College Football post-spring Top 25: by:Andy Staples
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1. Texas
If we’re going to bet on Arch Manning, we may as well go all-in and bet that he takes the Longhorns to a national title. Texas has spots to fill on the offensive line, but the Longhorns seem confident in their recruiting and the development skills of position coach Kyle Flood. On the other side of the ball, Texas brings back enough off the edge to terrorize opposing QBs every week.
2. Notre Dame
The most telling fact about Notre Dame’s offseason? Two offensive linemen who started in the national title game immediately hit the transfer portal after the season because they probably wouldn’t have starting jobs in 2025. A great offensive line is the most recession-proof factor in football. Can Notre Dame’s defense maintain the level at which it played last year? That’s the question. But injuries last season forced younger players like cornerback Leonard Moore to show us that the Fighting Irish have future stars ready to emerge. We think C.J. Carr wins the quarterback job, and a bigger arm than the Irish have had in years could unlock a downfield passing game that should complement a punishing run game.
3. Clemson
Yes, Dabo Swinney used the portal a little to fill some minor gaps in an otherwise rock-solid roster. But the most important offseason addition for the Tigers will be defensive coordinator Tom Allen. Clemson’s defensive personnel was fine last season, but it wasn’t deployed properly. Allen will fix that. That means the Cade Klubnik-led offense won’t be forced to win shootouts against better opponents. But with some promising young receivers coming of age, Clemson may just put up those points anyway.
4. Penn State
Transfer receivers Kyron Hudson (USC), Devonte Ross (Troy) and Trebor Pena (added this past weekend from Syracuse) probably will determine whether the Nittany Lions are national title contenders or a very good team that makes the College Football Playoff but doesn’t make it until the end. Penn State has just about everything else. The Nittany Lions lost the aforementioned Allen to Clemson and replaced him with Jim Knowles, who was last seen helping Ohio State win a national title.
5. Ohio State
The Buckeyes have a lot to replace on both lines of scrimmage, and they’ll be breaking in a new quarterback. But having the nation’s best returning offensive player (receiver Jeremiah Smith) and the nation’s best returning defensive player (safety Caleb Downs) is incredible foundation on which to build.
6. Oregon
Dan Lanning has proven in his three seasons that he’ll have the Ducks stocked to compete. Oregon hit the portal to shore up the offensive line with Nevada tackle Isaiah World and USC guard Emmanuel Pregnon. Safety Dillon Thieneman (Purdue) might be the most impactful defensive transfer of the offseason. Quarterback Dante Moore sat behind Dillon Gabriel for a season. Now he gets his chance to shine in coordinator Will Stein’s offense.
7. Alabama
I moved Alabama into the top 10 because every time I look at the Crimson Tide’s depth chart, I get less worried about the quarterback competition. Whoever wins the job — Ty Simpson looks like the favorite — is going to have serious talent around him and a defense that should take pressure off the offense.
8. Georgia
This feels low for the Bulldogs considering what they’ve been in the Kirby Smart era. But the fear is that the supply of aliens on the defensive line is running short. Georgia remains one of the most talented rosters in the sport, but it feels as if the other contenders have caught the Bulldogs in terms of depth. Still, the additions of receivers Noah Thomas (Texas A&M) and Zachariah Branch (USC) suggest the offense could be more dynamic than it was last year.
9. Illinois
Illini coach Bret Bielema said his level of concern that quarterback Luke Altmyer would leave in the spring transfer portal was “zero-point-zero.” He was right, because Altmyer isn’t that type. But lots of other teams would love to have Altmyer, who was sneakily one of the nation’s most efficient QBs in 2024. The Illini return most of the core that led a 10-win team last year, and a College Football Playoff berth should be a realistic expectation.
10. Florida
If QB D.J. Lagway resumes throwing again and his shoulder feels great, then Florida can play with anyone on its brutal schedule. The addition of UCLA transfer receiver J. Michael Sturdivant had the Gators excited, but five-star freshman Dallas Wilson flashing early in spring practice sent expectations for the offense into overdrive. But if Lagway’s shoulder remains an issue, this will be a very different conversation come preseason camp.
11. Texas Tech
The Red Raiders are this season’s version of last season’s Ole Miss team. They went all-in on the transfer portal, spending a fortune to upgrade their roster with players who probably wouldn’t have considered Texas Tech in previous years. It almost worked for the Rebels, but they came up one win short last season. Can the Red Raiders turn the spending into a CFP berth? On paper, they now have the Big 12’s most talented roster. But they still need to prove this group can play together.
12. South Carolina
The Gamecocks now fully understand the capabilities of QB LaNorris Sellers, and that has sent expectations through the roof. The schedule is daunting, but South Carolina now has the kind of premium players (edge Dylan Stewart and offensive tackle Josiah Thompson) that are required to reach the level to which they aspire.
