The Sporting News 2023 preseason All-American team has a huge Big Ten presence from its three College Football Playoff contenders.
Ohio State leads all schools with four first-team selections and five players across our first- and second-teams. That includes wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. – who made our SN All-American team in 2022. Penn State was one of two schools with four selections on our list, including first-team selections Olu Fashanu and Kalen King. Michigan had three selections, led by returning first-team running back Blake Corum.
Georgia was the other team with four players on the list, including first-team tight end Brock Bowers. LSU had three players on our teams. Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams was one of three USC players to make our Preseason All-American team.
Seven schools – Alabama, Cincinnati, Clemson, Florida State, North Carolina, Notre Dame and Washington – had two players on the list.
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The Big Ten led all conferences with 15 players on this list. The SEC had 12 players. The Pac-12 and ACC had nine apiece, and the Big 12 finished with five players.
Sporting News is one of five outlets used to determine consensus All-American status at the end of the season. A look at this year's Preseason All-American team:
First team offense
QB: Caleb Williams, USC
"Superman" returns. Williams – the reigning SN Player of the Year – is the most-exciting playmaker at quarterback in the FBS. He averaged 342.1 yards per game of total offense, and he totaled 47 TDs behind an array of filthy touchdown passes and runs for first-year coach Lincoln Riley in 2022. Williams put together three games with at least 400 yards passing and five games with at least five total TDs. Expectations for a repeat will be high – like they were for Alabama's Bryce Young in 2022 – but there is no other choice to start the season. Howard Cassady, Billy Cannon, Archie Griffin and Baker Mayfield are the only players to win the SN Player of the Year award twice.
RB: Blake Corum, Michigan
Corum made the surprising decision to return to school for a senior season after his junior year was cut short by a knee injury. He rushed for 1,463 yards and 18 TDs despite missing most of Michigan's last three games. Corum dominated in Big Ten play, and he's the perfect combination of speed and toughness in Jim Harbaugh's offense at Michigan. Corum likely will share carries with Donovan Edwards a little more in 2023, but the standard remains the same for one of the most exciting players in the game.
RB: Quinshon Judkins, Ole Miss
Judkins led the SEC with 1,567 rushing yards and 16 TDs in a breakout season. Judkins had seven games with at least 20 carries and eight games with at least 100 yards. He’s a physical runner who had 929 yards after contact, according to Pro Football Focus. In six games against SEC West opponents, Judkins averaged 149.1 rushing yards per game. Here is a potential Heisman Trophy sleeper if that production continues.
WR: Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State
Can a receiver win the Heisman Trophy for the second time this decade? Harrison – a freakish athlete who will be in the conversation for the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, could be that player. He compiled 72 catches for 1,152 yards and 12 TDs with a highlight reel that made several acrobatic catches look routine. He also had a mix of TDs – with six in the red zone and six of 40 yards or more. Few receivers in the college game have been this complete, and there is a reason he's drawing comparisons from NFL all-time greats such as Calvin Johnson and Randy Moss.
WR: Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State
Don't act surprised. Egbuka was a five-star recruit who also has been productive in Ohio State's offense. Egbuka totaled 74 catches for 1,151 yards and 10 TDs – including six games with at least 100 yards receiving. He also had a 69.8% catch percentage, which was the eighth best in the FBS among receivers with at least 100 targets. He's an outstanding route runner, and there will be enough opportunities in the Buckeyes' offense to go around. With the attention on Harrison, Egbuka could produce even more.
WR: Rome Odunze, Washington
Odunze - a 6-3, 200-pound receiver, put together a string of five 100-yard performances over a six-game stretch last season and was a favorite target for Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. Odunze was effective after the catch working on the perimeter, but he can also be used as a slot receiver. Odunze's production tailed off in November and he does share with fellow 1,000-yard receiver Jalen McMillan, but the production will be there for a Washington team looking to make a push to the College Football Playoff.
TE: Brock Bowers, Georgia
Can a tight end win the Heisman Trophy? It's not a stretch to ask that when it comes to Bowers – a 6-foot-4, 230-pound mismatch for opposing defenses. He had a 76.8% catch percentage as a sophomore, and he's averaged 912 total yards and 10 TDs the last two seasons. He added 165 rushing yards and four TDs, and Georgia could use Bowers in the slot position more this season. He totaled 17 catches for 297 yards – an average of 17.5 yards per reception – in Georgia's victories against LSU, Ohio State and TCU to end last season.
