The first 12-team College Football Playoff bracket has been selected, and now awards season is upon us before the games kick off.

Colorado’s Travis Hunter, Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty, Miami’s Cam Ward and Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel have been named Heisman Trophy finalists ahead of Saturday night’s ceremony, and all four are represented among the 50 players on The Athletic’s two All-America teams. Who joins them? Thirty-five schools have at least one selection, led by three each from Texas and Oregon and two each from Miami, Boise State, Penn State, Ohio State, South Carolina, Michigan, Iowa, Tennessee, Alabama, Indiana and Pitt.

QB Cam Ward, Miami: The Hurricanes just missed the Playoff, but the Washington State transfer was by far the biggest reason they were in the hunt all year. He’s passed for 4,123 yards in 12 games, averaging 343.6 yards per game and 9.5 yards per attempt while throwing a national-high 36 touchdown passes to seven interceptions. Ward repeatedly delivered in big moments as the Hurricanes stayed undefeated into November, and even in the two November losses he totaled 697 yards, five TDs and zero picks. He’s set to be Miami’s first top-five Heisman Trophy finisher since 2002.

RB Ashton Jeanty, Boise State: Jeanty has had one of the most prolific seasons in college football history, chasing Barry Sanders’ remarkable 1988 season with 344 carries for 2,497 yards and 29 touchdowns. He averages 7.3 yards per rush, with 12 rushes of 50-plus yards — eight more than any other FBS player and the most since Bryce Love had 13 in 2017. Jeanty was the driving force behind Boise State’s run to the Mountain West title and a Playoff bid, and he’s heading to New York as a deserving Heisman Trophy finalist.

RB Cam Skattebo, Arizona State: After three years at Sacramento State in the FCS, Skattebo was solid in coach Kenny Dillingham’s first season at Arizona State, rushing for 783 yards and nine TDs for a team that went 3-9 in 2023. This year? Skattebo helped propel a breakthrough in which the Sun Devils won their final six games, captured the Big 12 title and earned a surprise Playoff bid. Skattebo rushed for 170 yards, had 38 receiving yards and finished with three total TDs in the Big 12 championship blowout of Iowa State, giving him 2,074 yards from scrimmage (1,568 rushing and 506 receiving) for the season.

WR Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona: The Wildcats may not have met soaring preseason expectations, but McMillan posted his second consecutive big season to deliver on the preseason hype after he elected to stay at Arizona following the departure of coach Jedd Fisch to Washington. As a junior, he caught 84 passes for 1,319 yards and eight touchdowns, including 304 yards in the opener against New Mexico and 202 yards against West Virginia. He continues to show a knack for highlight-reel catches.

WR Xavier Restrepo, Miami: Ward gets the most credit for Miami leading the nation in scoring and yards per play, but don’t discount Restrepo’s contributions as the QB’s favorite target. Restrepo has 69 catches for 1,127 yards and 11 touchdowns, with 100-plus yards in six of 12 games, to give him 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons. According to TruMedia, he’s dropped just two passes, and he has 20 catches of at least 20 yards.

Miami is scoring 44.2 PPG behind Xavier Restrepo and Cam Ward. (Carmen Mandato / Getty Images)

TE Tyler Warren, Penn State: Warren is the versatile go-to weapon in an offense that has jumped from 75th to sixth in yards per play despite having a lack of go-to playmakers at wideout. Warren is one of two 1,000-yard receivers in the Big Ten, catching 88 passes for 1,062 yards and six touchdowns — including a staggering 17 catches for 224 yards and a TD in a comeback win at USC. He’s also completed three passes for 35 yards and a TD and rushed 23 times for 191 yards and four TDs, lining up as a traditional tight end, out wide, at quarterback and in the backfield.

OL Kelvin Banks Jr., Texas: Banks has made 39 starts in three years after signing with Texas as a five-star recruit. A stalwart at left tackle, he’s allowed a total of four sacks in his career, per PFF, including just one sack and six pressures this year. He’s projected to be an early first-round draft pick.

OL Will Campbell, LSU: It is likely to be Banks or Campbell as the first offensive tackle off the board in the NFL Draft. And like Banks, Campbell was one of the top tackle prospects in the 2022 class, instantly earning a starting role upon arrival in college. He’s made 38 career starts and, according to PFF, has allowed one sack this season and four in three years.

