The latest preseason college football top 25 rankings are out from ESPN, a poll which reflects transfer portal additions, various roster changes and conference-title contenders perceptions. There are a number of projections and polls this time of year summoning engagement and this one’s a good bit different from the 247Sports rankings.
With the spring transfer portal cycle coming to a close with only a handful of potential starters left uncommitted, two-deeps are being scribbled out as we speak across the country before the start of fall camp a few months from now. The newly-expanded SEC and Big Ten dominate early rankings with Notre Dame seemingly being the only unanimous top 10 team this spring not from one of those two conferences.
The 2024 season offers a ton of intrigue with the debut of the 12-team College Football Playoff and a couple new rules that are being implemented.
RELATED: 50 thoughts on college football’s 2024 season: Predictions and analysis
Here are ESPN’s preseason top 25 rankings coming out of spring practice:
247Sports post-spring ranking: No. 2
There is plenty of ammunition left in the chamber for the Bulldogs despite Georgia seeing its school-record 29-game winning streak snapped in last year’s SEC Championship Game by Alabama. That was the only blemish during another otherwise flawless season at a program with two national titles over the last three seasons. Where are the weaknesses for Georgia in 2024? One would be hard-pressed to find any. After signing another top-ranked recruiting class and convincing quarterback Carson Beck to return, the Bulldogs are one of the favorites to win another title. The schedule is arduous, but this team has enough talent to overcome it.
ESPN’s take: “With a schedule that includes a nonconference opener against Clemson in Atlanta and SEC road games at Kentucky, Alabama, Texas and Ole Miss, a fourth straight unbeaten regular season might be asking a bit much of the Bulldogs.”
247Sports post-spring ranking: No. 1
No elite program made more power moves in terms of talent accumulation this spring than the Buckeyes. Ohio State went from College Football Playoff threat to one of the national title favorites given the roster and coaching staff additions accomplished by Day. On top of securing one of the nation’s top transfer classes with Alabama All-American safety Caleb Down, Ole Miss standout ballcarrier Quinshon Judkins and multi-year Kansas State starting quarterback Will Howard, the Buckeyes also quickly replaced newly-hired offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien with UCLA head coach Chip Kelly.
ESPN’s take: “Coach Ryan Day’s teams have won 86.8% of their games since he took over the Ohio State program at the start of the 2019 season. The Buckeyes have defeated every Big Ten opponent in the regular season the past three years except one — Michigan.”
247Sports post-spring ranking: No. 3
Equipped with the best quarterback duo in the country, several difference-makers on defense and an offensive line that has a chance to be the SEC’s best, Steve Sarkisian’s national championship window at Texas is happening right now. The Longhorns’ 2024 two-deep might be even better than last season when Texas finished one win short of a title-game appearance. Texas is a recruiting powerhouse and Sarkisian’s calculated moves in the transfer portal should pay immediate dividends in the big-play department.
ESPN’s take: “Texas will face an early road test at Michigan, its annual trip to Dallas to play Oklahoma and a home game against Georgia. Offensively, the Longhorns should be as good as anyone in the FBS with quarterback Quinn Ewers and a veteran offensive line returning.”
247Sports post-spring ranking: No. 4
Most expect Dan Lanning to make his first playoff appearance at Oregon this season. Anything less than that, given this program’s rise, resources and offseason work in the portal, would underwhelm. Not only did Oregon button up its quarterback room with portal additions Dillon Gabriel and Dante Moore, but the Ducks are being built on the defensive side of the football similar to Georgia in terms of depth, skill and ferocity — from the trenches out is the motto for Lanning. Former Texas A&M wideout Evan Stewart will be a star.
ESPN’s take: “In just two seasons as a head coach, Oregon’s Dan Lanning has established himself as one of the best in the FBS. His teams have a 22-5 record and back-to-back bowl victories. “
247Sports post-spring ranking: No. 10
The Fighting Irish have been good — but not great — in Marcus Freeman’s early tenure in South Bend. Hiring Mike Denbrock from LSU was a power move by Notre Dame, which expects to be much better offensively from a well-rounded standpoints. The Fighting Irish will be difficult to contain on that side of the football in 2024 if Clemson transfer Beaux Collins and others are the immediate stars they were recruited to be. Much of Notre Dame’s success will hinge on the shoulders of Duke transfer quarterback Riley Leonard, who missed the spring after recovering from surgery.
ESPN’s take: “The Irish will play only three true road games at Texas A&M, Purdue and USC this season. They’ll play Georgia Tech at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Navy at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey and Army at Yankee Stadium in New York.”
247Sports post-spring ranking: No. 6
This is the most-talented roster ever assembled in Oxford — on paper. Ole Miss grabbed a couple high-end defensive starters out of the portal, coaxed South Carolina’s top returning playmaker Juice Wells to switch sides and feel good about their backfield despite the loss of Quinshon Judkins moving over to Ohio State. The Rebels are one of the offseason’s poster boys for “teams to watch” and have an impressive trajectory based on what Lane Kiffin’s group accomplished in 2023 with 11 wins. If quarterback Jaxson Dart has another banner season, Ole Miss will be one of the SEC’s multiple playoff teams with a chance to win it all.