T: Olu Fashanu, Penn State
Fashanu returned to Penn State for one more season and will be the anchor of a strong offensive line. He did not allow a sack last season. The three-star recruit has developed into an imposing force, and this is just his second season as a full-time starter. He did not allow a quarterback pressure in 88 pass-blocking snaps against Ohio State and Michigan, according to PFF.
MORE: Five sleepers who could earn their first CFP bid
G: Cooper Beebe, Kansas State
Beebe, a 6-foot-4, 322-pound guard, is the lone returning SN first-team All-American on the offensive line. He returned to guard in 2022 after playing tackle for the last two seasons. He'll be the focal point up front for a Kansas State offense that averaged 209.6 rushing yards per game last season. Beebe will have a chance to join Deuce Vaughn and Chris Canty as the Wildcats' third two-time All-American.
C: Zach Frazier, West Virginia
Frazier started in 25 games the last two seasons. He's allowed just four sacks in that stretch, including one last season. Frazier played guard as a freshman before moving to center as a sophomore, and he emerged as a physical force with 63 knock-down blocks. Frazier also is a close-to-home Fairmont, W.Va., native, and that counts for a little more with the Mountaineers – who haven't had an offensive lineman make first team All-American since center Tyler Orlosky in 2016.
G: Christian Haynes, UConn
Haynes, a 6-3, 305-pound guard, made SN's second team in 2022. He did not allow a sack and helped the Huskies reach a bowl game last season. That's no small feat considering where the program was before Jim Mora Jr.'s arrival. Haynes provides a reliable presence up front given he's started in 36 games dating back to 2019.
T: Joe Alt, Notre Dame
Alt was the No. 2 tackle according to Pro Football Focus with a pass blocking grade of 91.4. He allowed just six quarterback hurries and no sacks, and he's become the latest star on the offensive line that has produced Consensus All-Americans Ronnie Stanley, Quenton Nelson, Mike McGlinchey and Liam Eichenberg in the last 10 seasons. Alt will get big-stage games against Ohio State, USC and Clemson as he aims for the Outland Trophy.
ATH: Will Shipley, Clemson
It's a pretty easy case for the multi-talented Clemson running back. He was the only player in the FBS with more than 1,000 rushing yards, 200 receiving yards and 300 kickoff return yards. He finished ninth in the FBS with 1,748 all-purpose yards – and he scored 15 TDs. Shipley has lived up to the billing with an efficient workload. He had just three games with at least 20 carries – and he topped 100 yards in those performances against Wake Forest, Syracuse and Florida State.
MORE: SEC predictions | Big Ten predictions
First-team defense
DL: Jared Verse, Florida State
Verse – a 6-foot-4, 248-pound defensive end – could work into the No. 1 pick discussion with another huge year at Florida State. Verse had nine tackles and 17 tackles for loss in his first season at the FBS level after two years at Albany, where he averaged seven sacks and 11 tackles for loss per season. Verse had 13 of his 25 quarterback hurries in Florida State's last three games.
DL: Jer'Zhan Newton, Illinois
Newton is an active interior defender, and that might be an understatement. He totaled 61 tackles with 14 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks, and that wasn't a one-hit wonder. He totaled 50 tackles the previous season. The Illini should have continuity on a defense that led the nation in points allowed (12.8 ppg) despite the departure of defensive coordinator Ryan Walters with Aaron Henry taking the same position. Henry has a great starting point with Newton up front.
DL: J.T. Tuimoloau, Ohio State
The 6-foot-4, 272-pound hasn't had that full-go dominant season, even if last year's amazing performance against Penn State that included two sacks, two interceptions, a fumble recovery and a TD showed that potential. He had seven sacks and eight quarterback hurries in Ohio State's last seven games. Tuimoloau and teammate Jack Sawyer are both potential first-round picks, and both five-star recruits could pop as juniors.
EDGE: Harold Perkins, LSU
Perkins' four-sack performance against Arkansas as a freshman – arguably the most-impressive defensive effort of the season – is a sign of things to come in Year 2. He totaled 41 pressures last season, and all but one sack came in the second half of the season. Perkins is an immense talent poised to become the most-dominant pass rusher in the FBS if he shows the same consistency.
LB: Tommy Eichenberg, Ohio State
Eichenberg played late last season with injuries to both hands, and it didn't stop his production. He returned for one more season. Eichenberg became a star in Jim Knowles' defense with 120 tackles and 12 tackles for loss in 2022. He had four games with double-digit tackles. He didn't miss a tackle against Michigan or Georgia despite those injuries. He will be in the mix for the Butkus Award, where he was a snub as a finalist last season.
