Barring unforeseen circumstances, no Buckeyes will play college football in 2020, but three of them were named preseason All-Americans by the AP on Tuesday.
Junior quarterback Justin Fields was the AP’s second-team selection at quarterback, but Ohio State redshirt junior guard Wyatt Davis and redshirt junior cornerback Shaun Wade were both picked as members of the first team.
Like its preseason top 25 poll, which listed Ohio State at No. 2 in the nation on Monday, the AP’s All-America selections will not feature players on teams that do not play in the fall by the time the official end-of-season list is released.
The inclusion of Fields should come as no surprise, as the one-time Georgia Bulldog broke out with a stellar first-year campaign with the Buckeyes in 2019 that landed him a spot in New York as a Heisman finalist alongside Chase Young, Jalen Hurts and Joe Burrow. Fields scored 51 total touchdowns and threw only three interceptions in his sophomore season last year.
It has been no secret that Fields wants to play this fall, despite having the option to opt out now and prepare for the next NFL Draft, where he should be a surefire top five pick. Fields released a #WeWantToPlay petition to Big Ten administrators, and subsequently appeared on multiple high-profile national media programs to promote the cause.
Davis was a first-team All-American a season ago, and was named to this summer’s Big Ten All-Decade team after playing only one full season as a starter on the Ohio State offensive line a year ago.
Alongside senior tackle Thayer Munford and redshirt junior center Josh Myers, Davis is one of three Buckeyes to appear on the preseason watch list for the Outland Trophy, an award given to the nation’s top interior lineman.
On top of their preseason All-American status, both Davis and Fields were named first-time team captains for Ohio State at the beginning of August.
The same is true of Wade, the fourth-year defensive back that has been showered in preseason honors this summer despite the fact that he may not have the chance to play, let alone contend for the awards.
Wade was the only Buckeye to turn up on the preseason watch lists for the Bednarik and Thorpe awards, as well as the Nagurski Trophy. He is also the lone player on the Ohio State defense to be named to a preseason All-American.
Wade’s father, Randy Wade, has been one of the most vocal proponents of transparency from the Big Ten in regards to its decision-making process, having organized a gathering of players’ parents outside the conference headquarters in Rosemont, Illinois, this past Friday.
However, with a likely first-round NFL Draft slot waiting him in 2021, few would be surprised if Shaun Wade opted out of a potential winter or spring season with Ohio State.
Check out the full AP All-America teams here.