ESPN’s take: “LSU transfer Logan Diggs had offseason knee surgery and might not be ready for the start of the season. Henry Parrish Jr., who started his career at Ole Miss and played the past two seasons at Miami, came back to help. Jacory Croskey-Merritt, who ran for 1,190 yards with 17 touchdowns at New Mexico, is another option.”
247Sports post-spring ranking: No. 5
How much trust do you have in Kalen DeBoer during his first go-around in the SEC? Will Jalen Milroe duplicate last season’s success as a now seasoned vet? Can Alabama’s secondary, littered with new faces, still produce at an elite level? There’s a few questions facing the Crimson Tide in the post-Nick Saban answer we don’t know the answers to yet, but given this program’s level of prestige and overall talent level sans a few notable portal departures, Alabama gets the benefit of the doubt after spring.
ESPN’s take: “It has been 131 days since legendary Alabama coach Nick Saban unexpectedly retired, and they’re still playing college football in Tuscaloosa. Just a friendly reminder that Saban’s replacement, Kalen DeBoer, had a 104-12 record in his previous three stops and directed Washington to a spot in the CFP National Championship last season.”
247Sports post-spring ranking: No. 8
The Tigers return a ton of production despite filling a void through the portal after losing Doak Walker finalist Cody Schrader in the backfield. Unexpectedly having to replace defensive coordinator Blake Baker, who departed for LSU, was a headache Eli Drinkwitz may not have been all that prepared for this spring. Missouri has two former five-stars on its roster in wideout Luther Burden and freshman Williams Nwaneri, a returning starter at quarterback in Brady Cook coming off a statistically-noteworthy season and filled several major needs with transfer market signings.
ESPN’s take: “Clemson transfer Toriano Pride was battling Marcus Clarke in the spring for one of the cornerback jobs vacated by NFL-bound players Kris Abrams-Draine and Ennis Rakestraw Jr.”
247Sports post-spring ranking: No. 18
Quarterback Cam Rising returns, but does he make Utah a championship contender? Utah joins the Big 12 with a couple other former Pac-12 departures in hopes of getting to the expanded playoff. The Utes managed to sign several key plug-and-play guys in the transfer portal, including former Arizona and USC star Dorian Singer at wideout.
ESPN’s take: “Three starters will have to be replaced on the offensive line, and the tailback order is still being settled. Eight starters are coming back from a defense that allowed 19.3 points per game last season.”
247Sports post-spring ranking: No. 7
Michigan is a tough nut to crack. The quarterback situation remains undecided, but everyone knows the other side of the football will be championship-caliber based on what’s coming back. Can Sherrone Moore keep it going at Michigan and have his team playing with an elite edge? Pounding the football with Donovan Edwards and others might be a winning recipe for a team on the nation’s longest winning streak.
ESPN’s take: “The Wolverines aren’t going to fall off a cliff after coach Jim Harbaugh left to coach the Los Angeles Chargers following a season in which he guided his alma mater to its first national title in 26 years.”
247Sports post-spring ranking: No. 11
Norvell is a transfer portal guru and again ensured the Seminoles have one of the ACC’s top-tier rosters. Equipped with an elite signing class to pair with his portal additions, Norvell showcased his offseason expertise with another talent reload and should be one of the coaches who significantly benefits from playoff expansion. Former Oregon State and Clemson quarterback DJ Uiagalelei learned the offense quickly and has a variety of weapons around him. FSU’s defensive back seven are extremely athletic, too.
ESPN’s take: “Seminoles coach Mike Norvell has utilized the transfer portal as well as anyone in the FBS, and he once again turned over FSU’s roster after it finished unbeaten and was left out of the CFP in 2023.”
247Sports post-spring ranking: No. 9
The proof of an improvement offensively should come in September when the Nittany Lions take the field with a new play-caller and the promise of explosive plays for the first time in several years. That’s what it will take to be an expected force in the Big Ten alongside other elites. James Franklin made changes to a 10-win team he felt were necessary to get over the hump and into the expanded playoff.
ESPN’s take: “Somebody has to challenge Ohio State, Michigan and Oregon in the Big Ten, and with Washington rebuilding, I’ll go with Penn State for now. The Nittany Lions have struggled to score against good teams (Michigan and Ohio State), so coach James Franklin hired Kansas offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki to boost the passing game, which ranked 80th in the FBS with 215 yards per game.”
247Sports post-spring ranking: No. 20
With one of the ACC’s top transfer portal classes, including the arrival of Coastal Carolina quarterback Grayson McCall, Oklahoma tailback Hollywood Smothers and Ohio State pass-catcher Noah Rogers, there’s reason to believe in NC State getting over the nine-win mark under Doeren this season. Early matchups with Tennessee and Clemson in September will show college football just how far the Wolfpack have come — or not.
ESPN’s take: “Dave Doeren has quietly guided the Wolfpack to 34 wins the past four seasons, including a 9-4 mark last year, despite having a mess in the quarterback room.”
