CBS Sports releases preseason All-America team

With the college football season less than a month away, CBS Sports released its preseason All-America team on Wednesday. The SEC led all conferences with eight selections, followed by the seven Big 12 selections and six Big Ten selections.

The team has some significant differences from that of The Athletic; namely, the fact that CBS Sports’ preseason player of the year, Oklahoma quarterback Spencer Rattler, was not even the first-team quarterback on The Athletic’s list.

CBS Sports had only three unanimous selections: Iowa State running back Breece Hall, Oregon defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux and LSU cornerback Derek Stingley Jr.

All-American First Team Offense

Quarterback: Spencer Rattler, Oklahoma

Rattler is the Heisman Trophy favorite for a reason, and he has a legitimate chance to not only lead Oklahoma to the College Football Playoff but also be selected with a top-10 NFL Draft pick. After spending a redshirt year behind Jalen Hurts, Rattler was one of the best freshmen in the country last season.

Running Back: Breece Hall, Iowa State

Hall set program records in his sophomore season at Iowa State and became the first player in Cyclone history to be named a unanimous All-American. The reigning Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year could very well repeat his performance in 2021.

Running Back: Bijan Robinson, Texas

Though he’s only a sophomore, Robinson will be a name to watch in the Big 12 this season. Robinson started the final six games of the 2020 season—a stretch in which the Longhorns went 5-1—and turned 86 carries into 703 yards during that span.

Wide Receiver: Chris Olave, Ohio State

Olave could’ve very well declared for the NFL Draft following his junior campaign, but he instead elected to stay for his senior season. A disruptive, shifty wideout, he had 100 or more receiving yards in five of the seven games he played in last season.

Wide Receiver: Justyn Ross, Clemson

A fourth-year junior, Justyn Ross first burst onto the scene after a spectacular freshman campaign culminated in a six-catch, 153-yard performance in the 2018 national championship game. At 6-foot-4, 205 pounds, Ross has both the large frame and agility of any top wideout.

Tight End: Charlie Kolar, Iowa State

Kolar is one of two returning Mackey Award finalists and could very well claim the coveted award in 2021. He enters his senior season with the most career receptions, receiving yards and touchdown catches by a tight end in Iowa State history.

Center: Tyler Linderbaum, Iowa

Linderbaum entered Iowa as a defensive tackle but switched after his freshman year to center. Two seasons later, he was a Rimington Trophy finalist and may take the award home in 2021.

Offensive Line: Darian Kinnard, Kentucky

Kinnard is one of the best run-blocking tackles in the country, giving Kentucky the boost it needs to protect Chris Rodriguez Jr., its preseason second-team All-SEC running back.

Offensive Line: Evan Neal, Alabama

Neal was a freshman All-American at left guard in 2020, then made the seamless transition to right tackle in 2020. Alabama’s offensive line will look a little different than the best-in-show group from last season, but Neal figures to be the centerpiece.

Offensive Line: Thayer Munford, Ohio State

Munford, a senior, is a seasoned veteran at Ohio State, having started 33 games over the past three seasons and playing in 45 of 50 games since arriving on campus. Munford has a chance to be one of the best tackles in the next NFL Draft.

Offensive Line: Kenyon Green, Texas A&M

The Aggies only return one starting offensive lineman from 2020—and to Jimbo Fisher’s delight, it happens to be Green. Though he’ll be switching from left guard to left tackle, he should pick up where he left off in 2020.

All-American First Team Defense

Defensive Line: Kayvon Thibodeaux, Oregon

Thibodeaux projects as a top-five pick in the 2022 NFL Draft after tallying 38 tackles (9.5 for losses) and three sacks as a sophomore. The edge rusher simply got better as the season wore on, claiming all three of his sacks in the last four games.

Defensive Line: Demarvin Leal, Texas A&M

Leal is the backbone of the Aggies’ defense. He finished the 2020 season with eight hurries, pacing Texas A&M, and 37 tackles, good for the team’s fifth-most. As he enters his junior year, Leal will lead a cast of experienced, veteran Aggies on defense.

Defensive Tackle: Haskell Garrett, Ohio State

Garrett, a fifth-year senior, had a very solid season last year for the Buckeyes, averaging 2.5 tackles per game despite getting plenty of attention from offensive lines. He registered a season-high five tackles in the Big 10 Championship against Northwestern.

Defensive Line: Bryan Bresee, Clemson

Bresee, a former No. 1 recruit in the country, certainly lived up to his ranking in 2020. With 33 tackles (6.5 for losses), and three sacks, he put together a phenomenal first season en route to freshman All-American honors.

