The Sporting News 2025 preseason All-America team makes the case for a 12-team College Football Playoff.
Half of the players on our first team and second team play for schools that made the CFP in 2024. Seven schools put at least three players on this list between the first and second teams – a total of 27 of the 58 players.
Texas leads all schools with five selections – including three first-team players in quarterback Arch Manning, linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. and safety Michael Taaffe.
MORE: CFP projections | Bowl projections | Composite preseason Top 25
Ohio State, Clemson and Alabama placed two players on our first team and two players on our second team. Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith and safety Caleb Downs, Clemson defensive linemen Peter Woods and T.J. Parker, and Alabama receiver Ryan Williams and defensive lineman Tim Keenan III all made our first team.
Georgia also has four players, with one first-team selection in punter Brett Thorson. Penn State and Oregon had three players each on this list. Penn State guard Olaivavega Ioane and Oregon safety Dillin Thieneman made our first team.
The SEC had 23 players on this list; followed by the Big Ten with 16. The ACC had 13 players on this list, followed by the Big 12 with four. Notre Dame has two.
Sporting News is one of five outlets used to determine consensus All-American status at the end of the season. A look at our 2025 Preseason All-America team.
MORE: Ranking 2025 CFB head coaches, from 1-136
First team offense
QB: Arch Manning, Texas
Manning (6-4, 225) is worth all the hype. He compiled 939 passing yards, nine TDs and two interceptions last season as a backup for Quinn Ewers. Manning had a 42.1% completion percentage with four TDs and one interception on passes of 20 yards or more, and he showed mobility with 108 rushing yards and four TDs. That skill set will translate in a Texas offense that features more than enough playmakers Manning has worked with the last two seasons. He's good against the blitz, and that will be needed with a rebuilt offensive line. We've been all-in all summer. Why stop now?
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RB: Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame
Love (6-0, 206) rushed for 1,125 yards and 17 TDs with 28 catches for 237 yards, but it goes beyond the numbers. He had 24 runs of 10 yards or more on 163 carries according to PFF.com – a percentage of 14.7% that could translate to huge numbers with a full workload. Love averages 6.9 yards per carry, and he never had more than 16 carries in a single game last season. We think he will handle the increased workload with great success.
RB: Isaac Brown, Louisville
Brown (5-9, 190) rushed for 1,173 yards and 11 TDs on 7.1 yards per carry with Louisville in 2024. He averaged 123.3 yards per game in Louisville's last three games – a stretch that included victories against Pitt, Kentucky and Washington. Brown rushed for 10 yards or more on 18.9% of his carries last season. For perspective, Ashton Jeanty rushed for 10 yards or more on 16.8% of his carries. Brown has the potential for a monster year – even in a time-share with Duke Watson.
WR: Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State
Smith (6-3, 215) – a sophomore – is among the Heisman Trophy favorites. He had 19 catches for 382 yards – an average of 20.1 yards per catch – in four College Football Playoff games. He finished with 76 catches, 1,311 yards and 15 TDs – and the imposing combination of size and speed should put him on the track to be Ohio State's next first-team All-American at the position.
WR: Ryan Williams, Alabama
Williams (6-0, 175) – another sensational sophomore receiver – had 865 yards and eight TDs on 18.0 yards per reception as a freshman for the Crimson Tide. He had six catches for 177 yards and a memorable 75-yard TD in a 41-34 victory against Georgia on Sept. 28. Williams will need to be a more consistent playmaker – and the addition of offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb – who worked with Kalen DeBoer in Washington – will help.
MORE: Pressure ramps up in Year 2 for Kalen DeBoer
WR: Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State
Tyson (6-1, 195) had his 2024 season cut short because of a collarbone injury, but he still finished with 75 catches for 1,098 yards and 10 TDs. Tyson is not just a deep threat. He caught five TDs on intermediate passes, and he had five games with 100 yards or more. Tyson will maintain a strong connection with Sam Leavitt while the Sun Devils' bid to defend their Big 12 championship.
TE: Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt
Stowers (6-4, 235) had a 74.6% catch percentage last season, according to PFF, which ranked fifth among tight ends with at least 50 receptions. Stowers had 50 catches for 644 yards and five TDs. He had three games with at least 100 yards, including the six-catch, 113-yard performance in the 40-35 victory against Alabama on Oct. 5. Will Stowers be Vanderbilt's first Consensus All-American since Zach Cunningham in 2016?
T: Spencer Fano, Utah
Fano (6-6, 302) belongs in the group of elite next-level tackles. He was an all-Big 12 offensive lineman last season who allowed just one sack and two quarterback hits all season. He is capable of playing either left or right tackle and has a strong NFL heritage with four uncles who played in the league. Fano allowed just two hurries in Utah's last five games. Utah hasn't had a Consensus All-American selection on the offensive line since Jordan Gross in 2002.
