CBS Sports releases 2023 college football preseason All-American Team

CBS Sports released its 2023 preseason All-American teams ahead of the new college football season. With the fall just right around the corner, there are plenty of players that stand out among the rest.

The reigning Heisman Trophy winner is back for one more year. Caleb Williams pilots the USC offense under center and boy, he has some talented company on the first-team.

Below are CBS Sports’ 2023 preseason All-Americans ahead of a fresh and potentially thrilling college football season.

First-Team Offense

Caleb Williams, QB – USC
Blake Corum, RB – Michigan
Quinshon Judkins, RB – Ole Miss
Marvin Harrison Jr., WR – Ohio State
Rome Odunze, WR – Washington
Brock Bowers, TE – Georgia
Sedrick Van Pran, C – Georgia
Joe Alt, OL – Notre Dame
Olu Fashanu, OL – Penn State
Cooper Beebe, OL – Kansas State
JC Latham, OL – Alabama

Williams is the highlight of the list here but Corum is back for one more season as well. He could’ve went to the NFL but opted to return after an injury.

Bowers is one of the best tight ends in recent memory and it would take a miracle to take him off the first-team list. Watch out for Fashnau, one of the best offensive linemen in the country. Good luck getting through.

Harrison Jr. is the best receiver in the land and some might’ve thought that based on his performance and skill level. If there’s not a quarterback needy team at the No. 1 pick in 2024, Harrison Jr. might have an argument.

First-Team Defense

Jared Verse, DL – Florida State
JT Tuimoloau, DL – Ohio State
Jer’Zhan Newton, DL – Illinois
Harold Perkins, LB – LSU
Tommy Eichenberg, LB – Ohio State
Jeremiah Trotter Jr., LB – Clemson
Kalen King, CB – Penn State
Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB – Alabama
Kamren Kinchens, DB – Miami
Malaki Starks, DB – Georgia
Javon Bullard, DB – Georgia

Verse went from Albany transfer to arguably the best defensive lineman in college football. Tuimoloau is in the same class.

Perkins broke out as a freshman and will have to play one more year of college football before testing the NFL waters. But he’s far and away the best at his position. Bullard captains the backend of the Georgia defense with his teammate Starks.

Trotter Jr. could be just as physical as his father too. He’s definitely NFL-bound but first, he has business to take care of with the Tigers this season.

First-Team Special Teams

Joshua Karty, K – Stanford
Tory Taylor, P – Iowa
Jaylin Lucas, KR – Indiana
Kool-Aid McKinstry, PR – Alabama
Travis Hunter, AP – Colorado

Taylor is one of the best punters in college football over the last five or so years. McKinstry is just as dangerous on defense as he is on special teams.

Watch out for Hunter at the Power Five level. The two-way star at Jackson State transferred and followed Deion Sanders to Boulder for a reason. The next “Prime Time?”

Karty could be a bright spot for Stanford if he maintains his scoring ability and field goal accuracy. The place kicker is the top dog right now.

Second-Team Offense

Drake Maye, QB – North Carolina
Braelon Allen, RB – Wisconsin
Raheim Sanders, RB – Arkansas
Emeka Egbuka, WR – Ohio State
Xavier Worthy, WR – Texas
Ja’Tavion Sanders, TE – Texas
Zach Frazier, C – West Virginia
Zak Zinter, OL – Michigan
Graham Barton, OL – Duke
Kelvin Banks Jr., OL – Texas
Donovan Jackson, OL – Ohio State

Maye could be the top quarterback in other years, but he has Williams in front of him for right now. As Buzz Aldrin said in The Simpsons: “second comes right after first.”

Egbuka is in the same boat as Harrison as the top spot and they’re on the same team! Worthy is a, well, “worthy” wide receiver and one of the best in the country. Allen should run the Wisconsin offense once again.

Sanders is nicknamed “Rocket” for a reason. The dude can really run and make defenders miss. Not only that, he’ll bulldoze you on the way to the second level.

Second-Team Defense

Bralen Trice, DL – Washington
Tyler Davis, DL – Clemson
Kris Jenkins, DL – Michigan
Jamon Dumas-Johnson, LB – Georgia
Dallas Turner, LB – Alabama
Barrett Carter, LB – Clemson
Cooper DeJean, CB – Iowa
Will Johnson, CB – Michigan
Calen Bullock, DB – USC
Benjamin Morrison, DB – Notre Dame
Cole Bishop, DB – Utah

More Georgia guys on the list, this time it’s Dumas-Johnson. Turner is one of the best linebackers in the country and could be the leader on the Crimson Tide defense.

Carter shares the spotlight with Trotter Jr. and gets second-team for now, but the Tigers have another pair of scary linebackers playing the field.

Trice could be under the radar since a lot of the Washington conversation surrounds the high powered offense. He could be a big key to a Pac-12 title.

Second-Team Special Teams

John Hoyland, K – Wyoming
Kai Kroeger, P – South Carolina
Lideatrick Griffin, KR – Mississippi State
Anthony Gould, PR – Oregon State
Ainias Smith, AP – Texas A&M

Smith is a very talented player running and catching the football, making him one of the most dangerous weapons in football. He’s a little more proven, so some say, than Hunter. That’ll be an interesting race this year.

Hoyland and Kroeger must appreciate second-team, but want first-team accolades over the boys from Iowa and Stanford. Better start racking up the punting yardage and field goal accuracy!

Griffin and Gould are high quality return men and as the saying goes, special teams can win or lose you about two games. Can these guys be high quality difference makers?