Since there is no Spring Transfer Portal it could be a little more accurate than previous years at this time; however, it is still the way-way-way too early. The downside is the poll looks to be just one man's opinion for the article.
....Look who is #1...
Now that the 2025 season has officially come to a close, we can start to look ahead to the incoming 2026 season
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Way-too-early top 25 college football rankings for 2026 season: Ohio State, Texas, Georgia lead the way
Now that the 2025 season has officially come to a close, we can start to look ahead to the incoming 2026 season
The 2025 college football season earned its place among the best the sport has produced. Parity still hasn't fully arrived, but chaos certainly has. Out-of-nowhere upsets and unlikely risers kept puncturing the hierarchy, while several of the early-2020s powers like Alabama and Clemson continue to drift back toward the pack.
The season just ended, but most coaches flipped the page to 2026 weeks ago. A record-setting coaching carousel led to 32 new head coaches across the country, igniting another round of transfer-portal turbulence before the window closed last week. Rosters remain unsettled, but the ingredients are on the table waiting to be shaped -- and we're ready to start ranking the best teams.
Plenty of superstars return, too, and some with new homes: Arch Manning returns to Texas, Arizona State's Sam Leavitt is now with Lane Kiffin at LSU, Oregon's Dante Moore is bypassing the NFL Draft and Ohio State's Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith are back as the best QB-WR duo in the sport.
Everyone wants to know who will be the next Indiana. I'm telling you now: that lightning isn't striking again in 2026. But a few programs are positioned to surge back into relevance inside their leagues. For example, I'm a firm believer that Oklahoma State will rebound from one of the worst seasons ever to become a challenger in the Big 12 after Eric Morris' arrival from North Texas. He has completely rearranged the roster with an impressive haul from the portal, led by QB Drew Mestemaker.
You're here to find out who will challenge for supremacy across the national scene. The Big Ten and SEC lead the pack as usual in our way-too-early top 25. But don't ignore the ACC and the Big 12, which have a handful of teams equipped to chase the national title in 2026.
1. Ohio State
The nation's most accurate passer, Julian Sayin, and the best player in the sport, Jeremiah Smith, return to Ohio State. That's enough to garner consideration for a top-five ranking. The Buckeyes should still have one of the more talented rosters in college football. The big question is how the defense reloads under coordinator Matt Patricia, who has already proven himself elite, having led a rebuild in his first season and turning the Buckeyes into a better version of themselves. Eight defenders arrive from a top-five portal class.
2. Texas
Texas will be incredibly talented on offense, particularly after picking up Auburn receiver Cam Coleman as well as running backs Hollywood Smothers and Raleek Brown out of the portal. Quarterback Arch Manning returns after flipping the narrative in the second half of the season, showing his elite potential as a championship-caliber quarterback. It's playoff-or-bust for the Longhorns in 2026.
3. Georgia
Kirby Smart is still a master coach, and with quarterback Gunner Stockton returning and running back Nate Frazier in the backfield, this offense may finally step up with more experienced receivers. The defense wasn't as impressive as it once was and struggled to sack the quarterback, ranking 122nd nationally in tackles for loss, so that needs to improve with several starters returning in the front seven.
4. Oregon
Does Oregon have the best quarterback room in the country? Dante Moore shocked many when the first-round talent decided to return to the Ducks, and Nebraska's Dylan Raiola is now on campus as his backup. Remember, Oregon was relatively young last season, so this squad
should be better by default next fall. The big question is how Dan Lanning adjusts after losing both coordinators to Power Four head-coaching gigs. The defense also needs a few new pieces to step up.
5. Notre Dame
Marcus Freeman told players the motto this year is to "leave no doubt" after falling short of the CFP. The Irish added receivers Mylan Graham and Quincy Porter from the transfer portal. Freeman is still one of the five best coaches in college football, as evidenced by the rumors of NFL teams showing interest in the 40-year-old coach. The schedule sets up again nicely for a playoff run.
6. Texas A&M
Quarterback Marcel Reed and receiver Mario Craver return from a team that started 11-0, but there are issues on defense that new defensive coordinator Lyle Hemphill will need to address, particularly against the run. The Aggies didn't go overboard in the transfer portal, adding 18 key players to rank No. 11, according to 247Sports. The Aggies are built to win again but, again, the defense needs to be more consistent.
7. Texas Tech
Might Texas Tech be better in 2026 after its breakthrough season last fall? That's the word from the Red Raiders' camp after winning the Big 12 title and losing in a shutout in the second round of the CFP. They signed the nation's No. 8 portal class, led by Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby -- the best QB in the portal. Tech should be the preseason favorite in the Big 12.
8. Indiana
We doubted Indiana could replicate the 2024 season by reloading again, and yet the Hoosiers were much better. Curt Cignetti will side with a different transfer quarterback for a third straight year, snagging the nation's passing leader, TCU's Josh Hoover, to lead the offense. The transfer class included more power conference players than ever before under Cignetti, a sign that the Hoosiers are here to stay.
9. Michigan
The Wolverines might be the surprise team in the Big Ten next season. The hiring of Kyle Whittingham was a master stroke considering the timing and circumstances, but the addition of Utah offensive coordinator Jason Beck is the key. His offense at Utah was electric, and tapping into the potential of quarterback Bryce Underwood should send shivers down the spines of opposing coaches.
10. Oklahoma
Oklahoma rode its defense into the playoff, but the offense didn't step up as many expected with quarterback John Mateer and offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle. The Sooners' defense should be elite once again. The offense should be better, too, even after losing productive receivers. Adding Virginia's Trell Harris and Texas' Parker Livingstone may have been the biggest pickups in the portal.
11. USC
12. BYU
13. Miami
14. LSU
15. Alabama
16. Louisville
17. Missouri
18. Utah
19. Washington
20. Ole Miss
21. Houston
22. Penn State
23. SMU
24. Virginia Tech
25. South Carolina
Just sayin': Hopefully 2026 is yet another season as a legitimate contender for the National Championship. I'm not sure how deep Ohio State will be at some positions; so the key to the 2026 season could very well be "keeping everyone healthy"....