OL Wyatt Milum, West Virginia: The Big 12’s offensive lineman of the year has been a four-year starter at tackle for the Mountaineers. Per PFF, he’s given up zero sacks and just eight pressures this season — in fact, he hasn’t given up a sack since he was a freshman.

OL Josh Conerly Jr., Oregon: Conerly emerged as a standout tackle for the Ducks last year and blossomed into a first-team All-Big Ten pick as a junior in Oregon’s first year in the conference. According to PFF, he’s allowed one sack and just six pressures — tied with Banks for the fewest among Power 4 tackles with at least 300 pass-blocking snaps.

C Seth McLaughlin, Ohio State: Can a player validate his All-America status by not playing? The Alabama transfer overcame the snapping problems of last year to be a midseason All-America pick by The Athletic in October, and his standout play continued until he was injured before the final two games. According to TruMedia, Ohio State averaged 2.79 yards before contact per rush in its first 10 games, with McLaughlin in the lineup, which ranked fifth in the FBS. Without McLaughlin? It averaged 0.21 against Indiana and 0.54 in the loss to Michigan. He was a first-team All-Big Ten pick by conference coaches despite the late injury.

DE Abdul Carter, Penn State: The junior moved from outside linebacker to defensive end and thrived as the season progressed. Despite some early inconsistency, he developed into one of the most disruptive players in the country, showcasing his speed and athleticism in racking up 60 tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, three pass breakups and two forced fumbles.

DE Kyle Kennard, South Carolina: The Gamecocks are tied for third nationally with 40 sacks, with a ferocious defensive front helping to lead their surge into the top 20 in the polls. Though five-star freshman Dylan Stewart has had a big season as well, Kennard has stolen the show with 15.5 tackles for loss, including 11.5 sacks, and three forced fumbles after transferring from Georgia Tech.

DT Mason Graham, Michigan: The Wolverines defense wasn’t as dominant as in their national title season, but Graham erased any doubt about his All-America status with an individually dominant performance in the upset of Ohio State. The 320-pound junior has 45 tackles, including seven TFLs. He’s strong, physical and disruptive and appears destined for the top 10 in the NFL Draft.

DT Walter Nolen, Ole Miss: Nolen signed with Texas A&M as the No. 2 recruit in the Class of 2022, and after a stellar two seasons, he transferred to Ole Miss and blossomed into an All-American. The Rebels own one of the nation’s most disruptive defenses, ranking No. 1 in tackles for loss and No. 5 in yards per play allowed, and the 305-pound Nolen has been a key force at tackle. He shares the team lead with 14 tackles for loss and has 6.5 sacks and three pass breakups.

Walter Nolen leads Ole Miss’ fourth-ranked scoring defense. (Jonathan Bachman / Getty Images)

LB Anthony Hill Jr., Texas: He’s the best player on one of the nation’s best defenses. Texas leads the FBS in yards per play allowed, and the sophomore has been the centerpiece as a disruptive and versatile linebacker. He has 90 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, seven sacks and an interception, taking a step up from a Freshman All-America season in 2023.

LB Jay Higgins, Iowa: Another stout Iowa defense has allowed just three rushing touchdowns all season, with Higgins the backbone of the unit. He’s second in the Big Ten with 118 tackles and has forced two fumbles, and he has also shined in coverage, racking up four interceptions and five pass breakups.

LB Shaun Dolac, Buffalo. It’s hard to stuff the stat sheet as much as Dolac has. A former walk-on, Dolac had his 2023 season cut short after four games by an injury. He returned this season to lead the nation with 153 tackles while also finishing with 16.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks — plus five interceptions, including a pick six.

CB Jahdae Barron, Texas: Barron has shifted from primarily a slot corner to playing outside this season as a fifth-year senior. According to PFF, he hasn’t allowed a touchdown while intercepting five passes and breaking up nine more for a Texas defense that has allowed the fewest passing yards per attempt (5.1) and per game (143.1) in the FBS.

CB Nohl Williams, Cal: A fifth-year senior who started his career at UNLV, Williams leads the nation with seven interceptions, including a pick six against Miami, and has also broken up nine passes, forced a fumble and returned a kick for a touchdown.

S Xavier Watts, Notre Dame: Watts has earned All-America recognition for the second year in a row as a ball-hawking weapon in the secondary for the nation’s top pass efficiency defense. He has 49 tackles, nine pass breakups, a forced fumble and five interceptions, including a 100-yard pick six to break open the Irish’s win over USC.

