The 2020 NCAA Football season is still months away, but it’s never too early to look ahead at All-American candidates.
QB: Justin Fields (Ohio State)
While Trevor Lawrence is an incredible quarterback prospect and will do great things at the next level, Fields will put up better numbers this season. He is a more accurate passer, less turnover prone, a better rushing threat, and has the better receivers to throw to.
RB: Chuba Hubbard (Oklahoma State)
Along with having one of the greatest names in college football, Hubbard is arguably the best running back in the country. Last season, as a sophomore, he posted an NCAA-high 2,094 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns. In what is surely his last college season, he will look to top these stellar numbers.
RB: Travis Etienne (Clemson)
If Hubbard is the best running back in the nation, Etienne is a close second. In his first three years at Clemson, he has been an integral part of the Tigers’ offense, putting up 56 rushing touchdowns. The versatile player is also a reliable pass catcher and will hope to bring Clemson to a third straight title game.
WR: Ja’Marr Chase (LSU)
Some scouts said that if Chase was able to enter the NFL Draft in 2020, he would have been the first receiver taken. The reigning Biletnikoff Award winner caught 20 touchdowns last year and will be a big help to the LSU offense without the arm of Joe Burrow.
WR: Rashod Bateman (Minnesota)
This spot could have gone to Alabama’s Jaylen Waddle and Purdue’s Rondale Moore, but those names will appear later on this list, so Bateman gets the honors here. The physical deep threat receiver will be the Gophers’ premier receiver this season, and with Tanner Morgan throwing him the ball, he will dominate again.
TE: Brevin Jordan (Miami)
Jordan managed to post decent numbers last season despite having to deal with two terrible quarterbacks in Jarren Williams and N’Kosi Perry. Houston transfer D’Eriq King will be a blessing for Jordan as his numbers will explode with a talented quarterback and he may have a more productive year than his previous two combined.
OT: Penei Sewell (Oregon)
Sewell anchored perhaps the best offensive line in college football last year. He returns for his junior season as the clear-cut best offensive lineman in the country and the best tackle prospect in over a decade. He will certainly have a dominant season en route to being a top draft pick in 2021.
OT: Alex Leatherwood (Alabama)
This slot almost went to Walker Little out of Stanford, but Leatherwood is a slightly more complete player. The 2019 First-Team All-American is versatile, having the ability to line up at guard and may have been drafted in the first round if he chose to leave school a year early.
OG: Trey Smith (Tennessee)
The former top high school recruit missed the latter half of his sophomore season due to blood clots in his lungs. However, he returned back to All-SEC form in his junior season. Smith is a terrific all-around lineman who will thrive on an up-and-coming Tennessee team and will later excel in the NFL.
OG: Wyatt Davis (Ohio State)
Davis is the best run blocker in college football and will help the Buckeyes maintain their elite rushing attack. Last season, as a redshirt freshman, the young guard earned First-Team All-American honors. Oklahoma transfer Trey Sermon and Master Teague III will bully opposing defenses running behind Davis.
C: Creed Humphrey (Oklahoma)
It was a surprise when Humphrey returned to Oklahoma after being projected by many as a first-round pick in the 2020 Draft. Humphrey has been a rock for the Sooners, serving as the center for Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, and Jalen Hurts. He will be important in helping new quarterback Spencer Rattler settle in.
All Purpose: Rondale Moore (WR, Purdue)
Moore runs a 4.33 40-yard dash time and squats 600 pounds despite being only 5-foot-9. The dynamic playmaker caught 114 passes for 1,258 yards as a freshman in 2018 but only played in four games in 2019 due to injury. At only 19 years old, the sky is the limit for Moore, who will expose defenses in the passing and running games.
