Eight Buckeyes included in Athlon Preseason All-American teams
COLUMBUS — The regular season is quickly approaching. Training camp opens in less than two months for Ohio State.
And that means preseason All-American teams are being released as summer begins to wind down and preseason buzz starts building.
Athlon Sports’ preseason preview magazine hit shelves in the last few weeks, and it included the publication’s official preseason All-American team. And the magazine is quite high on the Buckeyes, including eight Ohio State players in its list, which is made up up a first-team list, as well as a second team, third team and fourth team.
The Buckeyes are tied with Big Ten champion and arch rival Michigan for the most selections. Both schools had eight, but Ohio State has more first- and second-team selections. Two-time defending national champion Georgia has the second-most selections, checking in with seven.
Ohio State selections in preseason All-American team
Four of the Buckeyes selections are first-team All-Americans for the preseason, and that complete list is highlighted by dynamic wide receivers Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka. They form the top pass-catching tandem in the country. They’re joined on the first-team list by a pair of defenders. Senior captain linebacker Tommy Eichenberg and junior defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau. Both will lead the Buckeyes defense in Year Two under defensive coordinator Jim Knowles.
No Ohio State players made the second-team All-American list, but the third- and fourth-team squads had plenty of Buckeyes flavor.
Running back TreVeyon Henderson and starting left guard Donovan Jackson were Buckeyes offensive stars who made the third-team All-American list from Athlon Sports. Jackson is a sleeper pick to become a highly-drafted pick next spring, while Henderson is trying to rebound after an injury-filled sophomore season. The former five-star back enters this fall with high expectations.
And two other Buckeyes cracked the fourth-team list. Ohio State senior starting right guard Matthew Jones enters his second season as a starting offensive lineman and earned a nod on the team. Senior safety and returning leader Lathan Ransom rounds out the Buckeyes representation on the Athlon preseason teams.
Check back with Lettermen Row for full coverage of preseason All-American teams as they are released this summer.
