The Athletic's preseason All-America teams: 50 stars to know in college football (2024)

College football looks a lot different in 2024, but there are plenty of familiar standouts returning to fill out our annual preseason All-America teams.

Our two teams are made up of 50 of the best players in college football entering the 2024 season, selected by a panel of editors after soliciting nominations from across our staff of writers. These 50 players come from 30 schools, headlined by four from Ohio State; three from Michigan, Georgia, Alabama and Notre Dame; and two from Oregon, Oklahoma State, Boise State, LSU, Louisville, Kentucky, Iowa and Arizona.

The Buckeyes’ total could easily have been higher, too, as a few of the most notable snubs come from the loaded Ohio State roster. Here’s who did make the cut:

QB Dillon Gabriel, Oregon: Gabriel has already posted four 3,000-yard seasons at two schools — UCF and Oklahoma — and he’s using an extra year of pandemic eligibility to transfer to Oregon and try to win a national title. Bo Nix unlocked his potential with the Ducks as a transfer from Auburn, and Gabriel will try to make a leap to Heisman Trophy candidate as well. He’s thrown for 14,865 yards in his career, four times finishing in the top 25 in the FBS in passing efficiency. In Eugene, he has his most talented supporting cast yet.

RB Ollie Gordon II, Oklahoma State: Gordon was one of the surprise breakout stars of 2023, jumping from 308 yards as a freshman to a national-high 1,732 yards with 21 rushing touchdowns as a sophom*ore — and that was despite rushing for a total of just 109 yards in three nonconference games. Oklahoma State leaned hard on Gordon in Big 12 play, and he finished with the highest percentage of any FBS team’s rushes at 65.7 percent, per TruMedia. He’s a workhorse with breakaway speed and agility that allowed him to lead the country with 14 rushes of 30-plus yards, three more than anyone else.

RB Ashton Jeanty, Boise State: Jeanty led the nation in yards from scrimmage at 159.7 thanks to a versatile skill set that allowed him to shine as a pass catcher (43 catches for 569 yards and five TDs) in addition to starring as a runner (1,347 yards and 14 TDs). He had at least 100 yards from scrimmage in 10 of the 12 games he appeared in, including 200-plus yards four times. He averaged 4.52 yards per rush after contact, per TruMedia, easily the most among RBs with 150-plus carries.

WR Luther Burden III, Missouri: The five-star recruit in the Class of 2022 made an immediate impact at Missouri with 45 catches as a freshman, but he averaged just 8.3 yards per reception. As a sophom*ore, he broke out into a well-rounded star for a breakthrough Mizzou team that won the Cotton Bowl. Burden jumped to 14.1 yards per catch, hauling in 86 passes for 1,212 yards and nine touchdowns, including a streak of five consecutive 100-yard games early on. Our NFL Draft expert Dane Brugler compared his skill set to that of Ja’Marr Chase because of his physicality and athleticism.

WR Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona: Despite the loss of coach Jedd Fisch to Washington, McMillan and quarterback Noah Fifita returned to Tucson, creating high hopes for Brent Brennan’s first season. McMillan finished a close second to Rome Odunze in the Pac-12 in receiving yards per game at 107.8, catching 90 passes for 1,402 yards and 10 TDs. The 6-foot-5 junior from Hawaii catches everything thrown his way.

TE Colston Loveland, Michigan: Loveland emerged as one of the nation’s best tight ends for the national champions last year, and he returns as a foundational piece of an offense that lost most of its other starters. He caught 45 passes for 649 yards and four touchdowns, with 12 of his catches going for at least 20 yards. He enters the season as a clear-cut choice for top NFL Draft prospect at the position with Brock Bowers gone.

OT Will Campbell, LSU: Jayden Daniels won the Heisman Trophy with the help of one of the nation’s best offensive lines. LSU ranked seventh in pressure rate allowed (23.8 percent), per TruMedia, and first in yards before contact per rush (3.25). Nobody played a bigger role than Campbell, the 6-6, 323-pound junior who was a first-team All-SEC pick in a sophom*ore season in which he didn’t allow a sack, according to PFF. He forms the nation’s top tackle duo with Emery Jones Jr., an All-America candidate himself, making life easier for Garrett Nussmeier in replacing Daniels at quarterback.

OT Kelvin Banks Jr., Texas: Banks started immediately at left tackle and progressed from second-team All-Big 12 as a freshman to first-team All-Big 12 as a sophom*ore. Now he’s poised for the next leap to All-American. The 6-4, 320-pound junior was a five-star recruit, and he’s given up a total of three sacks and 24 pressures in two seasons, per PFF.

G Tyler Booker, Alabama: A physical mauler in the run game, Booker was a first-team All-SEC pick by the media and second-team pick by coaches last year. The 6-5, 325-pound junior has a big opportunity to push himself into the first round of the NFL Draft, returning as one of the leaders of an offense that should keep humming behind Jalen Milroe under new coach Kalen DeBoer.

G Donovan Jackson, Ohio State: The Buckeyes’ issues on the offensive line last year couldn’t be pinned on Jackson. A two-time first-team All-Big Ten pick, Jackson gave up just one sack and 10 pressures last year, per PFF. He’s started 26 games at guard, and he returned for his senior season to block for a loaded Ohio State backfield that includes TreVeyon Henderson and Ole Miss transfer Quinshon Judkins, both of whom can be considered snubs from these All-America teams.

C Parker Brailsford, Alabama: Brailsford followed DeBoer to Alabama from Washington, where he was a Freshman All-American and second-team All-Pac-12 pick in 2023 after redshirting in 2022. Listed at 6-2, 290 pounds, Brailsford is best known for his athleticism and mobility.

