If there is one thing we can take away from the improbable title run by the Indiana Hoosiers, it is that in today’s college football, the field of contenders can truly be wide open.
The portal and NIL have changed the sport dramatically, so while your team may have been down last season, it is no longer as difficult as it once was to rise to the top.
But teams still need to be smart, and in the case of this season’s Hoosiers, they did it without a single five-star on the roster and just six four stars.
So as we close the door on an exciting 2025, we look to the unpredictability of the upcoming season—and promptly try to predict it.
Here is our SuperWest way-too-early Top 25 for 2026.
1. Oregon Ducks
The last three games Oregon has lost have been to the National Champions—2024 to Ohio State and twice to Indiana in 2025.Needless to say, the Ducks have been very close recently and are reloading for another run.
They are losing some keys along the O-Line in Isaiah World and Emmanuel Pregnon, but with Dante Moore back under center and Dakarion Moore on the outside, along with a healthy Evan Stewart, this offense could be lethal.
Defensively, the Ducks will return a ton of talent, especially in the front seven, with A’Mauri Washington, Matayo Uiagalelei, Teitum Tuioti, and Bear Alexander all slated to return.
The addition of Koi Perich in the backend is huge. As a true freshman with Minnesota in 2025, he was one of the best safeties in the nation.
2. Ohio State Buckeyes
The Buckeyes will lose some key parts from a dominant defense. But OSU has already addressed some of those issues through the portal.A pair of Alabama transfers, James Smith and Qua Russaw, should step right into the defensive front. They will lose Caleb Downs in the back end, but pieces are in place for the defense to be really good again.
Julian Sayin returns at QB with a year under his belt and will still have Jeremiah Smith at his disposal on the outside and Bo Jackson running the ball.
The offense should be explosive in 2026.
3. Texas Longhorns
After a bit of a slow start, Arch Manning turned things on in the back half of the season, and in the Longhorns bowl win, he looked every bit of the Heisman favorite for next season.The offense will be loaded with Cam Coleman joining Ryan Wingo at WR and the addition of Raleek Brown gives UT another playmaker in the backfield.
The defense lost some key pieces, but the addition of Will Muschamp at DC is a huge get.
4. Indiana Hoosiers
The national champs will need to replace a Heisman winner at QB, but Josh Hoover might just fit the Mike Shanahan offense even better than Fernando Mendoza.The TCU transfer will have plenty of weapons at his disposal with Charlie Becker returning at WR and the addition of Nick Marsh. The offense has the potential to be more potent.
Defensively, Indiana was dominant in 2025 and that unit will have a lot of key contributors to replace, but the Hoosiers suffered some injuries, especially along the line in 2025 and did not miss a beat with the backups.
I’d expect that unit to fly around and make plays once again in 2026. The transfer class for the Hoosiers was rated among the best in the nation. And those rankings obviously don’t mean much to Curt Cignetti as he won the title with a bunch of three-stars and lower.
Indiana might be a newcomer on the national stage, but Cignetti’s crew looks like they might stay there for a while.
5. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
The Irish were left out of the playoffs in 2025 and then they took their ball and went home. They should be right back in the mix in 2026.At QB CJ Carr will be back and should be even better in his second season under center.
They lose both of their two headed monster at RB with Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price but should not miss a beat with Aneyas Williams, who averaged 9.3 yards per carry in 2025, toting the ball.
The defense returns nine of its top ten tacklers from 2025. The front four of that defense will also get a boost from the additions of Francis Brewu and Keon Keeley.
They add depth in the backend with DJ McKinney and Jayden Sanders coming in.
6. Georgia Bulldogs
The Bulldogs were young in 2025, and with that youth still won the SEC and made the playoffs. Down years for Kirby Smart and the Dawgs are career makers for some!The glaring spot on the roster is holes left at receiver. Talyn Taylor and CJ Wiley will be asked to step up in their sophomore seasons, and the addition of Isaiah Canion from Georgia Tech will help.
The secondary will need to be rebuilt, but they have the parts to get it done with the addition of Gentry Williams, Khalil Barnes, Braylon Conley, and Ja’Marley Riddle. The DBs may all be new faces, but they can all play.
The schedule is favorable for UGA and they look to “rebound” from their “down” season.
7. Texas Tech Red Raiders
Last season, the Red Raiders won their first outright conference title since 1955, and they look to reload in 2026. Tech had the best portal class in 2025, and the 2026 version is also among the best in the country.Coming off a shutout loss to Oregon in the Orange Bowl, TTU brought in Brendan Sorsby at QB, and that should be a huge upgrade for the offense.