Linebacker: Nik Bonitto, Oklahoma

Bonitto is everywhere on the Oklahoma defense, and just last year managed to rack up 32 tackles (10.5 for loss), eight sacks and a team-high ten quarterback hurries. He is a critical piece for Oklahoma, as it hopes to revitalize what has been a rather lackluster defense in recent years.

Linebacker: Mike Rose, Iowa State

Rose has his name all over Iowa State’s leaderboards and enters his senior season tenth in school history with 29 tackles for losses. The 2020 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year can improve his draft stock with another strong performance.

Linebacker: Will Anderson Jr., Alabama

Anderson won the starting job at jack linebacker in 2020, despite being a true freshman. He proved he deserved the role, putting on a freshman All-American performance and adding three tackles in a national championship-winning effort.

Cornerback: Derek Stingley Jr., LSU

In just two years, Stingley Jr. has become one of the best cornerbacks in the nation — and has shown no signs of slowing down. Stingley should be in consideration for most national awards on the defensive side of the ball.

Cornerback: Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner, Cincinnati

Gardner has been a shutdown corner since his arrival in 2019, and he only improved in 2020. His sophomore season, he led an elite Cincinnati defense to the Peach Bowl.

Safety: Kyle Hamilton, Notre Dame

Hamilton had a strong sophomore season at Notre Dame and has now racked up over 100 tackles in two seasons for the Fighting Irish. Although defensive coordinator Clark Lea left for Vanderbilt, Hamilton should keep up his production under Marcus Freeman.

Safety: Brandon Joseph, Northwestern

A unanimous first-team All-American, Joseph erupted onto the scene as a redshirt freshman in 2020. He helped the Wildcats clinch a Big Ten championship appearance, and he even recorded his sixth pick against the Buckeyes.

All-American First Team Special Teams

Kicker: Cade York, LSU

Cade York is one of the best kickers in LSU school history, and he drilled 18 of 21 attempts last year, along with 36 of 36 extra points. Perhaps his most memorable came in the fog against Florida, a 57-yard kick to put the Tigers on top.

Punter: Lou Hedley, Miami (FL)

A native of Mandurah, Australia, Hedley comes off a 2020 season that was one of the best in Miami history, making him a finalist for the Ray Guy Award.

Kick Returner: Aron Cruickshank, Rutgers

Cruickshank tied for the nation’s lead in 2020 with two kickoff-return touchdowns, and he averaged 26.8 yards per return.

Punt Returner: Philip Brooks, Kansas State

Brooks ranks second in school history and tied for sixth-most in Big 12 history with three punt-return touchdowns. He enters 2021 first among active players in punt-return touchdowns.

All-Purpose: Jerrion Ealy, Ole Miss

Ealy truly is an all-purpose athlete, as evidenced by his duality — though he missed last baseball season due to shoulder surgery, he’s an outfielder for the Rebels’ baseball program. He’s a multi-faceted running back that can provide help on the ground, through checkdowns and designed screen plays.

All-American Second Team Offense

Quarterback: Sam Howell, North Carolina

Running Back: Mohamed Ibrahim, Minnesota

Running Back: Tank Bigsby, Auburn

Wide Receiver: Garrett Wilson, Ohio State

Wide Receiver: John Metchie III, Alabama

Tight End: Jalen Wydermyer, Texas A&M

Center: Alec Lindstrom, Boston College

Offensive Line: Jamaree Salyer, Georgia

Offensive Line: Cain Madden, Notre Dame

Offensive Line: Zion Johnson, Boston College

Offensive Line: Jaxson Kirkland, Washington

All-American Second Team Defense

Defensive Line: Jordan Davis, Georgia

Defensive Line: George Karlaftis, Purdue

Defensive Line: Aidan Hutchinson, Michigan

Defensive Line: Myjai Sanders, Cincinnati

Linebacker: Christian Harris, Alabama

Linebacker: Edefuan Ulofoshio, Washington

Linebacker: James Skalski, Clemson

Cornerback: Josh Jobe, Alabama

Cornerback: Kaiir Elam, Florida

Safety: Tykee Smith, Georgia

Safety: Jordan Battle, Alabama

All-American Second Team Special Teams

Kicker: Gabe Brkic, Oklahoma

Punter: Jake Camarda, Georgia

Kick Returner: Trestan Ebner, Baylor

Punt Returner: Marcus Jones, Houston

All-Purpose: Deuce Vaughn, Kansas State