Bleacher Report 2010 Preseason College Football All-American Team

With summer football camps starting up today for many colleges across the country, it's time to look at the best of the best at each position.

Last week I was asked to compile a list of the best offensive and defensive players in college football and make an All-American team, and here it is, the Bleacher Report 2010 Preseason College Football All-American team.

Breaking down by conference, the team looks like this:

ACC: 3
Big 12: 3
Big East: 2
Big Ten: 4
Conference USA: 1
Mountain West: 1
Pac-10: 1
SEC: 6
WAC: 2

If you have any suggestions on players who should be added, feel free to leave them in the comments section below.

Center - William Vlachos (Alabama)

Vlachos had big shoes to fill entering the 2009 season, replacing All-American Antoine Caldwell, but that didn't stop the Birmingham native.

At 6'1", 289 pounds, Vlachos enters the season as one of four Southeastern Conference centers on the Rimington Award. After what he did last season, paving the way for Heisman Trophy award winner Mark Ingram and giving quarterback Greg McElroy plenty of time in the pocket en route to a national championship, Vlachos is a preseason All-American.

Tackle - DeMarcus Love (Arkansas)

2010 will be the second full season Love has been a starter for the Razorbacks. A redshirt senior, his 6'5", 315-pound frame has him as a huge force on the strong side, helping pave the way for a handful of talented Arkansas running backs.

Love is a leader on the gridiron both in practice and games with the apparent respect of his teammates. Expectations for the Hogs are high this year and Love will be one of the many offensive linemen for Arkansas to have successful careers on The Hill in Fayetteville and then on into the NFL.

He's also on the preseason watch list for the Outland Trophy.

Tackle - Cory Brandon (Oklahoma)

Something the Oklahoma Sooners suffered from in 2009 was a struggling offensive line—a unit they had been very strong at the past few seasons. However, one bright spot was tackle Cory Brandon (No. 70).

Though he only started in seven games last season, he always seemed to come up with the big block when Oklahoma needed him, especially against Bedlam rival Oklahoma State and Stanford in the Sun Bowl as he started for the injured Trent Williams.

Brandon will be OU's most experience offensive lineman in 2010 as he has played in 30 career games.

Guard - Barrett Jones (Alabama)

Standing next to Vlachos on the Alabama offensive line is guard Barrett Jones, a third-team preseason All-American selection by The Sporting News.

One of three returning starters for the Crimson Tide's front five, Jones was a freshman All-American selection following the 2009 season by several publications and started all 13 games for Alabama.

At 6'4", 301 pounds, Jones has great size to go with some athletic blocking, making holes for one of college football's best rushing attacks. Only a RS sophomore, Jones will bring some great stability to the Tide up front.

Guard - Rod Huntley (UTEP)

After breaking his tibia half way through the 2008 season, there was some question about how Huntley would respond the next season as a junior. Those questions were answered in a hurry in 2009, as Huntley led the charge, making holes for one of the best offensive units in the country.

At 6'3", 320 pounds, Huntley recorded 36 knock downs as a junior last year with 80 percent efficiency as an offensive lineman in all but two games for the Miners.

He's on the preseason watch list for the Outland Trophy.

Quarterback - Kellen Moore (Boise State)

Kellen Moore's sophomore season in 2009 was phenomenal, passing for over 3,500 yards, 39 touchdowns, and only three interceptions.

Entering his junior season in 2010, Moore is the country's top-rated returning quarterback in terms of QB Rating (161.27).

Though Boise State doesn't have the toughest competition in the WAC, the Broncos have a sold non-conference schedule in 2010, opening things up against Virginia Tech in Washington D.C.

Look for Moore to make a huge splash and serve all doubters wrong in week one.

Running Back - Mark Ingram (Alabama)

How do you not list last year's Heisman Trophy winner on the All-American team?

