Trophy winner Herschel Walker ran for more yards in his first two years than McFadden has.

RB    Ray Rice, Rutgers    5'9"    200    Jr.
Rice finished second in the nation and set a Big East single-season record with 1,794 rushing yards. He also ran for 20 touchdowns and came in fifth nationally in scoring and 11th in all-purpose yards. He was first-team All-Big East and second-team All-America last fall after his Freshman All-America campaign in 2005.

WR    Mario Manningham, Michigan    6'0"    181    Jr.
Michigan won its first 11 games last season. In the eight that Manningham participated in, the Wolverines averaged 34 points per game. During the three-game stretch when Manningham was out with an injury, they averaged 18. He finished the season with 38 catches, including nine for touchdowns.

WR    Earl Bennett, Vanderbilt    6'1"    202    Jr.
Only a junior, Bennett already owns 10 school records and two SEC marks. He has caught 161 passes for 2,022 yards over his first two years, and with his 48th reception this fall he will become the SEC’s all-time leading receiver. He already holds two of the league’s five most productive receiving seasons, with 79 catches as a freshman and 82 as a sophomore, making him the only receiver in SEC history with 75 or more catches in two different seasons.

TE    John Carlson, Notre Dame    6'6"    259    Sr.
Carlson is a tremendous athlete with an ability to stretch the field as a receiver that most tight ends don’t have. Carlson took over as the starter in 2006 and caught 47 passes, with four TD grabs. With the top three Irish receivers gone, Carlson’s role in the passing game should expand dramatically.

C    Jonathan Luigs, Arkansas    6'4"    305    Jr.
Luigs started all 14 games for the Razorbacks last year and made first-team All-SEC and third-team AP All-America. One of six finalists for the Rimington Trophy, Luigs anchored a line that gave up only nine sacks, second-fewest in the nation, and cleared the way for two 1,000-yard rushers.

OL    Sam Baker, USC    6'5"    305    Sr.
Baker has been a starter at left tackle for the Trojans since his redshirt freshman season of 2004 and has been a first-team All-American for the last two years. He anchors a Trojan line that allowed only 17 sacks last fall.

OL    Jake Long, Michigan    6'7"    313    Sr.
Long was first team All-Big Ten and was named the conference’s Offensive Lineman of the Year. He also was a consensus All-American and is a leading candidate for the 2007 Outland Trophy.

OL    Barry Richardson, Clemson    6'7"    320    Sr.
In 2006, Clemson finished fifth nationally in rushing offense and tied for sixth in fewest sacks allowed, and Richardson was one of the main reasons. He was an All-ACC first teamer after registering 75 knockdown blocks, giving him 141 for his career.

OL    Jeremy Zuttah, Rutgers    6'4"    290    Sr.
Zuttah is a first-team All-Big East returnee. Last season as a junior he started all 13 games at right tackle on an offensive line that paved the way for the 15th-ranked rushing offense in Division I-A and led the nation with only eight sacks allowed.

K    Art Carmody, Louisville    5'8"    165    Sr.
The 2006 Groza Award winner, Carmody owns the Louisville career records for field goals made and points scored. He is a perfect 11-for-11 on field goal attempts of 40 yards or more, including his career long 51-yarder last season against Temple.

KR    Marcus Thigpen, Indiana    5'9"    190    Jr.
Thigpen is a running back who doubles as a kick returner. Or is it the other way around? He led the nation in kick returns, averaging 30.1 yards, and took three back for touchdowns.

Defense
DL    Quentin Groves, Auburn    6'3"    254    Sr.
Over his first three years at Auburn, Groves has tallied 30 tackles for a loss (for 161 lost yards). Of those, 23 have been sacks. He has also knocked the ball loose from opposing ball-carriers six times. He had 12 tackles for a loss and 9.5 sacks (including three against national champion Florida) for the season and was a consensus first-team All-SEC choice.

DL    Glenn Dorsey, LSU    6'2"    299    Sr.
Opponents ran for only 97.1 yards per game against the Bayou Bengals last fall, and Dorsey was the anchor of the line. He was consensus All-SEC and was selected first-team All-America by the AP. Despite having to fight through double-team blocking on a regular basis, Dorsey finished third on the team with 64 tackles, including 8.5 for a loss.

