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See the full story · 1 sourcesSporting News 2026 college football Preseason All-America team originally appeared on The Sporting News .
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Texas leads the Sporting News 2026 preseason All-America team with six players across our first- and second- teams.
That includes five first-team selections led by edge rusher Colin Simmons and receiver Cam Coleman. Arch Manning – the much-hyped quarterback entering his second season – is on our second team.
That's because Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss is a first-team selection. The Rebels had four first-team selections on our list.
The Longhorns and Rebels were part of a heavy presence of SEC players. A total of 23 players from the SEC are scattered throughout our teams – the most of any conference. The Big Ten ranked second with 14 players.
Notre Dame and Oregon totaled four players on our team, and Georgia, Iowa Ohio State and Texas Tech had three players each. Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith, Notre Dame's Leonard Moore and Missouri's Ahmad Hardy were 2025 first-team Sporting News All-America selections last season.
Sporting News is one of five outlets used to determine consensus All-American status at the end of the season. A look at our 2026 Preseason All-America team.
SN 140 ALL-AMERICA TEAMS BY DECADE: 2020s | 2010s | 2000s | 1990s | 1980s | 1970s | 1960s
First team offense
QB: Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss
Chambliss (6-0, 205) was granted a sixth-year waiver to return to Ole Miss, and we expect the quarterback to take advantage of the opportunity. He passed for 3,937 yards, 22 TDs and three interceptions and added 527 rushing yards and 8 TDs last season. Chambliss heated up during the CFP semifinal run – where he averaged 307 passing yards per game. He's the top QB in our rankings for 2026 – and that gives him the edge on this list to start.
RB: Kewan Lacy, Ole Miss
Lacy (5-11, 205) partners in the backfield with Chambliss, which gives the Rebels a prolific rushing attack worth watching. Lacy rushed for 1,567 yards and 24 TDs while averaging 5.1 yards per carry. He had 38 rushes of 10 yards or more; according to PFF.com . Lacy blends that between-the-tackles style with the ability to break off a TD run at any time – and that should continue in 2026.
RB: Ahmad Hardy, Missouri
Hardy (5-10, 210) rushed for 1,649 yards last season – the most yardage of any returning running back in the Power 4. Hardy runs through contact (4.6 yards per carry). He had seven games with at least 100 rushing yards, including a 300-yard, three-TD effort against Mississippi State. Hardy was shot on the upper leg on May 10, and his status for Week 1 remains uncertain.
WR: Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State
Smith (6-3, 223) is the most imposing offensive force in the FBS – yet it's his consistency as a pass-catching option for the Buckeyes that stands out. He had 163 catches on 211 targets in two seasons. He's totaled 2,528 yards on back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons with 27 TD receptions – and that comes with increased attention from defenses. In five career CFP games, Smith has 26 catches for 538 yards – an average of 20.7 yards per catch – with six TDs.
WR: Malachi Toney, Miami
Toney (5-11, 188) led all FBS receivers with 109 receptions as part of Miami's run to the CFP championship game last season. He had three games with 10-plus receptions and 100 or more receiving yards as a freshman, and he adds value in the punt return game. Xavier Restrepo (2024) was Miami's last consensus All-American receiver. Will Toney be next?
WR: Cam Coleman, Texas
Coleman (6-3, 204) transferred from Auburn to Texas, where he should put up numbers with Manning in the Longhorns' revamped offense. Coleman excels at the contested catch – he had 13 last season according to PFF.com – and he has nine TD receptions on passes of 20 yards or more the last two seasons. Manning and Coleman should be able to exploit that vertical connection this season in the SEC.
TE: Terrance Carter Jr., Texas Tech
Carter (6-2, 245) finished with 55 receptions for 624 yards and five TDs, and that included a nine-catch, 72-yard performance in the CFP quarterfinals against Oregon. He is a reliable target who compiled a 74.4 catch percentage, and he also is an effective run blocker. Will he establish an immediate connection with Will Hammond?
T: Carter Smith, Indiana
Smith (6-5, 313) – a second-team SN All-America pick last season – started all 16 games for the Hoosiers last season and returns as a leader on the offensive line. He allowed just two sacks – both in the CFP championship game – and was a consistent performer through last year's Big Ten schedule. Smith also is a force as a run blocker for the Hoosiers – who averaged 212.9 rushing yards per game.
G: Shadre Hurst, Houston
Hurst (6-2 295) – a Tulane transfer second-team SN All-America selection in 2025 – gives Houston a dominant interior run blocker. The fifth-year senior allowed just one sack, and he made one start at left tackle. The Cougars are a trendy playoff pick in the Big 12 – and the addition of Hurst solidifies an offensive line with three transfers who are projected starters.
C: Kade Pieper, Iowa
Pieper (6-3, 298) would have been one of our picks at guard – but he's making the move to center where he replaces Rimington Trophy winner Logan Jones for the Hawkeyes. Pieper is an outstanding run blocker, and he allowed just one sack. He had just one penalty in 2025. That versatility on the interior line is a difference-maker.
G: Evan Tengesdahl, Cincinnati
Tengesdahl (6-3, 323) had a 89.7 grade in run blocking, according to PFF, last season. He did not allow a sack and can swing from left guard to right guard if needed. He is part of a Cincinnati offensive line that should be one of the best in the Big 1...
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