Patrick Jones II named AFCA second-team All-American

Pitt defensive end Patrick Jones II was honored as an All-American for the fourth time this postseason, as the American Football Coaches Association placed him on its second team on Thursday. Prior to the selection, Jones was honored by CBS and the Associated Press as a second-team selection and by Sporting News as a first-team All-American.

As a result of the first-team nod from Sporting News, Jones was briefly in the running for consensus All-American status. However, as a second-team selection for the AFCA and the Associated Press who was overlooked by the Football Writers Association of America, he will not earn consensus status in 2020.

To earn consensus All-America honors, a player must be named a first-team All-American by three of the following five outlets: the Associated Press, the American Football Coaches Association, the Football Writers Association of America, Sporting News, and the Walter Camp Football Foundation. And at this point, Walter Camp is the only one of the five major outlets that has yet to release its All-America teams for the 2020 season.

Jones, a 6’5”, 260-pound defensive end, set new career highs in 2020, with nine sacks and 13 tackles for losses in 11 games. And in addition to leading Pitt in sacks, Jones finished fifth in the nation in total sacks and second among Power Five players.

Despite snubs for All-America honors from the likes of ESPN, the Football Writers Association of America and Pro Football Focus, Jones is in good standing ahead of the 2021 NFL draft and is held in high esteem by many draft analysts. ESPN ranks him as the No. 47 overall prospect and No. 6 at his position, and CBS places him at No. 31 overall and No. 2 among defensive ends. So he has a solid chance of being Pitt’s first player off the board.