Draft Nation's college football preseason Top 25

With the transfer portal and NIL, college football has never been as unpredictable going into the season as it will be in 2024. Ohio State returns a handful of players who could have been drafted in the top half of the 2024 NFL Draft. The Georgia Bulldogs are loaded once again and appear to be front runners not only in the “new” SEC, but also to play in the postseason. The College Football Playoff format will be expanded to 12 teams for the 2024-2025 season, which will only add to the chaos and uncertainty. Draft Nation will take you through our top 25, and we believe it will end in Georgia and Ohio State battling it out for the championship.

1- Ohio State

The Buckeyes have lost to Michigan the last three straight seasons, and coach Ryan Day went out this off-season and dominated the portal. Former Kansas State quarterback Will Howard will lead them under center, and he will have plenty of weapons to go around. Emeka Egbuka, TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins will be a handful to stop. J.T. Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer are two of the best edge rushers in the country, and once the pressure is applied they have Denzel Burke and Caleb Downs making plays in the secondary. This team is loaded.

2- Georgia

Georgia comes into 2024 with a chip on their shoulder after losing to Alabama in last season’s SEC title game. Quarterback Carson Beck has come back to Athens and will lead a talented offense that will be led by newcomer Trevor Etienne, who comes over from Florida to lead the ground game. The Bulldogs lost some stars last year but have re-tooled with a bunch of transfers and five-star recruits.

3- Texas

Head coach Steve Sarkisian will have his most talented Longhorns team by far, with no weaknesses on either side of the ball. Quarterback Quinn Ewers will be back under center for his third season and will lead Texas through their very first SEC schedule. 

4- Oregon

The Ducks in the Big 10? I know it will take some getting used to, but Big 10 schools better be ready for this Oregon high-powered offense. Quarterback Dillon Gabriel comes over from Oklahoma to take over for Bo Nix who was a first round pick in 2024. The Ducks are loaded with speed all over the field and will continue to be a matchup nightmare for Big-10 teams.

5- Ole Miss

Head coach Lane Kiffin has improved his defense through the portal, and quarterback Jaxson Dart is an emerging superstar. Coming off their first 11-win season in program history, the Rebels appear to be even stronger in 2024.

6- Alabama

Alabama will have a different feel in 2024 after the retirement of legendary head coach Nick Saban. New head coach Kalen DeBoer will have his hands full in a very strong SEC, but as usual, the Crimson Tide are going to be loaded with talent. Quarterback Jalen Milroe is talented and improving and the defense is loaded on the defensive line. Don’t count this team out.

7- Michigan

The Jim Harbaugh era has come to an end at Michigan after leading the team to a National Title and then leaving for the Los Angeles Chargers. New head coach Sherrone Moore inherits a talented team that should make a run towards the college playoffs. Running back Donovan Edwards and tight end Colston Loveland will help ease the transition for whoever the Wolverines select to take over at quarterback for the departed J.J. McCarthy. Michigan’s defense is going to be one of the best in the country led by defensive tackle Mason Graham and cornerback Will Johnson.

8- Notre Dame

The Fighting Irish return a big part of their defense in 2024, led by defensive tackle Howard Cross III. Notre Dame used the portal well and brought in quarterback Riley Leonard from Duke to take over for the departed Sam Hartman. The passing game should be formidable with a deep receiving corps, led by tight end Mitchell Evans. 

9- Penn State

The Nittany Lions have six returning starters on their talented defense from last season. Abdul Carter and Dani Dennis-Sutton will be counted on to supply pressure up front for Penn State. The biggest question going into the season is if quarterback Drew Allar can take a step forward and become the leader they need him to be on offense.

10- Oklahoma

The Sooners are joining the SEC and will be starting 5-star quarterback Jackson Arnold for the departed Dillon Gabriel. Arnold has little experience but the Sooners are loaded with SEC-caliber playmakers, including wide receiver Deion Burks who transferred over from Purdue. On defense, linebacker Danny Stutsman leads a talented group of playmakers who may be counted on early in the year to keep the Sooners in games as Arnold gains experience.

