College Football

CFP title game's Michigan, Washington each have two AP All-Bowl Team players

Published Jan. 5, 2024 1:31 p.m. ET

Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr.’s wizardry in the Sugar Bowl got the Huskies into Monday’s College Football Playoff championship game.

It also earned him a spot on the Associated Press’ all-bowl team.

There were enough memorable individual performances in this postseason to cause us to expand our team a little. The AP made room for three running backs who each rushed for at least 200 yards in their respective bowl games and added an all-purpose spot both on offense and special teams.

Here’s a look at the team now that all the postseason games other than the championship game have been played.

OFFENSE

Quarterback

Michael Penix Jr., Washington (Sugar): The Heisman Trophy runner-up went 29 of 38 for 430 yards with a pair of touchdowns as the second-ranked Huskies won 37-31 over No. 3 Texas. He also had three carries for 31 yards.

Running back

Freddie Brock, Georgia State (Famous Idaho Potato): After 1,350-yard rusher Marcus Carroll entered the transfer portal, Brock made his first start at Georgia State in the bowl game and rushed for a school-record 276 yards on 24 carries to lead the Panthers past Utah State, 45-22. Brock had just six carries for 31 yards during the regular season.

Emmanuel Michel, Air Force (Armed Forces): Michel had 35 carries for a career-high 203 yards and a pair of touchdowns in a 31-21 win over No. 24 James Madison, which entered bowl season ranked first among all FBS teams in run defense.

Darius Taylor, Minnesota (Quick Lane): After missing five games with a leg injury, Taylor returned for the bowl game and rushed for 208 yards and a touchdown on 35 carries as Minnesota defeated Bowling Green, 30-24. He also had two catches for 11 yards. Taylor’s running prowess helped the Gophers win a game in which they had just 26 yards passing.

Wide receiver

Lawrence Arnold and Luke Grimm, Kansas (Guaranteed Rate): This duo is one of two receiving tandems to make our all-bowl team. Arnold and Grimm each scored three touchdowns in Kansas’ 49-36 triumph over UNLV. Grimm had four receptions for 160 yards. Arnold caught six passes for 132 yards.

Tez Johnson, Oregon (Fiesta): Johnson caught 11 passes for 172 yards and a touchdown as No. 8 Oregon trounced No. 23 Liberty, 45-6.

Rashod Owens and Brennan Presley, Oklahoma State (Texas): Owens caught 10 passes for 164 yards and two touchdowns as No. 20 Oklahoma State defeated Texas A&M, 31-23. Presley didn’t score but caught 16 passes — tying a school record — for 152 yards.

Tight end

Caden Prieskorn, Ole Miss (Peach): Prieskorn had 10 catches for a career-high 136 yards and scored two touchdowns as No. 11 Ole Miss beat No. 10 Penn State, 38-25.

Line

Cooper Beebe, Kansas State (Pop Tarts): This AP All-America first-team guard opted to play for No. 25 Kansas State in its 28-19 victory over No. 18 North Carolina State rather than getting a head start on draft preparation. Beebe paved the way for Kansas State to gain 435 total yards, including 257 rushing.

Will Campbell, LSU (Reliaquest): Campbell had the flu in the days leading up to this game, yet he played every snap and didn’t allow a sack while helping No. 13 LSU gain 492 yards in a 35-31 win over Wisconsin.

Ajani Cornelius, Oregon (Fiesta): Cornelius didn’t allow a single pressure in 37 pass-blocking opportunities during the bowl game. Oregon didn’t allow a single sack in the Fiesta Bowl and gave up only five this season — the fewest of any FBS team.

Ashton Craig, Notre Dame (Sun): In just his third career start, this center helped No. 16 Notre Dame gain 468 total yards in a 40-8 victory over No. 19 Oregon State despite playing without its usual starting quarterback, leading rusher or starting tackles due to opt-outs.

Sedrick Van Pran, Georgia (Orange): While making his 44th consecutive start at center, Van Pran helped No. 6 Georgia gain 673 total yards — including 372 rushing — in a 63-3 blowout of No. 5 Florida State.

