The college football season still isn’t quite over, but next year still can’t come soon enough. With that, here is the way too early 2026 college football top 25.
25. South Carolina Gamecocks
Quarterback LaNorris Sellers and edge rusher Dylan Stewart return to South Carolina after a tough season in 2025. A top 25 portal class could give them a chance to rebound in 2026.
24. Tennessee Volunteers
Getting a quarterback will be the biggest thing to help Tennessee improve their ranking. Josh Heupel has recruited well and Tennessee should be able to have a solid season if the quarterback situation is addressed.
23. Missouri Tigers
Eli Drinkwitz decided to stay at Missouri, where he has built a program that consistently wins a decent amount of games. They’ll have options at quarterback, while running back Ahmad Hardy is a star. Defensive players will need to step up, but they have done so over the last few seasons.
22. Houston Cougars
Houston had a nine-win season in 2025 and brings back quarterback Conner Weigman. With a few impact transfers, including Oregon running back Makhi Hughes, another good season could be in the cards for Willie Fritz.
21. Penn State Nittany Lions
Penn State has one of the best transfer portal classes in the country, which is aided by Matt Campbell bringing players over from Iowa State. Rocco Becht is an experienced quarterback and can help jumpstart the Campbell era.
20. Louisville Cardinals
Lincoln Keinholz was in the running to be Ohio State’s quarterback last season, but lost the job and now is transferring to Louisville. Jeff Brohm has done well developing quarterbacks and Keinholz will have star running back Isaac Brown to work with. A solid transfer class coming in can help Louisville compete in the ACC.
19. Arizona Wildcats
Noah Fifita is returning at quarterback for the Wildcats. A nine-win season may be tough to replicate with the amount of talent leaving the program, but some defensive reinforcements can help.
18. Washington Huskies
Demond Williams had some indecision, but decided to return at quarterback for the Huskies next year. Losing Denzel Boston and Jonah Coleman to the NFL will hurt, but there should be enough talent around Williams for another solid season.
17. Utah Utes
Losing Kyle Whittingham is tough, but quarterback Devon Dampier has announced his intention to return for 2026. Replacing a lot on the offensive line will be tough, but Utah seems to reload at that position. There is still a decent number of players currently returning on defense, which should keep the hopes up.
16. LSU Tigers
LSU has the top-ranked portal class as of right now. Lane Kiffin enters as head coach and was able to entice Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt to join him. Jayce Brown (Kansas State) and Eugene Wilson (Florida) will give him some talented targets to utilize. With linebacker Whit Weeks returning on defense with some others, they have some talent on that side of the ball as well.
15. BYU Cougars
Bear Bachmeier showed some potential as a freshman quarterback and should improve in year two. They are going to lose a lot of players and haven’t added a ton in the portal yet, but Bachmeier’s growth could lead to a good season in the Big 12.
14. Miami Hurricanes
Miami has three straight top 15 recruiting classes, according to 247 Sports. They haven’t added much in the transfer portal and need to address the quarterback position, but Miami’s recruiting should have them back in contention for the ACC.
13. USC Trojans
USC has the top-ranked recruiting class and quarterback Jayden Maiava returning, but a tough schedule. Waymond Jordan also comes back at running back, although new pass catchers will have to emerge. The offense will be solid, but the defense will have to be better too.
12. Oklahoma Sooners
John Mateer returning and being healthy will be key for the offense to take a step forward. Brent Venables can be trusted to get the defense going, even if some talent is headed to the next level.
11. Alabama Crimson Tide
A lot of transfers are leaving the program and several players are entering the NFL Draft, like quarterback Ty Simpson. Keelon Russell is expected to take over at quarterback and has a bit more of a playmaking mindset, which could help Alabama. If they can run the ball better next season, they can make another run to the CFP, but otherwise they may drop out.
10. Ole Miss Rebels
Ole Miss may have some growing pains to go through with new head coach Pete Golding, but they have retained some key players. Running back Kewan Lacy returning will help the offense. Deuce Knight is transferring in to play quarterback from Auburn and will need to take a huge step forward.
9. Michigan Wolverines
Bringing in Kyle Whittingham gives Michigan some stability, but he is also capable of winning games, much like he did at Utah. Bryce Underwood is returning under center and should take a leap from his first year to his second. Jordan Marshall is back at running back. The defense is aided by some transfers from Utah, which should help Michigan stay competitive on that side of the ball.
8. Texas Tech Red Raiders
Texas Tech is bringing in Brendan Sorsby to play quarterback, which should help improve the offense. On defense, they have brought in transfers like edge rusher Trey White from San Diego State and linebacker Austin Romaine from Kansas State to help replace some of their talented players who will be going off to the next level.
7. Texas A&M Aggies
Mike Elko had a great first season in College Station. Marcel Reed is set to return, as is receiver Mario Craver. Running back Rueben Owens can handle more of the workload with others exiting the program. Defensively, the unit may take a step back, but they have plenty of transfers to help them on that side of the ball.
6. Georgia Bulldogs
Georgia isn’t making waves in the transfer portal, but Gunner Stockton is back at quarterback and so too is Nate Frazier at running back. New pass catchers will have to step up, while the defense will have some quality player to replace as well. Georgia should be poised to have another solid season, but may need to add more if they are to win it all.
5. Indiana Hoosiers
A lot of this Indiana team is headed to the NFL, but Curt Cignetti has done well in the transfer portal. Josh Hoover comes in from TCU after finding success with the Horned Frogs. He’ll have some returnees and Nick Marsh, a Michigan State transfer, to throw to next season.
4. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Notre Dame may have missed the CFP this season, but they have enough talent to be one of the best teams in the country in 2026. CJ Carr returns at quarterback after getting some solid experience in 2025. While his running backs are headed to the NFL, the offensive line will be a strength again, while the defense has plenty of impact transfers.
3. Ohio State Buckeyes
The Buckeyes will once again lose a lot to the next level. They do bring back Julian Sayin at quarterback, who will have the best player in the sport, Jeremiah Smith, to throw to. Plenty of defensive transfers are on the way to help the defense and Matt Patricia can make that a good unit again.
2. Texas Longhorns
Arch Manning got better down the stretch and with some work this offseason, he can really help carry this Texas team. Trevor Goosby returns on the offensive line, while Ryan Wingo is back at receiver. Running back Hollywood Smothers is joining the team, as is great receiver Cam Coleman from Auburn. Collin Simmons can get after the quarterback on defense, but more is needed on that side of the ball to help Texas reach their full potential.
1. Oregon Ducks
Oregon received a big boost when both quarterback Dante Moore and defensive lineman Amauri Washington decided to return to school. The offense brings back a lot of firepower and the defense brought in a good safety in Koi Perich to replace Dillon Thieneman, who is going to the next level. Dan Lanning needs to get some big wins, but he has another good roster to help him get over the hump.
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