The 1979 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 1979. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) recognizes four selectors as "official" for the 1979 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),[7] and the Walter Camp Football Foundation (WC).
Receivers
- Ken Margerum, Stanford (AFCA, AP-1, UPI-1, NEA-1, TSN, WC)
- Art Monk, Syracuse (FWAA)
- Johnny "Lam" Jones, Texas (TSN)
- Rick Beasley, Appalachian State (AP-2)
- Jackie Flowers, Florida State (UPI-2)
- Wayne Baumgardner, Wake Forest (NEA-2)
- Steve Coury, Oregon State (AP-3)
Tight ends
- Junior Miller, Nebraska (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, NEA-1, TSN, WC)
- Mark Brammer, Michigan State (UPI-2)
- Dave Young, Purdue (AP-2)
- Mark Geisler, Ohio (NEA-2)
- Benjie Pryor, Pittsburgh (AP-3)
Tackles
- Greg Kolenda, Arkansas (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, NEA-1, WC)
- Jim Bunch, Alabama (AP-1, AFCA [G], FWAA, UPI-2)
- Tim Foley, Notre Dame (AP-2, UPI-1, NEA-1, TSN)
- Melvin Jones, Houston (AFCA, AP-3, WC)
- Stan Brock, Colorado (NEA-2, TSN)
- Steve McKenzie, Purdue (AP-2)
- Irv Pankey, Penn State (NEA-2)
- Ray Snell, Wisconsin (UPI-2, TSN)
- Herman Parker, Long Beach State (AP-3)
Guards
- Brad Budde, USC (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, NEA-1, TSN, WC)
- Ken Fritz, Ohio State (AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, NEA-1, WC)
- Mike Brock, Alabama (AP-2)
- Pete Inge, San Diego State (AP-2, UPI-2)
- George Stewart, Arkansas (UPI-2)
- Mark Jones, Missouri (NEA-2)
- Mark Goodspeed, Nebraska (NEA-2)
- Wayne Inman, East Carolina (AP-3)
- Craig Wolfley, Syracuse (AP-3)
Centers
- Jim Ritcher, North Carolina State (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, NEA-1, TSN, WC)
- Dwight Stephenson, Alabama (AP-2, UPI-2)
- Ray Donaldson, Georgia (AP-3, NEA-2)
Quarterbacks
- Marc Wilson, Brigham Young (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, NEA-2, WC)
- Art Schlichter, Ohio State (AP-3, UPI-2, NEA-1, TSN)
- Paul McDonald, USC (AP-2)
Running backs
- Charles White, USC (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, NEA-1, TSN, WC)
- Billy Sims, Oklahoma (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, NEA-1, TSN, WC
- Vagas Ferguson, Notre Dame (AFCA, AP-2, FWAA, UPI-1, NEA-2, WC)
- George Rogers, South Carolina (AP-1, UPI-2, NEA-1)
- James Brooks, Auburn (AP-2)
- James Hadnot, Texas Tech (AP-2, UPI-2)
- Dennis Mosley, Iowa (AP-3, UPI-2)
- Jarvis Redwine, Nebraska (NEA-2)
- Joe Cribbs, Auburn (AP-3, NEA-2)
- Freeman McNeil, UCLA (AP-3)
Defensive ends
- Hugh Green, Pittsburgh (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, NEA-1, TSN, WC)
- Curtis Greer, Michigan (AFCA, FWAA, UPI-2 [DT], NEA-1)
- Jacob Green, Texas A&M (AP-1, UPI-2, WC)
- Rick Antle, Oklahoma State (AP-2)
- E. J. Junior, Alabama (AP-2)
- John Adams, LSU (UPI-2)
- Rush Brown, Ball State (NEA-2 [DL])
- Gerry Gluscic, Indiana State (AP-3)
- Bob Kohrs, Arizona State (AP-3)
Defensive tackles
- Steve McMichael, Texas (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, NEA-2, WC)
- Bruce Clark, Penn State (AFCA, FWAA, UPI-1, NEA-1 [NG], TSN, WC)
- Jim Stuckey, Clemson (AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1 [DE], NEA-1, TSN [DE])
- Hosea Taylor, Houston (NEA-1)
- Rulon Jones, Utah State (AP-2, NEA-2, TSN)
- Doug Martin, Washington (AP-2, UPI-2, NEA-2)
- Cleveland Crosby, Arizona (AP-3)
- Dino Mangiero, Rutgers (AP-3)
Middle guards
- Ron Simmons, Florida State (AFCA, AP-1, UPI-1, NEA-2, WC)
- Ken Loushin, Purdue (AP-2)
- Kerry Weinmaster, Nebraska (UPI-2)
- George Mays, Army (AP-3)
Linebackers
- George Cumby, Oklahoma (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, NEA-1, TSN, WC)
- Mike Singletary, Baylor (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-2, NEA-2, WC)
- Ron Simpkins, Michigan (AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, NEA-2, WC)
- Dennis Johnson, USC (UPI-1, TSN)
- Otis Wilson, Louisville (NEA-1, TSN)
- David Hodge, Houston (AFCA, AP-2)
- Dan Bass, Michigan State (AP-2)
- Lance Mehl, Penn State (AP-2, UPI-2)
- Otis Wilson, Louisville (AP-3, UPI-2)
- Tom Boyd, Alabama (AP-3)
- Bob Crable, Notre Dame (AP-3)
Defensive backs
- Kenny Easley, UCLA (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, NEA-1, TSN, WC)
- Johnnie Johnson, Texas (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, NEA-1, TSN, WC)
- Roland James, Tennessee (AFCA, AP-2, FWAA, UPI-1, NEA-1, TSN, WC)
- Don McNeal, Alabama (AP-3, NEA-1, TSN)
- Mark Haynes, Colorado (AP-1, UPI-2)
- Derrick Hatchett, Texas (AP-2)
- Lovie Smith, Tulsa (AP-2)
- Darrol Ray, Oklahoma (UPI-2)
- Mike Guess, Ohio State (UPI-2)
- Willie Teal, LSU (NEA-2)
- Mark Lee, Washington (NEA-2)
- Roynell Young, Alcorn State (NEA-2)
- Vince Skillings, Ohio State (NEA-2)
- Monk Bonasorte, Florida State (AP-3)
- Dennis Smith, USC (AP-3)
Kickers
- Dale Castro, Maryland (FWAA, UPI-1, NEA-1, TSN, WC)
- Ish Ordonez, Arkansas (UPI-2, NEA-2)
Punters
- Jim Miller, Ole Miss (FWAA, UPI-1, NEA-1, TSN, WC)
- Mike Smith, Wyoming (UPI-2)
- Ken Naber, Stanford (NEA-2)
- Bold – Consensus All-American[1]
- -1 – First-team selection
- -2 – Second-team selection
- -3 – Third-team selection