The AP’s preseason All-America teams landed Wednesday afternoon, and while plenty of the sport’s biggest names showed up, eight AP Top 25 programs were left off the lists entirely.
That kind of omission stands out in a preseason built around hype and projection, especially when the teams in question are all ranked and loaded with recognizable talent. From College Station to Louisville, several of the country’s most watched rosters didn’t land a single All-America selection.
Texas A&M is the highest-ranked of the bunch, checking in at No. 8 in the preseason AP Top 25. The Aggies have one of the most talented rosters in the country, led by star quarterback Marcel Reed.
They also bring back senior safety Marcus Ratliffe, who was named to the preseason Bronko Nagurski and All-SEC watchlists. With that kind of profile and national championship expectations attached, Texas A&M coming up empty was one of the bigger surprises of the release.
USC sits next on the list at No. 15, and the Trojans have no shortage of star power either. Jayden Maiava is the headliner after leading the Big Ten in passing in 2025 with 3,711 yards and 24 touchdowns. Southern Cal also returns corner Jontez Williams, who made the Jim Thorpe Award preseason watchlist, along with tailback Waymond Jordan.
Washington, ranked No. 16, is another team many see as a potential College Football Playoff sleeper, and the Huskies are built around quarterback Demond Williams Jr., one of the Big Ten’s top passers a year ago. They also return important pieces up front, including guard John Mills, who draft experts expect to be an early-first-round pick next spring.
Penn State is heading into its first season under Matt Campbell, and the roster has been reshaped by the transfer portal. Even so, senior linebacker Tony Rojas is staying put and should be one of the nation’s top players at his position in 2026. The Nittany Lions also added several Iowa State transfers, including tight end Benjamin Brahmer and safety Jeremiah Cooper.
SMU, which is aiming for its second CFP appearance in three seasons, also didn’t place a player on the preseason All-America teams. The Mustangs are expected to be a factor in a deep ACC, and offensive lineman PJ Williams is a major reason why. He earned Second Team All-ACC honors after starting all 13 games at left tackle in 2025 and helping power one of the country’s best offensive lines.
Tennessee is trying to rebound from an 8-5 season in 2025, including a 4-4 mark in SEC play, and it too was shut out. The Vols’ top returnee is offensive lineman Wendell Moe Jr., who started 11 games after transferring from Arizona and earned first-team All-SEC and second-team All-American honors. Tennessee also brings back 2025 freshman All-American tackle David Sanders Jr. and third-team All-SEC defensive back Ty Redmond.
Utah enters a new era in 2026, with someone other than Kyle Whittingham set to be head coach in Salt Lake City for the first time in more than 20 years. Several of the Utes’ best players from last season left with Whittingham for Michigan, but quarterback Devon Dampier stayed. Now a senior, Dampier has already landed on multiple preseason watchlists after producing more than 3,300 total yards and 34 total touchdowns in 2025.
Louisville rounds out the list of ranked teams without a preseason AP All-American. The Cardinals are coming off a nine-win season and will lean heavily on running back Isaac Brown, who led the nation in yards per attempt last year at 8.8. Entering his junior season, Brown is positioned to be one of college football’s most explosive playmakers again in 2026.
In Other News...
Arkansas Just Gave Tennessee One More Reason To Watch Fayetteville
Arkansas has settled its quarterback question for the opener, and Tennessee has another early-season wrinkle to keep an eye on as the Vols scout the SEC landscape. Junior KJ Jackson will start against North Alabama, giving the Razorbacks a new face under center after Taylen Green held the job last season. Jackson, who appeared in five games a year ago, won the competition over sophomore transfer AJ Hill, who arrived from Memphis.
KJ Jacksons promotion adds another layer to what Tennessee will eventually have to sort through when Arkansas shows up on the schedule. Even in a game that should be manageable on paper for the Razorbacks, the quarterback choice matters because it hints at how quickly Arkansas wants to settle its offense and how much confidence it has in Jackson right away. For the Vols, it means Fayetteville now has one more developing storyline worth tracking before the real SEC pressure begins. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessees Quarterback Call Just Created A Massive 2026 Debate
The quarterback picture in Knoxville just got a lot clearer for 2026, with Tennessee choosing Faizon Brandon to lead the offense after a competition with George MacIntyre. It is the kind of decision that immediately shapes the conversation around a program, because the No. 1 quarterback spot is never just about one player - it sets the tone for everything from practice reps to how the depth chart settles behind him.
Brandon now steps into the job with the edge over a talented challenger, and the choice says plenty about how Tennessee views the two young quarterbacks. MacIntyre remains part of the discussion, which is what makes the situation worth watching beyond the initial announcement, because the Volunteers have made their call but the larger conversation around what comes next is still very much alive. [Read more 🡒]
Heupel Keeps Tennessees Arion Carter Frustration Front And Center
Tennessee linebacker Arion Carters season-opening absence remains a sore spot for Josh Heupel, who has not shied away from making his frustration known since the NCAA handed down a two-game suspension over a $427 flight paid for during the pre-NFL draft process. Carter repaid the money after deciding to return to college, but the penalty still landed him on the sideline to start the year, and Heupel has continued to frame it as an example of how uneven the NCAAs approach can feel.
The situation sits in the middle of a broader fight around eligibility rules, one that has only become more complicated as other players have returned to college football after receiving far larger NFL bonuses. Cleveland Browns rookie DaeQuan Wright is among those cases, and the contrast has only sharpened the scrutiny on Carters punishment as legal challenges to NCAA rules continue to work their way through the sport. [Read more 🡒]