There are plenty of programs to choose from when it comes to rebuilding a program on Dynasty Mode in College Football 26. But which teams are great projects that aren’t competing at the sharp end of college football right now?
Honestly, “underrated” is such a weird word and can mean something different to virtually anyone. One might consider the word to be representative of something that isn’t quite top tier, but comparable. Others would use it as a way to describe something most people think is great, but isn’t necessarily elite. That’s why developing this list was a bit difficult, because I’m sure a lot of people wouldn’t consider some of these programs to be “underrated” per se.
That said, my criteria was this: What are some teams that used to be great, but aren’t anymore? What are some that had a good run, but have been mostly overlooked? And what’s a team or two that has one star you can build around?
Here are some underrated choices for Dynasty Mode saves in College Football 26.
10 Underrated College Football 26 Teams Worth Rebuilding In Dynasty Mode
Purdue
Throughout its history, the Purdue Boilermakers have never been a truly dominant force. In fact, outside of the Big 10 Conference, Purdue has never been crowned as national champion (though they are recognized as unclaimed champions of 1931). However, once upon a time, Purdue had an extremely formidable program, especially during the original Joe Tiller era, where the team often played spoiler to much more prestigious Notre Dame.
Taking Purdue to the top is no easy feat. But it’s going to be engaging to say the least.
Boise State
Known for its iconic blue turf at its Albertson Stadium home, the Boise State Broncos won their first Division I national championship back in 1980. And since then, the program has remained relevant. However, they’re always stuck in that BYU area: Always good enough to compete, but not good enough to truly challenge. You can change that.
And from the rip, you’ll have help. Not only will you have the services of junior QB Maddux Madsen at your disposal, but you’ll also have Kage Casey — one of the best offensive linemen in the country — protecting him. Jayden Virgin-Morgan is also an incredibly competent edge rusher, and senior Malik Sherrod will be pivotal in the running game.
The goal of this rebuild? Recruit replacements for these players, all of whom are within two school years of graduating, build for the future, and bring another national championship to the Broncos.
Pitt
In the early 20th century, the Pittsburgh Panthers were a bona fide dynasty. Between 1915 and 1937, the program claimed 8 national championships. Since then, however, the Panthers have only won a single national championship, and that came in 1976. Despite that, Pitt has consistently produced some top-tier talent, which has included NFL Hall of Famers such as quarterback Dan Marino, running back Tony Dorsett, and iconic tight end-turned-coach Mike Ditka.
If you choose to take over Pitt, you’ll have some really fun (yet raw) materials at your disposal. For one, you’ll have Che Nwabuko, one of the fastest wide receivers in the game. You’ll also have Desmon Reid, an incredibly talented running back who I expect to make a splash in the NFL after completing his senior year. Eli Holstein ain’t a bad QB either, though he does need some development. However, he’s only a sophomore, so you’ll likely have two more years to see if he can become part of the upper echelon of college QBs.
Pitt has brand value, prestige, a rich history, and is in one of the best football towns in the world. This rebuild (if you can even call it that) is a no-brainer.
Rutgers
OK, this one is kind of for me. But the New York City metro area has been starved for a reason to care about football at the collegiate level. And maybe, taking the always solid but seldom great Rutgers Scarlet Knights is a good challenge if you care about something like that.
Throughout its history, Rutgers has only captured one national championship, but that was all the way back in 1869. And that was hardly even a traditional season — they competed in the first two intercollegiate games ever played with Princeton, and split the series. So, you’ll have to be the one to lead the Scarlet Knights to glory. It’ll take a while, but you’ll have access to the Big Apple and Pennsylvania pipelines, which is pretty good.
By default, Rutgers is as solid as one can be with 81 ratings across the board. They also have DT Sheffield, an incredibly talented wide receiver with incredible athleticism and fundamentals. Eric O’Neil and Bradley Weaver are both elite edge rushers as well. Unfortunately, all three of these players are in their senior year, so you’ll have to immediately start building for the future upon taking the head coach job.
Indiana
On the basketball side of things, Indiana is perennially competitive and always in the mix. On the football side, however, the Hoosiers haven’t had close to the same success. Not only has the football program failed to capture a national title in the past, but Indiana has only two conference championships and a career bowl record of 3-11.
