With the 2021 college football season now at its halfway point, our panel of CBS Sports college football experts were faced with plenty of difficult decisions when convening to select the 2021 CBS Sports Midseason All-America team. Consisting of players who have shined brightly over the first seven weeks and are expected to continue their top-tier performances through the end of the season, this will hopefully serve as a preview of the year-end All-America team.
There are five unanimous CBS Sports Midseason All-America selections, none of whom were among the three unanimous preseason picks. Texas’ Bijan Robinson (1,137 total yards, 13 total touchdowns) and Michigan State’s Kenneth Walker III (1,023 total yards, 10 total touchdowns) were the clear choices at running back, while Iowa center Tyler Linderbaum and Georgia nose guard Jordan Davis have been dominant in the trenches. Rounding out the unanimous selections is Alabama linebacker Will Anderson Jr., who already has seven sacks through as many games.
Robinson, Linderbaum and Anderson are three of seven players returning from that the CBS Sports Preseason All-America first team, a list that also includes offensive linemen Darian Kinnard (Kentucky) and Evan Neal (Alabama), cornerback Ahmad Gardner (Cincinnati) and safety Kyle Hamilton (Notre Dame).
Unlike that preseason team, the Big Ten has surpassed the SEC with the most All-America selections at the midway point. In total, 22 programs are represented across the 27 picks with only Alabama, Georgia, Iowa and Michigan State each having two players featured.
| Big Ten | 7 |
| SEC | 6 |
| ACC | 5 |
| Pac-12 | 3 |
| American | 2 |
| Big 12 | 2 |
| Independent / Other | 2 |
2021 CBS Sports Midseason All-America
* unanimous selection | classes listed according to official team rosters
|
QB |
Kenny Pickett |
Pittsburgh |
Senior |
|
RB |
Bijan Robinson * |
Texas |
Sophomore |
|
RB |
Kenneth Walker III * |
Michigan State |
Junior |
|
WR |
Drake London |
USC |
Junior |
|
WR |
David Bell |
Purdue |
Junior |
|
TE |
Isaiah Likely |
Coastal Carolina |
Senior |
|
C |
Tyler Linderbaum * |
Iowa |
Junior |
| OL | Evan Neal | Alabama | Junior |
| OL | Ikem Ekwonu | NC State | Sophomore |
|
OL |
Darian Kinnard |
Kentucky |
Senior |
|
OL |
Zion Johnson |
Boston College |
Graduate |
| DL | Jordan Davis * | Georgia | Senior |
| DL | Aidan Hutchinson | Michigan |
Senior |
|
DL |
Jermaine Johnson |
Florida State |
Senior |
|
DL |
Tre Williams |
Arkansas |
Senior |
|
LB |
Will Anderson Jr. * |
Alabama |
Sophomore |
|
LB |
Nakobe Dean |
Georgia |
Junior |
|
LB |
Devin Lloyd |
Utah |
Junior |
|
CB |
Matt Hankins |
Iowa |
Senior |
|
CB |
Ahmad Gardner |
Cincinnati |
Junior |
|
S |
Kyle Hamilton |
Notre Dame |
Junior |
|
S |
Verone McKinley III |
Oregon |
Sophomore |
|
K |
Nick Sciba |
Wake Forest |
Junior |
|
P |
Adam Korsak |
Rutgers |
Senior |
|
KR |
Malik Knowles |
Kansas State |
Junior |
|
PR |
Marcus Jones |
Houston |
Senior |
|
AP |
Jayden Reed |
Michigan State |
Junior |
