An early look at the college football rankings as Clemson and Alabama vie for the top spot in our Top 25 after spring football has wrapped up.
The 2019 college football season is roughly three months in the future, but there has been plenty of goings-on since the Clemson Tigers dismantled the Alabama Crimson Tide to win the National Championship. From NFL Draft declarations to National Signing Day to the new institution of the transfer portal and the conclusion of spring football, plenty of changes have occurred.
All of these decisions and happenings, despite being vastly different, have an effect on a college football program heading into the following season. Underclassmen declaring for the NFL Draft leaves a hole (or holes) that must be filled one way or another. A player transferring also leaves a hole, but it could also fill a hole on the team that he transfers to, depending on if they’re granted eligibility.
Admittedly, National Signing Day and recruiting classes may not have as big of an impact as the other two instances mentioned. Most programs do choose to let the majority of their incoming freshmen develop in some way before throwing them into the fire. Having said that, having a strong recruiting class that could fill holes immediately or at least helps to address depth concerns can help a team’s outlook still, without question.
Following the College Football Playoff National Championship Game, FanSided’s Connor Muldowney offered up his Way-too-early Top 25 college football rankings for 2019. However, it’s time to look at those rankings and assess the playing field and the landscape of the sport once more now that spring camps are over.
All 2019 recruiting class rankings are via 247Sports Composite Rankings.
- Notable Losses: Malik Rosier, Joe Jackson, Gerald Willis, Michael Jackson, Jaquan Johnson, Tyree St. Louis, Travis Homer, Venzell Boulware
- Notable Returners: N’Kosi Perry, Jeff Thomas, DeeJay Dallas, Shaq Quarterman, Michael Pinckney, Sheldrick Redwine, Jonathan Garvin
- 2019 Recruiting Class Ranking: 28th
With Manny Diaz taking over for Mark Richt as head coach of the Miami Hurricanes, perhaps no program in the country has benefitted more from the transfer portal than The U. Loading up on high-end talent, the Hurricanes have brought in quarterback Tate Martell (Ohio State), running back Asa Martin (Auburn), defensive tackle Chigozie Nnoruka (UCLA), safety Bubba Bolden (USC), defensive end Trevon Hill (Virginia Tech) and landed former No. 1 overall recruit, defensive end Jaelan Phillips (UCLA), as well.
Considering the change at head coach, it’s not all that surprising that the Miami recruiting class was ranked just 28th in the country. That’s what makes their work in regards to landing top-end transfers so important and impressive. Coming off of a 7-6 season where they wildly disappointed and with some big losses, particularly on defense, Miami needed to find a way to reload and they have. Granted, this largely depends on eligibility granted for 2019, but things are looking up.
Perhaps the biggest battle to watch in the 2019 offseason will be at quarterback as N’Kosi Perry and Martell — assuming he’s deemed eligible — battle it out. Given the struggles at the position with Richt at the helm, Diaz needs to find his guy in a hurry and keep things consistent to get the Hurricanes heading in a positive direction.
Regardless, their work in regards to the transfer portal lands them a spot in these rankings.
- Notable Losses: Clayton Thorson, Jordan Thompson, Nate Hall, Flynn Nagel, Blake Hance, Montre Hartage, Jared McGee
- Notable Returners: Isaiah Bowser, Cameron Green, Paddy Fisher, J.R. Pace, Ben Skowronek, Blake Gallagher, Joe Gaziano
- 2019 Recruiting Class Ranking: 51st
After winning the Big Ten West last season, we should never underestimate Pat Fitzgerald and his Northwestern Wildcats again. They’ve made a habit out of coming out of nowhere and making serious noise under the head coach’s tenure, and they’re not likely to stop. The only thing is, they won’t come out of nowhere in the 2019 college football season because this team could be quite dangerous from the get-go.
While the Wildcats are losing veteran quarterback Clayton Thorson heading into 2019, they’re set to be able to start one of the best quarterbacks to ever don a Northwestern uniform: Hunter Johnson. The former 5-star recruit for Clemson transferred to the Wildcats in June 2018 and had to sit out last season. But with Thorson gone, Johnson is now eligible and set to take over the reins of this team.
Moreover, the Northwestern defense, despite some losses, will be strong as star linebacker Paddy Fisher returned to school for another season, along with six other starters from the 2018 season on that side of the ball.
Northwestern’s recruiting class is certainly not much to speak of coming into the 2019 season, though some wide receiver help and depth could be coming with a pair of 4-star players. That causes them to drop slightly in the rankings, but make no mistake that this team is in a good spot to once again be heard from in the Big Ten in 2019.
