DALLAS (FWAA) – The 15th annual Football Writers Association of America Freshman All-America Team has a southern feel to it and includes four players who will help decide the College Football Playoff National Championship tonight in Glendale, Ariz.
Alabama wide receiver Calvin Ridley and cornerback Marlon Humphrey face off against Clemson defensive tackle Christian Wilkins and offensive tackle Mitch Hyatt when their teams meet at University of Phoenix Stadium. Ridley and Humphrey are among eight players from the Southeastern Conference on the Freshman All-America team, the most of any conference. Alabama and Clemson led the list with two players each, along with fellow SEC member Missouri and Texas.
The Big 12 had five players on the team, with the Pac-12, Big Ten and ACC earning three slots. Each of the Division I conferences is represented on the team along with Notre Dame. There are 24 different schools represented on the 29-man team.
The First Year Coach of the Year went to Houston’s Tom Herman, who guided the Cougars to a 13-1 record and a 38-24 win over Florida State in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. Herman was the offensive coordinator at Ohio State during its 2014 national championship season, and drew praise from the FWAA panel with his high-scoring attack that took Houston to the American Athletic Conference title in his first season.
Incoming FWAA president Mark Anderson led the 10-person panel of nationally-prominent writers that represent each of the FBS conferences in the selecting the team. Both true freshmen (19 players) and redshirt freshmen (10 players) were considered for the team and are so noted on the list below.
2015 FWAA FRESHMAN ALL-AMERICA TEAM
OFFENSE (12)
QB • Josh Rosen, UCLA (6-4, 210, Manhattan Beach, Calif.)
RB • Saquon Barkley, Penn State (5-11, 222, Coplay, Pa.)
RB • Myles Gaskin, Washington (5-9, 192, Lynnwood, Wash.)
RB Mike Warren, Iowa State (6-0, 200, Lawton, Okla.)
WR • Penny Hart, Georgia State (5-9, 170, Buford, Ga.)
WR Richie James, Middle Tennessee (5-9, 171, Sarasota, Fla.)
WR • Calvin Ridley, Alabama (6-1, 188, Coconut Creek, Fla.)
OL William Clapp, LSU (6-5, 303, New Orleans, La.)
OL • Will Noble, Houston (6-4, 290, Leander, Texas)
OL • Mitch Hyatt, Clemson (6-5, 295, Suwanee, Ga.)
OL Max Scharping, Northern Illinois (6-6, 311, Green Bay, Wis.)
OL • Connor Williams, Texas (6-5, 283, Coppell, Texas)
DEFENSE (12)
DE Walter Brady, Missouri (6-3, 255, Florence, Ala.)
DE Jaylon Ferguson, Louisiana Tech (6-5, 256, St. Francisville, La.)
DT • Terry Beckner Jr., Missouri (6-4, 300, East St. Louis, Ill.)
DT • Christian Wilkins, Clemson (6-4, 315, Springfield, Mass.)
LB T.J. Edwards, Wisconsin (6-1, 238, Lake Villa, Ill.)
LB • Dre Greenlaw, Arkansas (6-0, 222, Fayetteville, Ark.)
LB • Malik Jefferson, Texas (6-3, 232, Mesquite, Texas)
DB Marlon Humphrey, Alabama (6-1, 192, Hoover, Ala.)
DB Kareem Orr, Arizona State (5-11, 195, Chattanooga, Tenn.)
DB Jabrill Peppers, Michigan (6-1, 205, East Orange, N.J.)
DB • Andrew Wingard, Wyoming (6-0, 194, Arvada, Colo.)
DB • Jordan Whitehead, Pittsburgh (5-11, 185, Aliquippa, Pa.)
SPECIALISTS (5)
K • Justin Yoon, Notre Dame (5-10, 185, Nashville, Tenn.)
P • Austin Seibert, Oklahoma (5-10, 210, Belleville, Ill.)
AP • Christian Kirk, Texas A&M (5-11, 200, Scottsdale, Ariz.)
KR • Kavontae Turpin, TCU (5-9, 152, Monroe, La.)
PR • Antonio Callaway, Florida (5-11, 198, Miami, Fla.)
HEAD COACH
Tom Herman, Houston (Finalists: Jim Harbaugh, Michigan and Pat Narduzzi, Pittsburgh).
• Denotes true freshman
Celebrating its 75th season, the Football Writers Association of America, a non-profit organization, consists of more than 1,400 men and women who cover college football. The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas that include game-day operations, major awards and its annual All-America team. For more information about the FWAA and its award programs, contact Steve Richardson at tiger@fwaa.com or 214-870-6516.
2015 FWAA FRESHMAN ALL-AMERICA COMMITTEE
Mark Anderson, Las Vegas Review Journal (MWC)
Mark Blaudschun, AJerseyGuy.com (ACC)
Andrew Greif, OregonLive.com (Pac-12)
Mike Griffith, MLive Media Group (Big Ten/Independents)
Tommy Hicks, Mobile Press-Register (Sun Belt)
Ron Higgins, NOLA.com (SEC)
Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star (Big 12)
Doug Smock, Charleston Gazette (American Athletic)
Phil Stukenborg, Memphis Commercial Appeal (C-USA)
John Wagner, Toledo Blade (MAC)
