ESPN's 2026 preseason college football All-America team - ESPN

Set aside, if you can, the endless stream of court cases, rule changes and legislative bills that defined the first nine months of 2026. Because in a few weeks' time, college football will be back.

Indeed, the 2026 season is nearly here. Sixteen days out from North Carolina and TCU's Week 0 matchup in Dublin, familiar stars, coveted portal newcomers and breakout candidates alike are back in training camp. College football may look rather different in 2026 than it did a decade ago, but the return of fall Saturdays, packed stadiums and a new season feels just the same.

As such, it's time to unveil ESPN's 2026 preseason All-America team. We've almost certainly left off a few of your favorite players and opened the floor for debate. That's a good thing. Even more certain: Some of these picks are going to be misses. A year ago, only seven of the 26 first-team selections on ESPN's preseason list landed among our final first-team All-America picks in January.

Three players return from our 2025 postseason team: Notre Dame cornerback Leonard Moore, Indiana offensive tackle Carter Smith and Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. Texas leads the way with five first-team selections (and that's without quarterback Arch Manning making the cut), followed by Georgia, Miami, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Texas Tech with two each.

Sayin took over as the Buckeyes' starter a year ago and immediately established himself as one of the best quarterbacks in the country. Prolifically accurate — his FBS-best 77% completion percentage last fall ranks third in NCAA history — Sayin threw for 3,610 yards and 42 touchdowns and flashed situational poise in his debut season. His third-down passing conversion rate of 47.8% trailed only those of USC's