- Notable Losses: Devine Ozigbo, Stanley Morgan Jr., Tre Neal, Luke Gifford, Dedrick Young II, Aaron Williams
- Notable Returners: Adrian Martinez, Maurice Washington, JD Spielman, Mohamed Berry, Antonio Reed, Ben Stille, Dicaprio Bootle
- 2019 Recruiting Class Ranking: 19th
Early on in the 2018 season, the Nebraska Cornhuskers were one of the punching bags of the college football world. Despite adding the vaunted head coach hire of the offseason in Scott Frost, formerly of UCF, the Huskers were looking quite hapless throughout much of the beginning of the season. However, as the season progressed, so too did this Nebraska team as a whole. Their 4-8 final record doesn’t capture the optimism that should be around Frost and his team heading into 2019.
There’s no doubt that Nebraska has some big losses to contend with as wide receiver Stanley Morgan Jr. and running back Devin Ozigbo were the team’s leading receiver and rusher, respectively, in 2018 and are now heading to the NFL. Having said that, quarterback Adrian Martinez will be back for his sophomore season and showed real promise in his first season in Lincoln. On top of that, the Nebraska defense may only be returning six starters from last season, but four of those players ranked in the top-five in tackles for the Huskers last season.
Even better, Frost flexed his ability as a recruiter a bit this past season as he brought in a top-20 ranked class in the country, including Luke McCaffrey — yes, from that family — to back up Martinez, which could be crucial. With all of this, the arrow is pointing starkly up for Nebraska looking to 2019.
- Notable Losses: David Montgomery, Hakeem Butler, Kyle Kempt, Brian Peavy, Willie Harvey
- Notable Returners: Brock Purdy, JaQuan Bailey, Mike Rose, Braxton Lewis, Greg Eisworth
- 2019 Recruiting Class Ranking: 48th
Matt Campbell continues to be one of the names that get floated around in the football offseason in regards to hot coaching candidates, yet he remains the head coach of the Iowa State Cyclones for another year entering the 2019 season. Unfortunately for Campbell, he will be entering another season with the Cyclones having to replace some key contributors on the offensive side of the ball.
Running back David Montgomery and wide receiver Hakeem Butler are heading to the pro football ranks by way of the NFL Draft. Considering that they were the team leaders in their respective fortes in the offense last season, replacing them will not be a small task. The good news for Campbell and Iowa State is that the future is secure at quarterback.
Freshman Brock Purdy took over the reins of the offense last season and proved to be a budding star, albeit one that slid slightly under the radar for much of the season. Purdy helped lead the Cyclones to an 8-5 record on the year and the hope is that, as he progresses and matures, Iowa State as a whole will follows. 2019 will be telling in that regard.
Additionally, the Cyclones return the bulk of their defensive starters from a year ago, obviously boding well for them on that side of the ball. Despite the fact that the Cyclones didn’t make much noise in recruiting, which causes them to fall a bit from the previous rankings, they aren’t going away.
- Notable Losses: Jarrett Stidham, Deshaun Davis, Ryan Davis, Darius Slayton, Dontavius Russell, Chandler Cox, Jamel Dean, Darrell Williams
- Notable Returners: Derrick Brown, Marlon Davidson, Javaris Davis, Kam Martin, Jeremiah Dinson, Kam Martin, Daniel Thomas, Nick Coe
- 2019 Recruiting Class Ranking: 11th
The Auburn Tigers were in danger of being in a truly awful position heading into the 2019 season barring NFL Draft decisions. While they were destined to lose quarterback Jarrett Stidham to the next level, the hope was that they would be able to keep their defense intact for the upcoming season under Gus Malzahn. To their fortune, that is what happened as they’ll be in a fine position on the defensive side of the ball.
Defensive tackle Derrick Brown, defensive lineman Marlon Davidson and defensive back Javaris Davis are all going to be back for Auburn in the 2019 season, giving this group a strong foundation, which they’ll need to compete in what is going to be a strong SEC slate next year. On top of that, a strong recruiting class included one of the best outside linebacker prospects in the country, Owen Pappoe.
Speaking of recruiting, though, another newcomer will be in line to replace Stidham as Bo Nix, one of the top quarterbacks in the class comes to town. He won’t be without competition as Joey Gatewood, Cord Sandberg and Malik Willis will have a crack at the job as well. Having said that, how that battle plays out could be the most critical factor in Auburn’s 2019. If they make the right call as they face a tough, tough schedule, the Tigers have pieces to be a factor in the SEC.
- Notable Losses: David Edwards, T.J. Edwards, Michael Deiter, Beau Benzschawel, Ryan Connelly, D’Cota Dixon, Andrew Van Ginkel
- Notable Returners: Jonathan Taylor, Alex Hornibrook, Zack Baun, Danny Davis, A.J. Taylor, Scott Nelson, Tyler Biadasz
- 2019 Recruiting Class Ranking: 27th
There was a chance that the Wisconsin Badgers could find themselves in a rough position for the 2019 season in regards to their offensive line as it appeared like four starters could be heading to the NFL Draft. Of course, the Badgers have been a factory of great offensive linemen in years past, so that wouldn’t be a death sentence. However, Tyler Biadasz electing to return to Wisconsin is a huge boost for that group up front.
