The 1978 College Football All-America team is composed of college football players who were selected as All-Americans by various organizations and writers that chose College Football All-America Teams in 1978. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) recognizes four selectors as "official" for the 1978 season. They are:[1] (1) the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) based on the input of more than 2,000 voting members;[2] (2) the Associated Press (AP) selected based on the votes of sports writers at AP newspapers;[3] (3) the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) selected by the nation's football writers;[4] and (4) the United Press International (UPI) selected based on the votes of sports writers at UPI newspapers.[5] Other selectors included Football News (FN), the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA),[6] The Sporting News (TSN), and the Walter Camp Football Foundation (WC).
Receivers
- Emanuel Tolbert, SMU (AP-1, FWAA, UPI-2, NEA-2, WC)
- Kirk Gibson, Michigan State (AP-2, UPI-1, NEA-1, TSN)
- Gordon Jones, Pittsburgh (AFCA [split end], AP-2, NEA-1 [flanker])
- Jerry Butler, Clemson (AP-1, NEA-2 [flanker], TSN)
- Junior Miller, Nebraska (AP-3)
- Dave Petzke, Northern Illinois (AP-3)
Tackles
- Keith Dorney, Penn St. (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, NEA-1, TSN, WC)
- Kelvin Clark, Nebraska (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, NEA-2, WC)
- Jeff Toews, Washington (AP-2, UPI-2, NEA-1, TSN)
- Matt Miller, Colorado (UPI-1)
- Robert Dugas, LSU (AP-2, NEA-2)
- Anthony Muñoz, USC (UPI-2)
- Greg Kolenda, Arkansas (AP-3)
- Craig Wolfley, Syracuse (AP-3)
Guards
- Pat Howell, USC (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, NEA-1, TSN, WC)
- Greg Roberts, Oklahoma (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, NEA-1, TSN, WC)
- Joe Bostic, Clemson (AP-2, UPI-2, NEA-2)
- Pete Inge, San Diego State (AP-2)
- Steve Lindquist, Nebraska (AP-3, UPI-2)
- Brad Budde, USC (NEA-2)
- Doug Panfil, Tulsa (AP-3)
Centers
- Dave Huffman, Notre Dame (AP-2, FWAA, UPI-1, NEA-1, TSN, WC)
- Jim Ritcher, North Carolina St. (AFCA, AP-1)
- Dwight Stephenson, Alabama (UPI-2)
- Robert Shaw, Tennessee (NEA-2)
- Chuck Brown, Houston (AP-3)
Quarterbacks
- Chuck Fusina, Penn St. (AFCA-t, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, NEA-1, WC)
- Rick Leach, Michigan (AFCA-t, AP-2, UPI-2)
- Jack Thompson, Washington State (TSN)
- Steve Dils, Stanford (NEA-2)
- Steve Fuller, Clemson (AP-3)
Running backs
- Billy Sims, Oklahoma (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, NEA-1, TSN, WC)
- Charles Alexander, LSU (AFCA, AP-2, FWAA, UPI-2, NEA-1, TSN, WC)
- Charles White, USC (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, NEA-2, WC)
- Ted Brown, North Carolina State (AP-1, UPI-1, NEA-2)
- Eddie Lee Ivery, Georgia Tech (AP-2, UPI-2)
- Darrin Nelson, Stanford (AP-2)
- Willie McClendon, Georgia (UPI-2)
- Obie Graves, Cal State Fullerton (AP-3)
- James Hadnot, Texas Tech (AP-3)
- Joseph H. Holland, Cornell (AP-3)
Defensive ends
- Al Harris, Arizona St. (AP-1, UPI-1, NEA-1, WC, AFCA, FWAA, TSN)
- Hugh Green, Pittsburgh (AP-1, UPI-1, NEA-2, WC)
- Don Smith, Miami (Fla.) (AFCA, NEA-2, TSN)
- George Andrews, Nebraska (AP-2, UPI-2, NEA-1)
- Don Blackmon, Tulsa (AP-2)
- Willie Jones, Florida State (UPI-2)
- John Adams, LSU (AP-3)
- Chuck Schott, Army (AP-3)
Defensive tackles
- Mike Bell, Colorado St. (AFCA, AP-2, FWAA, UPI-2, NEA-1, TSN, WC)
- Bruce Clark, Penn St. (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, NEA-2)
- Marty Lyons, Alabama (AP-1, FWAA, UPI-2, NEA-1, TSN)
- Matt Millen, Penn State (UPI-1, NEA-2, WC)
- Dan Hampton, Arkansas (AFCA)
- Jimmy Walker, Arkansas (AP-3, FWAA)
- Mike Stensrud, Iowa State (AP-2)
- Ken Kremer, Ball State (AP-3)
Linebackers
- Jerry Robinson, UCLA (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, NEA-1, WC, TSN)
- Tom Cousineau, Ohio State (AP-1, UPI-1, NEA-1, WC, AFCA, TSN)
- Bob Golic, Notre Dame (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, NEA-2, WC)
- Ken Fantetti, Wyoming (AP-3, FWAA)
- Barry Krauss, Alabama (AP-2, UPI-2, TSN)
- George Cumby, Oklahima (NEA-1)
- John Corker, Ohlahoma State (AP-1)
- Daryl Hunt, Oklahoma (AP-2, UPI-2)
- Michael Jackson, Washington (AP-2, UPI-2, NEA-2)
- Joe Norman, Indiana (NEA-2)
- Jack Lazor, Kent State (AP-3)
- Frank Manumaleuga, San Jose State (AP-3)
Defensive backs
- Johnnie Johnson, Texas (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, NEA-1, WC)
- Kenny Easley, UCLA (AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, NEA-1, TSN, WC)
- Jeff Nixon, Richmond (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-2, NEA-1, WC)
- Lawrence Johnson, Wisconsin (NEA-1, TSN)
- Henry Williams, San Diego St. (AFCA, UPI-2)
- Rick Sanford, South Carolina (TSN)
- Pete Harris, Penn State (AP-2, UPI-1, NEA-2)
- Don Bessillieu, Georgia Tech (TSN)
- Jeff Delaney, Pittsburgh (AP-2, UPI-2)
- Lovie Smith, Tulsa (AP-2)
- Russ Calabrese, Missouri (NEA-2)
- Tim Smith, Oregon State (NEA-2)
- Vaughn Lusby, Arkansas (NEA-2)
- Jason Coloma, Brigham Young (AP-3)
- Nesby Glasgow, Washington (AP-3)
- Joe Restic, Notre Dame (AP-3)
- Bold – Consensus All-American[1]
- -1 – First-team selection
- -2 – Second-team selection
- -3 – Third-team selection