All-purpose

Blake Corum, Michigan (Rose): Corum ran for 83 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries and also caught two passes for 35 yards and a score as No. 1 Michigan reached the national championship game by beating No. 4 Alabama, 27-20, in overtime. Corum put Michigan ahead for good with a 17-yard touchdown run in overtime.

DEFENSE

Line

Mason Graham, Michigan (Rose): Graham was named the Rose Bowl’s defensive player of the game after helping Michigan contain Jalen Milroe and Alabama. He delivered one of the game’s biggest plays by throwing Jase McClellan for a 5-yard loss in overtime.

James Pearce, Tennessee (Citrus): Pearce scored on a 52-yard interception return and also had a strip sack to set up a touchdown as No. 21 Tennessee rolled to a 35-0 pummeling of No. 17 Iowa. Iowa’s Joe Evans also deserves credit for delivering 4.0 sacks in a losing cause.

Bralen Trice, Washington (Sugar): Trice forced a fumble and had three tackles for loss and a pair of sacks.

Johnny Walker, Missouri (Cotton): Walker forced a fumble, recorded a sack and was named the game’s defensive MVP after No. 9 Missouri won 14-3 over No. 7 Ohio State. Ohio State’s Jack Sawyer also had an outstanding game, producing 3.0 sacks.

Linebacker

Barrett Carter, Clemson (Gator): Carter intercepted a pass, broke up three and also recovered a fumble for No. 22 Clemson in a 38-35 victory over Kentucky. He recorded takeaways on two consecutive Kentucky snaps during the fourth quarter.

Brian Holloway, Texas State (First Responder): Holloway scored two touchdowns on interception returns of 36 and 48 yards as Texas State defeated Rice, 45-21. Holloway also had six tackles.

Chandler Martin, Memphis (Liberty): Martin had eight tackles — five behind the line of scrimmage — and a sack in Memphis’ 36-26 triumph over Iowa State. Memphis held Iowa State to zero yards rushing.

Bo Richter, Air Force (Armed Forces): Richter forced a fumble and had 4.5 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks.

Secondary

Jalen Clark, Louisiana-Lafayette (New Orleans): Although his team lost 34-31 to Jacksonville State in overtime, Clark scored a pair of touchdowns on a 46-yard fumble return and a 16-yard interception return.

Daquan Evans, South Florida (Boca Raton): Evans forced a fumble that Tramel Logan returned 61 yards for a touchdown in USF’s 45-0 blowout of Syracuse. Evans also recorded five tackles — two for loss — and a sack.

Ahmari Harvey, Georgia Tech (Gasparilla): Harvey had an interception, two pass breakups and six solo tackles in Georgia Tech’s 30-17 victory over UCF.

Gunner Maldonado, Arizona (Alamo): Maldonado recovered two fumbles — returning one of them for an 87-yard touchdown — and also had an interception and nine tackles as No. 14 Arizona won 38-24 over No. 12 Oklahoma.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Kicker

John Hoyland, Wyoming (Arizona): Hoyland kicked a 24-yard field goal as time expired to give Wyoming a 16-15 victory over Toledo. He also made field goals from 34 and 52 yards out.

Punter

James Burnip, Alabama (Rose): Burnip averaged 50.3 yards on his seven punts and put five inside Michigan’s 20-yard line without having any touchbacks.

Kick Returner

Barion Brown, Kentucky (Gator): Brown had a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in Kentucky’s loss to Clemson. He also scored on a 22-yard run from scrimmage.

Punt Returner

Beanie Bishop, West Virginia (Duke’s Mayo): Bishop reached the end zone on a 78-yard punt return as West Virginia defeated North Carolina, 30-10.

All-Purpose

Tom Foley, Northern Illinois (Camellia): Foley landed all three punts inside the opponent’s 20 in Northern Illinois’ 21-19 victory over Arkansas State. He also is Northern Illinois’ holder, flipping a pass to kicker Kanon Woodill on a fake field-goal attempt that turned into a 32-yard touchdown.

Reporting by The Associated Press.