Behind that offensive line, Wisconsin will also have Heisman Trophy hopeful running back Jonathan Taylor coming back for his true junior season in Madison. The struggles overall of the Badgers last season seemed to overshadow Taylor’s work last season, but he remains one of the most productive and dominant rushing forces in all of college football.
Where the Badgers will surely be under the microscope in 2019 is at quarterback and on defense. The defense was abysmal last season and losing T.J. Edwards isn’t going to help. And while quarterback Alex Hornibrook appears on-track to play again in 2019, he has been up-and-down throughout his career. Having 5-star recruit Graham Mertz to push him will certainly not be a bad thing, however, and the hope is that Wisconsin can capitalize on Taylor’s talent and their overall potential this season.
- Notable Losses: Noah Fant, T.J. Hockensen, Amani Hooker, Jack Hockaday, Anthony Nelson, Jake Gervase, Nick Easley, Parker Hesse
- Notable Returners: Nate Stanley, Brandon Smith, Ihmir Smith-Marsette, A.J. Epenesa, Michael Ojemudia, Mekhi Sargent, Toren Young
- 2019 Recruiting Class Ranking: 40th
Nate Stanley is returning for his third season as the starting quarterback of the Iowa Hawkeyes in 2019, which is obviously terrific news for the offense. Stanley is just 23 touchdown tosses away from setting the school record and will enter the upcoming college football season as one of the most underrated passers in the sport. This all bodes well for him and his team, but there are some questions that Iowa, on the whole, will have to answer in 2019.
For starters, perhaps Stanley’s two most consistent and biggest weapons in the passing game, tight ends Noah Fant and T.J. Hockenson, will no longer be suiting up for the Hawkeyes as they head to the NFL Draft. While the offense does have some returning pass-catchers like Ihmir Smith-Marsette that showed flashes last season, losing two elite tight ends is something that is going to be hard to contend with.
On the opposite side of the ball, the defensive unit for Iowa does have one stalwart returning in A.J. Epenesa on the line. However, the group as a whole returns just four starters from last season, which means that they could have some growing pains in that regard. There is talent, to be sure, but there is a distinct lack of experience that will undoubtedly be something to keep an eye on for this team.
- Notable Losses: Chase Hansen, Marquise Blair, Cody Barton, Corrion Ballard, Jackson Barton, Jordan Agasiva
- Notable Returners: Zack Moss, Tyler Huntley, Julian Blackmon, Jason Shelley, Briain Covey, Bradlee Anae
- 2019 Recruiting Class Ranking: 45th
In truth, National Signing Day and all of the movement spurred on by players entering the transfer portal wasn’t going to affect the Utah Utes in too many major ways heading into the 2019 season. This is a team that, for better or worse, is going to be one of the more experienced teams in the Pac-12 and, frankly, in the entire top 25.
The Utes will bring back seven starters from their defense a year ago and eight starters from the offensive group. Obviously, where they’re going to butter their bread is with that experience and veteran leadership. That’s good considering they’re coming off of a nine-win 2018 season that was actually more impressive than the record might show.
For one, the defense that returns a ton of experience ranked 17th in the country in scoring last season, which bodes well for them heading into this coming season. On top of that, their offensive leaders in quarterback Tyler Huntley and running back Zack Moss are both going to be back in Salt Lake and have the ability to carry the Utes on that side of the ball.
So, while Utah barely managed to crack the top 50 in terms of their 2019 recruiting class and while they won’t have many new faces contributing early on for them, the Utes are a viable threat to win the Pac-12 and not a team to be taken lightly in any regard.
- Notable Losses: Eric Dungey, Koda Martin, Jamal Custis, Kielan Whitner, Ryan Guthrie, Chris Slayton, Cody Conway
- Notable Returners: Tommy DeVito, Alton Robinson, Taj Harris, Moe Neal, Sean Riley, Andre Cisco, Nykeim Johnson, Kendall Coleman
- 2019 Recruiting Class Ranking: 53rd
Losing the school’s all-time leading passer is never an easy thing to contend with, but it’s what Dino Babers and the Syracuse Orange must contend with as they head into the 2019 season. Eric Dungey has graduated and can no longer man the offense, this coming off a 10-win season for the Orange that was highly impressive. Now it’s time for Tommy DeVito to take over the offense, even with big shoes to fill.
The good news for Syracuse is that DeVito has the pedigree to develop into a high-level starting quarterback in college football. On top of that, though, the Orange’s recruiting class was bolstered heading into National Signing Day as they were able to flip David Summers from his commitment to play for the Maryland Terrapins and give DeVito a talented backup option should they be forced to go in that direction for whatever reason.
