Texas rules our 2026 way-too-early top 25

The 2025 college football season officially concluded Monday with Indiana beating Miami to win the 2026 national championship, so it's time to focus on the 2026 season and the road to the 2027 title.

While a chaotic transfer-portal period will likely change the 12-team playoff field next season, it's probably safe to bet we'll see some familiar faces when the opening round kicks off in December.

Here's how our top 25 looks, led by an explosive Texas roster.

*Last year's record in parentheses

1. Texas (10-3)

In Arch Manning's last three games of 2025, the quarterback posted 11 total touchdowns, zero interceptions, and an average of 334 yards of total offense per game. Hope you got your jokes in early last year, because Manning is absolutely cooking heading into 2026. Cam Coleman joins his list of weapons in Austin with star pass-rusher Colin Simmons anchoring the defense.

2. Oregon (13-2)

Oregon was already set to make this list before Dante Moore announced he was returning to school. With the star passer remaining on campus, the Ducks come in at No. 2. Yes, Oregon lost a number of key players from the 2025 team - notably Noah Whittington and Kenyon Sadiq. However, Dan Lanning restocked the cupboard and retained plenty of talent, including receivers Evan Stewart and Dakorien Moore.

3. Notre Dame (10-2)

A loaded roster should ensure the Fighting Irish won't have to bail out of the Pop Tarts Bowl again. The vast majority of the defense returns for Marcus Freeman, and the Irish just landed the nation's top transfer class in terms of average player rankings. Add in quarterback CJ Carr and a schedule that features just four bowl teams from 2025, and it would be shocking if the Irish aren't in the playoff.

4. Ohio State (12-2)

Yes, the defense loses a ton of talent for the second year in a row, but as as long as Jeremiah Smith is on campus, Ohio State is a top-five team. While the Buckeyes' defense will reload with the next wave of top recruits, Smith, Julian Sayin, and Bo Jackson will carry the load for an offense-first squad in 2026.

5. Indiana (16-0)

At this point, we'd trust Curt Cignetti to get a team of junior varsity high schoolers to the playoff. Indiana loses a significant number of key contributors from this year's elite team, notably Fernando Mendoza and virtually all the James Madison transfers who followed Cignetti to Bloomington. However, Josh Hoover should keep the offense humming and a top-five portal class should keep the Hoosiers near the top of the sport.

6. Georgia (12-2)

Georgia returns a veteran-laden offense with Gunner Stockton and running back duo Nate Frazier and Chauncey Bowens. Kirby Smart needs to make some significant changes to the defense after Ole Miss torched the Bulldogs in the playoffs, but it's probably a safe bet he'll sort that out before Week 1.

7. Oklahoma (10-3)

If Brent Venables is the coach, the defense is essentially guaranteed to be lights-out. The question in Norman is whether the offense can do enough to lift Oklahoma into the elite tier of the sport. John Mateer is back at quarterback, and transfers Trell Harris and Parker Livingstone join returnee Isaiah Sategna III to form a talented wide receiver group. The pieces are all there to put points on the board; the only thing left is actually doing it.

8. Texas Tech (12-2)

Texas Tech once again fired the money cannon at the transfer portal and landed arguably the top name in Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby. A standout passer was the missing link in the Red Raiders' playoff team. Sorsby should fix that, and the defense projects to remain elite.

9. Texas A&M (11-2)

Home losses to Texas and Miami to end the season soured a largely successful campaign for Texas A&M. However, there's plenty of optimism in College Station. Marcel Reed returns at quarterback, and Alabama transfer Isaiah Horton joins Mario Craver to provide plenty of firepower out wide.

10. Miami (13-3)

Miami comes in at No. 10 provided that Darian Mensah ends up with the Hurricanes after entering the transfer portal from Duke. Mario Cristobal has opted for an established veteran quarterback the past two seasons with Cam Ward and Carson Beck, and it's paid off in two successful runs for Miami. Pairing Mensah with electric receiver Malachi Toney sounds like another sure-fire bet for Cristobal.

11. USC (9-4)

USC's roster is better than 11th in the country, especially with Lincoln Riley's impressive recruiting in both the high school and transfer fields. Terrell Anderson could be the next great Trojans receiver after joining from NC State, and quarterback Jayden Maiava is getting plenty of Heisman buzz. What knocks them down is an absolute minefield of a schedule featuring trips to Indiana and Penn State and home dates with Ohio State, Washington, and Oregon.

