The Big Ten delivered one of its loudest postseason statements in years on Monday, placing 10 players on the Associated Press All-America first team — with Ohio State and Indiana at the center of the national spotlight. The full list was released as part of the AP’s annual honors, voted on by a panel of AP Top 25 poll voters. (ESPN/AP write-up)
Ohio State led the conference’s first-team haul with four selections, including star safety Caleb Downs, who repeated as a first-team All-American and was recognized as the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. Indiana, meanwhile, saw its dream season reflected at the very top of the ballot through quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the AP Player of the Year and the engine of a perfect regular season.
Ohio State’s four first-team selections
The Buckeyes’ presence on the first team was balanced across the roster, showing up in both skill positions and the defensive front seven. Downs anchored the back end, while wide receiver Jeremiah Smith represented the explosive side of the offense. In the trenches, defensive lineman Kayden McDonald earned first-team recognition, and linebacker Arvell Reese rounded out the Ohio State quartet.
Downs’ story also reflects a defining theme of modern college football: roster movement. He began his college career elsewhere before becoming a national headliner in Columbus, and he was one of a notable number of first-team selections who did not start at their current program.
Indiana’s Mendoza puts a historic season in ink
If Ohio State supplied the volume, Indiana supplied the headline moment. Mendoza — a transfer who transformed the Hoosiers into a weekly prime-time storyline — finished the season with a nation-leading 33 touchdown passes and guided Indiana to a 13–0 record and the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff, according to the AP report.
Mendoza’s rise also came with the sport’s most famous individual trophy: he was announced as the 2025 Heisman Trophy winner over the weekend, a milestone moment for both the player and the program. (Official Heisman announcement)
Big Ten’s first-team list: where the conference hit hardest
The Big Ten’s 10 first-teamers weren’t confined to one side of the ball. The conference showed up at premium positions — including quarterback, wide receiver, interior defensive line, linebacker, and safety — which is often a strong signal of league-wide strength. Ohio State and Indiana drew most of the attention, but other Big Ten programs also landed key first-team spots.
Notable Big Ten first-team names mentioned in the AP release include:
- QB: Fernando Mendoza (Indiana)
- WR: Jeremiah Smith (Ohio State)
- DL: Kayden McDonald (Ohio State)
- LB: Arvell Reese (Ohio State)
- S: Caleb Downs (Ohio State)
- OL standouts: Iowa’s Beau Stephens (G) and Logan Jones (C) were also listed on the first-team offense in the AP rundown.
National context: Notre Dame’s lead grows, and new programs break through
The AP All-America team has been released annually since 1925, and this year’s selections added another chapter to college football’s long-running honor roll. The AP report noted that Notre Dame’s two first-team picks this season increased the program’s all-time lead to 87 first-team selections.
Beyond the traditional powers, the 2025 list also included landmark moments for programs that rarely get first-team All-America shine. The AP write-up highlighted Western Kentucky’s first-ever first-team pick (punter Cole Maynard), Navy’s first first-team defensive lineman in decades (Landon Robinson), and Hawaii’s first first-team kicker since the 1980s (Kansei Matsuzawa).
Why this matters heading into the postseason
Awards don’t win playoff games — but they do shape how the sport remembers a season. For the Big Ten, placing 10 players on the AP first team reinforces a simple takeaway: the conference didn’t just have a few stars; it had impact players spread across positions that usually decide tight games in December and January.
For Ohio State, the honors underline roster depth and defensive leadership. For Indiana, Mendoza’s sweep of major recognition puts a spotlight on a program that has turned from a feel-good story into a genuine national standard-bearer this season.
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