A third All-American Team is released.
The Associated Press unveiled its group Monday, and five Alabama players made it.
Nick Saban had the most players (three) named first-team All-American, and the Crimson Tide shared the mark for second-most choices in the nation.
RELATED: Alabama linebacker Will Anderson is a Consensus All-American
Bryce Young (quarterback), Will Anderson (linebacker), and Jameson Williams (wide receiver) made first-team.
Young, a sophomore, is Alabama’s first Heisman Trophy winner at quarterback.
He tossed for 4,322 passing yards with 43 touchdowns. Young guided the Crimson Tide to the nation’s No. 2 third-down offense, converting 53.6 percent of the time. He completed 70.8% of his passes on third down (80-113) for 1,329 yards and 14 touchdowns.
The 6-foot, 194-pounder led Alabama to an SEC Championship and has it in the College Football Playoff.
Anderson, a sophomore, won the Bronko Nagurski Trophy. The honor goes to the best defensive player in college football. Anderson is one of the most dominant edge rushers in the sport. He leads all Divison I FBS defenders in sacks (15.5) and tackles for loss (32.5).
Anderson has 92 tackles — second on the team — nine quarterback hurries (team-high) and two pass breakups.
RELATED: DeVonta Smith gives amazing Heisman Trophy tribute to Bryce Young
Williams, a junior, was a huge pickup for Alabama via the transfer portal.
He is tied for second in the nation and first in the SEC with two kickoff return touchdowns.
Williams recorded a school-record versus Southern Mississippi with two kick return scores. He has a team-high nine kickoff returns for a team-best 337 yards, averaging 37.4 yards per return. Williams is also excellent on kickoff and punt coverage. As a wide receiver, he totals 68 catches for 1,445 yards and 15 touchdowns.
He leads receivers for yards, touchdowns, yards per catch (21.3), and yards per game (111.2).
Evan Neal, a junior offensive tackle, got second-team honors from the AP.
He played in 927 snaps in over 13 games.
Neal has not allowed a sack and anchors an offensive front that’s provided time for Alabama to rank No. 4 in the nation for scoring offense (42.5 ppg), No. 5 for pass efficiency offense (175.5), No. 2 in third-down conversion percentage (53.6), No. 7 for passing offense (347.9 ypg), and No. 11 for red zone offense (91.8). Neal has a team-high 30 knockdown blocks for the Tide.
Jordan Battle, a junior safety, made third-team All-American.
Battle leads Alabama’s defensive secondary and is a first-team All-SEC selection. He is third on the team in tackles (75), including 42 solo stops. Battle is the team’s co-leader in interceptions (three), including two returned for touchdowns. He returned one for a 42-yard touchdown against Georgia in the SEC Championship Game. Battle also has three pass breakups, one tackle for loss, and one quarterback hurry.
*Get the BEST Alabama football insider information, message board access, and recruiting coverage today! SIGN UP HERE to unlock our subscriber-only content!*
Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
