College Football Rankings: Top 25 entering spring games
By Brad Weiss
With the college football season still five months away, we take a look at an early Top 25 rankings prior to the spring games.
It is never too early to start thinking about college football, and as teams begin to prepare for their annual spring games, we take a look at the Top 25 teams as we head into April. The college football season will kick off in September, but that does not mean that teams are already getting prepared to hoist the National Championship Trophy. Will Clemson repeat without Deshaun Watson? Or will Alabama make it back to the mountain top?
Here are the Top 25 teams heading into spring games.
University of Miami (FL) Hurricanes
2016: 9-4, ACC- Coastal Division
We kick off our early 2017 college football Top-25 rankings with the Miami Hurricanes, who are beginning to build back up the program. The 2017 recruiting class is ranked in the Top-15, with their 2018 class being the best in college football. The 2017 season is going to be a challenge, as they are losing their star quarterback to the NFL, but head coach Mark Richt has the talent in place to cause problems in the ACC.
Brad Kaaya was a bonafide star during his time with the Hurricanes, so replacing him will be a challenge. There are three players fighting for the job, including Malik Rosier, Evan Shirreffs, and Jack Allison, and there is no clear-cut leader right now. Wide receiver Ahmmon Richards is an absolute star, but with the team thin at running back, moving the ball may be a challenge for Miami this season.
The defense will be lead by their front seven, which is one of the best in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Joe Jackson and Chad Thomas are strong on the outside, while the combo of Richard McIntosh and Kendrick Norton should do a good job against the run. Miami is going to have to be led by their defense if they hope to challenge for a division title, but their time may be in the next year or so, when their talented 2018 class comes of age.