The former Indiana and Cincinnati QB will have a ton of weapons to work with as Cameron Dickey and J’Koby Williams return, and the Raiders added some speedy pass catchers in the portal.
While the offense should be a lot better in 2026, the defense will have some questions and a ton of talent to replace. They got a pair of monsters in the pass rush with the additions of Adam Trick and Trey White.
Austin Romaine is a good get from Kansas State in the middle, but it will be hard for him to replace the production of Jacob Rodriguez.
8. Texas A&M Aggies
The Aggies started off the 2025 11-0, and it looked like Mike Elko’s squad was primed to do some damage in the postseason.That unblemished start turned into a pair of losses to close things out as they ran into suddenly red-hot Texas in the regular season finale and a white-hot Miami squad in the playoff opener.
They return some key figures on offense, with Marcel Reed returning to direct the ship, along with one of his best targets in Mario Craver. The offensive line should be improved with a plethora of talent added along the line through the portal.
On defense, they lose Cashious Howell, but the additions of Anto Saka, Angelo McCullom, and CJ Mimms should make the pass rush one of the most formidable in the nation next fall.
9. Miami Hurricanes
For the past couple of years in both my preseason poll and this version of it, I have had the Hurricanes ranked high.My comment has been, “Every year it seems that I buy into the fact that the Canes are back, every year that hype bites me a bit.”
Well, it certainly seems that The U is indeed back. Mario Cristobal will have a job ahead of him to get back to the title game in 2026, but the team should be the favorite to win the ACC—something they failed to do in 2025.
Offensively, returning Mark Fletcher at RB and Malachi Toney on the outside is huge. No matter who ends up running things at QB—Darian Mensah, formerly of Duke, would fit into this offense like a glove—will have talent to work with.
The defense will need to be reworked as a lot of NFL talent will be gone next season. But I think we can finally say the Canes are back and should be a force once again.
10. BYU Cougars
Kalani Sitake can flat-out coach.There may not be a coach in the nation who gets more out of his players than the head man in Provo, and if there is, he was probably the one raising the big trophy in Miami earlier this week.
Now, not only can Sitake coach them up, but this season the talent level should be the highest the Cougars have seen in some time.
The o-line will get a boost this season from a good transfer haul, getting the likes of Paki Finau, Zak Yamauchi, and Jr Sia. And with Bear Bachmeier and LJ Martin, a pair of stars, returning to operate behind the line, the offense should produce.
The defense will get a big boost in the form of Cade Uluave coming in from Cal. The Cougs are 23-4 over the last two seasons, and there seems to be no slowing down.
This team could be primed for a Big XII title and playoff run in 2026.
11. Ole Miss Rebels
The Rebels may have lost Lane Kiffin and some of the offensive staff, but Pete Golding did a very nice job of directing the team in the playoffs, and perhaps even more importantly, he kept a lot of their top contributors in Oxford.Among those sticking around are Kewan Lacy at RB and Will Echoles on the D-line. Those are both pretty good players to build around.
The status of Trinidad Chambliss is still up in the air pending the QBs law suit to gain another year. If he is behind center next fall, the Rebels could be better than 11th, but Deuce Knight would certainly be efficient at QB.
The defenses should have been upgraded in a big way through the portal.
Ole Miss might have a different look to it in 2026, but the Rebels should once again find a spot in the playoffs.
12. USC Trojans
Lincoln Riley probably needs to produce in a big way in 2026, at least it feels like he does.One thing is for sure in what could be a make-or-break year—the Trojans’ offense will be loaded. Jayden Maiava is back, as are running backs King Miller and Waymond Jordan, along with all five starters from the line.
The leading pass catchers will need to be replaced, but the Trojans have a budding star in Tanook Hines, and we saw that in the Alamo Bowl.
The Trojans will need to replace a lot on defense in 2026, including DC D’Anton Lynn, who left for Penn State.
But, while talent will need to be replaced, the defensive numbers were not great in 2025, ranking in the bottom half of the Big Ten in total defense and scoring defense.
If the Trojans can get things going on that side of the ball, 2026 could be a special season for USC.
13. Oklahoma Sooners
In the four seasons under Brent Venables, the Sooners have gone 10-3 twice; they have also gone 6-7 twice.The key in 2026 will be to sustain the momentum and not have another setback. When John Mateer was healthy in 2025, the Sooners looked like one of the best teams in the nation.
