2018 Yardbarker college football All-American Team

It would be a shame for college football fans if Murray's future really is on the baseball diamond. The leader of one of the most dynamic offenses in history, Murray has been the game's most exciting player all season and might very well have surpassed Tua Tagovailoa as the Heisman favorite. Murray is first in the nation in total offense (4,945 yards), second in completion percentage (70.9), second in passing touchdowns (40) and third in passing yards (4,053) — all for an Oklahoma team looking to take down Alabama in the national semifinals.

Taylor backed up a stellar freshman campaign with another gem in 2018. Though Wisconsin underachieved as a team, Taylor enters the bowl season as the country's leading rusher (1,989 yards) and in yards per game (165.8). He topped the 200-yard mark four times in '18, highlighted by a career-best 321 in a 47-44 triple-overtime victory at Purdue on Nov. 17.

Small in stature (5-foot-9) but a big-time threat with the ball — that's Henderson in a nutshell. He's second only to Wisconsin's Taylor, with 1,909 rushing yards, and his 22 rushing TDs are tied for second in the nation. A remarkable 13 of his national-leading 25 total touchdowns this season covered 40 yards or more. Also for the second season in a row, Henderson is averaging 8.9 yards per carry.

Whether Brown is healthy enough to face Alabama on Dec. 29 is one of the biggest questions needing an answer during the bowl season. Not having the talented receiver would be a major blow to the Sooners, after Brown ranked among the national leaders with 1,318 receiving yards and 109.8 per contest. Brown and CeeDee Lamb make up perhaps the country's most entertaining receiving duo. 

It's fun having an exceptionally accurate passer like Tua Tagovailoa throwing the ball your way. Jeudy is the grateful recipient of a team-leading 59 receptions for 1,103 yards and 12 touchdowns. He can beat opposing defensive backs in a variety of ways and is one of the most sure-handed pass-catchers in the country. Imagine the day he might have against Oklahoma's generous secondary.

Sternberger went from being a little-used freshman at Kansas in 2016 to arguably the best at his position this season for Texas A&M. He leads the Aggies in both receptions (47) and receiving yards (804), and his 10 touchdowns are the most among all tight ends in the country. Sternberger had seven catches for 145 yards and a touchdown at South Carolina in October.

A starter since his freshman season, Williams could probably start in the NFL at this moment. At 6-foot-5, 301 pounds, Williams is both technically sound and physically gifted to play the edge on either side of the line. He's also quite capable of excelling both in run and pass blocking.  

The 6-foot-3, 315, Stallings is a big reason Kentucky running back Benny Snell has topped 1,000 rushing yards in three straight seasons and 1,300 in 2017 and again this year. His father, Robert, and brother Tre' both played in the NFL, and it looks like this Stallings will follow a similar path.

A three-year starter, Bradbury is among the most durable linemen in the country, playing more than 95 percent of North Carolina State's offensive snaps this season and last. He played a key role in quarterback Ryan Finley throwing for more than 3,000 yards each year starting in 2016 and Reggie Gallaspy rushing for 1,012 yards this season. 

It takes talent to block for national rushing leader Jonathan Taylor, but then again, Wisconsin is known for its bruising linemen. Benzschawel is next on the list, along with Michael Deiter. However, it's Benzschawel who has made 48 straight starts and gets the job done, creating holes between tackles for Taylor and the rest of the Badger runners to excel. 

Clemson's uber-talented defensive line usually gets most of the pub, but Hyatt anchors an unheralded group on the opposite side of the ball. The All-ACC selection became the Tigers' career leader in snaps from scrimmage when he topped Dalton Freeman's record 3,361 against Louisville in early November.

Pick a star, any star on Clemson's vaunted defensive line, but Ferrell might be the brightest. With 10.5 sacks this season, Ferrell has recorded 26 for his career and should be a first-round lock, likely, in the 2019 NFL Draft. Did we mention: Ferrell also has 17 tackles for loss heading into Clemson's semifinal against Notre Dame.

