With the 2018 season on the horizon, our panel of our college football experts has convened to select the 2018 CBS Sports Preseason All-America team.
There were only three unanimous first-team selections this year, including Stanford running back Bryce Love, Houston defensive tackle Ed Oliver and Ohio State defensive end Nick Bosa. Love was also a first-team selection to conclude the 2017 season, which is no surprise for a player projected to be a top pick in the NFL Draft and a rare defensive contender for the Heisman Trophy.
In total, 30 programs are represented across the two teams of 54 picks with one player -- South Carolina's Deebo Samuel -- earning selections at both kick returner and all purpose (both second team).
Clemson and Washington led the way with three first-team selections each, though Wisconsin is tops among all teams with five total selections. The Tigers are next with four. Alabama, Missouri and USC sport three each.
Ten members of our preseason All-America team were also part of our 2017 postseason selections.
Preseason awards
Player of the Year: Ed Oliver, DT (Houston)
Co-Coaches of the Year: Paul Chryst (Wisconsin), Chris Petersen (Washington)
Selections by conference
Conference | First team | Total selections |
---|---|---|
Pac-12 | 7 | 11 |
SEC | 5 | 16 |
Big Ten | 5 | 10 |
ACC | 4 | 9 |
Big 12 | 3 | 4 |
AAC | 2 | 2 |
MAC | 1 | 2 |
2018 CBS Sports Preseason All-America First Team
* indicates a unanimous selection
Offense | | | |
---|---|---|---|
QB | Will Grier | West Virginia | Senior |
RB | Bryce Love* | Stanford | Senior |
RB | Jonathan Taylor | Wisconsin | Sophomore |
WR | A.J. Brown | Ole Miss | Junior |
WR | David Sills V | West Virginia | Senior |
TE | Noah Fant | Iowa | Junior |
C | Ross Pierschbacher | Alabama | Senior |
OL | David Edwards | Wisconsin | Redshirt junior |
OL | Jonah Williams | Alabama | Junior |
OL | Mitch Hyatt | Clemson | Senior |
OL | Trey Adams | Washington | Senior |
Defense | | | |
DL | Ed Oliver* | Houston | Junior |
DL | Nick Bosa* | Ohio State | Junior |
DL | Christian Wilkins | Clemson | Senior |
DL | Clelin Ferrell | Clemson | Junior |
LB | Devin White | LSU | Junior |
LB | Cameron Smith | USC | Senior |
LB | Devin Bush | Michigan | Junior |
CB | Greedy Williams | LSU | Sophomore |
CB | Byron Murphy | Washington | Sophomore |
S | Taylor Rapp | Washington | Junior |
S | Jaquan Johnson | Miami | Senior |
Special teams | | | |
K | Matt Gay | Utah | Senior |
P | Mitch Wishnowsky | Utah | Senior |
KR | Tony Pollard | Memphis | Redshirt junior |
PR | KaVonte Turpin | TCU | Senior |
AP | Diontae Johnson | Toledo | Redshirt junior |
2018 CBS Sports Preseason All-America Second Team
Offense | | | |
---|---|---|---|
QB | Trace McSorley | Penn State | Senior |
RB | Cam Akers | Florida State | Sophomore |
RB | AJ Dillon | Boston College | Sophomore |
WR | N'Keal Harry | Arizona State | Junior |
WR | Anthony Johnson | Buffalo | Redshirt senior |
TE | Albert Okwuegbunam | Missouri | Redshirt sophomore |
C | Toa Lobendahn | USC | Redshirt senior |
OL | Greg Little | Ole Miss | Junior |
OL | Dalton Risner | Kansas State | Redshirt senior |
OL | Beau Benzschawel | Wisconsin | Redshirt senior |
OL | Martez Ivey | Florida | Senior |
Defense | | | |
DL | Rashan Gary | Michigan | Junior |
DL | Dexter Lawrence | Clemson | Junior |
DL | Jeffery Simmons | Mississippi State | Junior |
DL | Raekwon Davis | Alabama | Junior |
LB | T.J. Edwards | Wisconsin | Redshirt senior |
LB | Troy Dye | Oregon | Junior |
LB | Shaq Quarterman | Miami | Junior |
CB | Deandre Baker | Georgia | Senior |
CB | Iman Marshall | USC | Senior |
S | Lukas Denis | Boston College | Senior |
S | D'Cota Dixon | Wisconsin | Senior |
Special teams | | | |
K | Rodrigo Blankenship | Georgia | Redshirt junior |
P | Corey Fatony | Missouri | Senior |
KR | Deebo Samuel | South Carolina | Redshirt senior |
PR | Richaud Floyd | Missouri | Redshirt junior |
AP | Deebo Samuel | South Carolina | Redshirt senior |