The 2025 season is hardly over. That's not stopping us from looking eight months ahead.
The 2025 season just barely ended, but that's not stopping us from looking eight months ahead.
Here's our way-too-early top 25 for the 2026 college football season. A lot can and will change in the months before the season begins in late August. But here's our quick and undoubtedly wrong look at how the field could stack up.
25. Virginia
How do the Cavaliers follow up the best season in school history? Tony Elliott signed QBs Beau Pribula (Missouri) and Eli Holstein (Pitt) to replace Chandler Morris along with a few key defenders from the transfer portal. Virginia should be near the top of the ACC again.
24. Illinois
QB Luke Altmyer is out of eligibility and Bret Bielema brought in former East Carolina QB Katin Houser to replace him. The addition of FIU WR Alex Perry could be significant too. He had 56 grabs for 840 yards in 2025. This is a team that’s won 19 games over the past two seasons and should again be safely bowl eligible.
23. Washington
The Huskies dodged a huge loss when Demond Williams Jr. decided he was going to stay for the 2026 season. Williams can enter the season as a sleeper Heisman candidate and is the reason why we have Washington ranked. If he had left, coach Jedd Fisch would have had a huge hole to fill at QB.
22. South Carolina
Is it a make-or-break season for Shane Beamer? Yes, the Gamecocks had a rough schedule in 2025, but the defense took a step back and the offensive line was rough. SC added NC State OL Jacarrius Peak in the transfer portal and QB LaNorris Sellers is back along with edge rusher Dylan Stewart.
21. Houston
Did Houston have the quietest 10-win season in 2025? QB Conner Weigman is back for a second season after he threw for over 2,700 yards and 25 TDs and the Cougars have added a very solid transfer class. The team’s top two signees are offensive linemen and former Tulane RB Makhi Hughes comes over from Oregon where he hopes to recapture the form he had with the Green Wave.
20. Virginia Tech
We’re already bullish on the quick turnaround James Franklin can engineer in Blacksburg. He’s brought over a host of transfers from Penn State, including QB Ethan Grunkemeyer and TE Luke Reynolds along with CB Jaquez White from Troy and edge rusher Javion Hilson from Missouri.
19. Louisville
Can Lincoln Kienholz have a breakout season with the Cardinals? After multiple seasons as a backup at Ohio State, Kienholz is now the favorite to start at QB. Coach Jeff Brohm kept RB Isaac Brown from entering the transfer portal and also added Vanderbilt WR Tre Richardson.
18. Penn State
As many former Nittany Lions have gone to Virginia Tech, even more Iowa State players have followed Matt Campbell to State College. That includes QB Rocco Becht, RB Carson Hansen, CB Jeremiah Cooper and a bunch of others. Building a team out of Iowa State players isn’t flashy, but Campbell is the winningest coach in school history for a reason.
17. SMU
The Mustangs bring back QB Kevin Jennings and added former Cal RB Kendrick Raphael in the transfer portal. He rushed for 943 yards and 13 scores in 2025. The loss of offensive coordinator Casey Woods could hurt — he’s the new head coach at Missouri State — but Rhett Lashlee’s offense should be one of the best in the ACC once again.
16. Michigan
It’s hard to see how Michigan could have done much better than getting Kyle Whittingham after it fired Sherrone Moore. Whittingham brings offensive coordinator Jason Beck with him from Utah and Bryce Underwood could have a breakout season under Beck. DE John Henry Daley and other players have followed Whittingham from Salt Lake City, too.
15. BYU
The Cougars lost defensive coordinator Jay Hill after Whittingham hired him at Michigan and replaced Hill with longtime assistant Kelly Poppinga. QB Bear Bachmeier should be even better in 2026 and getting leading rusher LJ Martin back for his senior year is a big boost.
14. USC
The Trojans have the top-ranked recruiting class in the country heading into the 2026 season. How many of those players can make an immediate impact? Lincoln Riley’s offense will be very good once again. The onus is on the defense … again. The Trojans haven’t allowed fewer than 5.5 yards per play since it gave up 5.4 yards a play in 2018 under Clay Helton.
13. Oklahoma
We’re betting on a full offseason of health for John Mateer. He’s back for another run at it with the Sooners and was fantastic before he suffered a broken bone in his throwing hand in Week 4 against Auburn. OU’s defense was good enough to win a national title in 2025, but the offense simply wasn’t in the second half of the season.