S Caleb Downs, Ohio State: A former five-star recruit, Downs shined as a freshman at Alabama last year, then carried over that success as a transfer to Ohio State. He has 62 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, one interception and three pass breakups, showcasing a well-rounded skill set as the best player on a loaded defense that ranks No. 2 in yards per play and No. 1 in points allowed.

K Dominic Zvada, Michigan: An Arkansas State transfer, Zvada has gone 7-for-7 on field goals of 50-plus yards this season, including a 54-yarder in the 13-10 upset of Ohio State. He’s 17-for-18 on field goals, his only miss being a kick blocked by Illinois.

P Eddie Czaplicki, USC: Czaplicki leads the nation in net punting average at 45.45, per TruMedia. Nine of his 40 punts (22.5 percent) have been downed inside the 10-yard line, and he has just one touchback.

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AP Travis Hunter, Colorado: Few players can make a case for “all-purpose” All-American without gaudy special teams stats, but Hunter is unlikely anyone else. He plays full-time on offense, where he had an All-America season at wide receiver. He plays full-time on defense, where he also had an All-America season. He could be a top-10 pick at either position. He’s caught 92 passes for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns, and he has four interceptions and 11 pass breakups. According to PFF, he allowed just 205 passing yards, fourth fewest among FBS cornerbacks who played 700-plus defensive snaps.

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(Top illustration: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic; photos of Anthony Hill, Travis Hunter and Tyler Warren: Tim Warner, Ed Zurga, Scott Taetsch / Getty Images)

The New Orleans Saints have yet to make the playoffs in the post-Drew Brees era, and that stretch will likely continue into a fourth year this season.

After a recent loss to the Carolina Panthers, the Saints fell to 2-7 and fired Dennis Allen as their head coach.

Brees knows what it takes to win. He is a Super Bowl champion and was 172-114 in his record-breaking Hall of Fame career. 

And unfortunately, that’s why axing Allen was a move that “needed to be made.”

“You never want to let a coach go midseason, but at the end of the day, the business is about winning. And if you’re not winning, there’s disappointment and changes made,” Brees told Fox News Digital in a recent interview. 

However, Brees has confidence in the veteran leadership on both sides of the ball, saying the franchise is still a “very functional organization.”

“An organization that knows what it means to put the best product on the field, have a great culture, be able to overcome adversity. Unfortunately, they were on a trend where they had a lot of losses in a row, it wasn’t working, a change needed to be made. Those things happen, but if you ask the leadership on the team, they’re all trending in the right direction right now if they can stay healthy.”

Health has been a huge issue. Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed have both been out, and now Derek Carr is slated to miss the rest of the season. As Brees says, “You take the starting two receivers off the team, you’re going to struggle.”

Drew Brees (Jeffrey Brown/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images/File)

And for the Saints, Brees says they are close to getting back to the glory days.

“When you look at the entirety of a season, it’s going to come down to one or two games where you look back on and say, ‘We missed the playoffs because of those two. If we got the job done, we could have potentially made the playoffs and totally changed the complexion of the entire season.’ And within those two games, it’s one play here, one play there,” he said.

In retirement, Brees has become an owner, investor and ambassador for Sports Illustrated Tickets, with his goal to make it the best secondary marketplace in the ticketing industry.

Launched in 2021 as the exclusive licensed operator of Sports Illustrated’s live events vertical, Sports Illustrated Tickets struck a deal with the New York Red Bulls to have the SI name on its stadium, and Brees, who was on six Sports Illustrated covers, wants to make it easier for fans to get to sporting events by nixing hidden fees.

“It’s one of the most iconic brands in all of sports. I think it’s something that resonates with all of us, especially for my generation and beyond. …” Brees said. “I think what we saw is a great need and opportunity in the ticketing marketplace, both in the primary and secondary ticketing marketplace. … So we felt like there was an opportunity to step in and create a clean and transparent ticketing process that would allow people to see exactly the price they’re going to pay, no hidden fees, never trying to trick anybody. We want to be that ticketing solution across every live sporting event, every live concert at every venue in the country behind an iconic brand like Sports Illustrated.”

“I think there’s some incredible nostalgia that comes with the brand,” he added. “It stands for credibility and something that people can trust. So, while Sports Illustrated started off as a publication, now there’s a lot of different avenues that it’s going. It’s being licensed to groups that are great operators.”

