BYU OL Brady Christensen Named First-Team AP All-American
Dec 28, 2020, 11:57 AM | Updated: 1:30 pm
BYU offensive lineman Brady Christensen protects during game against Western Kentucky on October 31st, 2020. (BYU Photo)
(BYU Photo)
PROVO, Utah – BYU left tackle Brady Christensen is finally receiving the recognition he deserves for his dominant play in 2020. The junior offensive lineman was named a first-team AP All-American at the tackle spot and Alabama’s Alex Leatherwood.
Christensen is BYU’s first AP first-team selection since running back Luke Staley in 2001. Six different organizations this month have recognized the former Bountiful High prospect as a first-team All-American.
FIRST TEAM ALL-AMERICAN.
Congrats @Brady_BYU!! 👏👏 pic.twitter.com/zBy7B13Fgf
— BYU FOOTBALL (@BYUfootball) December 28, 2020
Coming out of high school, Christensen was a two-star prospect who was a late addition to BYU’s 2015 recruiting class. After returning home from a mission in 2017, Christensen redshirted, then immediately rose the depth chart when offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes arrived on campus as BYU’s offensive coordinator.
Brady Christensen: All-American
Since 2018, Christensen has started in all 38 of BYU’s games and has been the anchor of one of the best offensive lines in all of college football.
Christensen finished the year with a 96.2 grade from Pro Football Focus, which ranks No. 1 among all offensive tackles and offensive linemen. It’s the highest season grade for an offensive lineman in the Pro Football Focus database. The previous record was set by Oregon’s Penei Sewell in 2019.
BYU OT Brady Christensen: Highest-graded offensive lineman in 2020 (96.0) pic.twitter.com/qCArhQlNDy
— PFF College (@PFF_College) December 25, 2020
Christensen protected the blindside for BYU’s star quarterback, Zach Wilson, helping the Cougars average 43.5 points and 522.2 yards per game this season.
Like Wilson, Christensen will have a decision to make coming up soon on whether to return to BYU for one more year or declare for the NFL Draft this April.
Jake Oldroyd named third-team All-American
BYU kicker Jake Oldroyd also received recognition from the AP. Oldroyd received third-team All-American recognition. He became the first BYU kicker to earn All-American honors since Matt Payne in 2004. Oldroyd is a finalist for the Lou Groza Award.
The 2020 AP All-America Team
FIRST TEAM
Offense
Quarterback — Mac Jones, junior, Alabama
Running backs — Najee Harris, senior, Alabama; Breece Hall, sophomore, Iowa State.
Tackles — Brady Christensen, junior, BYU; Alex Leatherwood, senior Alabama.
Guards — Aaron Banks, senior, Notre Dame; Wyatt Davis, junior, Ohio State.
Center — Landon Dickerson, senior, Alabama
Tight end — Kyle Pitts, junior, Florida
Receivers — Devonta Smith, senior, Alabama; Elijah Moore, junior, Mississippi.
All-purpose player — Travis Etienne, senior, Clemson
Kicker — Jose Borregales, senior, Miami
Defense
Ends — Rashad Weaver, senior, Pitt; Tarron Jackson, senior, Coastal Carolina
Tackles — Daviyon Nixon, junior, Iowa; Darius Stills, senior, West Virginia
Linebackers — Zaven Collins, junior, Tulsa; Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, senior, Notre Dame; Joseph Ossai, junior, Texas.
Cornerbacks — Patrick Surtain II, junior, Alabama; Shaun Wade, senior, Ohio State
Safeties — Talanoa Hufanga, junior, USC; Brandon Joseph, redshirt freshman, Northwestern
Punter — Pressley Harvin III, senior, Georgia Tech
SECOND TEAM
Offense
Quarterback — Kyle Trask, senior, Florida.
Running backs — Jaret Patterson, junior, Buffalo; Javonte Williams, junior, North Carolina.
Tackles — Liam Eichenberg, senior, Notre Dame; Christian Darrisaw, junior, Virginia Tech.
Guards — Cain Madden, junior, Marshall; Kenyon Green, sophomore, Texas A&M.
Center — Tyler Linderbaum, sophomore, Iowa.
Tight end — Hunter Long, junior, Boston College.
Receivers — Jaelon Darden, senior, North Texas; Jonathan Adams Jr., senior, Arkansas State.
All-purpose player — Kadarius Toney, senior, Florida.
Kicker — Cade York, sophomore, LSU.
Defense
Ends — Jaelen Phillips, senior, Miami; Patrick Jones, senior, Pitt.
Tackles — Alim McNeil, junior, North Carolina State; Haskell Garrett, senior, Ohio State.
Linebackers — Mike Rose, junior, Iowa State; Nik Bonitto, sophomore, Oklahoma; Nick Bolton, junior, Missouri.
Cornerbacks —Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, sophomore, TCU; Ahmad Gardner, sophomore, Cincinnati.
Safeties — Trevon Moehrig, junior, TCU; James Wiggins, senior, Cincinnati.
Punter — Lou Hedley, junior, Miami.
THIRD TEAM
Offense
Quarterback — Trevor Lawrence, junior, Clemson.
Running backs — Michael Carter, senior, North Carolina; Mohamed Ibrahim, junior, Minnesota.
Tackles — Darian Kinnard, junior, Kentucky; Samuel Cosmi, junior, Texas.
Guards — Ben Cleveland, senior, Georgia; Tommy Kraemer, senior, Notre Dame.
Center — Creed Humphrey, junior, Oklahoma.
Tight end — Charlie Kolar, junior, Iowa State.
Receivers — Dyami Brown, junior, North Carolina; Ty Fryfogle, senior, Indiana.
All-purpose player — Avery Williams, senior, Boise State.
Kicker — Jake Oldroyd, sophomore, BYU.
Defense
Ends — JaQuan Bailey, senior, Iowa State; Kayvon Thibodeaux, sophomore, Oregon.
Tackles — Christian Barmore, sophomore, Alabama; C.J. Brewer, senior, Coastal Carolina.
Linebackers — Zion Tupuola-Fetui, junior, Washington; Micah McFadden, junior, Indiana; Dylan Moses, senior, Alabama.
Cornerbacks — Greg Newsome, junior, Northwestern; Eli Ricks, freshman, LSU.
Safeties — Kyle Hamilton, sophomore, Notre Dame; Tykee Smith, sophomore, West Virginia.
Punter — Jake Camarda, junior, Georgia.
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12–3 p.m., KSL Newsradio). Follow him on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper and the KSL Sports app.
