The Athletic Picks 50 Midseason All-Americans From 34 Programs as Smith, Simmons Headline 2026
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Oct 21
The Athletic Picks 50 Midseason All-Americans From 34 Programs as Smith, Simmons Headline 2026
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Oct 21
Summary
Fifty players from 34 programs made The Athletic’s 2026 midseason All-America teams, underscoring a season defined by parity after a chaotic first half.
Jeremiah Smith of Ohio State and Texas edge rusher Colin Simmons led the selections: Smith has 52 catches for 984 yards and 12 touchdowns, while Simmons tops the FBS with 10.5 sacks and 16 tackles for loss.
The roster spread was unusually broad, with no school placing more than three players on the list despite the Big Ten and SEC still leading conference representation with 16 and 15 selections.
Other standouts included Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss with 20 total touchdowns, Oregon State freshman Jesse Legree leading the nation with 1,040 receiving yards, and Texas A&M kicker David Olano hitting all 11 field-goal attempts.
With unprecedented upsets and aggressive 4th-down strategies reshaping the 2026 season, which midseason All-American will actually survive the chaos to win a championship?
As offenses slow the tempo and gamble more on fourth downs, are these defensive All-Americans truly elite or just benefiting from statistical anomalies?