G: Olaivavega Ioane, Penn State
Ioane (6-4, 334) was one of the leading blockers for a Penn State offense that averaged 202.3 yards per game with a pair of 1,000-yard rushers in Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen. The Nittany Lions have improved up front, and Ioane allowed no sacks and just one quarterback hit while providing a presence in that relentless running game. He'll get his due this year.
MORE: Who has the toughest Big Ten schedule?
C: Jake Slaughter, Florida
Slaughter (6-4, 294) will be among the leading contenders for the Rimington Trophy. He logged 402 pass-block snaps and 398 run-block snaps last season, and he allowed just one sack and no quarterback hits. He will be the interior protector for breakout candidate DJ Lagway at Florida in 2025. Maurkice Pouncey won the Rimington Trophy at Florida in 2009. Is Slaughter next?
G: Ar'maj Reed-Adams, Texas A&M
Reed-Adams (6-5, 325) allowed just one sack last season and improved as a run blocker for the Aggies, who compiled more than 200 rushing yards in six games. He played in 31 games at Kansas before transferring to Texas A&M, and that experience should be huge for second-year coach Mike Elko. The former DeSoto (Texas) High School standout is in line for his best season yet.
T: Francis Mauigoa, Miami
Mauigoa (6-6, 315) is developing into a potential No. 1 pick. He is a two-year starter at right tackle who allowed just one sack in 534 attempts while blocking for Cam Ward last season. Mauigoa will be the main protector for Carson Beck, and we expect more development as an elite tackle. Mauigoa did not allow a sack, hit or hurry in Miami's first four games of 2024.
MORE: All eyes on Carson Beck as he tries to fit in at Miami
AP: Desmond Reid, Pitt
Reid (5-8, 175) is one of the toughest pound-for-pound players in the FBS. He totaled 966 rushing yards and 579 receiving yards on 52 catches. Reid had four games with 100 or more rushing yards and three games with 100 or more receiving yards. He added 159 punt return yards and a TD. He enjoyed all-around success after the transfer from Western Carolina in the FCS, and Reid should be even better in his second year with the program.
First-team defense
DL: Tim Keenan III, Alabama
Keenan III (6-2, 325) is a massive interior presence who returned to school for the Crimson Tide. He totaled 40 tackles and eight tackles for loss with new defensive coordinator Kane Wommack. Keenan was more consistent in Alabama's last four games – which included 12 total tackles, one sack and three tackles for loss.
DL: Peter Woods, Clemson
Woods (6-3, 315) continues the tradition of strong interior defensive linemen at Clemson. He had nine tackles for loss and three sacks as a sophomore – and he closed the season with six tackles and two TFLs in the ACC championship against SMU and CFP against Texas. He should improve the Tigers' run defense in 2025.
EDGE: T.J. Parker, Clemson
Parker (6-3, 265) had 10 tackles and four sacks against Pitt in Week 12 – which was one of the most dominant performances of 2024. He's an instinctual stand-up pass rusher who had 12 sacks, 28 hurries and six forced fumbles. Clemson has produced five top-five first-round picks off the defensive line since 2019. Parker should be every bit as productive as a junior, which would make him the next one.
EDGE: Dylan Stewart South Carolina
Stewart (6-6, 247) showed flashes of dominance as a freshman – and it brought back memories of Jadeveon Clowney. Stewart had seven sacks - and just one of those came in South Carolina's last five games. He still managed 17 hurries in those five games, according to PFF. Stewart should hit the double-digit sack mark as a sophomore. We're banking on it.
MORE: Who has the toughest SEC schedule?
LB: Kyle Louis, Pitt
Louis (6-0, 225) – a first-team SN All-American in 2024– returns after compiling 100 tackles, seven sacks and four interceptions for the Panthers as the only Power 4 linebacker to hit those marks last season. He had two games with at least eight tackles, a sack and an interception – and those were against Virginia and West Virginia. He totaled 15 tackles and three sacks against SMU and Clemson.
LB: Anthony Hill Jr., Texas
Hill (6-3, 235) continues to live up to the five-star billing at Texas. Hill was one of five FBS players with at least 100 tackles and seven sacks in 2024. He also had 17 tackles for loss and five forced fumbles. Hill finished with 23 tackles in three playoff games for the Longhorns. He will be in the middle of what should be another playoff-caliber defense.
LB: Aiden Fisher, Indiana
Fisher (6-1, 233) – a second-team SN All-American in 2024 – remains a productive linebacker with Curt Cignetti with the transfer from James Madison to Indiana. Fisher compiled 10 or more tackles in five games – including the matchups against Michigan (14 total tackles) and Notre Dame (10 total tackles, two TFLs). Fisher is the classic Big Ten linebacker – and he added four pass breakups in coverage.
