Oliver named preseason All-American
University of Houston defensive tackle Ed Oliver on Tuesday was the only player from outside the Power Five conferences to be named to the first team on the Associated Press preseason All-America team.
Oliver also is one of only three sophomores on the preseason first team, joining Southern Cal quarterback Sam Darnold and Clemson defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence.
This is the first time the AP All-America team, which dates to 1925, has selected a preseason team.
Texas A&M junior wide receiver Christian Kirk and Texas junior offensive tackle Connor Williams also were named to the first team.
Oliver was a first-team selection on the AP’s postseason team as a freshman after finishing second nationally with 23 tackles for loss.
Kirk had 83 receptions for 928 yards and nine touchdowns. Williams was named to four AllAmerica teams in 2016 as a sophomore.
Darnold edged Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson of Louisville for the first-team quarterback spot.
Darnold is joined in the backfield by Penn State running back Saquon Barkley, who is coming off a 192-yard performance in a Rose Bowl loss to USC in which Darnold threw for 453 yards, and LSU running back Derrius Guice. Guice spent the last two seasons backing up to former All-America Leonard Fournette.
N.C. State drops two from team
North Carolina State coach Dave Doeren has dismissed two players from the team and suspended three others for violating athletics department and team rules pertaining to marijuana and alcohol.
The team announced the dismissals and suspensions Tuesday. The school issued a separate release saying the violations were discovered amid an ongoing investigation by university police into allegations of sexual assault during a campus party last month.
Athletic director Debbie Yow said the disciplinary actions taken against the five players were “not regarding allegations of sexual assault.”
Freshmen Kevince Brown and Antoine Thompson were dismissed from the team, and Yow says they were no longer enrolled in school.
Three other freshmen — Erin Collins, Xavier Lyas and Isaiah Moore — were suspended, and Yow said they also faced “other discipline.”
Odds and ends
Malik Rosier was announced as No. 18 Miami’s new starting quarterback, winning the right to take over for record-setting three-year starter Brad Kaaya. Rosier threw only four passes last season but did pass for 272 yards in a 2015 start against Duke when Kaaya was injured. … Max Browne, a graduate transfer from Southern Cal, will be the starting quarterback when Pittsburgh opens the season against Youngstown State on Sept. 2. Browne started USC’s first three games last season. … Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said sophomore cornerback Manny Rugamba will be suspended for the Sept. 2 opener against Wyoming because of an offseason violation of team policy.