DL    Eric Foster, Rutgers    6'2"    265    Sr.
Foster is a returning first-team All-Big East performer and was also a first-team All-America selection by the Football Writers Association of America. After missing most of 2005 with a knee injury, Foster came back to start all 13 games last fall, racking up 51 tackles, including 14 for a loss and six sacks, and batted down four passes at the line. He had his best game in the win over Louisville, with seven total stops.

DL    Tommy Blake, TCU    6'3"    252    Sr.
Blake has been a first-team All-Mountain West Conference selection for two straight years, and last season he was a unanimous pick. He led the conference by a wide margin in tackles for a loss with 16.5, giving him 36.5 for his career. He also has 19 sacks on his career worksheet, with six passes batted down and four forced fumbles. He capped off his 2006 season by capturing Defensive Player of the Game honors in the Frogs’ 37–7 Poinsettia Bowl win over Northern Illinois.

LB    Dan Connor, Penn State    6'3"    233    Sr.
Connor is the latest stud linebacker to emerge at Linebacker U., following on the heels of All-American Paul Posluszny. Last season he registered 113 total stops and now has 274 for his career, including 19 behind the line and 7.5 sacks. In addition to putting opposing ball-carriers on the ground last season, Connor forced three fumbles and picked off two passes, and was named second-team All-America by the AP.

LB    James Laurinaitis, Ohio State    6'3"    244    Jr.
Laurinaitis is the reigning Nagurski Award winner as the nation’s best defensive player. Last season he started all 13 games at middle linebacker and paced the Buckeyes in tackles with 115, including 8.5 behind the line. He also led his team in interceptions with five. In the Texas game he racked up 13 tackles and forced two fumbles, and was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week.

LB    Rey Maualuga, USC    6'3"    250    Jr.
As a sophomore in 2006, Maualuga beat out returning starter Oscar Lua for the middle linebacker job, made plays all over the field and landed on the All-Pac-10 first team. In his young career, he has 9.5 tackles for a loss of 40 yards, and has batted down five passes and intercepted two others.

CB    Brandon Flowers, Virginia Tech    5'10"    190    Jr.
In a secondary that should be the best in the nation in 2007, Flowers is the headliner. He finished third in Division I-A last fall in passes defended with 21 — three interceptions and 18 breakups — as the Hokies led the nation in pass defense. He also notched 51 total stops and broke through for 7.5 tackles behind the line, including 3.5 sacks.

CB    Malcolm Jenkins, Ohio State    6'1"    202    Jr.
Jenkins is listed as Ohio State’s field cornerback, but he will line up wherever necessary to cover the opponent’s best receiver. Last season, he registered 55 total tackles, including 4.5 for a loss. He also picked off four passes, returning them a total of 99 yards. Against Penn State, he ran one back 61 yards for a touchdown. He was consensus first-team All-Big Ten.

S    Taylor Mays, USC    6'4"    225    So.
When starting USC free safety Josh Pinkard went down with a season-ending injury in the 2006 opener at Arkansas, Mays stepped into the breach and turned in an amazing season for a freshman, not that it was unexpected after his stellar high school career at Seattle O’Dea. He turned in a team-high three interceptions and broke up three other passes.

S    Tom Zbikowski, Notre Dame    6'0"    210    Sr.
Zbikowski is one of the few bright spots on a Notre Dame defense that has been, shall we say, vulnerable. Last fall he racked up 79 tackles, giving him 213 for his career, but he is most dangerous as a return man. He has run back three punts for touchdowns and has also scored on two of his six career interceptions. He was a third team AP All-American in 2006.

P    Durant Brooks, Georgia Tech    6'0"    202    Sr.
A second-team All-American as selected by the AP and the Walter Camp Foundation, Brooks finished fourth in the nation with a 45.5-yard average on 79 punts. He recorded 27 punts of 50 yards or more, including seven of 60 or longer, and stuck Tech opponents inside their 20-yard line 35 times.

