Rueben Chinyelu named CBS Sports preseason Defensive Player of Year for Florida

Florida center Rueben Chinyelu has been named the CBS Sports preseason Defensive Player of the Year ahead of the 2026-27 season. The acknowledgment follows Chinyelu's impressive performance last season, during which he was recognized as the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year. He anchored a robust Florida defense, significantly improving the team's efficiency with his presence on the court. Chinyelu's ability to defend various positions and his outstanding rebounding skills, leading the nation in rebounds per game, contribute to his distinction. He is joined on the preseason All-Defensive first team by Iowa State's Killyan Toure, Arizona's Ivan Kharchenkov, Duke's Dame Sarr, and Houston's JoJo Tugler.

• 12:30 PMYahoo Sports — Rueben Chinyelu named CBS Sports preseason Defensive Player of Year