11- Florida State

The Seminoles will have an explosive defense that should pressure the quarterback relentlessly, led by 2022 ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year Patrick Payton. DJ Uiagalelei was brought in to take over for Jordan Travis at quarterback and will help lead a new-look Florida State offense. 

12- Oklahoma State

The Cowboys are the most talented team in the Big 12 this season and will be led by running back Ollie Gordon II, who led the country in rushing last season with 1,732 yards. Linebacker Nick Martin has a chance to be an All-American and will lead the Oklahoma State’s talented unit.

13- Clemson

The Tigers will have one of the country’s best defenses and defensive coordinator Wes Goodwin received a huge boost with the return of linebacker Barrett Carter. The offense should continue to improve behind quarterback Cade Klubnik and running back Phil Mafah. Clemson will battle for the ACC title.

14- LSU

LSU is loaded with talent all over the field but may have some speed bumps early in the season with new signal caller Garrett Nussmeier, who takes over for Jayden Daniels. Harold Perkins is a talented linebacker who will help the Tigers solidify their defense which was a weakness in 2023.

15- Tennessee

The Volunteers are going to be led by two emerging superstars on offense. Quarterback Nico Iamaleava showed what he is capable in last season’s 35-0 win over Iowa in the Citrus Bowl, and running back Dylan Sampson averaged 5.7 yards per carry last season as the third-team running back. Tennessee will be a high scoring, fast paced offense that will have to outscore teams due to a shaky defense.

16- Missouri

Remember the name Luther Burden III. Burden is one of the top receivers in the country and the former 5-star recruit will team up with quarterback Brady Cook for a ton of splash plays in 2024. The defense is solid up front and the Tigers should battle for playoff positioning if the offense is clicking as it should.

17- Utah

Utah will feature an offense led by savvy veteran Cameron Rising at quarterback and one of the top pass catching tight ends in the country in Brant Kuithe. The Utes return a majority of last season’s solid group of defenders. They will make some noise and battle for the Big 12 title in 2024.

18- Texas A&M

The Aggies have added to their defensive line by adding transfer Nic Scourton from Purdue. The defense will be their strength but don’t sleep on what junior quarterback Conner Weigman is capable of doing.

19- Miami

The Hurricanes used the portal to perfection, adding quarterback Cam Ward from Washington State and running back Damien Martinez from Oregon State. Ward will lead an athletic and fast offense that should put up points at will. The defensive line is solid but the team needs to patch up a weakened secondary.

20- Kansas State

The Wildcats are led by talented quarterback Avery Johnson. He will be joined in the backfield by DJ Giddens, who ran for 1,226 yards last season. The defense is what will keep Kansas State in games. They have a ton of depth and several playmakers, led by linebacker Austin Moore.

21- Iowa

The Hawkeyes offense seems to finally be trending up after a couple years of ineptitude. Former Michigan quarterback Cade McNamara appears to finally be healthy, and they have a stable of running backs and a top tight end in Luke Lachey. Iowa returns several talented starters on defense, led by linebacker Jay Higgins. 

22- Louisville

The Louisville Cardinals have one of the best defensive lines in the country led by edge rusher Ashton Gillotte, who had 11 sacks last season. On offense, they will be led by Texas Tech transfer Tyler Shough at quarterback. 

23- USC

After losing star quarterback Caleb Williams, the offense is going to be a question mark. Miller Moss had six touchdowns in their bowl win last season against Louisville, so Lincoln Riley feels comfortable handing over the reins. Wide receiver Zachariah Branch has potential to be a game changing player and will be looked at to make big splash plays.

24- Wisconsin

Coach Luke Fickell did a good job of making the defense faster and more athletic this offseason. The team also used the portal to bring in quarterback Tyler Van Dyke from Miami to take over under center. 

25- Florida

The Gators got a bonus in the off-season when quarterback Graham Mertz decided to return for his final year of eligibility. Florida is our 10th SEC team in the top 25 so they will have to be exceptional from the opening kickoff. The defense is athletic but lacks pure tacklers and this could hurt them in that powerful conference.