LB: Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Clemson
Trotter – a 6-foot, 225-pound linebacker – lived up to the billing for the Tigers last season. He had 89 tackles as the leader of the defense, but he also made plays behind the line of scrimmage. That included 13.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. He also had two interceptions and three pass breakups in coverage. Trotter is a prototype linebacker with Pro Bowl genes, and that disruptiveness will continue in 2023.
LB: Jamon Dumas-Johnson, Georgia
Dumas-Johnson was one of three Georgia defensive players on the SN first team last season, and he returns as the leader of what should be another dominant defense for the two-time defending national champions. Dumas-Johnson had 70 tackles and nine tackles for loss as a sophomore. He also had four sacks – a total that should increase in 2023 with more chances.
MORE: Georgia, Michigan atop SN's post-spring Top 25
CB: Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama
McKinstry brings a game that matches the name. He's a two-year starter at cornerback with 4.40 speed that plays well in the return game, too. The Alabama secondary improved late in the season. In the Crimson Tide's last five games, McKinstry allowed just 110 receiving yards in coverage – including just 48 yards after the catch. That was because of a few uncharacteristic missed tackles. He's a premier lock-down cornerback for Alabama.
CB: Kalen King, Penn State
The 5-foot-11, 187-pound cornerback had a breakout season in 2022 opposite Joey Porter Jr., and now will be the Nittany Lions leader in the secondary. He totaled 21 pass breakups, which led the Big Ten and ranked third in the FBS. He allowed just one TD catch all season. King had an outstanding finish to the season against Michigan State and Utah – games where he had two interceptions and allowed six catches on 18 targets.
S: Kamren Kinchens, Miami
Only two Miami safeties have been two-time All-Americans – and that's a pair of program legends in Bennie Blades and Ed Reed. Kinchens – a first-team SN All-American last season at free safety– has a chance to join that exclusive duo. He tied for second in the FBS with six interceptions and led Miami with 59 tackles in 2022. Paired with strong safety James Williams, Miami is set at the position.
S: Calen Bullock, USC
Bullock is a new-wave safety. At 6-foot-3, 190 pounds, Bullock resembles a wide receiver. He compiled 48 tackles – with just four misses – along with five interceptions. Bullock had 172 return yards on those five packs. He's been a consistent playmaker for two seasons for the Trojans, and the next-level appeal is tantalizing.
First-team specialists
K: Joshua Karty, Stanford
Karty was a SN first-team selection last season. He connected on 18 of 18 field goals, and was 13 of 13 from 40 yards or more. Stanford won just three games last season, and he had eight field goals in those games. He's the leading contender for the Groza Award.
P: Tory Taylor, Iowa
Taylor, an Australian punter, will have a chance to become the Hawkeyes' first All-American at the position since Reggie Roby in 1981. Taylor averaged 45.4 yards per punt through Iowa's offensive struggles last season – the highest average among punters with at least 70 attempts. According to PFF, he put 42 of 83 punts inside the 20-yard line.
RET: Anthony Gould, Oregon State
Gould – a 5-foot-8, 164-pound receiver, emerged as one of the nation's most-exciting punt returners last season. He averaged 18.3 yards per return with a pair of TDs, and he could be more involved as a kick returner in 2023. He also averages 16.1 yards per catch the last two seasons.
Second-team offense
QB: Drake Maye, North Carolina
RB: Raheim Sanders, Arkansas
RB: Nick Singleton, Penn State
WR: Malik Nabers, LSU
WR: Johnny Wilson, Florida State
WR: Dorian Singer, USC
TE: Oronde Gadsden II, Syracuse
T: Graham Barton, Duke
G: Donovan Jackson, Ohio State
C: Sedrick Van Pran, Georgia
G: Zak Zinter, Michigan
T: JC Latham, Alabama
ATH: Travis Hunter, Colorado
Second-team defense
DL: Chop Robinson, Penn State
DL: Dontay Corleone, Cincinnati
DL: Mekhi Wingo, LSU
EDGE: Bralen Trice, Washington
LB: Cedric Gray, North Carolina
LB: Jaylen Ford, Texas
LB: Laitau Latu, UCLA
CB: Benjamin Morrison, Notre Dame
CB: Cooper DeJean, Iowa
S: Tyler Nubin, Minnesota
S: Javon Bullard, Georgia
Second-team specialists
K: John Hoyland, Wyoming
P: Mason Fletcher, Cincinnati
RET: Lideatrick Griffin, Mississippi State
