Summer is coming to an end and the 2016 college football season is right around the corner, which makes this the perfect time to announce the CBS Sports 2016 Preseason All-America Team as voted on by our panel of college football experts from CBSSports.com and 247Sports.com.
There were five unanimous selections and players representing 16 programs among the 27 first-team selections. Alabama (five) and Florida State (three) led the way with Clemson, Florida, LSU, Ohio State and Tennessee (two each) among other teams with multiple selections.
Among conferences, the SEC was on top with 12 first-team picks as the Big Ten (six), ACC (five) and Pac-12 (four) fell in line behind it. The Big 12 only had a single player among the 55 selected, second-team quarterback Baker Mayfield.
The second also team includes three players from outside the Power Five conferences along with a tie for the third linebacker spot.
Check out the CBS Sports preseason awards and All-America teams below.
Preseason Awards
Player of the Year: Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson
Coach of the Year: Nick Saban, Alabama
Preseason All-America Teams
| CBS Sports First Team | |||
| OFFENSE | |||
| QB | Deshaun Watson* | Clemson | Junior |
| RB | Leonard Fournette* | LSU | Junior |
| RB | Dalvin Cook | Florida State | Junior |
| WR | JuJu Smith-Schuster* | USC | Junior |
| WR | Calvin Ridley | Alabama | Sophomore |
| TE | Jake Butt | Michigan | Senior |
| C | Pat Elfein | Ohio State | Senior |
| OL | Roderick Johnson* | Florida State | Junior |
| OL | Cam Robinson | Alabama | Junior |
| OL | Dan Feeney | Indiana | Senior |
| OL | Zach Banner | USC | Senior |
| DEFENSE | |||
| DE | Myles Garrett* | Texas A&M | Junior |
| DE | Jonathan Allen | Alabama | Senior |
| DT | Malik McDowell | Michigan State | Junior |
| DT | Carlos Watkins | Clemson | Senior |
| LB | Raekwon McMillan | Ohio State | Junior |
| LB | Jarrad Davis | Florida | Senior |
| LB | Tim Williams | Alabama | Senior |
| CB | Desmond King | Iowa | Senior |
| CB | Jalen (Teez) Tabor | Florida | Junior |
| S | Derwin James | Florida State | Sophomore |
| S | Jamal Adams | LSU | Junior |
| SPECIAL TEAMS | |||
| K | Andy Phillips | Utah | Senior |
| P | JK Scott | Alabama | Junior |
| KR | Evan Berry | Tennessee | Junior |
| PR | Cameron Sutton | Tennessee | Senior |
| AP | Christian McCaffrey | Stanford | Junior |
| * Denotes unanimous selection | |||
Nine players return from the 2015 CBS Sports All-America First Team chosen last December: Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson, LSU running back Leonard Fournette, Michigan tight end Jake Butt, Iowa cornerback Desmond King and Stanford all-purpose star Christian McCaffrey.
| CBS Sports Second Team | |||
| OFFENSE | |||
| QB | Baker Mayfield | Oklahoma | Junior |
| RB | Christian McCaffrey | Stanford | Junior |
| RB | Royce Freeman | Oregon | Junior |
| WR | Christian Kirk | Texas A&M | Sophomore |
| WR | Corey Davis | Western Michigan | Senior |
| TE | O.J. Howard | Alabama | Senior |
| C | Brian Allen | Michigan State | Junior |
| OL | Dan Voltz | Wisconsin | Junior |
| OL | Mike McGlinchey | Notre Dame | Senior |
| OL | Mitch Hyatt | Clemson | Sophomore |
| OL | Conor McDermott | UCLA | Senior |
| DEFENSE | |||
| DE | Derek Barnett | Tennessee | Junior |
| DE | DeMarcus Walker | Florida State | Senior |
| DT | Eddie Vanderdoes | UCLA | Junior |
| DT | Lowell Lotulelei | Utah | Junior |
| LB | DeVonte Fields | Louisville | Senior |
| LB | Reuben Foster | Alabama | Senior |
| LB | Anthony Walker | Northwestern | Junior |
| Jabrill Peppers | Michigan | Junior | |
| CB | Jourdan Lewis | Michigan | Senior |
| CB | Adoree Jackson | USC | Junior |
| S | Budda Baker | Washington | Junior |
| S | Marcus Maye | Florida | Senior |
| SPECIAL TEAMS | |||
| K | Daniel Carlson | Auburn | Junior |
| P | Austin Rehkow | Idaho | Senior |
| KR | Rashaad Penny | San Diego State | Junior |
| PR | William Likely | Maryland | Senior |
| AP | Adoree Jackson | USC | Junior |
