Overview

• Texas and Penn State each landed three players on the first team, with Texas’s defensive trio of Colin Simmons, Anthony Hill Jr. and Michael Taaffe and Penn State’s Nicholas Singleton, Olaivavega Ioane and Zane Durant.
• The Southeastern Conference placed 12 players among the 27 selections, while the Big Ten had seven, the ACC contributed four and the Big 12 provided two.
• Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik was the overwhelming choice for first-team quarterback after throwing for 3,639 yards and 39 touchdowns last season.
• Returning first-team honorees include Ohio State safety Caleb Downs and Florida center Jake Slaughter, both positioned for major award consideration and NFL draft projections.
• These preseason honors set early benchmarks for end-of-season awards and feed into the AP’s December All-America release marking the program’s 100th anniversary.