The nation's fourth-leading rusher from 2009, Ingram averaged 6.1 yards per carry to go along with 17 touchdowns and 1,658 yards on the ground. Add in 334 yards and three scores receiving and you have yourself a winner.

Alabama looks to have another great offensive line in 2010, which could help Ingram become a Heisman Trophy candidate once again.

Running Back - Dion Lewis (Pittsburgh)

Lewis broke onto the scene with a huge freshman season in 2009, posting nearly 1,800 yards and 17 touchdowns.

Though he's undersized as a running back, that doesn't hold Lewis back from breaking huge runs for the Panthers and becoming college football's third-leading rusher last season.

At 5'8", 195 pounds, Lewis will likely be the best running back in the nation in 2010.

Tight End - DJ Williams (Arkansas)

Williams was a stud last season for Arkansas with 411 yards and six touchdowns. Though that was down from his 2008 totals, the Hogs did have a better overall passing game and Williams was a great team player.

But beyond bringing down tough catches, Williams is a solid run blocker and has the ability to drop back and pass block many tight ends lack. Williams will be a vital part of the Razorbacks' offense in 2010.

Wide Receiver - Greg Salas (Hawaii)

Salas will be college football's leading returning receiver in 2010 with 1,590 yards and nine touchdowns last season.

At 6'2", 200 pounds, Salas is a legitimate NFL prospect heading into his senior season and will be wanting to make himself a bigger name.

With solid speed, soft hands and prototypical size, Salas is one of the among college football's elite in the receiving corps.

Wide Receiver - Ryan Broyles (Oklahoma)

Rounding out the offense is Broyles, the junior wide receiver from Oklahoma.

As a sophomore in 2009, Broyles had 1,120 yards receiving and 15 touchdowns on 89 receptions, almost double his production from 2008.

Though a bit undersized, Broyles is without question the best receiver in the Big 12 and should have an even bigger season in 2010 now that Landry Jones has had a year to get his feet wet.

Defensive Line - Ryan Kerrigan (Purdue)

Already on the Lombardi Award and Nagurski Trophy watch lists for 2010, Kerrigan is the Big Ten Conference's sack leader from 2009 with 13. He also ranks fifth all-time in the Purdue record books with 21 sacks.

Entering the 2010 season, Kerrigan will be the main focus of Big Ten offensive lines as he tallied 66 total tackles last year, over 40 of which were solo.

If there was any defensive player on this list to be a virtual lock for an All-American at the end of the year, it would this Boilermaker.

Defensive Line - Von Miller (Texas A&M)

Though not officially a defensive end, Miller plays the Jack position on the Aggies' defense, which is a hybrid between a DE and a linebacker. Though it may not be a conventional spot, Miller plays it well and is one of the best defensive players in the country.

As a junior in 2009, Miller was selected as an All-American by both The Sporting News and Sports Illustrated—the first Texas A&M defensive player to earn first team All-American honors in a decade.

At 6'3", 240 pounds, Miller had 17 sacks in 2009 to go with 48 total tackles, 21.5 of which for lost yardage.

Defensive Line - Cameron Heyward (Ohio State)

Ohio State returns both interior defensive linemen in 2010, but the senior Heyward is the biggest name.

With 6.5 sacks and 46 tackles in as a junior in 2009, Heyward was ranked by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg as the No. 3 overall player in the Big Ten Conference.

Heyward, along with Dexter Larrimore, will be the two biggest keys to Ohio State slowing down rushing attacks in Big Ten this season.

Defensive Line - Adrian Clayborn (Iowa)

Clayborn is without a doubt the best defensive lineman in the country entering the 2010 season, finishing last season with 70 total tackles, 20 for loss, and 11.5 sacks.

While he was incredibly talented, Clayborn's performance last season was overshadowed by Nebraska's Ndamukong Suh and TCU's Jerry Hughes.

It appears the Big Ten is where most of the best defensive linemen in the country are this upcoming season and the 6'4", 285 pound Clayborn is among the elite.