On top of that, the Orange return eight starters from their 2018 defense and have high hopes on that side of the ball that their experience can carry them. Subsequently, if DeVito, the other experienced offensive players returning and some newcomers like transfers Trishton Jackson and some offensive linemen, can step up and carry the offense, Babers and the Orange should continue to be a threat in the ACC. Having said that, there is a distinct path for Syracuse to drop pretty quickly from the top 25 should things go awry early.
- Notable Losses: Gardner Minshew, James Williams Darrien Molton, Peyton Pelluer, Andre Dillard, Kyle Sweet, Hunter Dale, Logan Tago
- Notable Returners: Tay Martin, Dezmon Patmon, Max Borgi, Easop Winston, Davontavean Martin, Skyler Thomas, Jahad Woods
- 2019 Recruiting Class Ranking: 64th
Mike Leach, without question, has earned the respect as an offensive genius throughout his time in Pullman with the Washington State Cougars, if he hadn’t already. The always-a-character head coach struck gold in the 2018 season by landing East Carolina transfer Gardner Minshew, who had the team on the cusp of the Pac-12 Championship. Though they fell short, Minshew and Leach still won a record 11 games for the Cougars.
With Minshew gone, though, there were questions about what Washington State was set to do at quarterback. Those questions have since been answered, though, as Leach has seemingly found his next guy in Gage Gubrud. The transfer from Eastern Washington was prolific while in the FCS ranks and, with him now being inserted in Leach’s passing attack and offense, he should be able to come in and help the offense not to miss too much of a beat.
While this isn’t a strong recruiting class coming into Pullman, the defense still returns six starters and should look to build off a quietly strong 2018 season. On top of that, though, the Washington State offense does return the bulk of their starters from last season, including their top-three pass catchers from last season and running back Max Borghi. Simply put, this may not be a star-studded, headline-stealing group, but the Cougars will be in the mix atop the Pac-12 in the 2019 season.
- Notable Losses: Trace McSorley, Amani Oruwariye, Connor McGovern, Miles Sanders, Koa Farmer, DeAndre Thompkins, Shareef Miller, Ryan Bates, Juwan Johnson (transfer)
- Notable Returners: K.J. Hamler, Tommy Stevens, Micah Parsons, Yetur Gross-Matos, Garrett Taylor, Jan Johnson, John Reid
- 2019 Recruiting Class Ranking: 13th
Call it a mass exodus from Happy Valley, but there has been tremendous turnover on the Penn State Nittany Lions roster heading into the 2019 season. James Franklin not only had five underclassmen declare early for the NFL Draft, but they had 11 players enter the transfer portal as well. With key players like Trace McSorley, Miles Sanders, Amani Oruwariye and Juwan Johnson all gone, the Nittany Lions are going to have some inexperience on their roster.
Having said that, Franklin did do a fantastic job of filling holes with a strong recruiting class, one ranked 13th in the country. While it’s not one that relies heavily on quantity, they have a ton of high-end players that include one 5-star and then 17 players with 4-star ratings. That bodes well for them as they look to rebuild this offense around Tommy Stevens, a decorated prospect who finally gets his shot now that McSorley has graduated.
Though losing some key pieces, there are high hopes for the defense of Penn State in 2019 as well. Linebacker Micah Parsons started his career in a big way last season and could now emerge as the leader in the middle of the field for the Nittany Lions defense. He’ll need to for this young team to come along, grow quickly and realize their potential.
- Notable Losses: Wyatt Miller, A.J. Wooten, Kyle Gibson, Titus Davis, Pat Jasinski, Rashard Causey
- Notable Returners: Darriel Mack Jr., McKenzie Milton*, Adrian Killins Jr., Nate Evans, Dredrick Nelson, Gabriel Davis, Richie Grant
- 2019 Recruiting Class Ranking: 57th
The UCF Knights will no longer have a winning streak hanging over them as Josh Heupel leads them into the 2019 season, his second as head coach with the program. After 25 straight victories, UCF finally was reminded what it’s like to be on the wrong side of the scoreboard as they fell to LSU in the Fiesta Bowl. Despite that, things still look promising for the Knights heading into a new season.
There is a glut of talent at the quarterback position now for UCF. The future of McKenzie Milton following a gruesome knee injury at the end of the 2018 season is completely uncertain. If he can return, he’s proven to be a leader, gamer and stud on the field. If not, the Knights still have Darriel Mack Jr., who filled in beautifully when Milton went down, and Brandon Wimbush, who transferred from Notre Dame this offseason.
One big shortcoming of the Knights in 2018 was their play on the defensive side of the ball, but even with that, they lost five defensive starters, three from the line from 2018 heading into 2019. However, with a recruiting class headlined by their signees on that side of the ball and with potential Day 1 starters coming from transfers, UCF should again be the top Group of 5 team in the country.
