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College football preseason All-America team led by Ohio State
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College football preseason All-America team led by Ohio State

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Every preseason All-America team begins with a debate at the quarterback position.

Georgia senior Carson Beck gets the nod as a first-team starter on USA TODAY Sports’ preseason All-America team after throwing for 3,941 yards and 24 touchdowns in 2023, followed by second-team selection Dillon Gabriel. After starting his career at Central Florida and spending two years at Oklahoma, Gabriel takes over a loaded roster at Oregon as the Ducks enter the Big Ten.

The first and second teams feature a host of Ohio State players. The Buckeyes lead all Bowl Subdivision teams with seven total selections, including first-team selections of running back Quinshon Judkins, offensive guard Donovan Jackson, cornerback Denzel Burke and safety Caleb Downs.

Four other programs placed at least three players at Georgia (four), Notre Dame (four), Alabama (four) and Oregon (three).

The preseason All-America teams were selected by a 19-person panel drawn from the USA TODAY Sports Network.

First team

OFFENSE

quarterback: Carson Beck, Georgia (Sr.)

While the Bulldogs fell short of the national championship in Beck’s debut, he outperformed former starter Stetson Bennett in most major statistical categories to establish himself as the favorite for the Heisman Trophy and the top pick in next year’s NFL draft.

RB: Ollie Gordon II, Oklahoma State (Jr.)

RB: Quinshon Judkins, Ohio State (Jr.)

Gordon (1,732 yards in 2023) will try to become just the third player in program history to top the 2,000-yard mark. Judkins (1,158 yards and 15 touchdowns) transferred from Mississippi to give Ohio State the nation’s top backfield duo, joining second-team All-America selection TreVeyon Henderson.

IS: Tetairoa McMillian, Arizona (Jr.)

IS: Luther Burden III, Missouri (Jr.)

IS: Colston Loveland, Michigan (son)

McMillian (90 catches for 1,402 yards) is the only returning Power Four receiver who averaged more than 100 receiving yards per game last season. Burden (86 for 1,212) has blossomed into a star and matched his status as one of the top recruits in program history. Loveland (45 for 649) will take on an even bigger role for Michigan’s new starting quarterback, whoever that may be.

OLD TESTAMENT: Will Campbell, LSU (junior)

OLD TESTAMENT: Kelvin Banks Jr., Texas (Jr.)

ORIGIN: Tate Ratledge, Georgia (Sr.)

ORIGIN: Donovan Jackson, Ohio State (senior)

DO: Parker Brailsford, Alabama (South)

Campbell anchors an offensive line that led the way for the nation’s highest-scoring offense (45.5 points per game). As Quinn Ewers’ blindside protector, Banks is one of the most important pieces behind the Longhorns’ quest for a national title. Ratledge, a third-year starter, helped Georgia rank first in the SEC last season in sacks allowed per game. Jackson is a two-time All-Big Ten selection and carries a 26-game starting streak into 2024. Brailsford, one of the most promising young players in the country, followed new coach Kalen DeBoer from Washington after a rookie season in the conference.

P: Alex Mastromanno, Florida State (Sr.)

K: Graham Nicholson, Alabama (Sr.)

Mastromanno averaged a career-high 45.5 yards per punt in 2023, making him the first Ray Guy Award finalist in program history. Nicholson (27-of-28 on field goals) was the only kicker in the FBS last season to make 20-plus field goals and miss just one.

DEFENSE

DELAWARE: James Pearce, Tennessee (son)

DELAWARE: Ashton Gillotte, Louisville (Sr.)

DAY: Mason Graham, Michigan (son)

DAY: Howard Cross III, Notre Dame (Sr.)

Pearce (10 sacks and 14½ tackles for loss) figures to be the next great defensive end in Tennessee history. Gillotte (11 sacks) will finish in the top three in school history in career sacks with another conference season. With eye-popping explosiveness and athleticism that belies his 320-pound frame, Graham (7½ tackles for loss) is an absurdly disruptive interior lineman. Cross (66 tackles) sets the tone for a defense that could be even better after finishing fifth nationally in yards per game.

LB: Harold Perkins, LSU (junior)

LB: Jay Higgins, Iowa (Sr.)

LB: Danny Stutsman, Oklahoma (Sr.)

Perkins has already racked up 27 tackles for loss in two years and may just be starting to tap into his vast skill set. Higgins (171 tackles) is fresh off one of the most productive seasons for a defender in program history. After weighing the NFL draft, Stutsman (16 tackles for loss) opted for another year at OU and gives the Sooners a difference-maker in the conference to ease the defense’s transition to the SEC.

CB: Will Johnson, Michigan (son)

CB: Denzel Burke, Ohio State University (senior)

S: Malaki Starks, Georgia (Jr.)

S: Caleb Downs, Ohio State (So.)

Johnson (four interceptions) may not surpass Charles Woodson to be considered the best cornerback in program history, but he’s building a case to be placed alongside the former Heisman winner as the best defensive backs to emerge from Ann Arbor. Also in the Big Ten, Burke is a blocker on the outside who routinely draws the Buckeyes’ toughest assignments. Starks (52 tackles and three interceptions) was a starter from day one for the Bulldogs and continues to improve his game. After an excellent rookie year, Downs (107 tackles) left for Ohio State as the most impactful transfer of the offseason.

Returning: Zachariah Branch, Southern California (So.)

For all uses: Travis Hunter, Colorado (son)

Branch (20.8 yards per punt return and two combined return touchdowns) is a game-changing returner who is ready to take on a larger role in the Trojans’ passing game. Hunter (721 receiving yards, three interceptions) does it all for the Buffaloes.

Second team

OFFENSE

quarterback: Dillon Gabriel, Oregon (Sr.)

RB: Omarion Hampton, North Carolina (Jr.)

RB: TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State (senior)

IS: Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State (Senior)

IS: Tez Johnson, Oregon (Sr.)

IS: Brant Kuithe, Utah (Sr.)

OLD TESTAMENT: Ajani Cornelius, Oregon (Sr.)

OLD TESTAMENT: Wyatt Millum, West Virginia (father)

ORIGIN: Tyler Booker, Alabama (junior)

ORIGIN: Clay Webb, Jacksonville State University (senior)

DO: Cooper Mays, Tennessee (Sr.)

P: James Ferguson-Reynolds, Boise State University (Jr.)

K: Andrew Borregales, Miami (Sr.)

DEFENSE

DELAWARE: Mykel Williams, Georgia (son)

DELAWARE: Nic Scourton, Texas A&M University (Jr.)

DAY: Tyleik Williams, Ohio State (senior)

DAY: Deone Walker, Kentucky (junior)

LB: Deontae Lawson, Alabama (Jr.)

LB: Nick Martin, Oklahoma State (Jr.)

LB: Barrett Carter, Clemson (Sr.)

CB: Benjamin Morrison, Notre Dame (Jr.)

CB: Travis Hunter, Colorado (son)

S: Xavier Watts, Notre Dame (Sr.)

S: Dillon Thieneman, Purdue (South)

Returning: Jayden Harrison, Notre Dame (Sr.)

For all uses: Barion Brown, Kentucky (junior)

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