11 Preseason All-Americans Purdue Football Will Face in 2026
Not only does Purdue have the challenge of playing five teams ranked in the Associated Press' Preseason Poll during the 2026 season, but it will also face nearly a dozen preseason All-American selections.
There are 11 players Purdue will see who received preseason All-American honors from the Associated Press this week. Seven of those honorees play for Indiana and Notre Dame, the two biggest rivals of the Boilermakers.
Minnesota had two players selected and Iowa and UCLA each had one. It makes this season's schedule even more daunting as Barry Odom tries to steer the train back on the tracks in West Lafayette.
Here's a rundown of the preseason All-Americans Purdue will see this fall.
Carter Smith, OT, Indiana
- 1st-team All-American
Smith is a 6-foot-5, 313-pound left tackle who started in all of Indiana's 16 games last season. He was a key catalyst for an offensive line that helped pave the way for a rushing attack that averaged 212.88 yards per game in 2025. The Hoosiers also surrendered just 1.56 sacks per game on their way to a national championship. Smith was a consensus All-American following the 2025 season and returned to Indiana for his fifth season.
Kade Pieper, C, Iowa
- 1st-team All-American
Last season, Pieper was the starting right guard in all 13 games for the Hawkeyes. He was part of a unit that received the Joe Moore Award, presented to the best offensive line in the country. The 6-foot-3, 298-pound lineman is making the move to center this fall, but the Associated Press already has plenty of belief in his ability at the position. Following the 2025 season, Pieper earned third-team All-Big Ten accolades.
Wayne Knight, AP, UCLA
- 1st-team All-American
Knight is a former James Madison product who followed head coach Bob Chesney to UCLA. He is coming off an All-American year in 2025, when he set a program record for all-purpose yards at JMU, racking up a total of 2,039 yards. Knight accounted for 1,373 rushing yards, 397 receiving yards, 180 punt return yards, and 89 kickoff return yards. He also accounted for 10 total touchdowns.
Rolijah Hardy, LB, Indiana
- 1st-team All-American
Hardy was a 16-game starter for a dominant Indiana defense last season. He received second-team All-Big Ten recognition after accounting for a team-high 102 tackles. The linebacker proved to be a do-it-all player, also tallying 15 tackles for loss, eight sacks, five pass breakups and four quarterback hurries. Hardy will be entering his third season of college football in 2026.
Leonard Moore, CB, Notre Dame
- 1st-team All-American
Moore was named an All-American following a stellar sophomore campaign in South Bend. He made a huge difference for the Irish in the secondary, breaking up seven passes and totaling five interceptions, including a pick-six. Moore was also responsible for 31 tackles and a forced fumble. He's one of the most electrifying defensive backs in the sport.
Greg Johnson, G, Minnesota
- 2nd-team All-American
Johnson has been an anchor for Minnesota in the trenches over the past two seasons, starting in each of the last 26 games. He was a center for the Golden Gophers in 2024, then played left guard, right tackle and left tackle last fall. The 6-foot-6, 325-pound interior lineman has been an Academic All-Big Ten selection the past two years and was an All-Big Ten honorable mention following the 2025 campaign.
Charlie Becker, WR, Indiana
- 2nd-team All-American
Becker was Indiana's third-leading receiver during the national championship season, hauling in 34 receptions for 679 yards and four touchdowns. His 19.97 yards per catch in 2025 led the Big Ten and ranked seventh nationally. The Hoosier receiver is expected to have an even bigger impact for the offense this coming fall, as he's the top-returning pass-catcher from last year's squad.
Anthony Smith, DE, Minnesota
- 2nd-team All-American
One of the most underrated defensive ends in college football, Smith has been a wrecker the past two years. He's coming off a 2025 campaign in which he racked up 17.5 tackles for loss and 12.5 sacks. He also broke up three passes. In 2024, Smith was credited with 11.5 tackles for loss and six sacks. The Minnesota defensive end is arguably the top pass-rusher in the Big Ten.
Tyrique Tucker, DL, Indiana
- 2nd-team All-American
Another Hoosier who earned All-American status after last season, Tucker concluded last year with 40 total stops, 12 tackles for loss and six sacks. At 6-foot, 307 pounds, he provides Indiana with great size and good quickness on the defensive line. He's a disruptor of the run game and can also get pressure on the quarterback.
Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, LB, Notre Dame
- 2nd-team All-American
Viliamu-Asa played in 11 games for the Fighting Irish last fall and made two starts. He missed the final game of the season because of injury. As a sophomore, he tallied 48 tackles, including 7.5 tackles for loss. He also hauled in one interception and was credited with two pass breakups at Notre Dame. He will be expected to have a much more impactful role in 2026.
Brauntae Johnson, S, Notre Dame
- 2nd-team All-American
Johnson caused a lot of problems in the secondary for Notre Dame last season. He picked off four passes, had three pass breakups and tallied 48 tackles while appearing in 10 games. The defensive back also had a pick-six and returned a blocked punt for a touchdown. Johnson is a big-time playmaker for the Irish in the secondary.
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Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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