Phil Steele releases 2023 preseason All-American teams

Phil Steele released his 2023 preseason All-American teams just in time for glorious summer debate and an early look at the best players in college football.

The glamour positions have the biggest stars, such as quarterback, running back, wide receiver, pass rusher, you name it. Will these be the teams by the end of the season? There’s a good shot a lot of these players are this good by the end of the year.

Below are Steele’s picks for the preseason All-American teams first through fourth.

Offensive All-American Teams

1st Team

QB – Caleb Williams, USC
RB – Blake Corum, Michigan
RB – Quinshon Judkins, Ole Miss
WR – Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State
WR – Rome Odunze, Washington
WR – Xavier Worthy, Texas
TE – Brock Bowers, Georgia
C – Sedrick Van Pran, Georgia
OG – Cooper Beebe, Kansas State
OG – Zak Zinter, Michigan
OT – Joe Alt, Notre Dame
OT – Olu Fashanu, Penn State

2nd Team

QB – Michael Penix Jr., Washington
RB – Raheim Sanders, Arkansas
RB – Braelon Allen, Wisconsin
WR – Malik Nabers, LSU
WR – Jacob Cowing, Arizona
WR – Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State
TE – Ja’Tavion Sanders, Texas
C – Zach Frazier, West Virginia
OG – Donovan Jackson, Ohio State
OG – Christian Mahogany, Boston College
OT – Graham Barton, Duke
OT – JC Latham, Alabama

3rd Team

QB – Drake Maye, North Carolina
RB – Will Shipley, Clemson
RB – TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State
WR – Johnny Wilson, Florida State
WR – Antwane Wells, South Carolina
WR – Tahj Washington, USC
TE – Oronde Gadsen, Syracuse
C – Beaux Limmer, Arkansas
OG – Tate Ratledge, Georgia
OG – Christian Haynes, Connecticut
OT – Kelvin Banks, Texas
OT – Will Campbell, LSU

4th Team

QB – Bo Nix, Oregon
RB – Nicholas Singleton, Penn State
RB – Damien Martinez, Oregon State
WR – Tory Horton, Colorado State
WR – Malachi Corley, Western Kentucky
WR – Jalen McMillan, Washington
TE – Mason Taylor, LSU
C – Justin Dedich, USC
OG – Keaton Bills, Utah
OG – Jarrod Hufford, Iowa State
OT – Jack Nelson, Wisconsin
OT – Micah Pettus, Ole Miss

Reigning Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams leads the pack of All-Americans. The quarterbacks on the list are some of the best in the country, if not your de facto top four.

There’s a bevy of talent all over the place including Brock Bowers, an otherworldly tight end, and guys like Blake Corum and Marvin Harrison Jr.

Olu Fashanu is one lineman to certainly keep an eye on.

Defensive All-American Teams

1st Team

DE – Jared Verse, Florida State
DT – Tyler Davis, Clemson
DT – Dontay Corleone, Cincinnati
DE – Bralen Trice, Washington
LB – Jamon Dumas-Johnson, Georgia
LB – Tommy Eichenberg, Ohio State
LB – Barrett Carter, Clemson
LB – Harold Perkins, LSU
CB – Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama
CB – Kalen King, Penn State
S – Kamren Kinchs, Miami
S – Calen Bullock, USC

2nd Team

DE – JT Tuimoloau, Ohio State
DT – Junior Tafuna, Utah
DT – Deone Walker, Kentucky
DE – Jer’Zhan Newton, Illinois
LB – Jaylan Ford, Texas
LB – Junior Colson, Michigan
LB – Cedric Gray, North Carolina
LB – Dallas Turner, Alabama
CB – Benjamin Morrison, Notre Dame
CB – Cooper DeJean, Iowa
S – Javon Bullard, Georgia
S – Malaki Starks, Georgia

3rd Team

DE – Mykel Williams, Georgia
DT – Kris Jenkins, Michigan
DT – Mekhi Wingo, LSU
DE – Demeioun “Chop” Robinson, Penn State
LB – Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Clemson
LB – Nathaniel Watson, Mississippi State
LB – Jason Henderson, Old Dominion
LB – Abdul Carter, Penn State
CB – Josh Newton, TCU
CB – Aydan White, NC State
S – Cole Bishop, Utah
S – Tyler Nubin, Minnesota

4th Team

DE – Laiatu Latu, UCLA
DT – DeWayne Carter, Duke
DT – Keith Randolph, Illinois
DE – Brandon Dorlus, Oregon
LB – Jackson Sirmon, California
LB – Bubba Arslanian, Akron
LB – Jackson Mitchell, Connecticut
LB – Maema Njongmeta, Wisconsin
CB – Micah Abraham, Marshall
CB – Quinyon Mitchell, Toledo
S – Yam Banks, South Alabama
S – Marcus Fuqua, Buffalo

Look out for Jared Verse, one of the best defensive ends in college football. Steele has him on the first-team, putting big expectations on the shoulders of the Florida State star.

Harold Perkins might be the best defender in college football and he was just a stud freshman last season.

JT Tuimoloau didn’t make first-team, but look for him to make a huge impact for Ohio State, trying to get the Buckeyes back to the CFP.

Special Teams All-American Teams

1st Team

K – Joshua Karty, Stanford
P – Tory Taylor, Iowa
KR – Lideatrick Griffin, Mississippi State
PR – Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama
AP – Smoke Harris, Louisiana Tech
LS – Joe Shimko, NC State

2nd Team

K – Alex McNulty, Buffalo
P – Kai Kroeger, South Carolina
KR – Jaylin Lucas, Indiana
PR – Anthony Gould, Oregon State
AP – Travis Hunter, Colorado
LS – Michael Vinson, Notre Dame

3rd Team

K – John Hoyland, Wyoming
P – Mason Fletcher, Cincinnati
KR – Milan Tucker, Appalachian State
PR – Ainias Smith, Texas A&M
AP – Brian Battle, Auburn
LS – Randen Plattner, Kansas State

4th Team

K – Will Reichard, Alabama
P – Eddie Czaplicki, USC
KR – Barion Brown, Kentucky
PR – Dee Williams, Tennessee
AP – Donovan Edwards, Michigan
LS – Sean Wracher, Indiana

Special teams can win or lose you one or two games a year. This is an important unit.

Tory Taylor is one of the best punters in college football in recent memory. And how about Travis Hunter not even suiting up for Colorado yet and being second-team as an all-purpose player?