The Associated Press is high on the talent the Buckeyes bring to the table this season.
Ohio State leads all college football teams with four first-team AP preseason All-Americans as cornerback Denzel Burke, safety Caleb Downs, wide receiver Emeka Egbuka and left guard Donovan Jackson all landed on the top line of selections. Running back TreVeyon Henderson and defensive tackle Tyleik Williams were both second-team selections.
The Buckeyes' six total picks were also the most of any team.
Burke will be looking to establish himself as the nation's best at corner following a resurgent 2023 that featured nine pass breakups and an interception. He earned first-team All-Big Ten and second-team Walter Camp All-American recognition for his efforts.
Downs was a freshman All-American last season at safety after racking up a gaudy 107 tackles with two interceptions and four pass breakups starting for Alabama in the SEC. Egbuka saw a dip in his production mostly due to injury in 2023 but proved in 2022 he could be a superstar, racking up 74 receptions for 1,151 yards and 10 touchdowns with two additional rushing scores.
That leaves Jackson, Ohio State's stalwart on the offensive line who is fresh off back-to-back first-team All-Big Ten selections.
Michigan and Georgia were tied behind Ohio State for the second-most first-team selections in the country, each with three. The Buckeyes' archrival saw defensive tackle Mason Graham, cornerback Will Johnson and tight end Colston Loveland selected while the Bulldogs have first-teamers in quarterback Carson Beck, offensive guard Tate Ratledge and defensive back Malaki Starks.
The full AP preseason All-American team is as follows:
First-team Offense
Quarterback — Carson Beck, fifth year, Georgia.
Running backs — Ollie Gordon II, third year, Oklahoma State; Omarion Hampton, third year, North Carolina.
Tackles — Will Campbell, third year, LSU; Kelvin Banks Jr., third year, Texas.
Guards — Donovan Jackson, fourth year, Ohio State; Tate Ratledge, fifth year, Georgia.
Center — Parker Brailsford, third year, Alabama.
Tight end — Colston Loveland, third year, Michigan.
Wide receivers — Luther Burden III, third year, Missouri; Tetairoa McMillan, third year, Arizona; Emeka Egbuka, fourth year, Ohio State.
All-purpose player — Travis Hunter, third year, Colorado.
Kicker — Graham Nicholson, fourth year, Alabama.
First-team defense
Edge — James Pearce Jr., third year, Tennessee; Ashton Gillotte, fourth year, Louisville.
Tackles — Mason Graham, third year, Michigan; Howard Cross III, sixth year, Notre Dame.
Linebackers — Harold Perkins Jr., third year, LSU; Jay Higgins, fifth year, Iowa; Barrett Carter, fourth year, Clemson.
Cornerbacks — Will Johnson, third year, Michigan; Denzel Burke, fourth year, Ohio State.
Safeties — Malaki Starks, third year, Georgia; Caleb Downs, second year, Ohio State.
Defensive back — Xavier Watts, fifth year, Notre Dame.
Punter — Alex Mastromanno, fifth year, Florida State.
Second-team offense
Quarterback — Dillon Gabriel, sixth year, Oregon.
Running backs — TreVeyon Henderson, fourth year, Ohio State; Ashton Jeanty, third year, Boise State
Tackles — Ajani Cornelius, fifth year, Oregon; Aireontae Ersery, fifth year, Minnesota.
Guards — Tyler Booker, third year, Alabama; Dylan Fairchild, fourth year, Georgia.
Center — Cooper Mays, fifth year, Tennessee.
Tight end — Mitchell Evans, fourth year, Notre Dame.
Wide receivers — Tez Johnson, fifth year, Oregon; Tre Harris, fifth year, Mississippi; Ricky White III, fifth year, UNLV.
All-purpose player — Zachariah Branch, second year, Southern California.
Kicker — Andres Borregales, fourth year, Miami.
Second-team defense
Edge — Nic Scourton, third year, Texas A&M; Abdul Carter, third year, Penn State.
Tackles — Tyleik Williams, fourth year, Ohio State; Deone Walker, third year, Kentucky.
Linebackers — Danny Stutsman, fourth year, Oklahoma; Jason Henderson, fourth year, Old Dominion; Nick Martin, fourth year, Oklahoma State.
Cornerbacks — Benjamin Morrison, third year, Notre Dame; Sebastian Castro, sixth year, Iowa.
Safeties — Dillon Thieneman, second year, Purdue; Billy Bowman, fourth year, Oklahoma.
Defensive back — Ricardo Hallman, fourth year, Wisconsin.
Punter — James Ferguson-Reynolds, third year, Boise State.
