Four Buckeyes selected to AP preseason All-American team
COLUMBUS — The list of publications listing numerous Ohio State players to its preseason honors lists continues to grow. This time, it’s the Associated Press’ turn to show just how talented this Buckeyes team should be this upcoming season.
The AP released its preseason first- and second-team All-American lists on Monday, a week after the voters in the AP Poll voted the Buckeyes No. 2 and one spot behind top-ranked Georgia to open the season. Four Buckeyes are on the preseason first-team list — more than any other school in the country.
Two on offense and two on defense. Simply put, the Buckeyes are loaded on both sides of the ball, and the AP list reflects that.
The six total players selected on the first- and second-team are more than any other school in the country.
On offense, star left guard Donovan Jackson is a first-team choice for the Buckeyes. He’s entering his third year as the starting left guard for this offense and has been a steady force on the line for years. He’s expected to be a potential top-100 draft selection in the spring.
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The other offensive star on the first-team list is senior wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, who was voted one of the Buckeyes’ team captains this past weekend. Egbuka suffered an injury last season and had an underwhelming season by his standards after topping the 1,000-yard mark as a sophomore. He’s expected to lead the Buckeyes with a bounce-back season.
Notably, neither TreVeyon Henderson nor Quinshon Judkins, the two star tailbacks for the Buckeyes, made the first-team list. Henderson is on the AP’s second team.
Defensively, two members of the secondary are the two first-team selections.
Safety Caleb Downs, a freshman All-American last year at Alabama, is on the list as he prepares for his second year of college football — and first at Ohio State. Downs transferred in January and has high expectations as one of the best safeties in the country. He and senior cornerback Denzel Burke are first teamers.
Burke is entering his fourth season of starting at cornerback for Ohio State, and he is aiming to become a first-round pick next spring. With an All-American campaign, he could play into that first-round status.
Senior defensive tackle Tyleik Williams is a second-team selection for the Buckeyes.
