Overview

• A 12-member AP sportswriters panel selected first- and second-team rosters using eligibility limited to past AP first-team All-Americans and excluding professional play
• First-team offense highlights include Tim Tebow at quarterback with Barry Sanders and Herschel Walker in the backfield alongside specialists Sebastian Janikowski and Tory Taylor
• Big Ten school alumni lead the first team with seven selections, while Ohio State and Pittsburgh each contributed three players to the all-time first squad
• Only three first-team honorees played before 1970 despite cautions against recency bias, fueling debate over omitted legends such as Anthony Munoz and Ray Guy
• Five of the 25 first-team picks are Heisman Trophy winners and 21 are College Football Hall of Famers, and AP’s 2025 seasonal All-America team will follow in December