Next fall he will be fully healed from the broken bone in his hand, and the Sooners will need him to play like the Heisman favorite he was in the first half of 2025.
He will have targets to throw to with Trell Harris and Parker Livingstone joining the fold. Livingstone offers size in the redzone at 6-foot-4 and can stretch the field as well.
The defense loses a lot of depth, especially along the line, but the front seven should cause a lot of problems for opponents. The secondary will be the strength of the defense, and Venables always gets the most from his defenses.
14. LSU Tigers
Lane Kiffin builds programs, and he wins games. He wins a lot of games, and his teams score a lot of points.Now, some of the bigger games have eluded him. Will he finally be able to get those wins in Baton Rouge?
The offensive weapons will be in place for the Tigers to score a ton of points this season. Sam Leavitt will be the QB, and LSU has loaded up on pass catchers for him.
Last season, the offensive line for LSU was suspect, and Kiffin made that another portal priority.
On defense, the Tigers retained DC Blake Baker and got star LB Whit Weeks to come back. Both should boost a defense that will get mostly re-tooled and will need to step up if Kiffin is to finally take that next step.
15. Washington Huskies
Jedd Fisch’s biggest win in the offseason was getting Demond Williams Jr. to recommit to the Huskies after flirting with the transfer portal.They were not as lucky with Adam Mohammad, who surprisingly entered the portal. Couple that departure with Jonah Coleman leaving for the NFL, and UW has over 300 scrimmage touches to replace next season.
There seems to be some potential replacements in Seattle, however. They add Jayden Limar to the backfield from Oregon, but I think Brian Bonner will step up for the Huskies in a big way this fall.
Denzel Boston is off to the NFL, and Raiden Vines-Bright transferred to ASU, but the Huskies reloaded in the portal, and some talented pass-catchers remain.
Washington will be loaded at LB, and the front seven should make things difficult on opposing offenses. The secondary will have new faces that are going to need to step up quickly.
The Huskies ended 2025 as a team on the rise, and I think that momentum will carry into the fall.
16. Michigan Wolverines
The Kyle Whittingham era begins in Michigan, and if there ever was a perfect fit of coach and program, this is it.The Wolverines have been a hot mess off the field the last few years with scandals, and Whittingham is the coach the program needs right now.
The head man was seemingly getting forced out at Utah, and the Wolverines offered the 66-year-old head coach the opportunity prove himself once again at a power school.
Now, how quickly can this perfect marriage produce? Well, a slew of transfers from Utah should keep the Michigan defense as mighty as it has been in recent seasons.
The offense has playmakers in place with RB Jordan Marshall and WR Andrew Marsh prepared to make impacts. Directing the offense will again be QB Bryce Underwood, who should make marked improvement in his sophomore season.
Look for Whittingham and the Wolverines to come up big in 2026.
17. SMU Mustangs
Kevin Jennings will again be back at QB, and that is a really good spot for the Mustangs to start.SMU took a small step back in 2025 after their playoff run in 2024, but Jennings was still very potent, throwing for 3,641 yards and 26 TDs. But for SMU to climb back to the 2024 level, he’ll need to cut back on the interceptions.
SMU will have a bruising runner in Kendrick Raphael this season, and the offensive line will be a strength.
Defensively, there are a lot of questions, but the line and secondary were priorities during the portal period. How well that unit performs will determine if SMU takes a step towards a playoff return or slides for another season.
18. Houston Cougars
The Cougars won 10 games in 2025. Yes, the jump for Willie Fritz and UH from season one (4-8) to season two (10-3) was remarkable and quite possibly the quietest 10-win season in history.A large part of that success was the play of Conner Weigman, and the QB will be back in 2026.
He has a playmaker to throw the ball to in Amare Thomas and Makhi Hughes, who should produce at RB (but I also thought he’d be an All-Big Ten performer for Oregon last July).
There are some holes along the line, but the Cougars looked to address those in the portal. A defense that was surprisingly solid in 2025 returns almost every key player and should get a boost from the addition of Javion White at safety.
The Cougars may or may not be a 10-win team in 2026, but they certainly will make more noise than they did last fall.
19. Alabama Crimson Tide
There are hot seats, and then there is the seat that Kalen DeBoer is occupying heading into the 2026 season. Right or wrong, the Tide will need to win, or DeBoer’s stay in Tuscaloosa could be short.And winning in Alabama seems to be defined differently than winning anywhere else.