- Notable Losses: Jake Browning, Myles Gaskin, Taylor Rapp, Byron Murphy, Kaleb McGary, Ben Burr-Kirven, JoJo McIntosh, Drew Sample, Tevis Bartlett, Greg Gaines
- Notable Returners: Jacob Eason, Myles Bryant, Aaron Fuller, Salvon Ahmed
- 2019 Recruiting Class Ranking: 16th
The Washington Huskies are perhaps the hardest team to place in the 2019 college football rankings given what we know about this team. The issues start with the fact that they will have to replace key contributors on both sides of the ball in a big way. While losing quarterback Jake Browning and running back Myles Gaskin is big for the offense, the losses will be most felt on the defensive side of the ball.
Washington will return just two starters from their 2018 defense and will see players such as Byron Murphy, Taylor Rapp, Ben Burr-Kirven and Greg Gaines playing on Sundays from here on out. The good news for the Huskies is in regards to their recruiting class, a top-20-ranked group that features incoming help on the defensive front. Moreover, there are potential candidates to step up under Chris Petersen, who has proven adept at reloading on defense in recent years.
Back to the offense, the big question for the Huskies is who will step in to replace Browning as the starting quarterback. With the majority of the offensive line and top pass-catchers returning, Washington’s offense will go as far as whoever starts at quarterback takes them. Perhaps Georgia transfer Jacob Eason will step in and take the reins after sitting on the sidelines last year. If he lives up to the potential he showed as a recruit, he could be the key to pushing Washington to the next level in 2019.
- Notable Losses: Dillon Mitchell, Jalen Jelks, Justin Hollins, Ugochukwu Amadi, Kaulana Apelu
- Notable Returners: Justin Herbert, Travis Dye, Troy Dye, Jevon Holland, Jacob Breeland, C.J. Verdell, Thomas Graham Jr., Deommodore Lenoir
- 2019 Recruiting Class Ranking: 7th
Perhaps no NFL Draft decision in all of college football was as hugely important to a program as quarterback Justin Herbert’s choice to return to the Oregon Ducks for his final season playing at the Autzen Zoo. Herbert was regarded as perhaps the top quarterback in the 2019 NFL Draft class if he had decided to forego his final season in Eugene, so having him back with the Ducks is going to be massively important for their offense.
Having said that, the Oregon offense didn’t come out of draft declarations completely unscathed. Herbert will no longer be throwing to wide receiver Dillon Mitchell, who was the leading pass-catcher for the Ducks last season. Those are big shoes to fill and it’s hard to say who will step up like no other wide receiver on the roster for 2019 posted more than 450 receiving yards last season.
On top of that, the Ducks are also entering the 2019 season without their best defensive player from a season ago, defensive end Jalen Jelks, who also declared for the NFL. Having said that, the Ducks are bringing in a top-10 recruiting class, one headlined by defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux, one of the top overall prospects in the class and someone that could potentially step in and replace Jelks immediately on the Oregon defense.
- Notable Losses: Trayveon Williams, Jace Sternberger, Daylon Mack, Erik McCoy, Landis Durham, Donovan Wilson, Kingsley Keke, Otaro Alaka
- Notable Returners: Kellen Mond, Camron Buckley, Quartney Davis, Justin Madubuike, Jhamon Ausbon
- 2019 Recruiting Class Ranking: 4th
Say what you will about Jimbo Fisher and about the Texas A&M Aggies throwing $75 million at the head coach, but it paid off when it came to their 2019 recruiting class. Boasting the fourth-best class in the country, Fisher is helping to set up this team well for the future. In the present, though, this team looks to be one that should build off of a nine-win season in 2018 that culminated in a 52-13 thrashing of NC State in their bowl game.
Kellen Mond has seen his share of ups and downs throughout his time at Texas A&M, but the quarterback really finished strong for Fisher and the Aggies in 2018, which bodes well for his prospects in the 2019 season. Furthermore, while the offense will lose dynamic weapons in running back Trayveon Williams and tight end Jace Sternberger, the team returns all of their leading pass-catchers in regards to the wide receiver position.
The defense for the Aggies will be tested a great deal in the 2019 season as they have a brutal schedule, one of the toughest in the country. Having said that, Texas A&M does return five starters on that side of the ball this season and their highly ranked recruiting class feature a number of defensive standouts as well.
Put simply, Fisher has this program looking ready to compete with the big boys in 2019.
- Notable Losses: Jachai Polite, Jawaan Taylor, Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, Jordan Scarlett, Martez Ivey, Vosean Joseph
- Notable Returners: Feleipe Franks, Jabari Zuniga, Van Jefferson, David Reese, C.J. Henderson, Lamical Perine
- 2019 Recruiting Class Ranking: 9th
It’s astounding what having a real head coach can do for a football team. As Dan Mullen took over the Florida Gators, the effects were obvious for the SEC East challengers. Though they took some lumps in conference play, where all three of their losses on the year came, Florida at their best was unbelievably impressive last season, including capping the season off with a 41-15 win over Michigan in the Peach Bowl.