Looking for the ultimate role model on the college football scene, search no further than the Tigers' Wilkins. The winner of the 2018 Campbell Trophy for the country's top scholar-athlete, Wilkins is one of the more versatile defensive linemen around and even scored two touchdowns on offense this season. The All-American has recorded 13.5 tackles for loss and 52 total tackles this season.

Two years ago, Williams was trying to get through a redshirt season. Now he's arguably the best interior defensive linemen in the country. After getting his feet wet last season as a redshirt freshman, Williams recorded a team-high 18 tackles for loss and has eight sacks in 2018. His 42 unassisted tackles are tied for the team lead on a squad with a second consecutive national title in its sights.

Undersized at 6-foot-1, 237, but no longer underappreciated, Smith proved for a second consecutive season that he can be just as dominant as the big-name defenders in the Power Five conferences. Smith is tied for the national lead with 15 sacks and second with 24.5 tackles for loss. He's also scored twice this season for the Mid-American Conference champs.

We talk about dynamic offensive players like Kyler Murray or Darrell Henderson, but Allen might be the defensive version of those guys. The Nagurski Award winner as the nation's top defensive player, Allen ranks among the best in the country with 14 sacks and 18.5 tackles for loss. He's likely to thrive in a 3-4 defensive system at the next level, which should be fun to watch.

One of only seven players in LSU history to make 100 tackles in back-to-back seasons, White took home the Butkus Award as the nation's top linebacker this year. In addition to his 115 total tackles in 2018, White has recorded 12 for loss. He made 17 in the wild seven-overtime loss to Texas A&M last month.

Prior to Michigan's debacle against Ohio State, the Wolverines didn't allow more than 24 points in a game. Bush was a big reason why, and he earned Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honors by The Associated Press. Always on the move, Bush leads the team with 80 tackles to go along with 9.5 for loss and five sacks. 

The good news for Georgia fans is that Baker will face Texas in the Sugar Bowl. He should go high in next year's NFL Draft after recording seven interceptions during his career, plus 10 pass breakups and 40 total tackles this season. Baker's stellar cover skills give him a chance to be an immediate starter at the pro level.  

Teammate Greedy Williams garners most of the attention within the best secondary in college football, but Delpit took his game to another level as a sophomore. He was solid as freshman with 60 tackles but has recorded 73 this season, in addition to 9.5 tackles for loss, five sacks, five interceptions and nine pass breakups. Looks like the Tigers have found their next great safety.

Many experts believe Thompson will be the first defensive back taken in the 2019 NFL Draft. With good reason: He ranks second on perhaps the country's top defensive unit, with 71 tackles. He has also picked off two passes and has five pass breakups. It will be fun to watch Thompson and the Crimson Tide against Oklahoma's high-octane offense come Dec. 29.

Love has progressively gotten better in each of his three seasons wearing the blue and gold. He owns the Notre Dame single-season record with 15 pass breakups — and has 38 for his three-year career. Love is also fifth on the team with 61 tackles, giving him 174 for his career with the Irish.

Only Darrell Henderson has amassed more total points (150) than Szmyt's 141 this season. He's made all 57 of his extra-point attempts and his 28 successful field goals (on 32 attempts) are the most in the country heading into the bowl season. Szmyt also converted each of his 10 attempts from 30-39 yards and all three from 50 or longer.

The only punter in the country to average at least 50 yards per boot (51.1), Mann is truly head and shoulders above the rest at his position. His 82-yard punt against Kentucky in October is the third-longest in the country this season.

Tied for the national lead with two punt returns for touchdowns, the diminutive Dortch (5-foot-9) exudes excitement just about every time he touches the ball. He ranks 12th in the country, averaging 11.0 yards per punt return and 9.7 in his first seasons at Wake Forest. He also ranks in the top 10 nationally with 89 receptions.