FCS Football Top 25: Zach McKinnell's 2026 Week 0 Ballot

I'm excited to represent FCS Football Central as one of the voters in the FCS Stats Perform Top 25 again for the 2026 season.

As I have over the past few years, I will release my weekly ballot and explain my reasoning behind my selections throughout the season. I believe voters should be transparent and justify their rankings every week. It gives fans important insights into how they analyze teams and build their ballots week-to-week.

Below is my Week 0 ballot for the 2026 FCS football season.

25. Abilene Christian

24. Alabama State

23. Villanova

22. Idaho State

21. Central Arkansas

20. South Carolina State

19. West Florida

18. Northern Arizona

17. William & Mary

16. Yale

15. Illinois State

14. UC Davis

13. Lamar

12. Austin Peay

11. Stephen F. Austin

10. Lehigh

9. Rhode Island

8. Youngstown State

7. South Dakota

6. North Dakota

5. Tennessee Tech

4. Tarleton State

3. Montana

2. South Dakota State

1. Montana State

Honorable Mentions: Harvard, Delaware State, Wofford, Western Carolina, Southern Utah

Analysis:

After a chaotic weekend of upsets, it's a great time to remind everyone about my voting process. Each week, my ballot is a snapshot of who I believe are the Top 25 teams at this point in time. Things will change drastically as we get more data points on these teams throughout the season. Voters fall in love with preseason expectations, which causes them to overlook the actual results on the field.

Could William & Mary fall apart and show they aren't a Top 25 team? Absolutely, but after Week 0, the Tribe have one of the biggest wins and best performances in the FCS. They should be firmly in the Top 25 and ranked above Villanova. If Villanova is actually the better team, it will work itself out over the next few weeks, which is why voters should not be afraid to make big changes in their ballots early in the season.

It's tough to have many major takeaways with only one data point, but I wanted to hit on some of the new teams in my ballot. West Florida vaults into the Top 25 after an impressive win over Southern Illinois in its Division I debut. The Argos were dominating the game, even before DJ Williams' injury, which is the biggest reason they belong in this week's ranking. We'll find out more about this team as they go on the road to face Central Arkansas in Week 1.

Speaking of Central Arkansas, the Bears picked up a big win over UT Martin, giving them an early Top 25 win for their resume. Donovyn Omolo was spectacular at quarterback, while the defense held UT Martin to less than 300 yards of total offense. The Bears also did this on the road, which makes the win even more impressive. Next week's game against UWF could determine which of these teams could be the dark horse in the UAC race.

I mentioned William & Mary earlier, which knocked off Villanova in a chaotic game on Friday night. The Tribe scored 13 points over the final 52 seconds, but it was the defense, which forced four turnovers, that secured the win. I do wonder what the true upside is for this team, but for right now, they have one of the best wins in the country, which earned them a spot in the Top 25.

I also kept Villanova on my ballot, especially after the Wildcats outplayed the Tribe for a majority of this game. Turnovers were the difference, but I still think Villanova is the more complete team. As I said earlier, W&M deserves a spot over Villanova due to the head-to-head win, but that could change depending on how these two teams perform over the next few weeks.

UC Davis dropped significantly in this week's ballot after a close win over Portland State. It was a very slow start for the Aggies, which is worrisome, but they did turn it around and outscored the Vikings 31-3 in the second half. I think this team will be improved moving forward, but they are going to have to earn a Top 10 ranking, especially with some other teams looking much more effective than the Aggies did in Week 0.

Lamar was another big riser after an impressive win over Abilene Christian. I love what I saw from the Cardinals' defense, especially in the first half. They were physical, aggressive, and made plays behind the line of scrimmage. I still worry a bit about the offensive ceiling of this team, but I'm going to wait until we get more data on what their potential could be.

I kept Abilene Christian at No. 25 because the Wildcats looked like a different team after the quarterback change to John David Black. Also, the Wildcats lost a one-score game on the road to a Top 25 team. That's more impressive than beating up on overmatched opponents, which is what some of the other teams in this range did in Week 0.

Even though it was only Central Connecticut State, I thought South Dakota looked impressive in a dominant win. There will be tougher tests in the future, but Austyn Modrzewski appears to be a future star at quarterback. I think the trio of Youngstown State, North Dakota, and the Coyotes all showed the potential to make some noise in the MVFC race, but none were really tested in Week 0. Keep an eye on these teams over the next few weeks as we collect more data on these three contenders.

I was a bit lower on Lehigh than a lot of other voters, but the Mountain Hawks impressed me in their win over Holy Cross. Luke Yoder showed why he's a top running back at this level, plus the defensive line did an excellent job of shutting down the run. They answered a few of my biggest questions, proving they should be in the Top 10 going into next weekend.

Alabama State sneaks into my Top 25 after a win over Southern in Week 0. I had the Hornets right outside of my preseason ballot, but after a slow start, the Hornets outscored the Jaguars 17-0 in the second half to secure the win. I would also keep an eye on Wofford, which had an impressive win over The Citadel. They sit just outside my ballot, but the defense looked impressive this weekend. If the offense takes another step forward, this could be a team that could shake up the rankings over the next few weeks of the season.

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