Clemsonquarterback Cade Klubnik, Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith and Notre Dame cornerback Leonard Moore earn first-team honors on the USA TODAY Sports preseason All-America team honoring the best players in college football. There was no bigger no-brainer than Smith, who dominated the Big Ten as a true freshman inhelping lead the Buckeyes to the national championship. He's one of two Ohio State standouts to land on the first team, along with safety Caleb Downs, that were unanimous selections. Clemson and Penn State tied for the most first-team selections with three. Eight teams had three or more players earn first- or second-team honors: Clemson with five, Penn State with four and Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Oregon, Ohio State and Texas with three. PATH TO PLAYOFF:Sign up for our college football newsletter Voting for the preseason All-America teams was conducted by 27 members of the USA TODAY Sports Network. The biggest debate might've come at running back. Penn State alone has two backs with first-team résumés in Nicholas Singleton and Katron Allen. Voters placed Singleton on the first team, joining Notre Dame's Jeremiyah Love, while Allen and Oregon's Makhi Hughes landed on the second team. Overall, 18 teams inthe preseason US LBM Coaches Pollhad at least one selection. QB Cade Klubnik, Clemson After taking the leap as a second-year starter in 2024 (36 touchdowns), Klubnik is expected to make a serious run at the Heisman Trophy as Clemson chases the third national championship under Dabo Swinney. RB Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame RB Nicholas Singleton, Penn State Love (1,125 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns in 2024) is a big-play threat who could find even more running room should Notre Dame strike an even firmer run-pass balance behind a new starting quarterback. Singleton (1,099 yards and 12 scores) got the nod over Allen, but the two combine to make theNittany Lions' running game a physical force. WR Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State WR Ryan Williams, Alabama TE Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt Smith (1,315 yards, 15 touchdowns) is simply a generational talent. Williams tailed off down the stretch last season (48 catches for 865 yards) and will need to be more consistent to help Ty Simpson ease into the starting role. A former quarterback, Stowers (49 catches for 638 yards) has been a key part behind Vanderbilt's recent surge. OT Spencer Fano, Utah OT Kadyn Proctor, Alabama OG Olaivavega Ioane, Penn State OG Ar'maj Reed-Adams, Texas A&M C Jake Slaughter, Florida Fano was a day-one starter for Utah and is a virtual lock for All-America honors on either side of the line. Proctor (6-foot-7, 360 pounds) is poised to fulfill his five-star potential thanks to a unique combination of size, power and agility. Ioane is the face of a vastly improved Penn State front as he enters his second year as a starter. Reed-Adams is a former Kansas transfer who helped the Aggies rank second in the SEC in rushing yards per game in 2024. Slaughter is odds-on favorite to capture the Rimington Trophy as the nation's top center. DE Dylan Stewart, South Carolina DT Peter Woods, Clemson DT Zane Durant, Penn State DE T.J. Parker, Clemson Stewart (10½ tackles for loss) is one of the elite young players in the SEC. Woods (8½ tackles for loss) and Parker (11 sacks) are two reasons why Clemson is the unquestioned favorite in the ACC. Durant (11 tackles for loss) is among the most disruptive interior linemen in the Power Four. LB Anthony Hill, Texas LB Kyle Louis, Pittsburgh LB Whit Weeks, LSU After monster 2024 (113 tackles and 16½ stops for loss), Hill will be asked to take on an even bigger role for the Longhorns' reworked defense. Louis (15½ tackles for loss, four interceptions) might be the most well-rounded linebacker in the Bowl Subdivision. LSU's defense made only slight gains last season and will need continued excellence from Weeks (125 stops) to contend for the top of the SEC. CB Jermod McCoy, Tennessee CB Leonard Moore, Notre Dame S Caleb Downs, Ohio State S Dillon Thieneman, Oregon McCoy (team-best 13 passes defended) is a true stopper on the outside who was outstanding in his first year in the SEC. Moore (two interceptions) made quarterbacks look the other way as a freshman and may be the most promising young defender in the FBS. Downs (82 tackles) has an obscenely broad skill set and impacts games in a variety of ways, including the return game. A transfer from Purdue, Thieneman (104 tackles) will be one of the most important new additions in the Power Four. K Dominic Zvada, Michigan P Brett Thorson, Georgia Zvada made 21 of 22 field goals in 2024, including a remarkable seven of seven from 50 or more yards. Thorson averaged 47.6 yards per punt last season and the Bulldogs allowed opponents to average just 5.2 yards per return. RET Keelan Marion, Miami (Fla.) AP Desmond Reid, Pittsburgh Marion (26.2 yards per kickoff return with two scores) was a game-changing return man for Brigham Young in 2024 and will be expected to do the same for the Hurricanes. Reid just does it all: run (966 yards), catch (52 grabs for 579) and return (12.2 yards per punt with one touchdown). QB Garrett Nussmeier, LSU RB Makhi Hughes, Oregon RB Kaytron Allen, Penn State WR Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State WR Antonio Williams, Clemson OT Francis Mauigoa, Miami (Fla.) OT Jordan Seaton, Colorado OG Kayden Green, Missouri OG Keyland Rutledge, Georgia Tech C Logan Jones, Iowa DE Matayo Uiagalelei, Oregon DT Christen Miller, Georgia DT Tim Keenan, Alabama DE Colin Simmons, Texas LB CJ Allen, Georgia LB Aiden Fisher, Indiana LB Sonny Styles, Ohio State CB D'Angelo Ponds, Indiana CB Avieon Terrell, Clemson S Michael Taaffe, Texas S Koi Perich, Minnesota K Will Ferrin, Brigham Young P Palmer Williams, Baylor RET Barrion Brown, LSU AP Isaac Brown, Louisville This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:College football All-America team led by Ohio State star