Iowa defensive tackle Daviyon Nixon becomes unanimous All-American

Nixon is the ninth unanimous All-American in Hawkeye program history.

Shivansh Ahuja

Iowa defensive tackle Daviyon Nixon tackles Nebraska’s WanÕDale Robinson during a football game between Iowa and Nebraska at Kinnick Stadium on Friday, Nov. 27, 2020. IowaÕs defense sacked Martinez three times.

Robert Read, Pregame Editor


Iowa defensive tackle Daviyon Nixon already earned consensus All-American status this awards season, but Thursday he became the ninth unanimous consensus All-American in Hawkeye program history.

Nixon was named a first-team selection and redshirt sophomore center Tyler Linderbaum was named a second-team selection on the Walter Camp All-America Team on Thursday night.

Nixon, who declared for the 2021 NFL Draft and will forego his senior season, has now earned first-team All-America recognition on all five All-America teams. Linebacker Josey Jewell was Iowa’s most recent unanimous All-American selection in 2017.

The Kenosha, Wisconsin, native, is Iowa’s sixth consensus All-American in the last seven years and 27th player in school history to be named a consensus All-American (29th overall, Calvin Jones and Larry Station were honored twice). Nixon is Iowa’s first consensus defensive lineman since Adrian Clayborn in 2010 and first consensus defensive tackle since Jared DeVries in 1998. Nixon is the sixth defensive lineman in school history to garner consensus All-American status.

Nixon, the Nagurski-Woodson Defensive Player of the Year and the Smith-Brown Defensive Lineman of the Year in the Big Ten, led the conference in tackles for loss (33), tied for the conference lead in sacks (5.5), and had the most tackles by a Big Ten defensive lineman (41).

ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. ranks Nixon as the top draft-eligible defensive tackle this year, and the No. 10 overall prospect in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Linderbaum, a Solon, Iowa native, earned second-team All-America recognition on three teams (Walter Camp, FWAA, and AP) and was a first-team All-America selection by The Athletic and Pro Football Focus.

Linderbaum started every game at center for the second straight year. He anchored an offensive line that helped the Iowa offense rank second in the Big Ten in fewest sacks allowed, first downs, fourth down conversions, and scoring offense, and third in red zone offense.

2020-21 All-America Honors: 

Chauncey Golston 

Honorable mention All-America by Phil Steele

Alaric Jackson 

Second-team All-America by America Football Coaches Association (AFCA)

Third-team All-America by Phil Steele

Charlie Jones 

Honorable mention All-America return specialist by Phil Steele

Tyler Linderbaum 

First-team All-America by Pro Football Focus

First-team All-America by The Athletic

Second-team All-America by Associated Press

Second-team All-America by Football Writers Association of America (FWAA)

Second-team All-America by Walter Camp Foundation

Second-team All-America by Phil Steele

Daviyon Nixon

Unanimous Consensus All-American

First-team All-America by Walter Camp Foundation

First-team All-America by Associated Press

First-team All-America by Football Writers Association of America (FWAA)

First-team All-America by America Football Coaches Association (AFCA)

First-team All-America by Sporting News

First-team All-America by ESPN

First-team All-America by The Athletic

First-team All-America by Phil Steele

Tory Taylor 

Second-team All-America by The Athletic

Freshman All-America by 247Sports.com