Oregon's Dante Moore, Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith Headline 2026 Preseason AP All-America Teams

The Associated Press announced its preseason All-American teams for the 2026 college football season, and the SEC is well represented.

The Big Ten can claim two of the top headliners as Oregon quarterback Dante Moore and Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith were first-teamers. The SEC had just over half (14) of the 27 players, though.

Here's the first team offense and defense:

Offense

• Quarterback: Dante Moore, Oregon
• Running Back: Kewan Lacy, Ole Miss; Ahmad Hardy, Missouri
• Wide Receiver: Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State; Malachi Toney, Miami; Cam Coleman, Texas
• Tight End: Trey'Dez Green, LSU
• Offensive Tackle: Carter Smith, Indiana; Trevor Goosby, Texas
• Offensive Guard: Evan Tengesdahl, Cincinnati; Shadre Hurst, Houston
• Center: Kade Pieper, Iowa
• All-Purpose: Wayne Knight, UCLA
• Kicker: Tate Sandell, Oklahoma

Defense

• EDGE: Colin Simmons, Texas; Dylan Stewart, South Carolina
• Defensive Tackle: A'Mauri Washington, Oregon; David Stone, third year, Oklahoma
• Linebacker: Rasheem Biles, Texas; Xavier Atkins, Auburn; Rolijah Hardy, Indiana
• Cornerback: Leonard Moore, Notre Dame; Ellis Robinson IV, Georgia
• Safety: KJ Bolden, Georgia; Koi Perich, Oregon
• Defensive Back: Bray Hubbard, Alabama
• Punter: Evan Crenshaw,Troy

Ohio State claimed the top spot in the preseason AP Top 25 yet has just two All-Americans. Along with Smith, offensive guard Luke Montgomery was a second-teamer.

Coach Ryan Day nonetheless returns a lot on offense. Quarterback Julian Sayin and running back Bo Jackson will combine with Smith to form one of the most dynamic units in the country.

Much of the Buckeyes' success will hinge on how well Day backfilled a defense that lost Arvell Reese, Caleb Downs, Sonny Styles, Kayden McDonald and Davison Igbinosun. That's a lot of NFL-caliber talent that went out the door.

Conversely, the stars have never aligned better for Oregon coach Dan Lanning.

Moore's decision to return to Eugene was a bit of a surprise because he almost certainly would've been a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL draft. The redshirt sophomore threw for 3,565 yards and 30 touchdowns, and he'll be even better if he can cut down on his 10 interceptions.

And the Oregon defense might be even better than the offense.

A'Mauri Washington is one of four returning starters along the defensive line. Brandon Finney Jr. will anchor the secondary after leading the Ducks in interceptions with three. Defensive back Koi Perich also transferred in after picking off six passes and compiling 128 tackles in two years at Minnesota.

Falling short of winning a national championship won't cost Lanning his job, but he has a golden opportunity to bring a first-ever title to the program. Fans are bound to be disappointed if that doesn't happen.