PR    DeSean Jackson, California    6'0"    166    Jr.
Jackson was a consensus All-American in 2006 and won the inaugural Randy Moss Award as the nation’s best return man. He led Cal in receiving for the second straight year and led the nation in punt returns, averaging 18.2 yards. He returned four punts for scores, giving him five for his career.

Second Team All-America
Offense
QB    Colt Brennan    6'3"    196    Sr.    Hawaii
RB    Steve Slaton    5'10"    195    Jr.    West Virginia
RB    Mike Hart    5'9"    196    Sr.    Michigan
WR    Jarett Dillard    5'11"    180    Jr.    Rice
WR    Harry Douglas    5'11"    170    Sr.    Louisville
TE    Travis Beckum    6'4"    221    Jr.    Wisconsin
OL    George Bussey    6'4"    298    Jr.    Louisville
OL    Ryan Clady    6'6"    319    Jr.    Boise State
OL    John Greco    6'5"    318    Sr.    Toledo
OL    Jeremy Perry    6'2"    313    Jr.    Oregon State
C      Alex Mack    6'5"    300    Jr.    California

Defense
DL    Calais Campbell    6'8"    282    Jr.    Miami
DL    Bruce Davis    6'3"    237    Sr.    UCLA
DL    Sedrick Ellis    6'1"    295    Sr.    USC
DL    Derrick Harvey    6'4"    245    Jr.    Florida
LB    Vince Hall    6'0"    240    Sr.    Virginia Tech
LB    Keith Rivers    6'3"    230    Sr.    USC
LB    Bo Ruud    6'3"     235    Sr.    Nebraska
CB    Simeon Castille    6'1"    189    Sr.    Alabama
CB    Dwight Lowery    6'1"    185    Sr.    San Jose State
S       Jonathan Hefney    5'9"    185    Sr.    Tennessee
S       Eric Wicks    6'1"    200    Sr.    West Virginia

Specialists
K       Alexis Serna    5'8"    170    Sr.    Oregon State
P       Chris Miller    6'2"    205    Jr.    Ball State
KR    Darrell Blackman    5'10"    205    Sr.    NC State
PR    Sammie Stroughter    6'0"    183    Sr.    Oregon State

Third Team All-America
Offense
QB    Brian Brohm    6'4"    224    Sr.    Louisville
RB    Ian Johnson    5'11"    194    Jr.    Boise State
RB    Jamaal Charles    6'1"    200    Jr.    Texas
WR    Adarius Bowman    6'4"    220    Sr.    Oklahoma State
WR    Davone Bess    5'10"    195    Jr.    Hawaii
TE    Martin Rucker    6'6"    255    Sr.    Missouri
OL    Kirk Barton    6'6"    310    Sr.    Ohio State
OL    Adam Kraus    6'6"    296    Sr.    Michigan
OL    Phil Trautwein    6'6"    298    Sr.    Florida
OL    Chris Williams    6'6"    315    Sr.    Vanderbilt
C      John Sullivan    6'4"    290    Sr.    Notre Dame

Defense
DL    Ian Campbell    6'5"    232    Jr.    Kansas State
DL    Keilen Dykes    6'5"    295    Sr.    West Virginia
DL    Lawrence Jackson    6'5"    265    Sr.    USC
DL    Matt Shaughnessy    6'6"    242    Jr.    Wisconsin
LB    Jasper Brinkley    6'2"    262    Sr.    South Carolina
LB    Jonathan Goff    6'4"    235    Sr.    Vanderbilt
LB    Wesley Woodyard    6'1"    212    Sr.    Kentucky
CB    Antoine Cason    6'0"    182    Sr.    Arizona
CB    Aqib Talib    6'2"    180    Jr.    Kansas
S      Kenny Phillips    6'2"    202    Jr.    Miami
S      Reggie Smith    6'1"    197    Jr.    Oklahoma

Specialists
K       Brandon Coutu    6'0"    200    Sr.    Georgia
P       Britton Colquitt    6'3"    205    Jr.    Tennessee
KR    Damon Nickson    6'0"     177    Sr.    Middle Tennessee
PR    Jeremy Trimble    6'0"    219    Sr.    Army