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College football rankings 2019: Every FBS team from 1-130, ranked

By Nicholas Ian Allen

SANTA CLARA, CA - JANUARY 07: Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney and cornerback Trayvon Mullen (1) celebrate with the championship trophy after the Clemson Tigers defeated the Alabama Crimson Tide in the College Football Playoff National Championship game on January 7, 2019, at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, CA. (Photo by Douglas Stringer/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA - JANUARY 07: Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney and cornerback Trayvon Mullen (1) celebrate with the championship trophy after the Clemson Tigers defeated the Alabama Crimson Tide in the College Football Playoff National Championship game on January 7, 2019, at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, CA. (Photo by Douglas Stringer/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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PISCATAWAY, NJ – SEPTEMBER 29: Raheem Blackshear #2 of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights stiff arms Jaylin Williams #23 of the Indiana Hoosiers during the first quarter at HighPoint.com Stadium on September 29, 2018 in Piscataway, New Jersey. (Photo by Corey Perrine/Getty Images)
PISCATAWAY, NJ – SEPTEMBER 29: Raheem Blackshear #2 of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights stiff arms Jaylin Williams #23 of the Indiana Hoosiers during the first quarter at HighPoint.com Stadium on September 29, 2018 in Piscataway, New Jersey. (Photo by Corey Perrine/Getty Images) /

Can Kent State take a step forward in Year 2 under Sean Lewis? With quarterback Woody Barrett, running back Jo-El Shaw and an experienced offensive line and receiving corps, the Golden Flashes should be dangerous offensively.

New Mexico State improved its Roster Strength rating by 2.78 points over the offseason, which was the 14th biggest gain in the country. The Aggies should be strong on offense with multi-purpose running back Jason Huntley, and the defense includes three players with a VGR+ rating of 96 or better – one at each level.

There are just two players from Sun Belt Conference teams with a 100 rating according to the VGR+ formula, and South Alabama has one in defensive back Jalen Thompson. The Jags also boast a 93.5-rated defensive end in Tyree Turner. Running back Tra Minter (89.2) ran for 801 yards, gained 201 receiving yards and added 801 return yards in Year 1 of the Steve Campbell era.

Bob Davie welcomes back just 10 total starters from last year’s 3-9 squad and opted to soften the blow by signing 17 junior college transfers – 11 of which participated in spring practice. Sherrion Jones and Tevaka Tuioti will compete for the quarterback job after splitting 10 starts last season.

Tom Arth didn’t inherit an entirely empty cupboard at Akron. Defensive back Alvin Davis, Jr. is the only MAC player to have earned a 100 rating in VGR+, and quarterback Kato Nelson has flashed big-play capability in 16 career starts. Nelson threw for 356 yards and four touchdowns in the conference final against Ohio last season.

Despite losing its starting quarterback and running back to graduate transfers, Ball State is one of the most experienced teams in the MAC. The Cardinals return six offensive linemen who have made at least 12 starts (107 as a unit is the most in the conference), and Mike Neu’s defense returns 84.82 percent of its tackling production from last season, which is fifth most nationally. Walter Fletcher, a Division II grad transfer, could be a breakout star at running back.

Texas State made one of the most intriguing coaching hires of the offseason by tabbing West Virginia offensive coordinator Jake Spavital to lead the Bobcats program. Spavital then made one of the more interesting offensive coordinator hires of the coaching carousel, adding former Montana head coach Bob Still to call plays.

However, it’s defensive coordinator Zac Spavital who has the most talent to work with, including senior Bryan London II, who was one of our top 100 players for the 2019 college football season. London leads a linebacker corps that ranks No. 30 overall and first in the Sun Belt in Roster Strength.

Hugh Freeze is back on the sidelines, and his Liberty Flames should be dangerous offensively. Stephen Buckshot Calvert and Antonio Gandy-Golden are one of the most productive QB-receiver duos in all of college football. Calvert, whose given middle name truly is Buckshot (cross my heart and hope to die), threw for 3,068 yards and 21 touchdowns in 2018. Gandy-Golden accounted for 1,037 receiving yards and 10 TDs.

Speaking of underrated and highly productive offensive players, Charlotte running back Benny LeMay helped the 49ers improve from a 1-11 record in 2017 to 5-7 last year. LeMay ran for 1,243 yards and 11 touchdowns while averaging 5.36 yards per carry and surpassed 100 rushing yards five times. He gives new head coach Will Healy a proven commodity to build around.

Rutgers may be the lowest-rated Power Five conference team on our list, but there are a few reasons to be optimistic the Scarlet Knights will surpass expectations in 2019. Raheem Blackshear ran for 100 yards in two games last season and surpassed 100 receiving yards once. Also, Artur Sitkowski has 11 games of starting experience to build upon, though he’ll be pushed by Texas Tech grad transfer McLane Carter.

Head coach Chris Ash also added P5 transfer tight end Kyle Penniston (Wisconsin), defensive end Ron Johnson (Michigan) and linebacker Drew Singleton (Michigan), among others. All three should have an instant impact.