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...
Texas A&M Backfield Battle Just Took Shape Before Opening Day
Texas A&Ms 14th preseason practice doubled as its final media-accessible scrimmage before the 2026 opener against Missouri State, and the backfield picture finally started to come into focus. Redshirt junior quarterback Marcel Reed looked sharper pushing the ball downfield, highlighted by a 50-yard touchdown strike to junior wide receiver Mario Craver, while the wide receiver and cornerback groups also had their moments in a live setting that gave a better sense of where the roster stands.
The clearest takeaway came in the run game, where redshirt junior Rueben Owens flashed the kind of speed and agility that can change a depth chart in a hurry and looks positioned as the likely starter. Behind him, sophomore Jamarion Morrow and freshmen KJ Edwards and Carsyn Baker all chipped in, giving the Aggies a reason to believe this could be more than a one-man backfield once the season begins. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M May Have Found The Ideal Safety Net Behind Marcel Reed
With Marcel Reed set to return for his fourth season in 2026, Texas A&M appears to have settled one of the more important depth-chart questions heading into the new year. Behind him, Brady Hart emerged from fall camp by winning the backup quarterback job after a competition with true freshman Helaman Casuga, giving the Aggies a more settled answer at a position where stability matters almost as much as talent.
Hart did not play much in 2025, but the staff views him as capable of steering the offense if the need ever arises, which is exactly the kind of insurance a program wants behind an established starter. The preference, of course, is to keep him in reserve rather than testing that safety net, but Texas A&M at least looks like it has a dependable option if the season takes an unexpected turn. [Read more 🡒]
TJ Searcy Is Sending Texas A&M Fans A Clear Defensive Message
With Texas A&M working through another offseason, TJ Searcy has emerged as one of the returning pieces helping set the tone on defense. He talked about a unit that feels deeper than it did before, and his own role is clearly growing as the 2026-27 season approaches. Searcy also pointed to the new linebackers as strong communicators, a detail that matters for a defense trying to tighten everything up before the games start counting.
Lyle Hemphills influence has been part of that push, with Searcy crediting the coachs focus on effort and urgency. He also singled out Northwestern transfer Anto Saka for the work he has put in, while noting that he has made real progress with his own health and skill set over the offseason. For an Aggies defense looking to become more connected and dependable, those are the kind of early signs that tend to catch attention. [Read more 🡒]