Another round of midseason All-Americans, another round of Buckeyes.
Ohio State defensive tackle Tyleik Williams was named an ESPN midseason All-American on Tuesday, and Denzel Burke, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Williams received the same accolade from The Athletic Wednesday morning. A few hours later, three Buckeyes – Burke, Harrison and Cade Stover – earned the most recent midseason All-American honor from the AP.
The AP named Burke, Harrison and Stover second-team midseason All-Americans for their efforts after seven weeks. Cornerbacks Kool-Aid McKinstry (Alabama) and Kris Abrams-Draine (Missouri), wide receivers Malik Nabers (LSU), Luther Burden III (Missouri) and Rome Odunze (Washington) and tight end Brock Bowers (Georgia) were selected ahead of them.
Williams was not named an AP midseason All-American, as Howard Cross III (Notre Dame) and Jer'Zhan Newton (Illinois) were selected to the first team as interior defensive linemen and T'Vondre Sweat (Texas) and Byron Murphy II (Texas) were assigned to the second team.
Burke has been stellar for Ohio State's defense in 2023. In six appearances this season, quarterbacks have targeted Burke 31 times for 15 receptions and 149 yards. That's good for a 48.9% completion percentage and 4.8 yards per attempt. Burke has recorded five tackles, one tackle for loss, one forced fumble, seven pass breakups and one interception – the first for an Ohio State cornerback since Cam Brown in 2021.
After a 2022 season in which he was named the Big Ten Receiver of the Year, a Biletnikoff Award finalist and a unanimous All-American, Harrison has picked up where he left off in 2023. Harrison has 31 receptions for 604 yards and five touchdowns in Ohio State's undefeated start to the season. His 58 targets lead the team and represent 35.8% of the target share for the Buckeyes' pass-catchers.
Stover has had one of the best starts to a season for an Ohio State tight end in recent memory. With 23 receptions for 359 yards and three touchdowns, the Lexington, Ohio, native is on pace to break the school record for single-season receiving yards by a tight end if he produces at the same level for the rest of the year.
The Associated Press Midseason All-American Teams
First Team
- QB - Michael Penix Jr., Washington
- RB - Jonathon Brooks, Texas; Audric Estime, Notre Dame
- WR - Malik Nabers, LSU; Luther Burden, Missouri; Rome Odunze, Washington
- TE - Brock Bowers, Georgia
- OT - Joe Alt, Notre Dame; Taliese Fuaga, Oregon State
- OG - Cooper Beebe, Kansas State; Zak Zinter, Michigan
- C - Jackson Powers-Johnson, Oregon
- AP - Ashton Jeanty, Boise State
- K - Will Reichard, Alabama
- P - Tory Taylor, Iowa
- DE - Laiatu Latu, UCLA; Dallas Turner, Alabama
- DT - Howard Cross III, Notre Dame; Jer'Zhan Newton, Illinois
- LB - Payton Wilson, NC State; Jason Henderson, Old Dominion; Edgerrin Cooper, Texas A&M
- CB - Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama; Kris Abrams-Draine, Missouri
- S - Malaki Starks, Georgia; Jaylin Simpson, Auburn
- DB - Cooper DeJean, Iowa
Second Team
- QB - Jayden Daniels, LSU
- RB - Ray Davis, Kentucky; Blake Corum, Michigan
- WR - Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State; Troy Franklin, Oregon; Xavier Legette, South Carolina
- TE - Cade Stover, Ohio State
- OT - Olu Fashanu, Penn State; Javon Foster, Missouri
- OG - Christian Haynes, UConn; Tanner Miller, Oregon State
- C - Sedrick Van Pran, Georgia
- AP - Keon Coleman, Florida State
- K - Graham Nicholson, Miami (OH)
- P - Matthew Hayball, Vanderbilt
- DE - Jonah Elliss, Utah; Mohamed Kamara, Colorado State
- DT - T'Vondre Sweat, Texas; Byron Murphy II, Texas
- LB - Danny Stutsman, Oklahoma; Jay Higgins, Iowa; Power Echols, North Carolina
- CB - Denzel Burke, Ohio State; Maxwell Hairston, Kentucky
- S - Tyler Nubin, Minnesota; Calen Bullock, USC
- DB - Sebastian Castro, Iowa