DE James Pearce Jr., Tennessee: The first-team All-SEC pick finished tied for first in the conference with 10 sacks despite actually starting only three games. Even with a relatively low snap count, Pearce generated relentless pressure and also had a pair of forced fumbles and finished the season with a pick six against Iowa in the bowl. He’s one of the most explosive pass rushers in the country and should thrive with Tennessee leaning on him more in 2024.

DE Ashton Gillotte, Louisville: Gillotte emerged as one of the nation’s most disruptive pass rushers last year, finishing with 11 sacks and three forced fumbles. He brings explosiveness and physicality to the edge for Louisville, resulting in 58 total pressures, per PFF. He was a common answer when we surveyed ACC players about the most impressive defensive players in their league.

DT Mason Graham, Michigan: The Wolverines bring back a pair of All-America-caliber defensive tackles in Graham and Kenneth Grant, who’s No. 3 on Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List and also deserves All-America consideration. A potential top-five pick in the NFL Draft, Graham is a 6-3, 320-pound junior who earned first-team All-Big Ten honors from conference coaches last year. He had 7.5 tackles for loss and brings a powerful, explosive game suited to consistently disrupting opposing backfields.

DT Deone Walker, Kentucky: Defensive tackles can sometimes be hard to judge by stats, especially those who are listed at 6-6, 345 pounds and often asked to help occupy blockers in the middle of the line. Walker, however, does it all: As a sophom*ore, he racked up 55 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks and two pass breakups while also leading all defensive tackles with 51 pressures, per PFF. Brugler summarized Walker as a “twitchy grizzly bear” when singing his praises as one of the top defensive tackle prospects for the 2025 draft.

LB Harold Perkins Jr., LSU: Given LSU’s defensive struggles and how well Perkins played as a freshman in 2022, last year felt like a bit of a disappointment. Yet Perkins still filled the stat sheet with 75 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, five pass breakups, three forced fumbles and an interception. The biggest question has been where to play him. He’s an explosive athlete who has shown he can be a disruptive pass rusher, but LSU is again going to try him at inside linebacker, banking on his upside as an every-down player who can make plays from sideline to sideline.

LB Danny Stutsman, Oklahoma: One of the nation’s most productive defensive players over the past two years, Stutsman has had back-to-back seasons with more than 100 tackles. Last year, he surged to 16 tackles for loss with a pair of forced fumbles, plus a pick six. Under Brent Venables, Oklahoma is trying to restore its former reputation for defensive prowess, and Stutsman is a foundational piece of that development.

LB Jay Higgins, Iowa: Iowa won 10 games last year thanks almost entirely to a stout defense that finished first in yards per play allowed while the offense faltered. Higgins was the centerpiece, racking up a staggering 171 tackles — 12.2 per game, with double-digit tackles 10 times. He’s on track to become a two-time All-American, with an argument for best defensive player in the Big Ten despite all the talent on Ohio State’s roster.

CB Benjamin Morrison, Notre Dame: The Irish boasted the top pass efficiency defense in the FBS last season, with Morrison playing a leading role as a lockdown corner. A potential top-10 pick in the draft, Morrison had three interceptions and 10 pass breakups as a sophom*ore, giving up just 279 yards in coverage all season, per PFF. Notre Dame returns one of the nation’s top secondaries with Morrison and safety Xavier Watts back.

CB Will Johnson, Michigan: A cornerstone of Michigan’s national championship defense, Johnson had a key interception in the title win against Washington to cap an All-America-caliber season. Though he missed three games, he finished with four interceptions, and he gave up only 17 catches for 267 yards on 37 targets, per PFF, with zero touchdowns allowed as part of the nation’s top-ranked scoring defense.

S Caleb Downs, Ohio State: The five-star recruit made an instant impact for Alabama as a freshman, leading the Crimson Tide with 107 tackles — 40 more than anyone else —and adding 3.5 tackles for loss and a pair of interceptions. He transferred to Ohio State after Nick Saban’s retirement and could be the best player on a stacked Buckeyes defense.

S Malaki Starks, Georgia: Starks has lived up to his five-star recruit billing over two seasons, starting each year for one of the most talented teams in the country. He had 52 tackles, three interceptions and seven pass breakups in a sophom*ore season in which he was a Jim Thorpe Award finalist, proving to be adept both in coverage and as a sure tackler in run support.

K Jonah Dalmas, Boise State: Dalmas made 24 of 27 field goals last season and is now 80-for-90 in four seasons. He returned for an extra season (due to the pandemic), needing 18 made field goals to break the FBS career record. In his career, he’s 27-for-31 on field goals of 40-plus yards, including 7-for-9 from 50-plus.

P Alex Mastromanno, Florida State: The Australian returned to FSU for a fifth season after finishing as a Ray Guy Award finalist in 2023. He averaged 45.5 yards per punt while pinning 10 punts inside the 10-yard line with just three touchbacks, per TruMedia. The Seminoles ranked third in net punting average and had only 19.4 percent of punts returned.

AP Travis Hunter, Colorado: Hunter played more than 1,000 snaps last season despite missing three games because of an injury. He’s a true two-way player who caught 57 passes for 721 yards and five touchdowns and had 30 tackles and three interceptions on defense, doing so in just nine games. The former five-star recruit, who originally signed to play for Deion Sanders at Jackson State, is one of the top wide receiver prospects for the 2025 NFL Draft and has also, despite some up-and-down moments, shown high upside as a cornerback.

(Top illustration: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic; photos of Luther Burden and Mason Graham: Sam Hodde, Zach Bolinger / Icon Sportswire / Getty Images)