USC, Ohio State, Michigan Football Stars Highlight AP Preseason All-Americans

The 2023 college football season is rapidly approaching; Week 0 kicks off Saturday at 2:30 p.m. ET with Notre Dame vs. Navy, in Dublin, Ireland. The AP released its preseason top-25 poll last week, and now the AP preseason All-American teams are here. USC, Michigan and Ohio State football all bring serious talent to the table, with Caleb Williams topping the first team.

First Team Offense

No surprise USC’s Caleb Williams takes the quarterback spot on the All-American first team. He won the Heisman Trophy last year, he’s the favorite to win it again, and he’s the expected No. 1 pick in next year’s NFL Draft. He’s the best player in college football.

Rounding out the backfield, there’s Michigan RB Blake Corum and Ole Miss RB Quinshon Judkins. Corum was awesome for the Wolverines in 2022, putting up over 1,500 scrimmage yards and 19 touchdowns before undergoing season-ending knee surgery. He’s the driving force behind this Michigan football team, and he will be the main reason Michigan is in the College Football Playoff again. Judkins also had a ridiculous breakout year as a freshman last season. He fell just short of 1,700 total yards and scored 17 touchdowns.

Moving to the pass catchers, Georgia tight end Brock Bowers is the obvious first-team choice here. He’s the best tight end in the country by a landslide and the best tight end prospect in a long time. Future top-15 pick.

At wide receiver, two Buckeyes made the first team: Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka. Washington’s Rome Odunze joins the list as well. Ohio State continues the trend of putting an NFL-caliber receiving corps on the field. Harrison could be a top-5 pick next year and Egbuka could easily go first round. These two were on the 2021 roster that included three eventual first-round picks in Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. That could go down as the best receiver room in college football history. Despite losing three awesome playmakers in the last two drafts, the Buckeyes still have the best receivers in the country.

The All-American first team offensive line comes from five different programs. Two-way x-factor and former No. 1 overall recruit Travis Hunter of Colorado makes it here as an all-purpose player. Clemson RB Will Shipley is a first-team talent, but there wasn’t really a place for him above anyone else. Maybe he could have made it over Hunter as all-purpose.

Here is the full preseason All-American First Team offense:

Quarterback: Caleb Williams, USC

Running backs: Blake Corum, Michigan; Quinshon Judkins, Ole Miss

Wide receivers: Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State; Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State; Rome Odunze, Washington

Tight end: Brock Bowers, Georgia

Tackles: Joe Alt, Notre Dame; Olu Fashanu, Penn State

Guards: Cooper Beebe, Kansas State; Zak Zinter, Michigan

Center: Sedrick Van Pran, Georgia

All-purpose: Travis Hunter, Colorado

Kicker: Joshua Karty, Stanford

First Team Defense

The first-team defense includes multiple starters for Georgia and Iowa. Other preseason top-10 teams LSU, Alabama, Penn State and Iowa State also have guys here.

LSU linebacker Harold Perkins is probably the best defensive player in the country. He was excellent for the Tigers in 2022, racking up 7.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss, plus an interception. He’ll be instrumental as No. 5 LSU tries to make a playoff run.

Alabama cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry was the top-ranked defensive back in the class of 2021 and he has lived up to that hype. McKinstry is the best DB in the nation and he’ll be a first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Ohio State edge J.T. Tuimoloau was perhaps a first-team snub, though he did make the preseason All-American second-team. Tuimoloau has the ability to make game-breaking impact, the way 2023 top-10 picks Will Anderson and Jalen Carter did in the SEC last year.

USC safety Calen Bullock also has a case for a spot on the first-team over the second-team, as well as Georgia Safety Javon Bullard. Travis Hunter could have been a defensive back selection had he not made it on the offense as an all-purpose player.

Here is the full preseason All-American First Team defense:

Edge rushers: Jared Verse, Florida State; Bralen Trice, Washington

Defensive tackles: Jer’Zhan Newton, Illinois; Dontay Corleone, Cincinnati

Linebackers: Harold Perkins, LSU; Jamon Dumas-Johnson, Georgia; Tommy Eichenberg, Ohio State

Cornerbacks: Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama; Kalen King, Penn State

Safeties: Kam Kinchens, Miami; Malaki Starks, Georgia

Nickel back: Cooper DeJean, Iowa

Punter: Tory Taylor, Iowa

Second Team Offense

Quarterback: Drake Maye, North Carolina

Running backs: Raheim Sanders, Arkansas; Braelon Allen, Wisconsin

Wide Receivers: Xavier Worthy, Texas; Malik Nabers, LSU; Jacob Cowing, Arizona

Tight end: Oronde Gadsden, Syracuse

Tackles: JC Latham, Alabama; Kelvin Banks Jr., Texas

Guards: Donovan Jackson, Ohio State; Christian Mahogany, Boston College

Center: Zach Frazier, West Virginia

All-purpose: Will Shipley, Clemson

Kicker: John Hoyland, Wyoming

Second Team Defense

Edge rushers: J.T. Tuimoloau, Ohio State; Dallas Turner, Alabama

Defensive tackles: Tyler Davis, Clemson; Mekhi Wingo, LSU

Linebackers: Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Clemson; Barrett Carter, Clemson; Cedric Gray, North Carolina

Cornerbacks: Josh Newton, TCU; Ben Morrison, Notre Dame

Safeties: Calen Bullock, USC; Javon Bullard, Georgia

Nickel back: Will Johnson, Michigan

Punter: Kai Kroeger, South Carolina