There aren’t a lot of departures to speak of in terms of quantity for Florida, but the quality of those is worth noting. Perhaps the team’s two best offensive linemen, Martez Ivey and Jawaan Taylor are gone, as are arguably their three best defensive players with Jachai Polite, Chauncey Gardner-Johnson and Vosean Joseph all declaring early for the NFL Draft.
With that said, Mullen brought in a top-10 recruiting class this season with several players that could come in and contribute right away. What will be the biggest factor for Florida in 2019, though, will continue to be quarterback Feleipe Franks. The signal-caller in Gainesville made strides with his new head coach last season, but he still has plenty of room for improvement. If the Gators are going to reach their ceiling, Franks taking another step in his progression is going to be the most pivotal factor.
- Notable Losses: Rashan Gary, Chase Winovich, Karan Higdon, Devin Bush, David Long, Juwann Bushell-Beatty, Zach Gentry, Grant Perry
- Notable Returners: Shea Patterson, Donovan Peoples-Jones, Nico Collins, Lavert Hill, Josh Uche, Kwity Paye, Khaleke Hudson, Josh Metellus
- 2019 Recruiting Class Ranking: 8th
Everything had lined up for Jim Harbaugh and the Michigan Wolverines to finally get over the hump in 2018. After losing to Notre Dame in the opener, the Wolverines were 10-1 entering their rivalry matchup against the Ohio State Buckeyes. Instead of stepping up to the plate, they got run off the field by allowing 60+ points in a loss that took them out of the Big Ten title game. To make it worse, the Wolverines might as well have not even shown up in the Peach Bowl as they were embarrassed by the Florida Gators.
Now as they look to 2019, Michigan is going to have to replace three stars in their front seven with Rashan Gary, Chase Winovich and Devin Bush all making their way to the pro ranks. However, they have a strong recruiting class ranked in the top 10 in the country that is loaded with defensive studs that could help them tremendously right away.
On top of that, there is reason to be excited about the Michigan offense. Not only did Shea Patterson show flashes in Year 1 in Ann Arbor, but now the Wolverines have former Alabama man Josh Gattis at offensive coordinator. With the weapons around Patterson on this group, the hope is that, if the defense does have some minor growing pains, that the offense takes a step forward to counteract that and keep the Wolverines in the national mix.
- Notable Losses: Julian Love, Jerry Tillery, Te’von Coney, Miles Boykin, Dexter Williams, Alex Bars, Drue Tranquill, Alize Mack, Brandon Wimbush (transfer)
- Notable Returners: Ian Book, Julian Kowara, Troy Pride Jr., Chris Finke, Chase Claypool, Jalen Elliott, Khalid Kareem
- 2019 Recruiting Class Ranking: 15th
Despite the fact that the then-undefeated Notre Dame Fighting Irish proved every doubter correct in the College Football Playoff as they were picked apart mercilessly by the Clemson Tigers, Brian Kelly’s team certainly still showed impressive things throughout their run to that point. However, big changes are about to come for the Irish in the 2019 season.
The biggest thing that the Fighting Irish will have to contend with is the losses that they suffered on the defense. While Notre Dame will have six starters from the 2018 season coming back on that side of the ball, the five guys that are now gone were hugely important for them last season, specifically guys like cornerback Julian Love, linebacker Te’von Coney and defensive tackle Jerry Tillery.
Even still, where Notre Dame was able to take a massive step forward last season was on offense after Ian Book was installed as the starting quarterback on offense. While that move ultimately led to Brandon Wimbush, the man Book replaced, transferring to UCF, Book clearly gives the Irish offense far more upside, especially with a weapon like Chase Claypool returning to school.
The Fighting Irish definitely need guys on defense to develop in offseason practices to help fill holes and need the offensive line, particularly a strong group of incoming freshmen, to grow as well. Having said that, Notre Dame has the pieces to compete for another berth in the CFP.
- Notable Losses: Greedy Williams, Devin White, Nick Brossette, Garrett Brumfield, Foster Moreau, Ed Alexander, Terrence Alexander
- Notable Returners: Joe Burrow, Grant Delpit, Rashard Lawrence, Justin Jefferson, Jacob Phillips, JaCoby Stevens, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Michael Divinity Jr.
- 2019 Recruiting Class Ranking: 5th
There’s no question that the strength of the LSU Tigers for many years has been their defensive prowess. Subsequently, it shouldn’t be much of a surprise that Ed Orgeron’s team is losing two top-tier talents from the 2018 season as cornerback Greedy Williams and linebacker Devin White are heading to the NFL. Those will be tough players to replace, but LSU remains in a good position to make serious noise on a national scale in 2019.
For one, the big step LSU took last season was landing Joe Burrow at quarterback. Though he wasn’t perfect and will need to improve if the Tigers want to have viable College Football Playoff hopes, he was a massive upgrade from the quarterback play they’d seen previously. Moreover, this is still a team with defensive leaders and studs on the roster in safety Grant Delpit and defensive lineman Rashard Lawrence.
