Pitt’s Jones, WVU’s Stills named Sporting News first-team All-Americans
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Pitt senior defensive end Patrick Jones II and West Virginia senior defensive tackle Darius Stills have been named first-team All-Americans by the Sporting News, the publication announced Tuesday.
Jones is the 94th first-team All-American in Pitt football history. He finished the season with 44 tackles, 13 tackles for a loss, nine sacks and a fumble recovery. The sack total led the Atlantic Coast Conference and was fourth nationally.
Jones added the first-team honor to his AP second-team selection from Monday.
Panthers senior defensive end Rashad Weaver was a second-team Sporting News selection. He garnered AP first-team recognition Monday.
The last time Pitt had two All-American first-team picks at the same position in the same season was in 1982. That year, Jimbo Covert and Bill Fralic each were honored for their play at offensive tackle.
Jones and Weaver were a disruptive force along the defensive front for the Panthers and combined for 16½ sacks. That total by a pair of teammates ranked first in the ACC and tied for first nationally.
Both will play in the Senior Bowl on Jan. 30 in Mobile, Ala.
Smith, who has 22 tackles, 3½ sacks and 7½ tackles for a loss heading into the Mountaineers’ Liberty Bowl matchup with Army, adds this first-team selection to the one he garnered Monday from the AP.
The Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year also owns first-team honors from the USA Today, Bleacher Report and ESPN.
He is the first WVU player to pick up first-team All-American recognition from the Sporting News since David Sills V in 2017.
Mountaineer sophomore safety Tykee Smith was named to the Sporting News second team after receiving third-team plaudits by the AP. He leads the team with two interceptions and is second in tackles for a loss (eight), total tackles (61) and solo stops (33).
The Sporting News All-American Team is one of five recognized by the NCAA, joining the AP and the Football Writers Association of America, the American Football Coaches Association and the Walter Camp Football Foundation.
The 2020 Sporting News All-America Team
FIRST TEAM
Offense
Quarterback – Mac Jones, junior, Alabama
Running backs – Najee Harris, senior, Alabama; Breece Hall, sophomore Iowa State
Receivers – DeVonta Smith, senior, Alabama; Elijah Moore, junior, Ole Miss
Tight end – Kyle Pitts, junior, Florida
Tackles – Liam Eichenberg, senior, Notre Dame, Alex Leatherwood, senior, Alabama
Guards – Wyatt Davis, junior, Ohio State; Kenyon Green, sophomore, Texas A&M
Center – Landon Dickerson, senior, Alabama
Athlete – Travis Etienne, senior, Clemson
Defense
Defensive Line – Patrick Jones II, senior, Pitt; Daviyon Nixon, junior, Iowa; Cade Hall, junior, San Jose State; Darius Stills, senior, West Virginia
Linebackers – Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, senior, Notre Dame; Zaven Collins, junior, Tulsa; Chazz Surratt, grad student, North Carolina
Cornerbacks – Shaun Wade, senior, Ohio State; Patrick Surtain II, junior, Alabama
Safeties – Talanoa Hufanga, junior, USC; Brandon Joseph, redshirt freshman, Northwestern
Special Teams
Kicker – Jose Borregales, senior, Miami
Punter – Pressley Harvin III, senior, Georgia Tech
SECOND TEAM
Offense
Quarterback – Kyle Trask, senior, Florida
Running backs – Kyren Williams, Notre Dame; Jaret Patterson, junior, Buffalo
Receivers – Jonathan Adams Jr., senior, Arkansas State; Jaelon Darden, senior, North Texas
Tight end – Hunter Long, junior, Boston College
Tackles – Darian Kinnard, junior, Kentucky; Brady Christensen, junior, BYU
Guards – Aaron Banks, senior, Notre Dame; Ryan Neuzil, senior, Appalachian State
Center – Josh Myers, junior, Ohio State
Athlete – Javonte Williams, junior, North Carolina
Defense
Defensive line – Tarron Jackson, senior, Coastal Carolina; Rashad Weaver, senior, Pitt; Patrick Johnson, senior, Tulane; Haskell Garrett, senior, Ohio State
Linebackers – Devin Lloyd, junior, Utah; Mike Rose, junior, Iowa State; Joseph Ossai, junior, Texas
Cornerbacks – Derek Stingley Jr., sophomore, LSU; Shemar Jean-Charles, senior, Appalachian State
Safeties – Tykee Smith, sophomore, West Virginia; Trevon Moehrig, junior, TCU
Special Teams
Kicker – Will Reichard, sophomore, Alabama
Punter – Lucas Dean, sophomore, UTSA
Returner – Trestan Ebner, senior, Baylor