Clemson, Penn State stars headline USA TODAY Sports preseason All-America Team

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14 hours ago

Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik, Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith and Notre Dame cornerback Leonard Moore earn first-team honors on the USA TODAY Sports preseason All-America team honoring the best players in college football.
There was no bigger no-brainer than Smith, who dominated the Big Ten as a true freshman in helping lead the Buckeyes to the national championship. He's one of two Ohio State standouts to land on the first team, along with safety Caleb Downs, that were unanimous selections.
Clemson and Penn State tied for the most first-team selections with three. Eight teams had three or more players earn first- or second-team honors: Clemson with five, Penn State with four and Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Oregon, Ohio State and Texas with three.
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Voting for the preseason All-America teams was conducted by 27 members of the USA TODAY Sports Network.
The biggest debate might've come at running back. Penn State alone has two backs with first-team résumés in Nicholas Singleton and Katron Allen. Voters placed Singleton on the first team, joining Notre Dame's Jeremiyah Love, while Allen and Oregon's Makhi Hughes landed on the second team.
Overall, 19 teams in the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll had at least one selection.
First team
Offense
QB Cade Klubnik, Clemson
After taking the leap as a second-year starter in 2024 (36 touchdowns), Klubnik is expected to make a serious run at the Heisman Trophy as Clemson chases the third national championship under Dabo Swinney.
RB Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame
RB Nicholas Singleton, Penn State
Love (1,125 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns in 2024) is a big-play threat who could find even more running room should Notre Dame strike an even firmer run-pass balance behind a new starting quarterback. Singleton (1,099 yards and 12 scores) got the nod over Allen, but the two combine to make the Nittany Lions' running game a physical force.
WR Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State
WR Ryan Williams, Alabama
TE Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt
Smith (1,315 yards, 15 touchdowns) is simply a generational talent. Williams tailed off down the stretch last season (48 catches for 865 yards) and will need to be more consistent to help Ty Simpson ease into the starting role. A former quarterback, Stowers (49 catches for 638 yards) has been a key part behind Vanderbilt's recent surge.
OT Spencer Fano, Utah
OT Kadyn Proctor, Alabama
OG Olaivavega Ioane, Penn State
OG Ar'maj Reed-Adams, Texas A&M
C Jake Slaughter, Florida
Fano was a day-one starter for Utah and is a virtual lock for All-America honors on either side of the line. Proctor (6-foot-7, 360 pounds) is poised to fulfill his five-star potential thanks to a unique combination of size, power and agility. Ioane is the face of a vastly improved Penn State front as he enters his second year as a starter. Reed-Adams is a former Kansas transfer who helped the Aggies rank second in the SEC in rushing yards per game in 2024. Slaughter is odds-on favorite to capture the Rimington Trophy as the nation's top center.
Defense
DE Dylan Stewart, South Carolina
DT Peter Woods, Clemson
DT Zane Durant, Penn State
DE T.J. Parker, Clemson
Stewart (10½ tackles for loss) is one of the elite young players in the SEC. Woods (8½ tackles for loss) and Parker (11 sacks) are two reasons why Clemson is the unquestioned favorite in the ACC. Durant (11 tackles for loss) is among the most disruptive interior linemen in the Power Four.
LB Anthony Hill, Texas
LB Kyle Louis, Pittsburgh
LB Whit Weeks, LSU
After monster 2024 (113 tackles and 16½ stops for loss), Hill will be asked to take on an even bigger role for the Longhorns' reworked defense. Louis (15½ tackles for loss, four interceptions) might be the most well-rounded linebacker in the Bowl Subdivision. LSU's defense made only slight gains last season and will need continued excellence from Weeks (125 stops) to contend for the top of the SEC.
CB Jermod McCoy, Tennessee
CB Leonard Moore, Notre Dame
S Caleb Downs, Ohio State
S Dillon Thieneman, Oregon
McCoy (team-best 13 passes defended) is a true stopper on the outside who was outstanding in his first year in the SEC. Moore (two interceptions) made quarterbacks look the other way as a freshman and may be the most promising young defender in the FBS. Downs (82 tackles) has an obscenely broad skill set and impacts games in a variety of ways, including the return game. A transfer from Purdue, Thieneman (104 tackles) will be one of the most important new additions in the Power Four.
Specialists
K Dominic Zvada, Michigan
P Brett Thorson, Georgia
Zvada made 21 of 22 field goals in 2024, including a remarkable seven of seven from 50 or more yards. Thorson averaged 47.6 yards per punt last season and the Bulldogs allowed opponents to average just 5.2 yards per return.
RET Keelan Marion, Miami (Fla.)
AP Desmond Reid, Pittsburgh
Marion (26.2 yards per kickoff return with two scores) was a game-changing return man for Brigham Young in 2024 and will be expected to do the same for the Hurricanes. Reid just does it all: run (966 yards), catch (52 grabs for 579) and return (12.2 yards per punt with one touchdown).
Second team
Offense
QB Garrett Nussmeier, LSU
RB Makhi Hughes, Oregon
RB Kaytron Allen, Penn State
WR Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State
WR Antonio Williams, Clemson
OT Francis Mauigoa, Miami (Fla.)
OT Jordan Seaton, Colorado
OG Kayden Green, Missouri
OG Keyland Rutledge, Georgia Tech
C Logan Jones, Iowa
Defense
DE Matayo Uiagalelei, Oregon
DT Christen Miller, Georgia
DT Tim Keenan, Alabama
DE Colin Simmons, Texas
LB CJ Allen, Georgia
LB Aiden Fisher, Indiana
LB Sonny Styles, Ohio State
CB D'Angelo Ponds, Indiana
CB Avieon Terrell, Clemson
S Michael Taaffe, Texas
S Koi Perich, Minnesota
Specialists
K Will Ferrin, Brigham Young
P Palmer Williams, Baylor
RET Barrion Brown, LSU
AP Isaac Brown, Louisville
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: College football preseason All-America team led by Clemson, Penn State