Julian Sayin gets the edge over CJ Carr for ESPN’s 2026 Preseason All-America nod

ESPN’s 2026 Preseason All-America team has its first major quarterback storyline, and it starts with Ohio State. Julian Sayin was named to the preseason squad in a selection that reportedly had him edging out Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr for the honor, according to Yahoo Sports, which referenced the ESPN announcement.

For Ohio State, the preseason nod reinforces a familiar theme: the program’s recent run has consistently asked its quarterback to set the tone early, both in execution and in decision-making. A preseason All-America placement is less about what has happened already than what a team’s top offensive identity is expected to look like once September arrives.

For Notre Dame, CJ Carr’s inclusion in the conversation matters even if he was not the final selection ESPN placed ahead of Sayin. Notre Dame quarterbacks who enter seasons as national fixtures usually bring a specific mix of tempo, protection reads, and big-play ability, and a preseason All-America consideration frames Carr as one of the league’s most watched operators.

The ESPN preseason list also functions as a recruiting and development barometer across the sport. When two high-visibility quarterbacks are compared in preseason, it indicates that each program is building its weekly game planning around a report-caller who can carry the offense through variance, whether that means managing high-leverage drives or converting against top defensive fronts.

Still, preseason honors come with obvious caveats. They are projections, not results, and they can shift quickly based on fall camp performance, the first month of the schedule, offensive chemistry, and how opposing defenses adjust after the initial film study. The “edge” ESPN reported here is a meaningful marker, but it will be measured only by what each quarterback produces in actual games.

As the 2026 season approaches, the practical question is how Ohio State’s offensive rhythm will translate from expectation into consistency, and how quickly Notre Dame responds to the external ranking process. Watching early-season quarterback efficiency, third-down decision-making, and red-zone conversion will show whether preseason positioning matches the on-field reality.