The gap between spring practice and the start of the college football season can be a trying time for fans of the sport, and there is little to do aside from predicting how the upcoming season may go. One of the common preseason debates is what players will take home All-American honors at the end of the year.
PFF analyst Mitch Kaiser recently threw his hat in the ring, predicting who he believes will be on the All-America team in college football next season. The list includes many of the top players from the 2023 season, which is to be expected with so much NFL-caliber talent returning for another season. Missing though from his list is two Penn State defenders who could be among the best players in the Big Ten this season.
Edge rusher [autotag]Abdul Carter[/autotag] and safety [autotag]Kevin Winston Jr.[/autotag] could easily play themselves into first-round pick consideration in 2024, and doing so would mean potential All-American honors. Carter is still unproven as a full-time starter along the defensive line, so his name not appearing on Kaiser’s list makes sense. Winston Jr., however, has a strong case.
Kaiser went with Ohio State safety Caleb Downs and Georgia safety Malaki Starks, both excellent players coming off great seasons. Winston Jr. was even better according to their own grading system, however. He earned an 89.2 overall grade in 2023, second among returning safeties. His 92.8 tackling grade was the best in the country last season as well.
He didn’t play quite as many snaps as Downs or Starks, but I expect him to play more this season as the leader of the Nittany Lions secondary. If he can repeat his performance from last year while playing more snaps, he will be in the mix for an All-American spot.
Other players on Penn State’s roster have the talent to be All-Americans like Nicholas Singleton, Kobe King, and Tyler Warren, but they all have roadblocks to getting the statistics needed to be in consideration. Still, don’t be surprised if a few Nittany Lions are in the mix for a spot by the end of the season.