University of Delaware Athletics
Buchanan, Whitehead Named AP All-Americans
12/14/2022 4:28:00 PM | Football
NEWARK, Del. – A pair of University of Delaware football student-athletes were named to the Associated Press (AP) All-America Teams on Tuesday. Linebacker Johnny Buchanan earned first team recognition, while safety Kedrick Whitehead was selected to the third team.
Buchanan, who was also named a HERO Sports All-American last week, had a fantastic 2022, leading all of FCS with 150 total tackles. The All-CAA First Team selection tied for second on the Delaware defense with 8.5 TFL and also added 1.5 sacks along with a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. He tied a program record in the season opener as he registered 23 tackles in UD's 14-7 win at Navy. In 13 games in 2022, Buchanan had eight games with at least 10 tackles and five games with at least 15 takedowns.
A finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award, given to the best defensive player in FCS, Buchanan finished just three tackles shy of tying the Delaware single-season record and ends his career ranked 11th in the UD record books with 327 total tackles. The Brick, New Jersey native was twice named the CAA Defensive Player of the Week this season and earned National Defensive Player of the Week honors after his 23-tackle performance at Navy.
Whitehead earns his first All-America selection this season, and the sixth of his career, after a very strong finish to his UD career. The Middletown, Delaware native received his fourth All-CAA recognition and third-straight nod to the first team in 2022 after ranking third on the team with 73 tackles to go along with 3.5 TFL, 1.0 sacks and five pass breakups. A force in the takeaway department, Whitehead tied for the team lead with two interceptions while also forcing a fumble and recovering another.
A preseason selection to the Buck Buchanan Watch List, Whitehead has now earned All-America honors in four-consecutive seasons. He was named to the Stats Perform FCS All-American Third Team following the 2021 season after being named a Stats Perform, AP and Athlon Sports First Team All-American following the 2020-21 Spring campaign and a HERO Sports Sophomore All-American in 2019.
The Blue Hens finished the 2022 season, the first of the Ryan Carty era, with an 8-5 overall record and a 4-4 mark in the CAA. Delaware opened the year with its 16th all-time win over an FBS program and ended the season with its 18th appearance in the FCS Championship. UD defeated Saint Francis (Pa.) in the first round, 56-17, before falling to No. 1 seed South Dakota State in the second round.
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