ESPN's preseason All-America team: Longhorns, Tigers, Buckeyes, more
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- ESPN released its 2026 preseason All-America team ahead of the Week 0 North Carolina–TCU matchup in Dublin, with Texas leading all programs with five first-team picks — notably without quarterback Arch Manning.
- Only three players returned from ESPN's 2025 postseason All-America list: Notre Dame CB Leonard Moore, Indiana OT Carter Smith, and Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith.
- Ohio State QB Julian Sayin earned first-team honors after a debut season featuring 3,610 passing yards, 42 touchdowns, and an FBS-best 77% completion rate that ranks third in NCAA history.
- Ole Miss RB Kewan Lacy, the No. 1 back in ESPN's eyes, ranked second nationally with 24 rushing touchdowns and third with 1,567 rushing yards last fall after transferring from Missouri.
- Jeremiah Smith enters his junior season as arguably the best player in college football, with 2,258 receiving yards and 27 touchdowns since 2024 — more than any current FBS pass catcher over that span.
- Miami's Malachi Toney landed the all-purpose spot after a true freshman campaign leading all FBS receivers with 109 receptions and 845 yards after the catch.
- Last year's track record offers a caution: just 7 of ESPN's 26 first-team preseason picks in 2025 landed on the final first-team All-America list in January.
Why it matters: Preseason All-America lists shape Heisman and NFL draft narratives months before a snap is played, and with Texas placing five players on the first team — and notably not its QB1 — the Longhorns are positioned by ESPN as the deepest roster in college football heading into a season where national title windows open fast.
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