12. Alabama
With Ty Simpson off to the NFL, it’s up to Austin Mack or Keelon Russell to start at QB for the Crimson Tide. Mack has more familiarity with Kalen DeBoer and Ryan Grubb’s offensive system. Russell is a former five-star recruit. The Tide also bring in No. 1 running back recruit Ezavier Crowell. Can he make Alabama’s run game work again?
11. Ole Miss
Let’s be clear: This ranking is betting on Trinidad Chambliss winning his legal fight to get a sixth year of eligibility from the NCAA. The Rebels are clear contenders to get back to the College Football Playoff if he’s back in Oxford. If he’s not, there are major questions at quarterback after Austin Simmons transferred to Missouri.
10. Miami
Just like with Ole Miss, we’re doing a bit of quarterback projection here and assuming that Darian Mensah ends up a Hurricane. If he doesn’t, then adjust your expectations accordingly. A young secondary should get even better in 2026 and Malachi Toney will be a sleeper Heisman candidate.
9. Notre Dame
QB CJ Carr got better as the season went on in 2025 and could be one of the best quarterbacks in college football in 2026. The Irish made some late moves in the transfer portal, have the No. 2 high school recruiting class in the country and, most importantly, coach Marcus Freeman rebuffed NFL interest to stay in South Bend.
8. Texas A&M
The Aggies bring back QB Marcel Reed, RB Le’Veon Moss and WR Mario Craver. They also have On3’s No. 3 transfer portal class as they’ve loaded up on defense. Five of the Aggies’ top six rated transfers are all on that side of the ball, including former Tennessee QB Rickey Gibson and former Northwestern edge rusher Anto Saka.
7. Texas Tech
Raiding the transfer portal worked really well for Texas Tech ahead of the 2025 season. Why not do it again and add a QB this time? Brendan Sorsby comes over from Cincinnati and Texas Tech is reloading up front again after the success that its defensive line had in 2025.
6. LSU
Lane Kiffin got his quarterback in former Arizona State signal-caller Sam Leavitt. He also added former five-star recruit Husan Longstreet from USC. LSU was one of the biggest underachievers in 2025. This is a roster that can make the College Football Playoff. And, given the way Kiffin left Ole Miss, anything less than making the CFP semifinals can be considered a disappointment.
5. Georgia
QB Gunner Stockton is set to come back after he finished in the top 10 of the Heisman voting. The Bulldogs need to replace Zachariah Branch and CJ Allen, but this is a team loaded with top-tier recruits. Even though Georgia has lost in the quarterfinals in each of the past two seasons, we’re not betting against Kirby Smart’s team anytime soon.
4. Ohio State
QB Julian Sayin and WR Jeremiah Smith are back as the Buckeyes are now the chasers in the Big Ten once again. Losing Sonny Styles, Arvell Reese and Caleb Downs on defense is significant, but Matt Patricia’s unit was so, so good in 2025 that it’s hard to see them taking a huge step back in 2026.
3. Indiana
The Hoosiers have become one of the best teams at navigating the transfer portal and they have the top class in the country in 2026 after winning the national championship this season. Former TCU QB Josh Hoover is in line to replace Fernando Mendoza and WR Nick Marsh is a stellar add from Michigan State. Don’t overlook the edge rushing depth that Curt Cignetti signed as well.
2. Texas
Get ready for another offseason of Texas talk. Don’t say you haven’t been warned. The Longhorns have loaded up on offense for what could be QB Arch Manning’s final season. RBs Raleek Brown and Hollywood Smothers arrived via the transfer portal along with former Auburn WR Cam Coleman. Oh, the defense is coordinated by Will Muschamp again, too. How good can he make that unit?
1. Oregon
The return of Dante Moore for the 2026 season isn’t the only reason the Ducks are in this spot. Yes, Oregon loses TE Kenyon Sadiq, S Dillon Thieneman and LB Bryce Boettcher, but Matayo Uiagalelei is back along the defensive line along with A’Mauri Washington and Bear Alexander. RB Jordon Davison should be better as a sophomore and Oregon added Minnesota S Koi Perich in the transfer portal too.
Category: General Sports