On top of that, LSU’s recruiting class should — or could — help them fill some holes that might otherwise cause them issues. Derek Stingley Jr., a 5-star cornerback, could come in and fill a hole left at cornerback, while John Emery, a 5-star running back, could step in for the departed Nick Brossette in the Tigers offense.
However the depth chart shakes out, though, LSU is in a position where they should be a top-10 team to begin the 2019 season and to also stay there for most of the year.
- Notable Losses: Dwayne Haskins, Parris Campbell, Nick Bosa, Dre’Mont Jones, Isaiah Prince, Terry McLaurin, Johnnie Dixon, Michael Jordan, Mike Weber, Tate Martell (transfer)
- Notable Returners: JK Dobbins, Tuf Borland, K.J. Hill, Jordan Fuller, Kendall Sheffield, Chase Young, Malik Harrison
- 2019 Recruiting Class Ranking: 14th
In the 2018 season, Dwayne Haskins was an absolute revelation as the starting quarterback of the Ohio State Buckeyes. In his first season as QB1 in Columbus, Haskins hit the ground running as he set one passing record after another helming the Buckeyes offense. With him heading to the NFL Draft, Tate Martell’s decision to transfer and Urban Meyer stepping down, though, things could’ve gone south very quick for what is now Ryan Day’s team.
Luckily for the Buckeyes, the No. 2 overall recruit in 2018, Justin Fields (who was notable behind only Trevor Lawrence), transferred from Georgia and ultimately landed at Ohio State. Even better for Day as he takes over the program, Fields’ waiver was granted and he will be eligible to play for the Buckeyes in the 2019 season. Joining an offense with weapons like J.K. Dobbins and K.J. Hill, this team should still be able to put up points.
Though Day’s recruiting class, as you might expect with a big-time head coaching change, was less than stellar by the standards in Columbus, this team is still set up to keep going off a 13-1 record in 2018. The offense should be potent and the team returns 10 starters from their defense last season. With all of this, expect Ohio State to try and crack the College Football Playoff this season after being left out the past two years.
- Notable Losses: Kris Boyd, Charles Omenihu, Lil’Jordan Humphrey, Tre Watson, Gary Johnson, Calvin Anderson, P.J. Locke III, Shane Buechele (transfer)
- Notable Returners: Sam Ehlinger, Collin Johnson, Cade Sterns, B.J. Foster, Keaontay Ingram, Brandon Jones
- 2019 Recruiting Class Ranking: 3rd
Let’s recap the 2018 season in Austin. The Texas Longhorns were back in the preseason, weren’t back after a loss in the season-opener, were definitely back after a Red River victory, may or may not be back down the stretch, and were completely back as they dismantled the Georgia Bulldogs in the Sugar Bowl. Business as usual for the ever-fluctuating Longhorns fandom.
After bringing in the third-ranked recruiting class in the country, though, Texas appears to not just maintain the success that they had last year while posting a 10-4 overall record, but they have the chance to build off of that. Not only do they have Sam Ehlinger returning and the surprise return to school from wide receiver Collin Johnson, but the Longhorns also flipped 5-star athlete/wide receiver, Bru McCoy, to transfer from USC. That gives them weaponry for Tom Herman and his staff to work with.
As it always seems to be the case with any team in the Big 12, there are questions about the Texas defense. This is a team that returns just three starters from last season, which includes losing stars Kris Boyd and Charles Omenihu. Even still, this team has clearly been building towards being back with no fluctuation, and the 2019 rendition of the Longhorns may be the team to officially achieve that.
- Notable Losses: Kyler Murray, Cody Ford, Ben Powers, Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, Bobby Evans, Dru Samia, Rodney Anderson, Austin Kendall (transfer)
- Notable Returners: CeeDee Lamb, Kennedy Brooks, Caleb Kelly, Kenneth Mann, Parnell Motley, Trey Sermon, Brendan Radley-Hiles, Kenneth Murray
- 2019 Recruiting Class Ranking: 6th
For the second-straight season, the Oklahoma Sooners are seeing their Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback head to the NFL Draft. After the 2017 season, it was Baker Mayfield that went to the pro ranks. Following this past season, Kyler Murray decided to follow along the same path, spurning professional baseball in the process.
Losing Murray seemed like it could absolutely put the Sooners and head coach Lincoln Riley behind the 8-ball for the 2019 season, especially with Austin Kendall entering the transfer portal. However, Oklahoma’s prayers were answered when former Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts announced that he would be transferring to Norman as a graduate, making him eligible to play immediately.
Despite losing Marquise “Hollywood” Brown to the NFL Draft, though, Hurts — who went 26-2 as a starter for Nick Saban at Alabama — the incoming quarterback has some big weapons. CeeDee Lamb returns at wide receiver while running backs Trey Sermon and Kennedy Brooks are also back. Moreover, their highly rated recruiting class includes two of the best receivers in the class, headlined by Jadon Haselwood.
