With spring school football activities now, coaches can start building their squads for 2024 in their recreational activities without worrying about long-term outings (yet). Now the focus is on preparing for fall camps and the eventual start of As start week approaches in late August, it’s time to start counting down the days to predict how AP’s top-25 preseason football ratings might evolve. Here are the 25 detailed predictions:
Although Georgian football did not live up to their expectations and made their third consecutive appearance in the school football playoffs, this team still exudes skill in almost every single position. That, of course, starts with quarterback Carson Beck, who quietly had a wonderful first season as a starter. While locating a new No. 1 receiver after the loss of tight end Brock Bowers likely wouldn’t be easy, the addition of former Miami catcher Colbie Young helped. The defense was also unpleasant again. This year’s Bulldogs schedule is one of the toughest in the country.
Head coach Ryan Day has been one of the most successful coaches in all of college football since taking the reins of Columbus. Still, the pressure is mounting for the Buckeyes’ head coach after three straight losses to Michigan and no national name to win. He’s done everything he can to make this year’s Ohio State football team a machine, loading up the roster with additions from vital moves like Quinshon Judkins and Caleb Downs to pass along with last year’s stars like Emeka Egbuka and TreVeyon Henderson. The big question, though: Who will be the middleman between Kansas State move Will Howard and last year’s replacement, Devin Brown?
There is arguably no more talented quarterback room in the country than in Austin, Texas. However, only one can start, and at the moment it’s still Quinn Ewers with former five-star Arch Manning waiting for him behind him. Missing out on the College Football Playoff national championship last season, Steve Sarkisian’s Longhorns are hoping to succeed in the most sensible this season, even though it’s the team’s first year in the SEC. The biggest questions for the 2024 Texas football team will be whether to make up for losses on their defensive front, as well as fix their secondary that struggled last season.
Oregon’s 2024 football team is packed with talent, still coming in part from Mario Cristobal’s team, in part from the impressive signing of Dan Lanning, as well as impressive move portal acquisitions. To upgrade veteran quarterback Bo Nix, Lanning went out and recruited veteran Dillon Gabriel from Oklahoma. Among all the convention realignment, there’s arguably no team that feels better about meetings on the move than Oregon, which is second only to Ohio State as the most productive team in the Big Ten.
There is bound to be a lot of love for the Alabama football team, even if Nick Saban is gone. But that doesn’t mean that high-quality education or gamers have disappeared. There would arguably be no better replacement for Saban than Kalen. DeBoer, who won, left. Alabama still has Heisman’s quarterback Jalen Milroe and one of the most productive offensive line sets in the game (according to Pro Football Focus). The biggest question about the Alabama team this year is how do they handle a big transition phase?
Lane Kiffin gets his flowers after leading the Rebels to their most productive season in school history last season, winning 11 games for the first time. Ole Miss has also been one of the most productive schools to use the move portal to gain free-agent skill. The skill point has never been higher at Oxford, but now Kiffin and the company have to make it. Now, with an expanded playoff format, if Ole Miss loses any of the 12 spots, it’s got to be a disappointing season. .
Many say this season is only Marcus Freeman’s third year as head coach in any program. Still, since Brian Kelly’s departure to LSU, the Fighting Irish have not lacked pace, going 19-7 with two bowl wins under Freeman. The portal, adding the acquisition of former Duke quarterback Riley Leonard, deserves to place them without problems among the 25 most sensible in the 2024 school football preseason standings.
Even with all the turmoil that comes when Pac-12 members join the Big Ten, Penn State is still one of the most productive at the convention and once back will be fighting for a season of double-digit victories. Things will be a little different with new offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki and defensive coordinator Tom Allen, though. The latter will update Manny Diaz, who led one of the most productive defenses in the country last season. The former is looking to get the most out of quarterback Drew Allar and an offense that struggled a lot last season.
I’ve said since the end of the season last year that the two groups that have a lot to do would be Alabama and Michigan, simply because they’re going through a massive transition phase. For Michigan, it will be even worse, as they’ve lost much of last year’s ability that helped them win a national championship, not to mention their former head coach Jim Harbaugh and several key staff members. The Wolverines probably entered the top 10 of the most sensible 25 in the preseason just because they are champions.
It’s quite possible that the Seminoles will rank at the top of the AP’s 25 most sensible preseason college football rankings; That’s not the school football playoff committee, though. But Mike Norvell’s team has lost much of what made last year’s team great. Norvell once hit back. The move portal finds it difficult to catch up with the ones he lost in the draft or otherwise, hoping to keep the skill point constant. Anything that is rarely an appearance of ACC name should be considered a failed season in Tallahassee.
The SEC’s best sleeper so far is the Missouri football team. There’s a lot to like about Eli Drinkwitz’s team, which has plenty of players returning from last season, adding quarterback Brady Cook and one of the most productive receivers in the country, Luther Burden III. Add in some promising transfers to fill some mandatory gaps on both sides of the ball and who knows, Missouri can get double-digit wins like last year again. The Tigers rank ninth on ESPN’s College Football Power Index (FPI) and are expected to get just under 10 wins at 9-3.
