IOWA FOOTBALL

Desmond King, Austin Blythe named AP All-Americans

Register staff report
Iowa's Desmond King earned first-team All-America honors at cornerback.

Iowa cornerback Desmond King has been named a first-team All-American by The Associated Press.

King, who captured the Jim Thorpe Award given to the nation's top defensive back last Thursday, was joined on the list by Florida's Vernon Hargreaves III.

The eight interceptions King pulled down in the regular season placed him second in the nation and tied a school record. King could surpass the record co-held by Nile Kinnick and Lou King in the Rose Bowl.

Iowa offensive lineman Austin Blythe earned third-team All-America honors at center.

Joining King as an All-American was Austin Blythe.

Iowa's senior co-captain was named the third-team center.

Blythe was was a finalist for the Rimington Trophy, given to the nation's best center.

Blythe's career coming full circle with Iowa vs. Stanford

Brandon Scherff was Iowa's last All-American, earning first-team honors in his 2014 Outland Trophy-winning season.

The complete list:

FIRST TEAM

Offense

Quarterback — Deshaun Watson, sophomore, Clemson.

Running backs — Derrick Henry, junior, Alabama; Leonard Fournette, sophomore, LSU.

Tackles — Taylor Decker, senior, Ohio State; Spencer Drango, senior, Baylor.

Guards — Joshua Garnett, senior, Stanford; Landon Turner, senior, North Carolina.

Center — Jack Allen, senior, Michigan State.

Receivers — Corey Coleman, junior, Baylor; Josh Doctson, senior, TCU.

Tight end — Hunter Henry, junior, Arkansas.

All-purpose player — Christian McCaffrey, sophomore, Stanford.

Kicker — Ka’imi Fairbairn, senior, UCLA.

Defense

Ends — Shaq Lawson, junior, Clemson; Carl Nassib, senior, Penn State.

Tackles — A’Shawn Robinson, junior, Alabama; Andrew Billings, junior, Baylor.

Linebackers — Reggie Ragland, senior, Alabama; Tyler Matakevich, senior, Temple; Jaylon Smith, junior, Notre Dame.

Cornerbacks — Desmond King, junior, Iowa; Vernon Hargreaves III, sophomore, Florida.

Safeties — Jeremy Cash, senior, Duke; Vonn Bell, junior, Ohio State.

Punter — Tom Hackett, senior, Utah.

SECOND TEAM

Offense

Quarterback — Baker Mayfield, junior, Oklahoma.

Running backs — Dalvin Cook, sophomore, Florida State; Ezekiel Elliott, junior, Ohio State.

Tackles — Jack Conklin, junior, Michigan State; Ronnie Stanley, senior, Notre Dame.

Guards — Sebastian Tretola, senior, Arkansas; Pat Elflein, junior, Ohio State.

Center — Ryan Kelly, senior, Alabama.

Receivers — Will Fuller, junior, Notre Dame; JuJu Smith-Schuster, sophomore, Southern California.

Tight end — Jake Butt, junior, Michigan.

All-purpose player — Morgan Burns, senior, Kansas State.

Kicker — Jake Elliott, junior, Memphis.

Defense

Ends — Joey Bosa, junior, Ohio State; DeForest Buckner, senior, Oregon.

Tackles — Robert Nkemdiche, junior, Mississippi; Sheldon Day, senior, Notre Dame.

Linebackers — Joe Schobert, senior, Wisconsin; Kentrell Brothers, senior, Missouri; Eric Striker, senior, Oklahoma.

Cornerbacks — Jourdan Lewis, junior, Michigan; Jalen Ramsey, junior, Florida State.

Safeties — Trae Elston, senior, Mississippi; Jayron Kearse, junior, Clemson.

Punter — Drew Kaser, senior, Texas A&M.

THIRD TEAM

Offense

Quarterback — Keenan Reynolds, senior, Navy.

Running backs — Royce Freeman, sophomore, Oregon; Larry Rose III, sophomore, New Mexico State.

Tackles — Jason Spriggs, senior, Indiana; Vadal Alexander, senior, LSU.

Guards — Dan Feeney, junior, Indiana; Joe Thuney, senior, North Carolina State.

Center — Austin Blythe, senior, Iowa.

Receivers — Laquon Treadwell, junior, Mississippi; Roger Lewis, sophomore, Bowling Green.

Tight end — Austin Hooper, junior, Stanford.

All-purpose player — Jakeem Grant, senior, Texas Tech.

Kicker — Adam Schneider, sophomore, Oregon.

Defense

Ends — Shilique Calhoun, senior, Michigan State; Myles Garrett, sophomore, Texas A&M.

Tackles — Jonathan Bullard, senior, Florida; Kenny Clark, junior, UCLA.

Linebackers — Su’a Cravens, junior, Southern California; Blake Martinez, senior, Stanford; Anthony Walker, sophomore, Northwestern.

Cornerbacks — Mackensie Alexander, sophomore, Clemson; Shawun Lurry, sophomore, Northern Illinois.

Safeties — Eddie Jackson, junior, Alabama; Darian Thompson, senior, Boise State.

Punter — Hayden Hunt, junior, Colorado State.

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All-America selection panel

Kirk Bohls, Austin (Texas) American-Statesman; Scott Hamilton, Winston-Salem (North Carolina) Journal; Jon Wilner, San Jose (California) Mercury News; Matt Charboneau, The Detroit News; Steve Layman, WTVF-TV Nashville, Tennessee; Dave Reardon, Honolulu Star-Advertiser; Bob Asmussen, Champaign (Illinois) News-Gazette; Tim Griffin, San Antonio Express-News; Brian Howell, Daily Camera (Boulder, Colorado); Sam Werner, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; Eric Hansen; The South Bend (Indiana) Tribune; Sam McKewon, Omaha (Nebraska) World-Herald; John Adams, Knoxville (Tennessee) News Sentinel; Garry Smits, The Florida Times-Union; Keith Sargeant; New Jersey Advance Media.