13. Auburn
Having Auburn this high was the most controversial aspect of the way-too-early ranking we released in January, but I haven’t backed off my belief that the Tigers were not nearly as bad as their record last season and that even a slight improvement can make a big difference in the win column. Can Oklahoma transfer Jackson Arnold be better than he was in Norman last year? Throwing to Cam Coleman and Georgia Tech transfer Eric Singleton Jr. should make any QB better.
14. SMU
The Mustangs bring back a ton from a team that made the CFP and shocked everyone in its first ACC season. No one is going to be shocked this season, but Rhett Lashlee’s team should remain a contender in an ACC that feels deeper at the top this season. QB Kevin Jennings needs to shake off brutal performances in the ACC title game and the CFP first-round loss at Penn State, but those could turn into learning experiences that help SMU going forward.
15. LSU
The Tigers hit the portal hard to shore up a defense that has been below LSU’s standard from a talent perspective. But just as promising is the possibility that freshmen like cornerback D.J. Pickett look like the freaks LSU used to bring in every recruiting class. QB Garrett Nussmeier is excellent, and if the Tigers can replenish a line that is mostly off to the NFL, they should compete for a CFP berth.
16. Arizona State
The Sun Devils lose tailback Cam Skattebo but bring back QB Sam Leavitt. Plus, Leavitt gets to throw again to Jordyn Tyson, who missed the Big 12 title game and the Peach Bowl with an injury. Kenny Dillingham is building a power in the desert, but there is no guarantee that Arizona State can repeat. The margins at the top of the Big 12 are razor-thin, and Leavitt is just one of a group of quality veteran QBs in the league.
17. Michigan
If Michigan’s offense can be even slightly above-average, then I have the Wolverines ranked too low. It appears freshman QB Bryce Underwood may have to be the day-one starter, which wasn’t the original plan. If he needs some time to develop, then it could look like last year for a little while. If he immediately lives up to his recruiting hype, then Michigan becomes a title contender again.
18. BYU
Remember what I said about a group of quality veteran QBs in the Big 12? Jake Retzlaff certainly qualifies. The Cougars bring back a lot from a team that stayed in the Big 12 title race until the end of the season. Expect them to be in the hunt all of this season as well.
19. Ole Miss
The Rebels probably missed a golden opportunity last year, but that doesn’t mean the window is closed. QB Austin Simmons might be the best new starter this season, and if he is, then I have Ole Miss too low. Lane Kiffin has raised the floor for the Rebels so much that this kind of preseason ranking probably feels like a disappointment. It would have felt like a compliment for most of the program’s history. But if this is where your team is when it’s “rebuilding,” then your program is in a very healthy place.
20. Miami
I’m less worried about QB Carson Beck’s return from elbow surgery than I am about Miami’s ability to replace some excellent receivers. The offensive line should be great, though, and that should make everything easier. Whether Miami winds up around here or playing for the ACC title and a CFP berth likely will depend on how well new coordinator Corey Hetherman improves the defense.
21. Tennessee
I didn’t drop Tennessee from the teens (in the January ranking) just because QB Nico Iamaleava left. When I left Iamaleava out of my top 10 QB rankings — which made Tennessee fans quite mad at first and quite happy two days later — it was because of doubts in general about the offense. I’m not concerned about the defense. But the Volunteers will need some young playmakers on offense to step up and help whoever wins the QB job — whether it’s Appalachian State/UCLA transfer Joey Aguilar, redshirt freshman Jake Merklinger or true freshman George MacIntyre.
22. Nebraska
The Cornhuskers upgraded their offensive talent in the transfer portal this offseason. Former Kentucky receiver Dane Key, former Alabama offensive tackle Elijah Pritchett and former Notre Dame guard Rocco Spindler should help QB Dylan Raiola in his second year as the starter. The question is whether Nebraska can stay as good on defense after losses to the draft and the portal and the departure of coordinator Tony White to Florida State. New coordinator John Butler was hired last year with the intent that he would ultimately replace White, so perhaps the transition will be smooth.
23. Iowa State
Rocco Becht — yet another one of those excellent returning Big 12 QBs — will have to break in some new favorite targets, but I’m done doubting coach Matt Campbell. When he has a QB, the Cyclones punch well above their weight class.
24. Louisville
The Cardinals played one of the tougher ACC schedules last season and weren’t quite good enough. But this may be a better overall team playing against an easier schedule. We’ll see if coach Jeff Brohm — a noted QB whisperer — can get out of Miller Moss what fellow noted QB whisperer Lincoln Riley couldn’t. We saw in the Sun Bowl win against Washington what Louisville had hoped to get from receiver Caullin Lacy through all of 2024, but an injury forced Lacy to redshirt. If the Cardinals get that production in 2025, the offense could be dangerous.
25. Iowa
The Hawkeyes took a slight step back on defense last season and the quarterback play was as abysmal as it had been the previous few years, but as usual they put together a solid season. Now they bring in QB Mark Gronowski from South Dakota State. Gronowski, the 2023 Walter Payton Award winner, might be able to turn Iowa into a functional offense. If that happens, watch out. The Hawkeyes might rise from fringe top-25 team to CFP contender.