Gone are Heisman Trophy winners Jayden Daniels and two first-round receivers Brian Thomas Jr. and Malik Nabers, but there are smart replacements, starting with quarterback Garrett Nussmeier. Offense wasn’t the challenge last year for the Tigers. The defense wants to step up this season, especially with games opposite USC, Ole Miss, Alabama, Florida and Oklahoma. Brian Kelly hired former Missouri defensive coordinator Blake Baker for the same position.
The first school of the Big 12 to reach the most sensible 25 in the preseason will likely be the Utah Utes, and they haven’t even played a game in their new convention yet. The Big 12 in their entirety will be in a primary transition phase, but the former Pac-12 member will be one of the favorites to return to the convention. A lot of that would possibly come from the consistency Kyle Whittingham has built with the program, while the other is that quarterback Cam Rising and tight end Brant Kuithe are back. of injuries after missing the entire 2023 season.
Most think that once Garrett Riley came from TCU as offensive coordinator last season, that aspect of the ball for the Tigers would improve. Apart from a slight increase, the scenario has not advanced as many imagine. This makes it a pivotal season for the quarterback. Cade Klubnik. However, there are still doubts about the defense, which only has two returning starters. The same can be said for the Wideouts, an organization that has been absent for the past two seasons. Another nine-win season interrupted Clemson’s wins.
The Vols get a lot of excitement at the start of the preseason, most commonly thanks to first-year starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava. Tennessee enthusiasts have been very pleased with the former five-star since he announced his engagement. Now he hopes to revive an attack that took a step back last season. While the defense has stepped up each season under defensive coordinator Tim Banks, this aspect of the ball only brings back 3 starters, one of them being the talented James Pearce Jr. Tennessee is a dark horse to make the school football playoffs.
There were many questions about Brent Venables’ defense in his first season at Norman. However, the defense took a step in the right direction last season. They’ll have six starters, compared to just two on offense. The Sooners hope much-vaunted quarterback Jackson Arnold will be Oklahoma’s next wonder quarterback.
It would be shocking if the Canes weren’t in the top 25 in the preseason standings. Few teams have made such a big improvement in their offseason roster as Miami. They hit the movement portal as hard as any team. Getting former Washington state quarterback Cam Ward is a huge win, a game-changer. Miami is a genuine risk within the ACC. They just have to get out of their own way.
Another favorite to win the Big 12 is Kansas State, which, according to head coach Chris Klieman, has only had one wasted season and fewer than 8 wins in its five seasons in Manhattan. With Will Howard departing for Ohio State, all signaling duties are assigned. talented dual-threat quarterback Avery Johnson. He, along with running back DJ Giddens, is a fatal offense on the field.
Rivals Oklahoma and Texas have now joined the SEC, leaving Oklahoma State to take the reins of the big 12. But the new members of the Pac-12 convention would likely have something to say about it. To accommodate that, head coach Mike Gundy has 10 starters in every aspect of the ball’s return this season, adding the talented running back Ollie Gordon II. But can Alan Bowguy be the ideal guy to lead the Cowboys’ center?
Jimbo Fisher is absent and Mike Elko will lead the Aggies in 2024. Will the effects be the same? Time will tell, Texas A.
The Trojans lose a former Heisman winner at quarterback, enter what will be a much tougher convention in the Big Ten and are coming off a disappointing 8-5 season. So what does this mean for USC in 2024? It’s hard to say. however, you may temporarily find an answer on a standalone Week 1 site vs. LSU in Las Vegas. Miller Moss replaces Caleb Williams at quarterback, who looked very smart at the Holiday Bowl. But all eyes will be on new defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn, hoping to fix last year’s dismal defense.
Everyone overlooks the Wolfpack, but this is a team that has won 8 or more games in six of the last seven seasons. Dave Doeren doesn’t get enough credit for his teams. What escaped the schedule is a spot in the ACC championship. game. That may replace this season thanks to a few transfers, such as former Coastal Carolina quarterback Grayson McCall taking over at center.
It would be easy to write Iowa off, given they were one of the worst offensive teams in the country last season. But it’s their forged defense that likely helps keep them in the top 25 in the preseason, as well as the consistency Kirk Ferentz has built into the program. New offensive coordinator Tim Lester hopes to fix the offensive problems and help quarterback Cade McNamara, who was injured last season. But how will the Hawkeyes adapt to the Big Ten’s new look?
Louisville has become one of last year’s wonder groups last season, clinching the ACC championship game, even though it was Jeff Brohm’s debut. Brohm hit the move portal to build last year’s Cardinals roster and did the same for the upcoming 2024 team. However, the festival promises to be much more difficult at the ACC this season. However, Louisville has the mandatory elements to potentially return to the convention’s naming game.
That would likely be too low for the Wildcats, who are coming off one of the most productive seasons in years for the program, winning 10 games. But wasting head coach Jedd Fisch turns out to be a big deal given the way he rebuilt the program. in the coming years. In his position will be Brent Brennan, who will be a first-year head coach. Fortunately for him, he’ll still have one of the most productive quarterbacks in the country, Noah Fifita, along with receiver Tetairoa McMillan. Arizona is also entering an open convention of the Big 12 in a transitional phase.
Shane Shoemaker is an associate editor and publisher of ClutchPoints, which covers a wide range of sports and entertainment-related topics, as well as NCAA, NFL and MLB football. Shane graduated from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga with a bachelor’s degree in communications and journalism.