Big Ten puts 10 players on AP All-America first team

 

Associated Press

Dec 15, 2025, 12:11 PM ET

Four players from Ohio State Buckeyes are among 10 first-team picks from the Big Ten on the Associated Press All-America team released Monday, a group headed by repeat selection Caleb Downs of the Buckeyes and AP Player of the Year Fernando Mendoza of Indiana Hoosiers.

 

The AP has named an All-America team every year since 1925, and Notre Dame's two first-team picks this season increased its all-time lead to 87.

 

Downs, the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, has made the first team each of his two seasons at Ohio State after landing on the second team as a freshman at Alabama in 2023. He is one of 12 players on the 27-man first team who did not start their careers at their current school. Downs is joined on the first team by fellow Buckeyes Jeremiah Smith, Kayden McDonald and Arvell Reese.

 

Mendoza, who won the Heisman Trophy over the weekend, led the top-ranked Hoosiers to a 13-0 record and the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff after transferring from California. He has thrown a nation-leading 33 touchdown passes and is the catalyst of one of the most productive offenses in the country.

 

A total of 18 schools are represented on the first team, including seven of the 12 in the CFP.

 

Iowa has had at least one first-team player seven straight years and in 10 of the last 12. This is the fourth year in a row Miami, Notre Dame and Ohio State have had at least one.

 

Punter Cole Maynard gave Western Kentucky its first-ever first-team pick. Defensive lineman Landon Robinson is Navy's first since 1975, and kicker Kansei Matsuzawa is the first since 1986 for Hawaii.

 

The AP All-America team was selected by a panel of 52 college Top 25 poll voters.

 

First-team offense

Wide receiver: Makai Lemon, Southern California, junior, 5-foot-11, 195 pounds, Los Angeles.

 

Wide receiver: Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State, sophomore, 6-3, 223, Miami Gardens, Florida.

 

Wide receiver: Skyler Bell, UConn, senior, 6-0, 185, New York.

 

Tackle: Francis Mauigoa, Miami, junior, 6-6, 335, Ili'ili, American Samoa.

 

Tackle: Spencer Fano, Utah, junior, 6-6, 308, Spanish Fork, Utah.

 

Guard: Emmanuel Pregnon, Oregon, senior, 6-5, 318, Denver.

 

Guard: Beau Stephens, Iowa, senior, 6-5, 315, Blue Springs, Missouri.

 

Center: Logan Jones, Iowa, graduate, 6-3, 202, Council Bluffs, Iowa.

 

Tight end: Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt, graduate, 6-4, 235, Denton, Texas.

 

Quarterback: Fernando Mendoza, Indiana, junior, 6-5, 225, Miami.

 

Running back: Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame, junior, 6-0, 214, St. Louis.

 

Running back: Ahmad Hardy, Missouri, sophomore, 5-10, 210, Oma, Mississippi.

 

Kicker: Kansei Matsuzawa, Hawaii, senior, 6-2, 200, Tokyo.

 

All-purpose: KC Concepcion, Texas A&M, junior, 5-11, 190, Charlotte, North Carolina.

 

First-team defense

 

Edge rusher: David Bailey, Texas Tech, senior, 6-3, 250, Irvine, California.

 

Edge rusher: Cashius Howell, Texas A&M, senior, 6-2, 248, Kansas City, Missouri.

 

Interior lineman: Kayden McDonald, Ohio State, junior, 6-3, 326, Suwanee, Georgia.

 

Interior lineman: Landon Robinson, Navy, senior, 6-0, 287, Fairlawn, Ohio.

 

Linebacker: Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech, senior, 6-1, 235, Wichita Falls, Texas.

 

Linebacker: Arvell Reese, Ohio State, junior, 6-4, 243, Cleveland.

 

Linebacker: CJ Allen, Georgia, junior, 6-1, 235, Barnesville, Georgia.

 

Cornerback: Leonard Moore, Notre Dame, sophomore, 6-2, 195, Round Rock, Texas.

 

Cornerback: Mansoor Delane, LSU, senior, 6-0, 190, Silver Spring, Maryland.

