Jan 20, 2026
3 min read
The season of 2025 is almost over.That doesn't stop us looking at the next eight months.
Yahoo's Too Early Top 25 for the 2026 Season
The 2025 season is just over, but that won't stop us from looking 8 months ahead.
Here are the top 25 picks for the 2026 college football season. A lot can and will change in the months leading up to the start of the season in late August.But here's our quick and rough look at how the field could stack up.
How will the Cavaliers make the best season in school history? Tony Elliott signed quarterbacks Beau Pribula (Missouri State) and Eli Holstein (Pitt) instead of Chandler Morris, as well as several top defenders from the transfer portal. Virginia should be near the top of the ACC again.
QB Luke Altmaier is out and Brett Bielema brought in former East Carolina QB Cottonhouser to replace him.The addition of FIU WR Alex Perry could also be significant.He had 56 receptions for 840 yards in 2025. This is a team that has won 19 games over the last two seasons and should play safety again.
Demon Williams Jr. The Huskies avoided a major loss when he opted to stay through the 2026 season. Williams enters the season as a sleeper Heisman candidate, which is why we're ranking Washington.If he leaves, coach Jedd Fisch will have a huge hole to fill at QB.
22. South Carolina
Is this a make or break season for Shane Beamer?Yes, the Gamecocks have a bad schedule in 2025, but the defense took a step back and the offensive line was bad.SC added NC State OL Jacarrius Peak to the transfer portal and QB LaNorris Sellers is back along with cornerback Dylan Stewart.
Will Houston have a quiet 10-win season in 2025?QB Conner Weigman is back for a second season after throwing for over 2,700 yards and 25 TDs and the Cougars have added a very strong transfer class.The team's two signees are offensive linemen and former Thulane RB Makhi Hughes from Oregon hopes to regain the form he had with Green.
20. Virginia Tech
It is already unlikely that the rapid turnaround will be engineered by James Franklin at Blackboxburg.The force has completed many transfers together with CB JAQUEZ.
Could Lincoln Kienholz have a breakout season with the Cardinals?After several seasons as a backup at Ohio State, Kienholz is now the favorite to start at QB.Coach Jeff Brohm blocked RB Isaac Brown from entering the transfer portal and also added Vanderbilt WR Tre Richardson.
18. Penn State
As many former Nittany's lions have gone to Virginia Tech, even more Iowa State players have followed Matt Campbell to the State College.That includes QB Rocco Becht, RB Carson Hansen, CB Jeremiah Cooper and a host of others.Building a team out of Iowa State players is not stunning, but Campbell is the winning trainer in the school's history for a reason.
The Mustangs brought back QB Kevin Jennings and added former Cal RB Kendrick Raphael to the transfer portal.He rushed for 943 yards and 13 scores in 2025. The loss of offensive coordinator Casey Woods may hurt — he's the new head coach at Missouri State — but Rhett Lashlee's offense should once again be one of the best in the ACC.
It's hard to see how Michigan could have done better than getting Kyle Whittingham after firing Sherron Moore.Whittingham brings offensive coordinator Jason Beck with him from Utah, and Bryce Underwood could spend the season under Beck.DE John Henry Daly and other players also followed Whittingham from Salt Lake City.
The Cougars lost defensive coordinator Jay Hill after Whittingham hired him at Michigan and replaced Hill with longtime assistant Kelly Poppinga.QB Bear Bachmeier should improve in 2026 and the return of leading rusher L.J.Martin is a big push for his senior year.
The Trojans have the best recruiting class in the country ahead of the 2026 season. How many players can make an immediate impact?Lincoln Riley's offense will be very good again.The onus is on the defense...again.The Trojans haven't allowed fewer than 5.5 yards per play since giving up 5.4 yards in 2018 under Clay Helton.
We're betting on a full offseason of health for John Mateer.He returned for another game with the Sooners and was fantastic before breaking a bone in his throwing hand in Week 4 against Auburn.OU's defense was good enough to win a national title in 2025, but the offense just wasn't there in the second half of the season.
With Ty Simpson gone from the NFL, it's up to Austin Mack or Keelon Russell to start at QB for the Crimson Tide.Mack is more familiar with Kalen DeBoer and Ryan Grubb's offensive system.Russell is a former five-star recruiter.The Tide also returns Ezavier Crowell at No. 1. Can he work in Alabama's running game again?
11. Ole miss
Please note: This ranking is betting on Trinidad Chambliss winning his legal match to qualify for the sixth annual NCAA.The Rebels are a clear contender to return to the College Football Playoff if he returns to Oxford.Otherwise, there are big questions at quarterback after Austin Simmons transferred to Missouri.
Like Ole Miss, we're doing a little quarterback projection here and assuming Derian Mensah ends up being a Hurricane.If he doesn't, adjust accordingly to our expectations.A young secondary should be even better in 2026 and Malachy Tony Sleeper will be a Heisman candidate.
9. Notre-Dame de Paris
QB CJ Carr is better than he was in 2025 and could be one of the biggest questions in college football in 2026.2nd Secondary School Admission Class.
8. Texas A&M
The Aggies bring back QB Marcel Reed, RB Le'Veon Moss and WR Mario Craver.They also have On3's No.3 transfer portal class to improve their defense.Five of the Aggies' top six touchdown passes came on that side of the ball, including former Tennessee QB Rickey Gibson and former Northwestern quarterback Anto Saka.
7. Texas Tech
Attacking the transfer portal has worked very well for Texas Tech ahead of the 2025 season.Why not do it again and add a QB to this?Brendan Sorsby arrives from Cincinnati and Texas Tech is moving forward again in 2025 after creating a successful defensive line.
Lane Kiffin got his quarterback from former Arizona State signal caller Sam Leavitt.He also added former five-star Husan Longstreet from USC. LSU had one of the top recruits in 2025. This is a roster that could make the College Football Playoff.And considering how Kiffin left Ole Miss, anything short of a CFP semifinal would be considered a disappointment.
QB Gunner Stockton will return after finishing in the top 10 in the Heisman voting.The Bulldogs will need to replace Zachariah Branch and CJ Allen, but this is a team with top recruits.Georgia has lost in the quarterfinals the last two seasons, though.I won't bet against Kirby Smart's team anytime soon.
4. Ohio State
With quarterback Julian Sayin and WR Jeremiah Smith back, the Buckeyes are now a Big Ten contender once again. The loss of Sonny Styles, Avre Reese and Kaleb Towns on defense is big, but Matt Patricia's team was very, very good in 2025 and it's hard to see them taking much of a step back in 2026.
The Hoosiers have become one of the best teams to navigate the transition portal and are among the top teams in the country in 2026 after winning the national championship this season.Former TCU QB Josh Hoover is in line to replace Fernando Mendoza and WR Nick Marsh is an exciting addition from Michigan State.Don't overlook the effervescent depth of the edge, with Curt Cignetti also signed.
Getting up for another round of Texas talk.Don't say you weren't warned.The Longhorns came through the former rih of the transitor, the defense is again coordinated by Will Muschamp.Does that camera work well?
Dante Moore returning for the 2026 season isn't the only reason the Ducks are where they are. Yes, Oregon loses TE Kenyon Sadiq, S Dillon Thieneman and LB Bryce Boettcher, but Matayo Uiagalelei returns on the defensive line along with A'Mauri Washington and Bear Alexander. RB Jordon Davison should be better as a sophomore, and Oregon also added Koi Perich from Minnesota to the transfer window.
