Fansided

College football rankings 2018: FanSided preseason Top 25

By Connor Muldowney

NEW ORLEANS, LA - JANUARY 01: Alabama Crimson Tide running back Damien Harris (34) runs with the football during the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Allstate Sugar Bowl between the Alabama Crimson Tide and Clemson Tigers on January 1, 2018, at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, LA. (Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA - JANUARY 01: Alabama Crimson Tide running back Damien Harris (34) runs with the football during the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Allstate Sugar Bowl between the Alabama Crimson Tide and Clemson Tigers on January 1, 2018, at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, LA. (Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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MANHATTAN, KS – NOVEMBER 11: Quarterback Will Grier #7 of the West Virginia Mountaineers throws a pass against the Kansas State Wildcats during the first half on November 11, 2017 at Bill Snyder Family Stadium in Manhattan, Kansas. (Photo by Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images)
MANHATTAN, KS – NOVEMBER 11: Quarterback Will Grier #7 of the West Virginia Mountaineers throws a pass against the Kansas State Wildcats during the first half on November 11, 2017 at Bill Snyder Family Stadium in Manhattan, Kansas. (Photo by Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images) /

Will there be a better offense in college football in 2018? It’s possible, but West Virginia is going to have a difficult time averaging less than 40 points per game and the Mountaineers may sleepwalk to 500 yards of total offense weekly.

Will Grier will be one of the front-runners for Heisman, engineering a prolific aerial attack. The Florida transfer passed for 3,490 yards and 34 touchdowns as a junior before a season-ending injury late in the season. He has all the tool to pass for over 4,000 yards and lead the Mountaineers’ offense into the top 10.

Two targets of Grier’s will be virtually uncoverable for defenses. One is Gary Jennings who led the team with 97 catches for 1,096 yards and seven scores, but David Sills may be the best receiver on the team after hauling in 18 touchdown catches in 2017.

Kennedy McKoy has 1,000-yard potential in the backfield, especially behind a behemoth-ridden offensive line.

The big problem, however, is on defense. The Mountaineers’ ranked 107th in total defense in 2017 as well as 90th in scoring defense. They had a tough time slowing down the rest of the Big 12, and that could be a continuing trend — a reason why the Mountaineers are just 17th in our Top 25.