All-American Snub? AP Preseason Team Has One Alabama First-Team Selection

The Associated Press preseason All-American team was announced on Monday morning and might have given the Alabama Crimson Tide a little extra motivation just before the start of the 2023 college football season.

The list included just one first-team selection, cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry, and three overall. Tackle JC Latham and edge-rusher Dallas Turner were second-team picks.

Alabama has often had a major presence on the preseason AP team during the Nick Saban era, but the Crimson Tide is No. 4 in this preseason Top 25, it's lowest ranking to start a season since 2009.

The selections were also on par with what preseason publications had this summer:

The Phil Steele Preview

First team: Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB and PR
Second team: JC Latham, OT; Dallas Turner, LB
Fourth team: Will Reichard, K

Athlon Sports

First team: JC Latham, OT; Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB and PR
Fourth Team: Dallas Turner, LB; Will Reichard, K

Two-time reigning national champion Georgia had the most players on the AP first team with four, with tight end Brock Bowers, center Sedrick Van Pran and defensive backs Malaki Starks and Javon Bullard. Ohio State had three.

Alabama opens the regular season next week against Middle Tennessee.

AP Preseason First Team

OFFENSE

Quarterback — Caleb Williams, third-year, Southern California.

Running backs — Blake Corum, fourth-year, Michigan; Quinshon Judkins, second-year, Mississippi.

Tackles — Joe Alt, third-year, Notre Dame; Olu Fashanu, fourth-year, Penn State.

Guards — Cooper Beebe, fifth-year, Kansas State; Zak Zinter, fourth-year, Michigan.

Center — Sedrick Van Pran, fourth-year, Georgia.

Tight end — Brock Bowers, third-year, Georgia.

Wide receivers — Marvin Harrison Jr., third-year, Ohio State; Rome Odunze, fourth-year. Washington; Emeka Egbuka, third-year, Ohio State.

All-purpose player — Travis Hunter, second-year, Colorado.

Kicker — Joshua Karty, fourth-year, Stanford.

DEFENSE

Edge rushers — Jared Verse, fourth-year, Florida State; Bralen Trice, fifth-year, Washington.

Interior linemen — Jer’Zhan Newton, fifth-year, Illinois; Dontay Corleone, third-year, Cincinnati.

Linebackers — Harold Perkins, second-year, LSU; Jamon Dumas-Johnson, third-year, Georgia; Tommy Eichenberg, fourth-year, Ohio State.

Cornerbacks — Kool-aid McKinstry, third-year, Alabama; Kalen King, third-year, Penn State.

Safeties — Kam Kinchens, third-year, Miami; Malaki Starks, second-year, Georgia.

Defensive back — Cooper DeJean, third-year, Iowa.

Punter — Tory Taylor, fourth-year, Iowa.

AP Preseason Second Team

OFFENSE

Quarterback — Drake Maye, third-year, North Carolina.

Running backs — Raheim Sanders, third-year, Arkansas; Braelon Allen, third-year, Wisconsin.

Tackles — JC Latham, third-year, Alabama; Kelvin Banks Jr., second-year, Texas.

Guards — Donovan Jackson, third-year, Ohio State; Christian Mahogany, fifth-year, Boston College.

Center — Zach Frazier, fourth-year, West Virginia.

Tight end — Oronde Gadsden, third-year, Syracuse.

Wide receivers — Xavier Worthy, third-year, Texas; Malik Nabers, third-year, LSU; Jacob Cowing, fifth-year, Arizona.

All-purpose player — Will Shipley, third-year, Clemson.

Kicker — John Hoyland, third-year, Wyoming.

DEFENSE

Edge rushers — J.T. Tuimoloau, third-year, Ohio State; Dallas Turner, third-year, Alabama.

Interior linemen — Tyler Davis, fifth-year, Clemson; Mekhi Wingo, third-year, LSU.

Linebackers — Jeremiah Trotter Jr., third-year, Clemson; Barrett Carter, third-year, Clemson; Cedric Gray, fourth-year, North Carolina.

Cornerbacks — Josh Newton, sixth-year, TCU; Ben Morrison, second-year, Notre Dame.

Safeties — Calen Bullock, third-year, Southern California; Javon Bullard, third-year, Georgia.

Defensive back — Will Johnson, second-year, Michigan.

Punter — Kai Kroeger, fourth-year, South Carolina.