12. Michigan (9-4)

The upgrade in coaching from Sherrone Moore to Kyle Whittingham should be worth a few spots on its own. Whittingham bringing Jason Beck as his offensive coordinator to Ann Arbor is huge for quarterback Bryce Underwood and should immediately improve the offensive unit. Smith Snowden and John Henry Daley followed Whittingham from Utah and should anchor a defense that could be among the Big Ten's best.

13. Alabama (11-4)

Blowouts by Georgia and Indiana in two of the Alabama's last three games cast a pall over the offseason in Tuscaloosa. Kalen DeBoer's begun his Crimson Tide tenure with back-to-back four-loss seasons after Nick Saban had one in 17 years. DeBoer addressed the dismal offensive line in the portal, but the success of his 2026 season will likely come down to the play of either Austin Mack or the highly touted Keelon Russell at quarterback.

14. LSU (7-6)

With all the drama Lane Kiffin brings, it's easy to forget he's a damn good football coach. He produces no shortage of antics - and no shortage of points. He's got his quarterback at LSU with Sam Leavitt and three new receivers in Eugene Wilson III, Jayce Brown and Winston Watkins. The scoreboard in Baton Rouge should get a workout.

15. BYU (12-2)

BYU kept Kalani Sitake as head coach despite aggressive overtures from Penn State. The Cougars also keep Bear Bachmeier and LJ Martin to lead their punishing offensive attack. That should allow them to stay among the top teams in the Big 12 with serious playoff hopes yet again.

16. Ole Miss (13-2)

The short-term returns on the Pete Golding era at Ole Miss were extremely high: two playoff wins and a narrow loss to Miami in the semifinal. Now he heads into his first full season facing a serious question as to who will be the quarterback in Week 1. If Trinidad Chambliss wins his lawsuit and is eligible, the Rebels are a top-10 team. If he loses, No. 16 feels appropriate. After all, the offense has Kewan Lacy regardless.

17. SMU (9-4)

As long as Kevin Jennings is leading SMU out of the tunnel, the Mustangs will be in contention as a top-20 program. Rhett Lashlee restocked the skill positions on offense, adding receiver Yannick Smith and tight ends Randy Pittman Jr. and Theo Melin Ohrstrom.

18. Utah (11-2)

Whittingham, Beck, and a number of top players may have left Utah, but the Utes remain in strong position to compete for the Big 12. Defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley taking over as head coach gives Utah some continuity, as does the return of quarterback Devon Dampier.

19. Washington (9-4)

The Demond Williams Jr. saga somehow ended with the star quarterback staying in Washington. While his dalliance in the transfer portal didn't win him many fans on campus, all can be forgiven with a few strong performances. The Huskies finished the season with a flourish, racking up five double-digit wins in their last seven games.

20. Iowa (9-4)

The other faces and names may change, but if Kirk Ferentz is standing on the sideline, Iowa will be an issue for a lot of teams in the Big Ten. The Hawkeyes having sound defense and special teams units might be the surest thing in the sport, and the offense looked solid down the stretch under Tim Lester's guidance.

21. Houston (10-3)

Willie Fritz has three double-digit win seasons in his last four years as head coach following Houston's 10-win campaign in 2025. Conner Weigman returns at quarterback, and a transfer portal class highlighted by Oregon running back Makhi Hughes should beef up the Cougars' attack.

22. South Carolina (4-8)

A season full of promise turned into a disaster as South Carolina barely won four games during the 2025 campaign. That likely puts Shane Beamer on the hot seat, but he's got the electric quarterback-edge duo of LaNorris Sellers and Dylan Stewart to help him keep his job.

23. Illinois (9-4)

Bret Bielema has turned in one of the most underrated coaching performances of the past two years with 19 combined wins at Illinois. It'll be tough to keep that train rolling without star quarterback Luke Altmyer, but the Illini reloaded with Katin Houser. The East Carolina transfer passed for more than 3,300 yards last season and walks into a great situation with a loaded receiver room.

24. Penn State (7-6)

The James Franklin era is over, and it's Matt Campbell's time to shine at Penn State. Campbell brought almost half the Iowa State roster with him to State College, and that continuity should help the Nittany Lions find immediate success.

25. Virginia (11-3)

The ACC finalists prioritized defense and quarterback in the portal, with passers Beau Pribula and Eli Holstein giving Virginia multiple options to lead the offense.