Are You Ready for Some Football?!!

It is that time of the year again, time for the start of college football.  We have technically already started the season with a handful of games played last weekend, but this weekend marks the de facto start of the season - especially with Florida playing Michigan in Dallas and Florida State playing Alabama in Atlanta.  What would the start of college football be without a preseason All-American list? Once again, I am here to give you my preseason All-Americans. As usual, there will be more than 11 on each side, to account for the different types of formations (spread, three receiver set, 4-3, 3-4, etc). I explain some of my picks, while others I do not. Why? Because I can.  (Starters in capitals).

Offense

QB - LAMAR JACKSON, Louisville; Sam Darnold, USC; Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma - Darnold is everybody's pre-season All-American and potential first pick in next year's NFL Draft, but how can I not have Lamar Jackson - reigning Heisman Trophy winner as my first string QB?  He may not win the Heisman again, but he single-handedly keeps Louisville in the NCAA title chase.  Baker Mayfield earns the third slot over the two Joshes (Rosen at UCLA and Allen at Wyoming).

RB - DERRIUS GUICE, LSU; SAQUON BARKLEY, Penn State; Royce Freeman, Oregon; Justice Hill, Oklahoma State; Mark Walton, Miami - Can Derrius Guice replace Leonard Fournette?  We already know the answer to that question, as he already did last year when Fournette was out.  If Barkley has the same amount of yards as he did last year, he will be the all-time leading rusher in Penn State history. Let that sink in for a moment.  Crazily, this might be the weakest unit on the team.

WR - JAMES WASHINGTON, Oklahoma State; CHRISTIAN KIRK, Texas A &M; Calvin Ridley, Alabama; Ahmmon Richards, Miami; Courtland Sutton, SMU - Kirk and Ridley return from last year's pre-season All American team, and Kirk might be the most exciting player in college football.  Richards from Miami is a big-play threat every single time he touches the ball and Sutton is "that guy from that one school" that always catches a ton of balls.  That being said, Washington might be the best of this lot.

TE - MIKE CESICKI, Penn State; Troy Fumagalli, Wisconsin - The end of year All-American Tight End almost definitely comes from the Big 10.

OL - ORLANDO BROWN, Oklahoma (T); CONNOR WILLIAMS, Texas (T); FRANK RAGNOW, Arkansas (C); CODY O'CONNELL, Washington State (G);  QUENTON NELSON, Notre Dame (G); Billy Price, OHIO STATE; Jonah Williams, Arkansas; Mike McGlinchey, Notre Dame - Brown and Williams are studs, Arkansas has had one of the best offensive lines for a number of years now, and Nelson returns from last year's squad.  Price might end up being the best lineman of the bunch, but he is moving to center from guard.

Defense

DE - HAROLD LANDRY, Boston College; BRADLEY CHUBB, North Carolina State; Rashan Gary, Michigan; Joe Jackosn, Miami - Landry had 16 1/2 sacks last year, whereas Chubb had 10 1/2 sacks and another 11 1/2 tackles for loss.  Gary is a Harbaugh type of athlete on the defensive line.  For Jackson, just go back and watch Miami's bowl game victory over West Virginia.

DT - ED OLIVER, Houston; CHRISTIAN WILKINS, Clemson; Dexter Lawrence, Clemson - Ed Oliver is one of those players who exceeded his five-star expectations that came with him staying at home to lead Houston to victory.  Wilkins and Lawrence will likely anchor the stoutest interior line in the country.  Lawrence had more sacks, but Wilkins added 9 1/2 tackles for loss and 10 pass deflections as well.

LB - ARDEN KEY, LSU; JOSEY JEWELL, Iowa; AZEEM VICTOR, Washington; Cameron Smith, USC; Tegray Scales, Indiana - Not the known names of previous All-American linebackers (and no Alabama players), but these linebackers can fly to the football and hit.  Scales led the Big 10 in tackles last year, and Indiana played a lot of bigger names really, really close last year.

CB - TARVARUS MCFADDEN, Florida State; JAIRE ALEXANDER, Louisville; Jordan Thomas, Oklahoma - McFadden and Alexander are almost everybody's picks as All-Americans to start this season.  McFadden last year had 8 interceptions and 14 pass breakups.  Alexander intercepted DeShaun Watson twice.

S - DERWIN JAMES, Florida State; MINKAH FITZPATRICK, Alabama;  Quin Blanding, Virginia, Godwin Igwebuike, Northwestern - If I have to explain the James and Fitzpatrick picks to you, you do not watch college football.  Blanding and Igwebuicke are a really talented duo.

Special Teams

K - EDDY PINEIRO, Florida - The conventional wisdom is saying Daniel Carlson from Auburn, but nobody has Pineiro's leg.

P - MITCH WISHNOWSKY, Utah- He averaged 47.7 yards last year (second in the nation), but also led the country in punts inside the 10.  How is that for field position?

KR/PR - QUADREE HENDERSON, Pittsburgh - On most teams, Christian Kirk will be returning kicks, but Henderson ran back four kicks (3 kickoffs, 1 punt) for touchdowns last year.