Linebacker - Greg Jones (Michigan State)

Jones was the Big Ten Conference's leading tackler in 2009 with 154 total takedowns, good for third overall in NCAA FBS.

With 11 sacks last year, 6'1", 228-pound Jones was a consensus All-American selection and by far the best defender the Michigan State Spartans had to offer.

Arguably the best linebacker in the nation in 2009, Jones enters his senior season hoping to lead the Spartans back to glory.

Look out, Big Ten. Jones is the best around.

Linebacker - Carmen Messina (New Mexico)

Messina is arguably the best player you've never heard of, likely because he played on a team that went 1-11 in 2009 down in Albuquerque.

Entering his junior season in 2010, Messina is fresh off a sophomore campaign where he led the country in tackles with 163, averaging over 13.5 per game.

Though he didn't have an incredible amount of sacks (only three), Messina did force two fumbles, block one kick and intercept a pass. It would be hard to leave him off this list.

Linebacker - Luke Kuechly (Boston College)

While you might not have heard of Messina, chances are you know about Kuechly—the true freshman who surprised the college football world in 2009 with 158 tackles, good enough for second most in NCAA FBS.

A first team All-ACC selection in 2009 along with earning the conference's Defensive Rookie of the Year honors,

The Cincinnati native had four pass break-ups, one pick, and one sack last year. Kuechly is the real deal.

Cornerback - Kenric Burney (North Carolina)

Burney is a player who is flying under the radar of most fans outside of the ACC, mainly because North Carolina football doesn't receive that much attention, despite the great job Butch Davis has done in Chapel Hill the past three seasons.

Burney finished the 2009 season ranked as the No. 20 overall defensive back in college football by Rivals.com and was an All-ACC selection.

A starter all 38 games of his playing career, the 5'9", 190-pound North Carolina native is the best cover corner in the ACC and had five interceptions for 200 yards and a score to show for it.

Entering his senior year, Burney will look to improve on a remarkable career as one of the best players in the secondary North Carolina has ever seen.

Cornerback - Patrick Peterson (LSU)

An All-American selection by The Sporting News, ESPN and The Associated Press last season as a sophomore, Peterson was a beat for the Bayou Bengals down in Baton Rouge.

In 2009, Peterson held Georgia's AJ Green and Alabama's Julio Jones to a combined seven catches.

Though his two interceptions don't stand out on the stat sheet, his 13 pass breakups do, along with his 52 tackles do.

Safety - Rahim Moore (UCLA)

Leading the nation last season in interceptions was Moore with 10.

The 6'1", 196-pound Los Angeles native was huge as a sophomore for the Bruins in 2009, starting all 13 games with 48 tackles and breaking up seven passes.

In the season opener against San Diego State, he had three picks.

Back again for his junior campaign, there isn't a bigger ball hawk in college football than Moore.

Safety - DeAndre McDaniel (Clemson)

McDaniel had by far his best season as a Tiger in 2009, with 98 tackles and eight interceptions—tied for second most in the country.

A native of Tallahassee, Fla., McDaniel had 13 tackles against Kentucky in the Motor City Bowl alone as a junior last year and was ranked as the No. 5 overall defensive back in the country by Rivals.com.

Entering his senior season, the 6'1" Sunshine State speedster will have ACC quarterbacks throwing elsewhere.

Athlete - Mohamed Sanu (Rutgers)

Not fitting any specific postion on offense or defense is Rutgers standout Mohamed Sanu.

The 6'2", 215-pound New Jersey native splashed onto the scene in 2009 with an epic freshman season playing wide receiver, running back, and wildcat quarterback for the Scarlet Knights.

He had 346 yards rushing and five touchdowns on the ground, 38 yards through the air with a score, and was the second-leading receiver for Rutgers with 639 yards and three end zone visits. On top of that, he also returned kickoffs and punts.

By far the most versatile football player in the country last season, Sanu is set for another huge season.