247Sports post-spring ranking: No. 13
Brian Kelly swiped Missouri defensive coordinator Blake Baker to solve his program’s Achilles heel after a 10-win season. It’s hard to believe Jayden Daniels winning the Heisman almost played second fiddle to how bad the Tigers performed defensively, which cost LSU a shot at a second consecutive SEC West title and trip to Atlanta. Garrett Nussmeier is the new starter at quarterback in 2024 and he flexed impressive tools in the spring game. He has a blossoming group of lesser-known wideouts to throw to following Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr.’s entry into the NFL.
ESPN’s take: “Defensive end Gabriel Reliford, an early enrollee, was a bright spot in the spring. The Tigers picked up transfer defensive tackle Jay’viar Suggs (Grand Valley State) last week for depth. The secondary continued to have breakdowns in the spring game.”
247Sports post-spring ranking: No. 12
Iamaleava leads the Vols at quarterback in a new era of sorts offensively. He was responsible for four touchdowns in his first career start in the Citrus Bowl win over Iowa and last season’s sensation at the position, Hendon Hooker, already deemed him “the chosen one” in Knoxville. That’s high praise given Hooker’s importance to the program and heightened success during his tenure. Like Michael Penix Jr. managed at Washington, Iamaleava is the type of talent that makes everyone around him better. Much of the defense is back, despite losing leading tackler Elijah Herring to the portal recently.
ESPN’s take: “Tennessee plays an early nonconference test against NC State and road games at Oklahoma and Georgia with Alabama at home. If Nnico Iamaleava is as good as advertised, the Vols might be back in the playoff hunt.”
247Sports post-spring ranking: No. 16
Coming out of spring, the hype seems to simmer on Clemson — just the way Dabo Swinney likes it. Clemson gets Phil Mafah back, but it’s going to have to manufacture production elsewhere in the run game to take some of the pressure off Cade Klubnik, who’s back for his second season as the Tigers’ QB1. Clemson’s defense should be one of the nation’s best.
ESPN’s take: “For whatever reason, transferring to Clemson seems to be even more difficult these days. After the Tigers dropped four games for the first time since 2011 and finished 52nd in the FBS in scoring offense (29.8 points per game), it seemed like a good time to bring in experienced help. It didn’t happen.”
247Sports post-spring ranking: No. 17
You know why the Wildcats are one of the trendy picks to win the expanded Big 12? Avery Johnson is a rising superstar after throwing for two touchdowns and running for another during Kansas State’s Pop Tarts Bowl win over NC State. After losing multi-year starting quarterback Will Howard to the transfer portal, this Kansas State offenses showed no ill effects of his departure after Johnson handled the offense with a flare for big plays on the move.
ESPN’s take: “The Wildcats don’t play the Utes during the regular season and get Oklahoma State and Kansas at home. Road trips to BYU, West Virginia and Iowa State might be tricky.”
247Sports post-spring ranking: No. 15
Deion Burks is a baller. The Purdue transfer at the wideout spot was one of the spring MVPs for the Sooners, who found their new go-to playmaker in the passing game. Jackson Arnold looked in full control of Oklahoma’s offense heading into his first campaign as the starter as Brent Venables and this team heads into the SEC.
ESPN’s take: “Transfers Michael Tarquin (USC) and Febechi Nwaiwu (North Texas) were working with the No. 1 offensive line, which must replace all five starters. OU added SMU center Branson Hickman in the spring portal opening.”
247Sports post-spring ranking: No. 23
Surprisingly, Oklahoma State has the fifth-best odds to win the Big 12, according to the latest updates over at FanDuel Sportsbook, despite returning Ollie Gordon in the backfield along with 20 other starters to a team coming off an appearance in the league title game. Underrated perhaps?
ESPN’s take: “Defensive coordinator Bryan Nardo implemented four-man fronts in the spring to try to improve the pass rush and take pressure off the secondary. The Cowboys have two great linebackers in Nick Martin and Collin Oliver, but their pass defense ranked 126th (275 yards) in the FBS in 2023.”
20. Arizona Wildcats
247Sports post-spring ranking: N/R
21. Virginia Tech Hokies
247Sports post-spring ranking: No. 24
22. Kansas Jayhawks
247Sports post-spring ranking: N/R
23. Iowa Hawkeyes
247Sports post-spring ranking: N/R
24. Miami Hurricanes
247Sports post-spring ranking: No. 14
25. USC Trojans
247Sports post-spring ranking: No. 21
Not ranked in the 247Sports post-spring poll, Jedd Fisch and Arizona cracked the top 20 under ESPN’s designation. Mark Schlabach pointed to the Wildcats’ transfer portal haul, including 12 players from Fisch’s former Washington program, as a primary reason Arizona should be a factor in the Big 12 title picture. … Mario Cristobal’s not done yet in the transfer portal as he continues to bolster what is shaping up to be Miami’s best-looking depth chart in years. The addition of several vital pieces up front and at the skill spots, including Washington State quarterback Cam Ward, makes the Hurricanes one of the headliners in the ACC this offseason. There’s no excuse why Miami shouldn’t be challenging for a spot inside the top 15 entering November. Still have to prove it, however.
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