Ohio State wide receivers junior Garrett Wilson (5) and senior Chris Olave (2) celebrate after Wilson’s touchdown during the Ohio State-Michigan game Nov. 27. Ohio State lost 42-27. Credit: Gabe Haferman | Asst. Photo Editor
Five Buckeyes are set to earn trees in Buckeye Grove outside Ohio Stadium, as seven major media outlets unveiled their All-America teams over the last two weeks.
As tradition has gone since 1934, an Ohio State player must earn at least one First Team All-America selection to have a tree in their honor at Buckeye Grove, located in the southwest corner of Ohio Stadium.
Graduate offensive lineman Thayer Munford, senior wide receiver Chris Olave, junior offensive lineman Nicholas Petit-Frere, graduate kicker Noah Ruggles and junior wide receiver Garrett Wilson achieved First Team status from three different outlets. Olave, Petit-Frere and Ruggles started all 12 games this season, while Munford and Wilson played in 11.
Olave, Wilson and sophomore Jaxon Smith-Njigba earned nods from the Associated Press, marking Ohio State as the first program to have three wide receivers earn AP All-America honors. Smith-Njigba and Wilson became the sixth and seventh Buckeyes wide receivers to top 1,000 receiving yards in a season, and Olave is just 64 yards from joining them.
Redshirt freshman quarterback C.J. Stroud earned Third Team honors from the AP in his first year as a starter. Stroud finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting, throwing 3,862 yards and 38 touchdowns.
In his first season since transferring from North Carolina, Ruggles will remain in Ohio State lore with First and Second Team selections. Ruggles finished a perfect 68-for-68 on extra point attempts and 18-for-19 from field goal range.
Graduate defensive lineman Haskell Garrett earned an All-American selection for the second season in a row, this year receiving a nod from the AP while making the CBS Sports team in 2020.
Ohio State had some of the most selections among all programs in college football. Eight Buckeyes were among the Second and Third Team AP All-Americans, and four earned spots to lead from the Football Writers Association of America collection.
Four Buckeyes received selections from CBS Sports and three Buckeyes placed on the Walter Camp All-America Team — the oldest college football All-American team — to finish with the second most.
The American Football Coaches Association, AP, ESPN, Football Writers Association of America, Sporting News and Walter Camp Football Foundation revealed their All-America teams, and Buckeyes were sprinkled throughout.
The full list of Ohio State All-Americans is below:
First Team
OL Thayer Munford (AFCA)
WR Chris Olave (AFCA)
OL Nicholas Petit-Frere (CBS Sports, FWAA)
K Noah Ruggles (ESPN)
WR Garrett Wilson (FWAA)
Second Team
DL Haskell Garrett (Associated Press)
OL Thayer Munford (Associated Press, CBS Sports)
WR Chris Olave (Associated Press, CBS Sports, FWAA, Walter Camp)
OL Nicholas Petit-Frere (Associated Press, Walter Camp)
K Noah Ruggles (AFCA, Associated Press, CBS Sports, Walter Camp)
WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba (Sporting News)
WR Garrett Wilson (Associated Press)
Third Team
WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba (Associated Press)
QB C.J. Stroud (Associated Press)