If that weren’t good enough for Riley and the Sooners, this team also returns 10 of their 11 starters from the defense in 2018, meaning that group should be able to take a step forward. Though there are questions to answer on the offensive line, Oklahoma is sitting pretty yet again as they eye the 2019 season.
- Notable Losses: Riley Ridley, Mecole Hardman, Terry Godwin, Deandre Baker, Lamont Gaillard, Elijah Holyfield, Isaac Nauta, D’Andre Walker, Jonathan Ledbetter, Justin Fields (transfer)
- Notable Returners: Jake Fromm, D’Andre Swift, Jeremiah Holloman, J.R. Reed, Richard LeCounte, Monty Rice, Tae Crowder, Tyson Campbell
- 2019 Recruiting Class Ranking: 2nd
In terms of personnel, there are some losses that Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs will have to contend with. Having said that, the coaching staff experienced probably the biggest turnover from 2018 heading into 2019. While Smart, thankfully, will remain in place for the Bulldogs, Georgia will have new men at offensive and defensive coordinator as James Coley and Dan Lanning take over for Jim Chaney and Mel Tucker, respectively.
In terms of the players, though, Georgia remains in a good spot as they return more than half of their starters on both sides of the ball. On offense, a more-seasoned and extremely talented offensive line will be in front of the fantastic duo featuring quarterback Jake Fromm and running back D’Andre Swift. However, the quarterback room will be lighter with Justin Fields’ decision to transfer.
Even still, Fromm has shown that he can be the truth for this offense as many have the quarterback pegged as the top player at the position for the 2020 NFL Draft. With that, experience and high-end talent returning on both sides of the ball, and the No. 2-overall recruiting class from 2019 — one including the top prospect in the country, Nolan Smith — the Bulldogs should be in the mix to try and make the College Football Playoff once again.
- Notable Losses: Quinnen Williams, Jonah Williams, Josh Jacobs, Mack Wilson, Deionte Thompson, Christian Miller, Irv Smith Jr., Damien Harris, Jalen Hurts (transfer)
- Notable Returners: Tua Tagovailoa, Raekwon Davis, Henry Ruggs III, Jerry Jeudy, Dylan Moses, Patrick Surtain II, Najee Harris, Jaylen Waddle, Trevon Diggs
- 2019 Recruiting Class Rankings: 1st
When you look at the Alabama Crimson Tide dynasty under Nick Saban, the biggest reason behind it has always been recruiting. Whenever stars leave Tuscaloosa, there’s another crop behind them ready to step up and replace them because of the high-caliber players the head coach brought in previously. And that doesn’t look like it’s going to stop after the Tide owned the top-ranked recruiting class in 2019.
All that may be true, but Alabama has some big questions to answer in the 2019 college football season. For one, the Crimson Tide have major questions at the quarterback position. No, they know that Tua Tagovailoa is again going to be the starter, and that’s a wonderful thing. Having said that, with Jalen Hurts transferring to Oklahoma as a graduate student, the position group behind Tagovailoa is now led by Mac Jones. From what we saw from him in limited work in 2018, that’s not a comforting proposition.
Beyond that, the Crimson Tide have big holes to replace on defense. Raekwon Davis foregoing the NFL Draft was a big get for Alabama, but Dylan Moses and Anfernee Jennings really must step up with losses at linebacker and edge pass rusher for the Crimson Tide, just as Najee Harris on offense must step up and take up the mantle at running back.
- Notable Losses: Clelin Ferrell, Christian Wilkins, Tre Lamar, Dexter Lawrence, Austin Bryant, Kendall Joseph, Mitch Hyatt, Trayvon Mullen, Hunter Renfrow
- Notable Returners: Trevor Lawrence, Tee Higgins, Justyn Ross, Trevor Lawrence, Isaiah Simmons, K’Von Wallace
- 2019 Recruiting Class Ranking: 10th
There is no questioning the fact that the Clemson Tigers are going to have to contend with major, major losses from the 2018 season heading into 2019. The defensive side of the ball, arguably their greatest strength en route to winning the National Championship, has been raided by the NFL Draft, and they have to find ways to contend with those losses.
Having said that, the title defense for Clemson in 2019 will be focused almost solely on an offensive unit that is largely left intact. Yes, they’re losing a veteran left tackle in Mitch Hyatt and a safety valve receiver in Hunter Renfrow, but Trevor Lawrence appears to truly be a transcendent quarterback talent, Travis Etienne is likely the top running back in the 2020 NFL Draft class and both Justyn Ross and Tee Higgins are big plays waiting to happen.
On top of all of that, how can you not believe in Dabo Swinney, Brent Venables and the rest of this coaching staff at this point? They have proven to be able to both recruit the right players and develop them at a high level. Thus, you have to believe the defense will not be as elite, but will still be quite good while the offense could be the best we’ve seen from this program. Given all of that, how are they not the favorites to defend their title?