CB: Jermod McCoy, Tennessee
McCoy (6-0, 193) made the most of his transfer from Oregon State last season. He totaled four interceptions and nine pass breakups – and he allowed just a 50% completion percentage. McCoy is a physical cover corner with next-level trajectory, especially if he improves on reducing yards after catch. Tennessee has not had a Consensus All-American in the secondary since Eric Berry (2008-09).
CB: Leonard Moore, Notre Dame
Moore (6-2, 190) enjoyed a fantastic freshman year, and the Irish have put a cornerback on our Preseason All-America team for the third consecutive year as a result. Moore totaled 48 tackles, two interceptions and a team-high 11 pass breakups. Opposing quarterbacks had a 46.4% completion rate when targeting Moore, according to PFF. He allowed nine catches on 20 chances in coverage for 64 yards in four playoff games.
S: Caleb Downs, Ohio State
Downs (6-0, 205) is one of three players who made the SN Preseason and final All-American teams last season. There are only so many more superlatives to describe the best returning defensive back in college football. He totaled 82 tackles, eight tackles for loss and two sacks – and he allowed just 5.2 yards per completion. He had a season-high 11 tackles and an interception against Michigan. Downs will be the centerpiece for new defensive coordinator Matt Patricia.
S: Michael Taaffe, Texas
Taaffe (6-0, 190) is the leader of Texas' secondary, which also featured NFL-bound defensive backs Jahdae Barron – a first-team SN All-American – and Andrew Mukuba in 2024 Taaffe totaled 78 tackles, two interceptions and 10 pass breakups for the Longhorns. The fifth-year defensive back will be on the spot early in the opener at Ohio State.
DB: Dillon Thieneman, Oregon
Thieneman (6-0, 205) averaged 105 tackles at Purdue the last two seasons. He was tied for second in the Big Ten with six interceptions in 2023 – and he should get more opportunities to make pass breakups at Oregon. Thieneman fits with defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi.
First-team specialists
K: Dominic Zvada, Michigan
Zvada (6-3, 180) is a returning first-team SN All-American selection. He hit 10 of 10 field goals from 40 yards or more – including a 7 of 7 mark from 50 yards or more. He kicked the game-winning field goal in the 13-10 victory against Ohio State – and he did not miss in the Big House in 2024.
P: Brett Thorson, Georgia
Thorson (6-2, 235) averaged 47.6 yards per punt last season – and opposing returners had just 5.4 yards per return. Thorson had at least one punt of 50 yards or more in nine of Georgia's games. He suffered a non-contact injury to his non-kicking knee last season but is expected to be ready for the opener.
KR: Keelan Marion, Miami
Marion (6-0, 195) transferred to Miami, where he will add more excitement to the return game. Marion averaged 26.7 yards per return with two TDs for BYU in 2024, and that included a 96-yard kickoff return TD against rival Utah on Nov. 9, 2024. Miami hasn't had a returner earn first team All-America honors since Devin Hester in 2004.
PR: Kam Shanks, Arkansas
Shanks (5-8, 170) emerged as a top-shelf returner last season with UAB, where he averaged 20.6 yards per return. He scored two TDs and totaled 195 yards in return yards in a two-week stretch against Tulsa and UConn. Shanks transferred to Arkansas, where he will get more attention in the SEC.
SN QB RANKINGS: Top 25 | Big Ten | SEC | Big 12 | ACC
Second-team offense
QB: Cade Klubnik, Clemson
RB: Makhi Hughes, Oregon
RB: Nick Singleton, Penn State
WR: Eric Rivers, Georgia Tech
WR: Antonio Williams, Clemson
WR: Carnell Tate, Ohio State
TE: Tanner Koziol, Houston
T: Kadyn Proctor, Alabama
G: Cayden Green, Missouri
C: Iapani Laloulu, Oregon
G: Jaeden Roberts, Alabama
T: Gennings Dunker, Iowa
AP: Quintrevion Wisner, Texas
Second-team defense
DL: Zane Durant, Penn State
DL: Reuben Bain Jr., Miami
EDGE: Suntarine Perkins, Ole Miss
EDGE: Colin Simmons, Texas
LB: Sonny Styles, Ohio State
LB: CJ Allen, Georgia
LB: Whit Weeks, LSU
CB: D'Angelo Ponds, Indiana
CB: Chandler Rivers, Duke
S: KJ Bolden, Georgia
S: Koi Perich, Minnesota
DB: Isaiah Nwokobia, SMU
Second-team specialists
K: Peyton Woodring, Georgia
P: Palmer Williams, Baylor
KR: Rayshawn Pleasant, Auburn
PR: Kaden Wetjen, Iowa