Way-Too-Early College Football Top 25

A lot will change between now and the start of next season: Recruits will bolster depth charts and shake up competitions at certain positions, and transfers will change teams hoping to log significant playing time right away. Still, we have a pretty good sense of which programs should be in the running for the College Football Playoff, as well as which programs look more likely to fall short of bowl eligibility and finish near the bottom of their respective leagues. Here's how we think the nation's top squads stack up.

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
Jan 13, 2017

Way-Too-Early College Football Top 25

1. Alabama Crimson Tide

Until the Crimson Tide stop reloading on the recruiting trail, we should assume they will continue to challenge for the title.

2. USC Trojans

With oodles of talent around him and an unflappable nature, quarterback Sam Darnold is presiding over a renaissance.

3. Penn State Nittany Lions

Three years after regaining their full allotment of scholarships after sanctions, the Nittany Lions will be deeper and better.

4. Florida State Seminoles

Florida-State-Deondre-Francois-SI553_TK1_00056-Derwin-James.jpg — David E. Klutho; Don Juan Moore/Getty Images

Freshman quarterback Deondre Francois grew up this year, and safety Derwin James's return from a knee injury will solidify the defense.

5. LSU Tigers

Ed Orgeron’s first full season in Baton Rouge is built for success considering he returns one of the best defensive coordinators in the game, Dave Aranda, and one of the nation’s best running backs, Derrius Guice.

6. Clemson Tigers

Even with quarterback Deshaun Watson leaving, coach Dabo Swinney has built Clemson to compete every season.

7. Ohio State Buckeyes

New offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson should rev up the offense, but Penn State and Michigan will be speed bumps.

8. Oklahoma Sooners

Dual-threat quarterback Baker Mayfield should lead the Sooners to their third Big 12 title in three seasons.

9. Washington Huskies

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The Huskies have to replace a lot in the secondary, but the offense looks strong and coach Chris Petersen is just getting started.

10. Michigan Wolverines

The Big Ten East remains college football’s toughest division at the top. Jim Harbaugh will have the Wolverines in the mix.

11. Wisconsin Badgers

Quarterback Alex Hornibrook has to continue to grow, but the best news for the Badgers is that their 2017 Big Ten schedule is much easier.

12. Oklahoma State Cowboys

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The Mason Rudolph-to-James Washington connection will be used frequently in 2017, and the Cowboys should have a strong ground game with running back Justice Hill returning, too.

13. Louisville Cardinals

Reigning Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson is back, and that’s all you need to know.

14. Auburn Tigers

Bobby McDuffie/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images; Michael Chang/Getty Images

Quarterback transfer Jarrett Stidham, formerly of Baylor, is immediately eligible and he’ll get help on the ground from the Tigers’ running back duo of Kamryn Pettway and Kerryon Johnson.

15. Georgia Bulldogs

The return of quarterback Jacob Eason and running backs Nick Chubb and Sony Michel is huge for the Bulldogs, who will be an early favorite in the SEC East.

16. Tennessee Volunteers

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Fans in Knoxville are running out of patience with coach Butch Jones, but maybe a new offensive coordinator makes the difference for the Vols.

17. Stanford Cardinal

Four starters on the offensive line are back in 2017 for coach David Shaw, who has maintained one of the most consistent programs in the country the last five years. The off-season status of quarterback Keller Chryst, who injured his right knee in the Sun Bowl, is unknown.

18. Texas Longhorns

Texas-Shane-Buechele-SI531_TK1_01143-Malik-Jefferson.jpg — Greg Nelson; John Rivera/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

First-year coach Tom Herman was gifted plenty of talent on both sides of the ball—most notably quarterback Shane Buechele and linebacker Malik Jefferson—though the Longhorns will miss running back D’Onta Foreman.

19. Florida Gators

It’ll be a battle in spring ball amongst quarterbacks, with Luke Del Rio feeling pressure from two redshirt freshmen, Feleipe Franks and Kyle Trask. The Gators have a lot to replace defensively, but have won back-to-back SEC East titles.

20. West Virginia Mountaineers

With Florida quarterback transfer Will Grier running the offense, the Mountaineers should contend for the Big 12 championship after a 10-win campaign in 2016.

21. Kansas State Wildcats

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Don’t doubt the wizardry of Bill Snyder. The Wildcats return quarterback Jesse Ertz, running back Alex Barnes and four offensive linemen, plus 2016 Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the year D.J. Reed, a cornerback who broke up 16 passes in his first season on campus.

22. Oregon Ducks

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First-year coach Willie Taggart’s most impressive recruiting win so far came when he convinced running back Royce Freeman to return to school. He’ll get to run behind an experienced line (four of Oregon’s starting offensive linemen were redshirt freshmen in 2016) and play with a sophomore quarterback, Justin Herbert, who had a terrific freshman season.

23. Miami Hurricanes

Replacing quarterback Brad Kaaya is priority No. 1 in Coral Gables, but an experienced defense can help the Hurricanes, who won five in a row to end the 2016 season.

24. UCLA Bruins

Is this the season the Bruins finally live up to the hype? A healthy Josh Rosen (shoulder surgery midway through 2016) will be key to challenging USC for the Pac-12 South title.

25. South Florida Bulls

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First-year coach Charlie Strong pairs with dynamic quarterback Quinton Flowers, a darkhorse Heisman candidate, to lead the early Group of Five favorite.

Way-Too-Early College Football Top 25