Ohio State continued to rack up the postseason honors on Friday morning after the American Football Coaches Association selected four Buckeyes as All-Americans, giving safety Caleb Downs and center Seth McLaughlin first-team honors and offensive lineman Donovan Jackson and wide receiver Jeremiah Smith second-team selections.
Downs and McLaughlin have now been named first-team All-American selections by Walter Camp — which was announced Thursday night — CBS/247Sports and The Athletic. McLaughlin, who has been out for the season since the week of the Indiana game due to a torn Achilles tendon, also took home the Rimington Award Thursday night for the nation’s top center.
Downs, who racked up 61 tackles, 6 ½ tackles for loss, ½ sack, one interception and three pass breakups in his first season with the Buckeyes, was also named a semifinalist for both the Jim Thorpe and Chuck Bednarik Awards for the nation’s top defensive back and top overall defensive player.
The true freshman Smith has also been honored plenty this month. In addition to being named second-team All-American by Walter Camp Thursday night, he was also named the freshman All-American of the Year by On3 and won the Richter-Howard Receiver of the Year award for the top wideout in the Big Ten.
Smith lived up to all the hype that came with him when he first arrived to Ohio State this summer as the nation’s consensus No. 1 recruit, smashing each of Chris Carter’s freshman single-season records by hauling in 57 catches for a team-high 934 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Jackson, who has filled in for the injured Josh Simmons at left tackle since he went down with his own season-ending injury against Oregon, has also been named a second-team by both Walter Camp and the AFCA, while also earning All-American honors by the Senior Bowl.
Jackson has been a stalwart for the Buckeyes’ offensive line the past three seasons while playing both left guard and left tackle, allowing him to earn three-straight first-team All-Big Ten honors.
Each of those players will likely continue adding honors to their resume next week when the All-American teams are announced by the Associated Press on Monday, the Football Writers Association of America on Tuesday and The Sports News on Wednesday.
