With the 2022 college football season on deck, our panel of college football experts were faced with plenty of difficult decisions when convening to select the 2022 CBS Sports / 247Sports Preseason All-America team. Experts from CBS Sports and 247Sports joined forces once again to honor the players who they expect to shine the brightest over the next four months.
Alabama linebacker Will Anderson Jr. leads the squad as not only one of three unanimous Preseason All-America first team selections but also our Preseason Player of the Year. Anderson is joined by Texas running back Bijan Robinson and Ohio State wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba as receiving first-team nods from all voters.
Anderson, Alabama quarterback Bryce Young, Georgia tight end Brock Bowers, Iowa cornerback Riley Moss and Michigan kicker Jake Moody as repeat first-team selections from the 2021 postseason team, while Kansas State's Deuce Vaughn picked up two nods as a first-team all-purpose selection and second-team running back.
In total, 31 programs are represented across the two teams of 54 selections. Alabama, Georgia and Ohio State lead the way with three first-teamers each, while the Crimson Tide have the most overall selections with six. The Buckeyes, however, received an additional honor with Ryan Day named the Preseason Coach of the Year.
The SEC has seven teams represented among its 18 picks, while six Big Ten teams received honorees. Combined, the two conferences make up more than half of the Preseason All-America team (29 of 54).
| Conference | First team | Total selections |
|---|---|---|
| SEC | 8 | 18 |
| Big Ten | 8 | 11 |
| Big 12 | 4 | 6 |
| Pac-12 | 3 | 4 |
| Independents | 2 | 6 |
| ACC | 1 | 7 |
| American | 1 | 1 |
| Conference USA | 0 | 1 |
In an effort to modernize our All-America team and make it more representative of the current game, CBS Sports / 247Sports adjusted the defensive roster positions, adding an additional defensive back slot. Furthermore, any EDGE rushers voted onto the team were categorized by positions as listed on official team rosters.
2022 CBS Sports / 247Sports Preseason All-America
* unanimous selection | class listed according to official team rosters
First team
| Offense | | | |
|---|---|---|---|
QB | Bryce Young | Alabama | Junior |
RB | Bijan Robinson * | Texas | Junior |
RB | TreVeyon Henderson | Ohio State | Sophomore |
WR | Jaxon Smith-Njigba * | Ohio State | Junior |
WR | Jordan Addison | USC | Junior |
TE | Brock Bowers | Georgia | Sophomore |
C | Jarrett Patterson | Notre Dame | Senior |
OL | Peter Skoronski | Northwestern | Junior |
OL | Paris Johnson | Ohio State | Junior |
OL | Connor Galvin | Baylor | Senior |
OL | Andrew Vorhees | USC | Redshirt senior |
| Defense | | | |
| DL | Jalen Carter | Georgia | Junior |
| DL | Bryan Bresee | Clemson | Redshirt sophomore |
DL | Will McDonald IV | Iowa State | Redshirt senior |
LB | Will Anderson Jr. * | Alabama | Junior |
LB | Jack Campbell | Iowa | Senior |
LB | Noah Sewell | Oregon | Sophomore |
CB | Riley Moss | Iowa | Senior |
CB | Kelee Ringo | Georgia | Redshirt sophomore |
DB | Jordan Battle | Alabama | Senior |
DB | Brandon Joseph | Notre Dame | Redshirt junior |
| DB | Antonio Johnson | Texas A&M | Senior |
| Special teams | | | |
K | Jake Moody | Michigan | Senior |
P | Adam Korsak | Rutgers | Senior |
KR | Brian Battie | South Florida | Sophomore |
PR | Ainias Smith | Texas A&M | Senior |
AP | Deuce Vaughn | Kansas State | Junior |
Second team
| Offense | | | |
|---|---|---|---|
QB | C.J. Stroud | Ohio State | Junior |
RB | Deuce Vaughn | Kansas State | Junior |
| RB | Sean Tucker | Syracuse | Sophomore |
WR | Kayshon Boutte | LSU | Junior |
| WR | Josh Downs | North Carolina | Junior |
TE | Michael Mayer | Notre Dame | Junior |
C | John Michael Schmitz | Minnesota | Redshirt senior |
OL | O'Cyrus Torrence | Florida | Junior |
OL | Emil Ekiyor | Alabama | Redshirt senior |
OL | Dawand Jones | Ohio State | Senior |
OL | Clark Barrington | BYU | Junior |
| Defense | | | |
| DL | Myles Murphy | Clemson | Junior |
DL | Isaiah Foskey | Notre Dame | Senior |
DL | Calijah Kancey | Pittsburgh | Redshirt junior |
LB | Andre Carter II | Army West Point | Senior |
LB | Nolan Smith Jr. | Georgia | Senior |
LB | Trenton Simpson | Clemson | Junior |
CB | Eli Ricks | Alabama | Junior |
CB | Cam Smith | South Carolina | Redshirt junior |
DB | Jalen Catalon | Arkansas | Redshirt junior |
| DB | Tykee Smith | Georgia | Junior |
DB | James Williams | Miami | Sophomore |
| Special teams | | | |
K | Harrison Mevis | Missouri | Junior |
P | Kyle Ostendorp | Arizona | Junior |
KR | Malik Knowles | Kansas State | Senior |
PR | Jaylin Lane | Middle Tennessee | Sophomore |
AP | Jahmyr Gibbs | Alabama | Junior |
