Phil Steele's annual college football preview has become the go-to book for serious college football fans, and the unveiling of his All-America team is a sign the season is getting closer.

Steele's All-America team doesn't produce a whole lot of surprises, which is fine. Perhaps one could argue why De'Anthony Thomas is ahead of Ka'Deem Carey or Todd Gurley at running back, or why Cyrus Kouandijo couldn't break into the top two tackles, but as one would imagine he made good selections all around.

Alabama had eight players on Steele's four teams, including four on the first team, which isn't too shocking either for the obvious preseason No. 1. It was a little surprising to see two Western Kentucky players make the list, and congratulations to them. A few other quick thoughts:

• Quarterback is really deep when Oregon's Marcus Mariota and Clemson's Tajh Boyd can't crack the top four. But it's hard to argue with the four on Steele's list, though we'd have Teddy Bridgewater higher.

• Baylor's Lache Seastrunk will finish higher than third team if he stays healthy.

• It's hard to classify Thomas. He had nine games with seven or fewer carries last season, so it's odd to see him at running back ahead of Carey and Todd Gurley. But he's undeniably a great player and a difference maker, so it's hard to argue him being on the first team somewhere.

• Little surprised that Oregon tight end Colt Lyerla didn't make the cut.

• Like quarterback, offensive tackle is really deep when Zack Martin of Notre Dame is on the third team.

• With two Notre Dame defensive linemen making up half of the first-team line, perhaps we understated how great that line was. That's a big reason Manti Te'o got all those tackles.

• Interesting to see TCU's Jason Verrett make the first-team at cornerback over Oklahoma's Aaron Colvin, who would have been a safe choice.

Here's are all four of Steele's preseason All-America teams:

OFFENSE

1st Team 2nd Team 3rd Team 4th Team QB Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M Braxton Miller, Ohio State A.J. McCarron, Alabama Teddy Bridgewater, Louisville RB T.J. Yeldon, Alabama Todd Gurley, Georgia Lache Seastrunk, Baylor Silas Redd, USC RB De’Anthony Thomas, Oregon Ka’Deem Carey, Arizona Duke Johnson, Miami Damien Williams, Oklahoma WR Marqise Lee, USC Jordan Matthews, Vanderbilt Allen Robinson, Penn State Jared Abbrederis, Wisconsin WR Sammy Watkins, Clemson Cody Hoffman, BYU Brandin Cooks, Oregon State Tracy Moore, Oklahoma State WR Amari Cooper, Alabama Mike Evans, Texas A&M Stefon Diggs, Maryland Davante Adams, Fresno State TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Washington Arthur Lynch, Georgia Jacob Pedersen, Wisconsin Eric Ebron, North Carolina C B.J. Finney, Kansas State Gabe Ikard, Oklahoma Hroniss Grasu, Oregon Tyler Larsen, Utah State G David Yankey, Stanford Gabe Jackson, Mississippi St. Andrew Norwell, Ohio State Anthony Steen, Alabama G Cyril Richardson, Baylor Spencer Long, Nebraska Xavier Su’a-Filo, UCLA Tre’ Jackson, Florida State T Taylor Lewan, Michigan Cyrus Kouandijo, Alabama Zack Martin, Notre Dame Morgan Moses, Virginia T Jake Matthews, Texas A&M Antonio Richardson, Tennessee James Hurst, North Carolina Jack Mewhort, Ohio State

DEFENSE

1st Team 2nd Team 3rd Team 4th Team DE Jadeveon Clowney, South Carolina Jackson Jeffcoat, Texas Scott Crichton, Oregon State Aaron Lynch, USF DT Will Sutton, Arizona State Anthony Johnson, LSU Aaron Donald, Pittsburgh Daniel McCullers, Tennessee DT Louis Nix, Notre Dame Timmy Jernigan, Florida State Dominique Easley, Florida Roosevelt Nix, Kent State DE Stephon Tuitt, Notre Dame Devonte Fields, TCU Morgan Breslin, USC Demarcus Lawrence, Boise State LB Anthony Barr, UCLA Chris Borland, Wisconsin Shayne Skov, Stanford Denzel Nkemdiche, Ole Miss LB C.J. Mosley, Alabama Trent Murphy, Stanford A.J. Johnson, Tennessee Hayes Pullard, USC LB Kyle Van Noy, BYU Max Bullough, Michigan State Khalil Mack, Buffalo Andrew Jackson, W. Kentucky LB Ryan Shazier, Ohio State Adrian Hubbard, Alabama Christian Jones, Florida State Yawin Smallwood, Connecticut CB Bradley Roby, Ohio State Aaron Colvin, Oklahoma Darqueze Dennard, Michigan State Loucheiz Purifoy, Florida CB Jason Verrett, TCU Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, Oregon Quandre Diggs, Texas Antone Exum, Virginia Tech S Ed Reynolds, Stanford Ty Zimmerman, Kansas State Hakeem Smith, Louisville Marco Nelson, Tulsa S Ha-Ha Clinton-Dix, Alabama Lamarcus Joyner, Florida St. Craig Loston, LSU Jordan Richards, Stanford

SPECIAL TEAMS

1st Team 2nd Team 3rd Team 4th Team K Cairo Santos, Tulane Chris Boswell, Rice Ross Martin, Duke Chandler Catanzaro, Clemson P Kyle Christy, Florida Tommy Hibbard, North Carolina Kirby Van Der Kamp, Iowa State Richie Leone, Houston KR Tyler Lockett, Kansas State Bernard Reedy, Toledo Justin Gilbert, Oklahoma St. Jamal Golden, Georgia Tech PR Marcus Murphy, Missouri Tramaine Thompson, Kansas State Spiffy Evans, Boston College Rashad Greene, Florida State LS Scott Thompson, N.C. State Drew Howell, Oregon Matt Dooley, Indiana Reid Ferguson, LSU AP Dri Archer, Kent State Jordan Lynch, Northern Illinois Antonio Andrews, Western Kentucky Venric Mark, Northwestern

- - -

H/T to GatorZone.com for the list.

Want to join the conversation? Hit us up on Twitter @YahooDrSaturday and be sure to "Like" Dr. Saturday on Facebook for football conversations and stuff you won't see on the blog.