College Football's Way-Too-Early All-America Team for 2026

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The 2026 college football season doesn’t start until late August, but it’s never too early to take a look and project the top players returning next year. With spring practice right around the corner, Athlon Sports selected a way-too-early All-America Team for the ’26 season. These selections will change a lot over the next couple of months, especially as we have a chance to study tape, evaluate teams and players closer, and gather more intel on the coming year.

With the passing of the early entry deadline for the NFL Draft, along with the slowing of transfer movement, all 136 teams should have a much better idea of how their roster stacks up for ’26. Indiana, Oregon and Texas lead the way with six selections apiece, while Oklahoma and Ohio State each placed four picks on the way-too-early All-America squad.

In this way-too-early look, which players are the best at their respective positions for ’26? Athlon Sports makes selections for offense, defense, and special teams:

College Football’s Way-Too-Early All-America Team for 2026

Note: These selections will change when Athlon Sports’ preseason college football magazine is released later this offseason

Way-Too-Early 2026 Rankings: Top 25 | ACC | Big 12 | Big Ten | SEC

First-Team Offense

QBArch Manning, Texas
RB Ahmad Hardy, Missouri
RB Kewan Lacy, Ole Miss
RB Isaac Brown, Louisville
WR Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State
WR Cam Coleman, Texas
WR Malachi Toney, Miami
TE Trey’Dez Green, LSU
C Kade Pieper, Iowa
OL Carter Smith, Indiana
OL Trevor Goosby, Texas
OL Cayden Green, Missouri
OL Anthonie Knapp, Notre Dame
OL Austin Siereveld, Ohio State

First-Team Defense

DL Colin Simmons, Texas
DL Dylan Stewart, South Carolina
DL Anthony Smith, Minnesota
DL Tyrique Tucker, Indiana
DL Teitum Tuioti, Oregon
LB Rasheem Biles, Texas
LB Xavier Atkins, Auburn
LB Rolijah Hardy, Indiana
LB Isaiah Jones, Indiana
CB Leonard Moore, Notre Dame
CB Brandon Finney Jr., Oregon
S KJ Bolden, Georgia
S Bray Hubbard, Alabama

First-Team Specialists

K Tate Sandell, Oklahoma
P Evan Crenshaw, Troy
KR Da’Realyst Clark, Kent State
PR Ryan Niblett, Texas

Second-Team Offense

QB Julian Sayin, Ohio State
RB Cam Cook, West Virginia
RB LJ Martin, BYU
RB Caleb Hawkins, Oklahoma State
WR Duce Robinson, Florida State
WR Mario Craver, Texas A&M
WR KJ Duff, Rutgers
TE Terrance Carter, Texas Tech
C Iapani Laloulu, Oregon
OL Jordan Seaton, LSU
OL Jacarrius Peak, South Carolina
OL Trevor Lauck, Iowa
OL Evan Tengesdahl, Cincinnati
OL Drew Bobo, Georgia

Second-Team Defense

DL David Stone, Oklahoma
DL A’Mauri Washington, Oregon
DL Bear Alexander, Oregon
DL John Henry Daley, Michigan
DL Taylor Wein, Oklahoma
LB Ben Roberts, Texas Tech
LB Raylen Wilson, Georgia
LB Whit Weeks, LSU
LB Kip Lewis, Oklahoma
CB Brice Pollock, Texas Tech
CB Kelley Jones, Mississippi State
S Amare Ferrell, Indiana
S Marcus Ratcliffe, Texas A&M

Second-Team Specialists

K Lucas Carneiro, Ole Miss
P Billy Gowers, Indiana
KR Koi Perich, Oregon
PR Vicari Swain, South Carolina

Related: 10 Biggest Winners in College Football’s Transfer Portal for the 2026 Season

Related: The 8 Most Intriguing Teams in College Football for 2026

Related: Way-Too-Early Heisman Trophy Contenders for the 2026 College Football Season

This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Feb 4, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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