2025 CBS Sports Midseason All-America team: Behold the year of the breakthrough star

Balloting for the CBS Sports Midseason All-American team reflected the degree to which unexpected stars are shaping the 2025 college football season. The list, which can be found below, features a mix of big-name stars who were expected to be great, and breakout players who began the year off the national radar.

At the first two positions -- quarterback and running back -- the midseason ballot was virtually unrecognizable in comparison to the preseason ballot. Of the five quarterbacks who received votes from our panel of 16 experts for Midseason All-American, not a single one received a preseason vote.

But amid slow starts for LSU's Garrett Nussmeier, Clemson's Cade Klubnik, South Carolina's LaNorris Sellers and Texas' Arch Manning -- all of whom received multiple preseason votes -- the door was opened for a new crop of QB stars. Miami's Carson Beck edged out Oregon's Dante Moore in our midseason rankings, making it the second year in a row a Miami QB held this spot at the midseason mark. 

Running back was filled in the preseason with submissions for Penn State's Nick Singleton and Notre Dame's Jeremiyah Love. But midway through the season, it's a pair of transfers leading the charge. Missouri's Ahmad Hardy (from Louisiana-Monroe) and Michigan's Justice Haynes (from Alabama) have emerged as college football's top backs.

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Here is the full rundown of our Midseason All-Americans, followed by a conference breakdown and key takeaways.

🏈 2025 CBS Sports Midseason All-America

2025 CBS Sports Midseason All-America by conference

2025 CBS Sports Midseason All-America takeaways

Texas Tech's swing paying off

Texas Tech's investment in transfer talent is paying off, as the Red Raiders went from placing zero players on the preseason All-American team to having three on the midseason squad. TTU finished the 2025 cycle with the No. 2 portal class, per 247Sports, and two of those transfers are CBS Sports Midseason All-Americans, as linebacker David Bailey and defensive lineman Lee Hunter both cracked the list for their roles in the Red Raiders' rise. Texas A&M and Miami also put three players apiece on the Midseason All-American Team to tie with Texas Tech for the most significant representation.

Notable absences

Texas, Penn State, Clemson and Georgia were each ranked in the top five to begin the season, and the four powers placed a combined eight players on the CBS Sports Preseason All-American team. However, they combined to produce zero midseason honorees. Their stunning lack of representation comes amid team struggles. Those teams have all failed to meet preseason expectations, and their stars have work to do in order to be considered for All-American status at season's end.

Downs stays steady

This marks Ohio State safety Caleb Downs' fifth straight appearance on a CBS Sports All-American team. The junior star appeared on last year's preseason, midseason and postseason lists and has only continued to shine. The former five-star prospect was also the CBS Sports Freshman of the Year in 2023 for his performance in his lone season at Alabama. Downs is regarded as the top defensive back and No. 5 overall player in the CBS Sports NFL Draft Prospect Rankings.