Georgia’s Christopher Smith, Jalen Carter named first-team AP All-Americans

Georgia Bulldogs senior safety Christopher Smith and junior defensive lineman Jalen Carter were named Associated Press first-team All-Americans, according to an announcement Monday. 

Georgia (13-0), the Southeastern Conference champion and top seed in the College Football Playoff, is one of three programs to have more than one player on the team and the only one to have a pair on defense.

Last week, Carter and Smith were named to the Walter Camp Football Foundation and Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) All-America first team while sophomore tight end Brock Bowers made the FWAA first team and Walter Camp second team. 

Carter, a native of Apopka, Fla., was a Rotary Lombardi Award finalist. Despite starting only seven games because of an early season knee injury, he has 29 tackles, including seven tackles for loss (TFL) and three sacks, to go with two forced fumbles and 25 quarterback hurries. Over the last six games, he has accounted for 24 tackles, 6.5 TFLs, three sacks and a pair of forced fumbles. 

Smith, a native of Atlanta, was a finalist for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy. He has started all 13 games, leads the squad with three interceptions and ranks fourth in tackles with 50. In the SEC Championship Game victory over LSU, Smith returned a blocked field goal 96 yards for a touchdown, had three tackles, including a TFL, and an interception.