Saints quarterback Drew Brees runs off the field after a game against Washington, Oct. 8, 2018, in New Orleans. (Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports)

TUA TAGOVAILOA SAYS HE HAS ARMED SECURITY AFTER BURGLARIES AT NFL PLAYERS’ HOMES: ‘THINK TWICE’

While the Saints have not found success post-Brees, the quarterback’s former right-hand man, Sean Payton, has with the Denver Broncos. After winning just eight games with Russell Wilson in 2023 in his return to the sidelines, Payton is now 8-5 with rookie Bo Nix, and Brees loves what he sees.

“It’s been awesome. I know the way Sean Payton wants to build a program. He’s an incredible teacher, and what Sean always does a great job of week to week is just creating the key to victory, the vision to win this game. And each game might be a little different, but he creates that vision and gets everyone to buy in and recognize what it’s going to take and just kind of narrow the focus and block out the noise,” Brees said.

“He takes the young quarterback who you’re going to have growing pains with – to watch Bo continue to progress and gain a level of comfort, you see a guy who’s mature beyond his years, very poised, can do everything, great athlete, highly competitive, but make him process the game. Defense has played well, you have playmakers emerge on offense, they’re going to be tough down the stretch.”

Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (AP Photo/John Froschauer)

Brees will be eligible for the Hall of Fame next year, and with his 80,000-plus passing yards and 13 Pro Bowls, he is all but ensured of a bust in Canton.

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SAN FRANCISCO — If shooting is an art form, then Chris Hines is a sculptor of gilded frames. A basketball craftsman. A steward of strokes.

As an assistant coach for the Minnesota Timberwolves, he watches his latest masterpiece from the sideline: the shooting of Anthony Edwards.

“The crazy thing now, and it sucks for me,” Hines said, “I know when it’s not going in. So I’m watching from the bench like, ‘Damn it!’ as soon as it leaves his hands.”

His pupil doesn’t have such issues.

“I think I’ma make that b—- every time. I’m not gon’ lie,” Edwards said, flashing that soda-commercial smile from the visitors locker room at Chase Center on Sunday.

Embedded in the braggadocio is evidence of his sophistication. To be clear, Edwards can feel when his form goes awry and a miss is likely. But he’s gotten his mechanics to a point where he doesn’t feel that often.

“The majority of the time,” he said, “when it leaves my hand, I’m like, ‘Damn, that b—- felt good.’ Because I’ve been working on it, man. I’m not even being funny. I’ve been working on my trey ball so much. … I’m happy where it’s at.”

Behind all of his flair, Edwards’ diligence is visible in his form. Though his magnetism suggests superstardom comes easy, his vastly improved shooting underscores a maniacal work ethic.

This art has functionality. Edwards left the Bay Area this week — after splitting a two-game series at the Golden State Warriors — with the most made 3-pointers in the NBA at 103, and his 241 attempts were one behind the Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum for the most 3s taken as of Tuesday morning. Just over a quarter of the way through the season, Edwards is one of the best 3-point shooters in the league — a potent counter to his reputation for attacking the rim.

But do not miss the aesthetics of his polished jumper. Appreciate the artistry of Edwards, the engineering of Hines.

It perhaps goes missed because of Edwards’ highlight dunks and viral quotes. But he has developed quite the picturesque shot.

“Hell yeah,” Edwards said. “Super pretty. Shout out to C. Hines.”

3rd player in NBA history to hit 100 threes in first 23 games.

special. 🐜 pic.twitter.com/S9JCNRq95s

— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) December 9, 2024

The springs hidden in his legs are already alluring. He just floats, or so it seems, as if time slows when he’s in the air. Edwards rising for a jumper looks as if something cool is unfolding. He has already developed a classically attractive midrange.

The mechanics of his jumper have gotten much cleaner. It’s an efficient transition from pickup to release. Smooth. Effortless. Contrary to the shot of typical leapers, who reach the peak of their jump before unfurling something clunky. Edwards has worked on his form until it’s one fluid motion, consistently replicated, capped with a portrait-worthy follow-through and a snap of the net.

Ant-Man has authored another avenue for awe. One of the league’s most captivating players added to a bag of brilliance already brimming with personality.

“It’s not the prettiest,” he declared, giving the nod to Kevin Durant, Steph Curry and Klay Thompson. “They’ve got some pretty-ass jumpers. I’m not trying to have the prettiest jumper. I just want it to go in. Yeah, it looks good. But as long as it goes in, it looks better.”

