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Rose Bowl stars Darnold, Barkley lead AP All-America team

Southern California quarterback Sam Darnold and Penn State running back Saquon Barkley put on a show at the Rose Bowl last season and established themselves as two of the biggest stars in college football coming into 2017.

The two Heisman Trophy contenders highlight the first preseason All-America team in the history of The Associated Press.

Darnold passed for 453 yards and five touchdowns in USC's 52-49 victory over the Nittany Lions. Barkley ran for 194 yards and scored three touchdowns against USC.

The AP All-America team is the longest-running annual honor roll of the nation's top college football players, dating to 1925, and is usually released after the season. Darnold was voted to the first team by a panel of 51 Top 25 voters, edging out Heisman winner Lamar Jackson, who is the second-team quarterback on the teams released Tuesday.

The first-team defense is led by Houston defensive tackle Ed Oliver, Alabama defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick and two defensive backs from Florida State. The ACC led all conferences with seven players on the first team.

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More AP college football: http://collegefootball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

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