 

Safety: Caleb Downs, Ohio State, junior, 6-0, 205, Hoschton, Georgia.

 

Safety: Bishop Fitzgerald, Southern California, senior, 5-11, 205, Woodbridge, Virginia.

 

Defensive back: Jakari Foster, Louisiana Tech, senior, 6-0, 211, Piedmont, Alabama.

 

Punter: Cole Maynard, Western Kentucky, senior, 6-1, 180, Mooresville, North Carolina.

 

Iowa's Kirk Ferentz to coach 28th season with Hawkeyes in '26

 

Adam Rittenberg

Dec 3, 2025, 03:57 PM ET

Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz, the nation's longest-tenured coach in the FBS, will return in 2026 for a 28th season with the Hawkeyes.

 

Ferentz, 70, confirmed his expected return Wednesday, telling reporters he has the support of his wife, Mary, and is in good health. In September, Ferentz surpassed Ohio State's Woody Hayes for most coaching wins at a Big Ten school.

 

He guided Iowa to an 8-4 record during the regular season, his fifth consecutive season of eight or more wins. Ferentz is 212-128 overall at Iowa, where he was hired in late 1998.

 

"I don't envision stopping in the near future," he said.

 

Ferentz is under contract through the 2029 season and told the Des Moines Register this summer that he expects to sign another contract at some point.

 

Iowa has appeared in 21 bowl games under Ferentz, and will learn this year's bowl destination Sunday.

 

Iowa's Kirk Ferentz Earns National Recognition

 

Nearly two months after his historic win, Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz has been nationally recognized.

Jordon Lawrenz | November 2, 2025

 

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Atlanta is the place all college football coaches and players want to be. The Chick-Fil-A College Football Hall of Fame is home to the most iconic individuals and moments the game has seen. Now, Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz has his name etched in history.

One of the main things that Iowa set out to do this season was make Ferentz the all-time winningest coach in B1G history. He did just that, breaking the record on September 13 when Iowa destroyed UMass, 47-7.

Iowa's big win wasn't only a confidence booster after their Iowa State loss, but it helped Ferentz cross off something he likely never expected. Now, that game ball and a note are in the College Football Hall of Fame.

Kirk Ferentz Recognized in Atlanta

https://x.com/HawkeyeFootball/status/1984640133799240179?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1984640133799240179%7Ctwgr%5E16c339e395e64172ef652ab40a7a956ca7664a70%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.si.com%2Fcollege%2Fiowa%2Ffootball%2Fiowa-hawkeyes-kirk-ferentz-earns-national-recognition

Not only is the game ball able to be seen by everyone in Atlanta, but the College Football Hall of Fame had Ferentz sign it as well. Along with his signature is an inscription, "Go Hawks!"

His section at the HOF reads "BIG TIME", in nod to his historic Big 10 achievement. Ferentz's record may be untouchable as the modern era of college football doesn't see the longevity of someone like him. Iowa has had him in their back pocket since 1999 and they're going to ride with Ferentz as long as they possibly can.

Iowa's head coach hasn't always been met with the most positive comments, but he's been successful for over 20 years. He turned around a one-win program to a team that makes bowl games each and every year. They might not have the nation's most exciting offense, but they're constantly in the B1G title picture and Ferentz is a huge part of that.

Ferentz's Iconic Moment

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While it wasn't a game winning field goal or last second touchdown that broke the record for Ferentz, he wouldn't have had it any other way. The 70-year-old had a stress free game as the Hawkeyes dominated the Minutemen for a 40-point win, their biggest of the season.

Iowa has lost just one game since then, 20-15, to No. 11 Indiana. Now, the Hoosiers are ranked No. 2 and are right on Ohio State's tail. That loss is nothing to be upset about, though it shows just how competitive and prepared Ferentz always is. This season, Iowa is 6-2 (4-1) with both of their losses being by a combined eight points. Had Indiana not taken a safety as time expired, they would've only lost that game by three.

https://www.si.com/college/iowa/football/iowa-hawkeyes-leverage-themselves-national-ranking