Ty Simpson is headed to the NFL, but the Bama staff is really high on Keelon Russell. The QB has a huge arm and the accuracy to be an elite thrower, especially under DeBoer—the guy can coach, despite what some in the south think.
The big problem for the Tide on offense in 2025 was the ground game, and the addition of Ezavier Crowell should be a boost for the running attack.
As should additions on the line through the portal, notably in the form of Ty Hayward at tackle and center Kaden Strayhorn.
The Tide will need to get better on defense, especially up front. The front seven will need to be retooled this season, and that development could be the difference in a make-or-break season.
20. Iowa Hawkeyes
For many years it was “What if Iowa had a mediocre offense to go along with that defense?”Well, last season the offense was definitely mediocre and a big upgrade from past Iowa squads, but the defense was not quite as dominant.
What you got was a 9-4 team that lost those four games by a total of 14 points—one of them a rivalry game vs ISU, a pair of them to Indiana and Oregon, and the fourth at USC.
So, to answer the question, Iowa is a really good football team with a bit of offense. The defense will need to replace some players, but Kirk Ferentz and Phil Parker are always going to have a stingy defense.
Offensively, the ground game will be fantastic with Kamari Moulton and LJ Phillips. There will be a battle at QB, and whoever wins the starting spot (I think it will be Jeremy Hecklinski), and if they are smart with the football, this could be a dangerous Iowa team.
21. Louisville Cardinals
Louisville looked like a lock for the ACC’s playoff spot three-quarters of the way into the season. They were 7-1 with a win over Miami on the resume.Not only did Louisville miss the playoffs, but they did not even make the ACC Championship game.
They lost three straight after Isaac Brown and his 8.8 yards per carry went down. He will be back in 2026, and the Cards should have a formidable one-two punch of ball carriers with him and Keyjuan Brown running the ball.
Lincoln Kienholz should offer more production in the passing game at QB.
Louisville’s defense was among the best in the nation in 2025, but it will need to replace five starters from that unit.
22. Utah Utes
The good news for the Utes is that Devon Dampier will be back in 2026, and he will have an electric receiver at his disposal in Braden Pegan.Wayshawn Parker will also be back to run the ball, and that gives the Utes playmakers on offense.
The bad news is that the offensive line that was loaded with NFL potential will see those guys on NFL teams in the fall.
The Utes also lost a ton of difference makers on defense to Michigan.
Morgan Scalley was the architect of the Utah defense, and I think he’ll rebuild that unit quickly.
23. Virginia Tech Hokies
James Franklin has hit the ground running in Blacksburg.He has brought several players with him from Penn State, including QB Ethan Grunkemeyer and TE Luke Reynolds.
Grunkemeyer finished the season on a hot streak for Penn State after taking over the QB spot when Drew Allar got hurt.
The Hokies should have a solid defense. Javion Hilson could be a disruptive pass rusher, and Jaquez White has the potential to be a lockdown corner.
Will Franklin be able to win the big ones with Va Tech? We’ll find out soon enough, but this season he only needs to win enough games to make them relevant again.
24. Arizona Wildcats
Brent Brennan and the Wildcats finished the season 5-1 in their last six, with the lone loss in the Holiday Bowl.It was quite the turnaround from year one under Brennan and offers momentum heading into 2026.
Noah Fifita is coming back for his fourth season, and the QB looked a lot more like the 2023 version than the 2024 model at the back end of last season.
The Wildcats must replace some production at WR and RB, but have a deep group returning at both spots.
The secondary was a priority in the portal for a unit that was among the best in the nation against the pass last season. Danny Gonzalez is among the best DC’s in the country, and Arizona will be stout on that side of the ball in 2026.
25. Boise State Broncos
The rarity among successful Group of Six programs is the ability to keep their head coach after success.But the Broncos have maintained under Spencer Danielson, and the three-time MW champion coach will now navigate the Broncos through the new Pac-12.
The Broncos return a ton of playmakers, including QB Maddux Madsen and the RB combo of Dylan Riley and Sire Gaines.
What the offense will need to replace is production on the line. The Broncos will need to fill the void left from a pair of all-conference performers on the offensive front.
Defensively the front seven will be loaded and led by ends Jayden Virgin-Morgan and Max Stege. The secondary will need to be re-tooled, but the addition of Roman Tillmon should help shore things up in the backend.
