Continuing to earn national recognition for his performance during the 2020 season, Arkansas State senior wide receiver Jonathan Adams Jr. was named Tuesday to the Sporting News All-America Team.
Adams was tabbed a second-team selection as he became just the sixth player in Arkansas State history to earn All-America honors from the Sporting News.
Former A-State wide receiver Omar Bayless was a also a second-team pick last year, while Ken Jones was a first-team selection in 1975. Leroy Jones (1976), TJ Humphreys (1976) and Doug Dobbs (1978) were all honorable-mention choices during the 1970’s.
Adams, the Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Year, has now landed on four All-America teams, including the Sporting News, Associated Press (second team), CBS Sports (second team), and Pro Football Focus (honorable mention) versions.
A First Team All-Sun Belt pick and Biletnikoff Award semifinalist, Adams ranks third in the nation in total receptions (79) and touchdown catches (12) and fifth in receiving yards (1,111). Both his 7.9 receptions per game and 111.1 receiving yards average rank ninth in the country.
The Jonesboro, Ark., native was twice named the Sun Belt’s Offensive Player of the Week this season while being selected to the East-West Shrine Bowl and receiving a Hula Bowl invitation. He posted five 100-yard receiving games that are tied for the sixth most in the nation and tied for the second most in both Arkansas State and Sun Belt Conference history.
Adams’ 1,111 receiving yards are the third most ever by an A-State player, while his 79 catches rank fifth in the school record books. He was selected as the National Player of the Week by the Maxwell Award, 247Sports, Athlon Sports (offensive) and Frisco Bowl (offensive) after leading A-State to a 35-31 victory over Kansas State, when he posted eight receptions for 98 yards and a career-high three touchdowns, including the game winner.
Adams was responsible for at least five catches in every game this season and caught multiple passes in 25 consecutive games while climbing the career-records charts at A-State. He ranks second all-time at A-State for receiving touchdowns (21), third for receptions (166) and fifth for receiving yards (2,306). His 21 career touchdown grabs are also tied for the fifth most in Sun Belt Conference history.
