The nation’s best players play on the nation’s best teams. It’s funny how that works out.
The USA Today Sports preseason All-America college football team for 2026 features standouts from the favorites for this year’s College Football Playoff, with multiple first- and second-team selections from Oregon, Ohio State, Indiana, Georgia and Texas.
The biggest debate might have come at quarterback, where Oregon’s Dante Moore earned first-team accolades over Ohio State’s Julian Sayin.
On the other hand, there was no debate over the three players who earned unanimous first-team honors: Mississippi running back Kewan Lacy, Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith and Notre Dame cornerback Leonard Moore.
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Voting was conducted by more than 20 college football writers and editors in the USA Today Sports Network. Our results are below. An asterisk denotes a unanimous choice.
Oregon quarterback Dante Moore looks to pass during his team's game on Aug. 30, 2025 against Montana State at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore.
First-team offense
QB: Dante Moore, Oregon
Moore opted to come back to Oregon after throwing for 3,565 yards and 30 touchdowns in 2025, his first season as the starter after transferring from UCLA.
RB: Kewan Lacy, Mississippi*
RB: Ahmad Hardy, Missouri
Lacy (1,567 yards and 24 touchdowns in 2025) joins quarterback Trinidad Chambliss to give the Rebels the best backfield pairing in the country. While overlooked nationally, Hardy poured in 1,649 yards on 6.4 yards per carry last season.
WR: Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State*
WR: Malachi Toney, Miami
TE: Jamari Johnson, Oregon
Smith is the pound-for-pound best player in college football and has a chance this season to cement his place among the best players at his position in modern history. Toney (1,211 yards in 2025) is a do-everything skill talent for the Hurricanes. After making 32 grabs last season, Johnson is expected to play an even larger role for the Ducks in 2026.
Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith runs for a touchdown against Notre Dame during the first half of the College Football Playoff championship game on Jan. 20, 2025 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
OT: Carter Smith, Indiana
OT: Trevor Goosby, Texas
C: Iapani Laloulu, Oregon
OG: Evan Tengesdahl, Cincinnati
OG: Kade Pieper, Iowa
Smith is the anchor of what should again be a bruising and intimidating Indiana offensive front. Goosby’s decision to come back to Texas will give Arch Manning an elite blindside protector. Laloulu leads the way for an Oregon running game that averaged 5.4 yards per carry and had 35 touchdowns last season. After an often brilliant first year as a starter in 2025, Tengesdahl will be in the mix for national hardware even if the Bearcats fail to move beyond the seven-win mark. Pieper can play multiple spots along the interior and would be an All-America candidate at center, too.
First team defense
DE: Colin Simmons, Teas
DE: Dylan Stewart, South Carolina
DT: A’Mauri Washington, Oregon
DT: Tyrique Tucker, Indiana
Simmons delivered a breakout 2025 (15½ tackles for loss, 12 sacks) and is at times the most unstoppable edge rusher in the nation. When healthy, Stewart (12 tackles for loss in 2025) isn’t far behind. Washington is a force along the interior of what looks like the best defensive front in the Power Four. Tucker (12 tackles for loss in 2025) is simply a wrecking ball.
LB: Rasheem Biles, Texas
LB: Rolijah Hardy, Indiana
LB: Sammy Brown, Clemson
A very strong 2025 at Pittsburgh (101 tackles, 17 tackles for loss) paints Biles as one of the most impactful transfers in the Power Four. Hardy led the defending champions in tackles (102) and sacks (eight) while adding 15 tackles for loss. Brown (106 tackles) is the centerpiece of a Clemson defense that might be the best in the ACC.
CB: Leonard Moore, Notre Dame*
CB: Brandon Finney, Oregon
S: KJ Bolden, Georgia
S: Bray Hubbard, Alabama
Moore is rarely tested by opposing quarterbacks but still manages to make plays (five interceptions, one returned for a score in 2025) as the nation’s best defensive back. Finney came up big with two interceptions in last year’s Orange Bowl win against Texas Tech. It’s easy to slot Bolden (76 tackles, two interceptions in 2025) among the run of elite safeties under Kirby Smart at Georgia. Hubbard has posted seven interceptions since stepping into Alabama’s lineup in 2024.
First-team specialists
K: Tate Sandell, Oklahoma
P: Evan Crenshaw, Troy
RET: Da’Realyst Clark, Kent State
AP: Wayne Knight, UCLA
Sandell was terrific in 2025 (24 of 27 field goals) and at his best from long distance, making eight of his nine attempts from 50-plus yards. Averaging 45.7 yards per punt last season made Crenshaw the first Troy player since the program joined the FBS to earn All-America honors from multiple selectors in the same season. Clark averaged 28.3 yards per kickoff return with two scores in 2025. Knight followed new UCLA coach Bob Chesney from James Madison, where he ran for 1,373 yards and had 397 receiving yards in last year’s playoff push.
Second-team offense
QB: Julian Sayin, Ohio State
RB: LJ Martin, Brigham Young
RB: Mark Fletcher, Miami
WR: Cam Coleman, Texas
WR: Nick Marsh, Indiana
TE: Trey’Dez Green, LSU
OT: Cayden Green, Missouri
OT: Jordan Seaton, LSU
C: Drew Bobo, Georgia
OG: Greg Johnson, Minnesota
OG: Anthonie Knapp, Notre Dame
Second-team defense
DE: Anthony Smith, Minnesota
DE: John Henry Daley, Michigan
DT: AJ Holmes, Texas Tech
DT: Ahmad Moten, Miami
LB: Kip Lewis, Oklahoma
LB: Xavier Atkins, Auburn
LB: Raylen Wilson, Georgia
CB: Zabien Brown, Alabama
CB: Ellis Robinson, Georgia
S: Koi Perich, Oregon
S: Bryce Fitzgerald, Miami
Second-team specialists
K: Lucas Carneiro, Mississippi
P: Palmer Williams, Baylor
RET: Ryan Niblett, Texas
AP: J’Koby Williams, Texas Tech
