The No. 12 UCLA football team led the nation with three student-athletes named to the Associated Press Midseason All-America First Team, the AP announced Thursday. The Bruins’ selections were all-purpose player Wayne Knight, defensive back Ta’Shawn James and linebacker Sammy Omosigho.
UCLA accounted for three of the Big Ten Conference’s seven first-team selections. The last time three Bruins earned AP All-America honors in the same season was 2012.
RB Wayne Knight
Knight has been one of the country’s most productive players, leading the FBS in points per game (13.2) and ranking third in both rushing touchdowns (10) and all-purpose yards per game (157.8). The Smyrna, Del., native has rushed for at least one touchdown in each of UCLA’s first five games, becoming the first Bruin to accomplish that feat since Maurice Jones-Drew in 2005. He has scored multiple touchdowns in four of those contests, opening the season with consecutive games in which he matched his career high of three rushing touchdowns.
Knight has topped 100 all-purpose yards in four of five games and rushed for at least 100 yards in three consecutive Big Ten contests. He has earned Paul Hornung Award National Player of the Week honors three times this season. Last season at James Madison, Knight was named an AP Second Team All-American and Paul Hornung Award Finalist after setting a JMU single-season record and leading the FBS with 2,039 all-purpose yards.
DB Ta’Shawn James
James leads the Big Ten and is tied for second nationally with four interceptions. He is the third Bruin in the last 10 seasons to record four interceptions in a season. James also leads UCLA’s defensive backs with 29 total tackles and has added a half-sack.
James earned Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Week and Thorpe Award National Defensive Back of the Week honors after recording his first two career interceptions on consecutive fourth-quarter drives to help seal UCLA’s 45-24 season-opening victory over California.
LB Sammy Omosigho
Omosigho leads the FBS with four forced fumbles and the Big Ten with 5.4 solo tackles per game. He also ranks third in the conference in tackles for loss per game (1.5) and fourth in total tackles per game (8.4). The Crandall, Texas, native paces the Bruins’ defense with 42 total tackles (27 solo, 15 assisted), including 7.5 tackles for loss and three sacks.
Omosigho has earned spots on the Bednarik, Butkus and Lombardi award watch lists in his debut season at UCLA. He has emerged as one of the nation’s top linebackers after ranking among Oklahoma’s top five tacklers as a reserve in both 2024 and 2025.