In reality, this is less of a “rebuild” and more of a challenge to ensure that Hoosiers football eventually reaches the same kind of prestige in football as they do basketball. And, to be fair, you’ll have a solid foundation to build upon.
For one, quarterback Fernando Mendoza is a recent transfer from Cal and is going into his junior year with a great skill set. The only problem is that, outside of running back Roman Hemby, the offense doesn’t have much in the way of weapons. So, the method of this Dynasty save is to try to attract recruits ahead of Mendoza’s senior year, and maybe even poach a few wideouts from the transfer portal. Within 10 seasons or so, if you’ve done a good enough job, the program should be contending.
USC
While under Pete Carroll in the 2000s, the USC Trojans were among the top teams in college football — they won 7 Pac-10, won seven bowl games, and had six consecutive top-four AP rankings. There was Carson Palmer, Reggie Bush, Matt Leinart… seriously, what a stretch. But ever since Carroll’s departure, the Trojans have fallen off quite a bit. This makes them perfect for a rebuild.
Despite not having much recent success, USC’s wide receiver room is pretty stacked, consisting of both Makai Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane, both of whom are juniors. Jayden Maiava ain’t a bad QB either. So, the offense can deliver some quality for you in the interim.
The goal with USC is to carefully build them up and return them to the promised land. It’s going to require some good recruiting and a bit of patience, but it definitely be done. And maybe even within 5 seasons if you play your cards right.
Florida State
If you don’t know by now, Florida has some extremely prestigious college football teams. Among them are the Florida State Seminoles, an iconic program with an illustrious history. However, it is fresh off the worst season it’s ever had. In 2024, the Seminoles finished a lousy 2-10. While there are multiple reasons why, maybe it’s time to take over for Mike Norvell and have a fresh start.
If you’re aspiring to lead Florida State to its first national title since 2013, some work will have to be done. Despite going into his senior year and having just transferred from Boston College, quarterback Tommy Castellanos is just… OK. However, the Seminoles’ defense has some stellar players, such as corner Jeremiah Wilson, or tackles Darrell Jackson Jr. and Micah Pettus.
Build up Florida State’s offense, try to find some firepower to replace the defensemen, and Florida State can revert to its glory days.
UCLA
Building a program in Southern California is obviously a juicy prospect for CFB players. Who doesn’t want to live in a major market and be the talk of the town? If you’re one of these people, but taking over the already renowned USC isn’t what you want to do, then UCLA can be a great challenge.
The Bruins had a few really good spells late in the 20th century, such as their 1982 Rose Bowl season, Troy Aikman’s breakout year in 1987, and Cade McNown’s run in the late 90s. But, to date, the program has only grabbed one national title, despite having all of the infrastructure to really take it to the bigger schools.
Upon taking over UCLA, you’ll have a really good QB in Nico Iamaleava, a recent transfer from Tennessee. There are a few good running backs and wide receivers, too, but the defense is severely lacking. You’ll have to put some work into the offense, and the defense will need a complete upheaval. This is a long-term project, though, so keep up with the objectives and you’ll do fine.
Iowa
The Hawkeyes have always stood out as one of the stronger college football teams in the nation. However, over the course of its history, Iowa has mostly been the bridesmaid, but not the bride. It’s time to take over, get them back to where they were in the 2000s and early 2010s, and finish the job.
A big problem with Iowa currently is that, despite having some serious stars on the team, none of them are in skill positions. So, essentially, you’ll be starting fresh with this team, but whilst retaining Iowa’s quality pipeline and reputation.
Unfortunately, building from scratch is often difficult, and if you want to be competitive during a rebuild, it’ll require you to hope that your freshmen are ready to contribute, and everyone else develops at a decent pace. But you’ve got this!
South Carolina
A bit unconventional compared to other teams on this list, the South Carolina Gamecocks aren’t a fallen giant or in a massive media market. But what they do have is sophomore QB LaNorris Sellers! And he’s a blast to play with.
I won’t lie — keeping Sellers until his senior year will be tough. But if you can somehow manage to keep him, you have a genuine superstar player to build an offense around. Because right now, the Gamecocks are without any other elite offensive talent. So, building a good WR room to supplement Norris’ impeccable skills is a must.
Plus, who doesn’t like building around an athletic QB? It certainly makes manually playing the games way more exciting!