However, beauty comes with a cost. For Edwards, it was paid through a process as methodical as it has been relentless.

Hines and Edwards pieced it together as a long-term project. Like so much with Edwards, his capacity was obvious. The talent drips off him like Jheri curl juice. The last four years were dedicated to harnessing his all-world abilities, as will be the next 10 years.

Edwards resisted at first. Some days, he would despise Hines, the torturous teacher.

“He hated me,” Hines said with a proud smile. “From the beginning. He’s like, ‘C. Hines, you not finna change my game.’ I’m not trying to change your game. Let me fine-tune it, and you’ll be fine.”

Hines earned Edwards’ trust by not changing the canvas but appreciating it. Edwards often heard what he couldn’t do, how he had to change — people steadily telling him how to paint his game. Hines instead affirmed Edwards only needed refinement, not reconstruction. They went to work on the structure, framing his shot around the game that made him special.

Hines began by cleaning up Edwards’ strengths. His handle. His finishing packages. His footwork. His touch at the rim. Those were foundational elements on which to build.

“He already had a pretty decent, solid, strong shot,” Hines said. “We just wanted to tighten up everything around his shot. Small stuff. … How is he picking up into his pocket? Is it clean? How do you find the laces without looking for ’em? Small things of that nature. So tightening all that stuff up, it’s been really fun to watch the process.”

The shots are too incessant to be counted, the hours too blurred to be logged. Shooting is a meticulous craft. It’s feel and form. Technical and creative. It remains true to the uniqueness of the shooter while beholding universal laws.

Hines went to work simplifying Edwards’ shooting stroke. First, they had to break his habit of dropping the ball too low. Now, by sheer muscle memory, his process begins with the ball near his navel.

Then they amended his high release. Edwards had a long range of motion, lifting the ball from his crotch to behind his head, creating plenty of opportunity to disrupt the result. The longer one’s form, the harder to replicate.

So by raising the starting point and bringing forward the release point, his motion became more efficient.

Another thing Hines fixed: Edwards’ habit of bringing the ball close to his body, restricting his range of motion. Hines drilled him to keep his elbows L-shaped instead of V-shaped so as not to lose power and flow. Hines ingrained in Edwards the need to keep his elbow over his eyebrows at the top of his form.

The follow-through was another significant component. Edwards now has a pronounced snap of his wrist, as if he’s dipping his hand into the rim. It gives his ball an emphatic spin that splashes the net.

“We be in the gym four or five times a day just shooting,” Edwards said. “Just shooting. Just shooting. So I’ve been trying — trying to perfect it. Because when I came in the league, the main thing was, ‘He could get downhill, but he can’t shoot. He can’t shoot. He can’t shoot.’ So I’ve been trying to knock that off my name for a long time. It’s still kind of on it a little bit, but I feel like I’m trending in the right direction.”

Last month, Edwards sent a voice message to Curry, seeking to glean some off-the-ball wisdom from his Team USA homie. This was after a summer of picking the brain of Durant, his favorite player.

The threat of Edwards’ aggressive drives, which have produced a montage of highlights, prompted defenders to back off him, conceding the jumper to prevent the poster. His rise to an MVP candidate increased the amount of double-teams he faces.

Thus, his next level of growth is being a threat off the ball. The cadence of dribbling into a shot is much different without the rock. Keeping the same form while catching and shooting requires repetition and precision drilling.

Edwards said he wants to shoot well enough for long enough that his pump-fakes get defenders in the air, opening lanes for his drives.

“In order for me to be able to score without the ball,” Edwards said, “I’ve got to be able to shoot. You know what I’m saying? Make ’em respect it. … Just being ready to shoot on the catch, that makes you another threat on the offensive end. Because guys gotta respect it now because I want to catch and shoot. So now if you run me off the line, now I’ma get to where I really want to go, which is downhill.”

This takes thousands of shots, hours and hours, for years and years. Hines didn’t want to rush the process. He was intentional about not skipping steps, mastering a skill before advancing to the next one.

The pursuit of grandeur is antithetical to haste. A masterpiece transcends time by being committed to quality.

A player has to want this. Really want it. For this level of improvement, the grind is inescapable. The amount of work Edwards invests is illustrated when he pulls up. Suspended in air. Fluid mechanics. Pretty rotation. Silky splash. His weakness has become a work of art. You can tell by how it was framed.

(Top illustration: Meech Robinson / The Athletic; photo: Adam Pantozzi / NBAE via Getty Images)