ESPN releases 2024 Preseason All-American teams

It takes great players to power great teams and college football is absolutely loaded with the former as it enters the 2024 season. ESPN has highlighted some of the best with the release of its 2024 Preseason All-American teams.

The list is a veritable who’s who of college football, containing many of the biggest stars on the biggest teams. But there are also some under-the-radar types from smaller schools who have earned their way onto ESPN’s list.

Let’s take a look at who made the cut for the Worldwide Leader as the start of the season fast approaches.

First Team Offense

QB Carson Beck, Georgia
RB Ollie Gordon II, Oklahoma State
RB Omarion Hampton, North Carolina
WR Luther Burden III, Missouri
WR Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona
TE Colston Loveland, Michigan
OT Will Campbell, LSU
OG Tate Ratledge, Georgia
C Parker Brailsford, Alabama
OG Tyler Booker, Alabama
OT Kelvin Banks Jr., Texas
AP Travis Hunter, Colorado

Led by Georgia quarterback Carson Beck, the first-team offense has some stars that can absolutely light it up at the skill positions. Beck showed his stuff last year in leading the Bulldogs to the SEC title game, getting better and better as the year went on.

There are great running backs in the likes of Ollie Gordon and Omarion Hampton, who are each capable of pacing a backfield by themselves. The receivers are also excellent.

But perhaps where ESPN’s first-team All-American selections really show some promise is in the trenches. LSU is expected to have a pair of bookend tackles that can maul with the best of them, led by Will Campbell. The interior of Alabama’s line, anchored by Tyler Booker, should also be great. Top to bottom, this is as stacked a first-team offense as we’ve seen in a while.

First Team Defense

DE James Pearce Jr., Tennessee
DT Mason Graham, Michigan
DT Deone Walker, Kentucky
DE Nic Scourton, Texas A&M
LB Barrett Carter, Clemson
LB Danny Stutsman, Oklahoma
LB Harold Perkins, LSU
CB Will Johnson, Michigan
CB Benjamin Morrison, Notre Dame
S Malaki Starks, Georgia
S Caleb Downs, Ohio State

The first-team defense has some absolute studs on the list and also a few who are seemingly just scratching the surface of their potential. But the All-American list has to start with Michigan cornerback Will Johnson, who might just be the best defensive back in the country.

The defensive line also is stacked from top to bottom. James Pearce is one of the best pure pass-rushers in the country, while Mason Greaham and Deone Walker are both tanks on the interior. They’ll be some of the toughest guys to block this season.

Then the middle of the defense is where there’s some serious potential that has yet to be fully tapped. Harold Perkins has been excellent but hasn’t quite settled all the way into a permanent home on defense. Barrett Carter is a similar story, with his numbers taking a slight dip from 2022 to 2023. But if either hit their full potential, watch out.

First Team Special Teams

PK Graham Nicholson, Alabama
P Alex Mastromanno, Florida State
R Zachariah Branch, USC

Alabama needed special teams help after losing veteran Will Reichard, so what did the Crimson Tide do? They just went out and snagged the reigning Lou Groza Award winner out of the transfer portal in Graham Nicholson. He’ll anchor the unit this fall.

Florida State, meanwhile, features one of the nation’s best punters in Alex Mastromanno, a Ray Guy Award finalist last season. Then there’s the return man, Zachariah Branch out of USC. He dazzled as a threat all over the field last season, with the potential to take it to the house on any given touch, making him a preseason All-American.

Second Team All-Americans

OFFENSE
QB Dillon Gabriel, Oregon
RB Tahj Brooks, Texas Tech
RB Quinshon Judkins, Ohio State
WR Tez Johnson, Oregon
WR Tory Horton, Colorado State
TE Brant Kuithe, Utah
OT Aireontae Ersery, Minnesota
OG Donovan Jackson, Ohio State
C Cooper Mays, Tennessee
OG Luke Kandra, Cincinnati
OT Emery Jones, LSU
AP Ashton Jeanty, Boise State

DEFENSE
DE Abdul Carter, Penn State
DT Tyleik Williams, Ohio State
DT Peter Woods, Clemson
DE Mykel Williams, Georgia
LB Jason Henderson, Old Dominion
LB Deontae Lawson, Alabama
LB Jay Higgins, Iowa
CB Denzel Burke, Ohio State
CB Sebastian Castro, Iowa
S Dillon Thieneman, Purdue
S Xavier Watts, Notre Dame

SPECIAL TEAMS
K Andres Borregales, Miami
P James Burnip, Alabama
R Jacob De Jesus, UNLV