Bama’s Young named AP player of year
Alabama quarterback Bryce Young is the Associated Press college football player of the year, giving the Crimson Tide its second consecutive winner.
Young received 42 of 53 first-place votes from AP Top 25 voters and 137 points to easily finish ahead of Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson for the AP Player of the Year honor.
Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett was third, Alabama linebacker Will Anderson Jr. was fourth and Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud was fifth.
Young, Huchinson, Pickett and Stroud are the finalists for the Heisman Trophy, which will be presented Saturday.
Young passed for 4,322 yards and 43 touchdowns, leading the top-ranked Tide to the SEC title and the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff.
Later Thursday, during the ESPN College Football Awards show, Young won the Davey O’brien Award as the nation’s top quarter-back. Other winners included Georgia defensive tackle Jordan Davis, who won the Bednarik Award as the top defensive player, and Kenneth Walker III of Michigan State, who became the first Spartans player to win the Doak Walker award as the nation’s best running back.
Worthy among Big 12 honorees
Iowa State running back Breece Hall is the AP Big 12 offensive player of the year for the second year in a row. Baylor has the Big 12’s top defender and coach.
Jalen Pitre was named defensive player of the year, and second-year coach Dave Aranda also was honored in the AP All-big 12 team and awards released Thursday.
Texas freshman receiver Xavier Worthy, who had 62 catches and leads the Big 12 with 981 yards and 12 touchdowns receiving, was voted newcomer of the year. He also is a first-team All-big 12 pick at receiver. Running back Bijan Robinson joined him on the first team. Lineman Derek Kerstetter was named to the second team.
Trio of Aggies 1st-team ALL-SEC
Texas A&M is well-represented on the AP ALLSEC team for a program that finished 8-4 overall and fifth in the SEC West.
Offensive lineman Kenyon Green, defensive lineman Demarvin Leal and punter Nik Constantinou earned first-team recognition. Running back Isaiah Spiller, tight end Jalen Wydermyer, offensive lineman Layden Robinson, defensive back Antonio Johnson and defensive end Tyree Johnson made the second team.
Baylor’s Bernard in line for award
Michigan’s Hutchinson, Notre Dame’s Jack Coan and Baylor linebacker Terrel Bernard were among nine semifinalists for the Mayo Clinic Comeback Player of the Year.
The other semifinalists announced Thursday were West Virginia defensive lineman Taijh Alston, Johns Hopkins receiver Ryan Hubley, Florida State quarterback Mckenzie Milton, Utah quarterback Cameron Rising, Stetson defensive lineman Avery Samuels and Kentucky linebacker J.J. Weaver.
Three winners and six honorable mentions will be revealed Dec. 21, and $30,000 donations will be made in their names to the general scholarship funds of each player’s school.
USC star receiver declares for draft
Southern California receiver Drake London has declared his eligibility for the NFL draft after three seasons with the Trojans.
London was named the Pac-12’s offensive player of the year after racking up 88 catches for 1,084 yards and seven touchdowns.