2021 CFN Preseason All-America Team: Defense

Who are the best and brightest stars going into the 2021 season? The CFN Preseason All-America Team – the defense.

Who are the best and brightest stars going into the 2021 season? The CFN Preseason All-America Team – the defense. 


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It was crazy to come up with an All-America defense last year with the opt-outs coming by the minute and with so much uncertainty. The hope is to be able to highlight the best and the brightest players going into the season with our 2021 CFN All-America defense, and this year might be a wee bit clearer.

2021 CFN All-Conference Teams 
ACC | Big Ten | Big 12 | Pac-12 | SEC
AACC-USA | Ind | MACM-West | Sun Belt
2021 CFN Previews of all 130 teams

2021 CFN All-America Team: Offense
QB | RB | WR | TE | C | OG | OT
2021 CFN All-America Team: Defense
DE/Edge Rush | DT | LB | CB | Saf


CFN 2021 All-America Defensive Ends, Edge Rushers

CFN 2021 First Team All-America Defensive Ends, Edge Rushers

Kayvon Thibodeaux, Soph. Oregon
To be totally honest, he’s gets just a wee bit more love on his reputation as the nation’s top recruit than on actual production, but he’s been very, very good in his first two seasons with 77 tackles, 12 sacks and 23.5 tackles for loss.

He’s the prototype NFL hybrid pass rushing talent with room to get even bigger, and now he should be ready to take off as an unstoppable force before becoming a top ten overall draft pick in 2022.
Oregon Preview | Schedule

Drake Jackson, Jr. USC
From the 6-4, 255-pound size, to the toughness, to the speed, to the upside to grow into even more of an outside linebacker if needed, Jackson is what the NFL is looking for.

This year, he’s the star of a solid-looking USC defense with the pass rushing upside to flirt with double-digit sacks – he has 7.5 with 17 tackles for loss in his first two seasons.
USC Preview | Schedule

CFN 2021 Second Team All-America Defensive Ends, Edge Rushers

George Karlaftis, Jr. Purdue
After bursting onto the scene as a freshman with 7.5 sacks and 17 tackles for loss, he couldn’t get anything going in 2020. He went down with a leg injury, was hit with the coronavirus, and he only ended up seeing time in a few games, coming up with two sacks in his first two outings. Now the 6-4, 270-pounder is back and about to dominate.
Purdue Preview | Schedule

Zach Harrison, Jr. Ohio State
It’s his time to breakout and shine. A good part of the Ohio State puzzle up front over his first two seasons – coming up with 5.5 sacks and ten tackles for loss with 38 tackles – it’s asking for way, way too much for him to take that Year Three jump in from great to unstoppable like Chase Young did, but he’s going to be more of a menace for the rest of the Big Ten.
Ohio State Preview | Schedule

CFN 2021 Honorable Mention All-America Defensive Ends, Edge Rushers

5. Zachary Carter, Sr. Florida
6. Kingsley Enagbare, Sr. South Carolina
7. DeAngelo Malone, Sr. WKU
8. Tyreke Smith, Sr. Ohio State
9. Thomas Booker, Sr. Stanford
10. Myjai Sanders, Sr. Cincinnati
11. Cade Hall, Sr. San Jose State
12. Zion Tupuola-Fetui, Soph. Washington

2021 CFN All-America Team: Defense
DT | LB | CB | Saf

NEXT: CFN 2021 All-America Defensive Tackles

2021 CFN Preseason All-America Team: Offense

Who are the best and brightest stars going into the 2021 season? The CFN Preseason All-America Team – the offense.

Who are the best and brightest stars going into the 2021 season? The CFN Preseason All-America Team – the offense. 


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They’re among the best offensive players going into the 2021 college football season. After last year with all of the opt-outs and late changes, this year’s CFN All-America Offense should be just a tad more solid, but there might be a few tweaks needed to be made just before the season.

2021 CFN All-Conference Teams 
ACC | Big Ten | Big 12 | Pac-12 | SEC
AACC-USA | Ind | MACM-West | Sun Belt
2021 CFN Previews of all 130 teams


CFN 2021 All-America Quarterbacks

CFN 2021 First Team All-America Quarterback

DJ Uiagalelei, Soph. Clemson
It’s not often you lose a superstar, can’t-miss, No. 1 overall NFL Draft pick and simply keep on going.

Uiagalelei has a whole lot to prove, do, and develop before being Trevor Lawrence, but the talent is there, the arm strength is otherworldly, and he should be more than ready to handle the pressure of running a national championship-level team.

In his few games of real work last year – stepping in when Lawrence was out with COVID – Uiagalelei threw for 342 yards and two scores in the comeback win over Boston College, and when challenged by Notre Dame, he bombed away for 439 yards and two touchdowns with rushing scores in both games.

Yeah, Clemson has another quarterback who can be right up there with Trevor, Deshaun and Tajh.
Clemson Preview | Schedule

CFN 2021 Second Team All-America Quarterback

Spencer Rattler, Soph. Oklahoma
Remember, he had to work his way in the system and didn’t have a few years to get his feet wet in the college game like past quarterbacks under Lincoln Riley – and he was still fantastic.

No, Rattler’s not the runner that Kyler Murray or Jalen Hurts were, and he might not be quite the same passer that Baker Mayfield turned into, but the first homegrown/recruited starting quarterback in the Riley era is about to go ballistic after throwing for over 3,000 yards with 28 touchdowns, seven picks, and with six touchdowns. Oh yeah … he also led the team to a Big 12 championship.
Oklahoma Preview | Schedule

CFN 2021 Honorable Mention All-American Quarterbacks

3. Sam Howell, Jr. North Carolina
4. Kevon Slovis, Jr. USC
5. JT Daniels, Jr. Georgia
6. Desmond Ridder, Sr. Cincinnati
7. Carson Strong, Jr. Nevada  
8. Malik Willis, Jr. Liberty
9. Jayden Daniels, Soph. Arizona State
10. Brock Purdy, Sr. Iowa State
11. Dillon Gabriel, Jr. UCF
12. Dustin Crum, Sr. Kent State

2021 CFN All-America Team: Offense
RB | WR | TE | C | OG | OT
2021 CFN Previews of all 130 teams

NEXT: CFN 2021 All-America Running Backs