Ohio State Buckeyes lead the country with preseason All-American honors but were still snubbed
It's hard to complain when your team leads the nation in preseason All-American nominees, but the Ohio State Buckeyes might have that claim. The Athletic announced its All-American team, with Ohio State earning four spots. Guard Donovan Jackson and safety Caleb Downs were on the first team, while receiver Emeka Egbuka and defensive tackle made […]
It's hard to complain when your team leads the nation in preseason All-American nominees, but the Ohio State Buckeyes might have that claim. The Athletic announced its All-American team, with Ohio State earning four spots. Guard Donovan Jackson and safety Caleb Downs were on the first team, while receiver Emeka Egbuka and defensive tackle made the second team.
Let's look at each selection more in-depth and the snubs who had an argument to make either team.
Ohio State Buckeyes Named to All-American Team
A total of 50 players came from 30 schools, and, unsurprisingly, such a disparity exists. Here are write-ups for Ohio State's four nominees.
Donovan Jackson, OG: Ohio State's challenges on the offensive front last season were not Jackson's responsibility. Earning first-team All-Big Ten honors twice, PFF credits Jackson with allowing only one sack and 10 pressures throughout the year. With 26 starts at guard under his belt, he returned for his senior year to pave the way for Ohio State's talented running backs, TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins from Ole Miss. Despite their impressive performances, both players were surprisingly left off the All-America teams.
Caleb Downs, SAF: As a freshman, the five-star recruit quickly became a standout for Alabama, topping the Crimson Tide's charts with 107 tackles, a whopping 40 ahead of his closest teammate, along with notching 3.5 tackles for loss and securing two interceptions. After Nick Saban's retirement, he moved to Ohio State, where he's primed to be the star of an already formidable Buckeyes defense.
Emeka Egbuka, WR: I'm actually surprised Egbuka made the second team. Talent-wise, it's a no-brainer. He's one of the most physically gifted playmakers in the nation. But he missed significant time last year and produced only 41 receptions for 515 yards and four touchdowns.
Tyleik Williams, DT: Tyleik Williams is awesome, and as a 320+ pounder, he moves extraordinarily well for his size. His 10 tackles for loss while in a deep rotation last year highlights his explosiveness for his size. This was a great inclusion.
Ohio State All-American Snubs
The Athletic admitted they could've had more Buckeyes, and I think these three had the best arguments for inclusion.
Quinshon Judkins, RB: Look, the guys they selected (Ollie Gordon III, Ashton Jeanty, Omarion Hampton, and Tahj Brooks) are awesome, but putting all four over Quinshon Judkins is ridiculous. Judkins is the best running back of the bunch, with Gordon the closest. The knock against Judkins will be he won't produce as well in 2024 because he's in rotation with TreVeyon Henderson, but I don't think that's a good reason to not have him on here.
Jack Sawyer, EDGE: This is a strong EDGE class nationwide, but seeing Rueben Bain Jr. over Sawyer is a mistake. Sawyer really hit his stride in the second half of the 2023 season, setting him up for a monstrous year this fall. Sawyer is the team's best chance for a dominant front-seven pass-rusher.
Denzel Burke, CB: I certainly can't blame The Athletic for putting Benjamin Morrison and Will Johnson ahead of Denzel Burke. I also get Tacario Davis. However, not Quincy Riley over Burke. Burke is one of the most consistent and physically competent cornerback defenders in the nation, so I think this was a miss.
