Preseason college football rankings for the 2025 season are descending upon us in short order, but everyone is waiting for the main event with the release of the always-anticipated AP Top 25 rankings. While a preseason AP No. 1-ranked team hasn’t won a national championship since the Alabama Crimson Tide in 2007, nothing quite gets college football fans riled up before the pigskin touches the grass in the regular season like the AP Top 25 release. That, of course, is slated to come down on Monday, Aug. 11 around Noon ET. But which team will be ranked No. 1 overall — and how will the rest of the rankings shake out?
Defending national champion Ohio State will still be heavily in the mix, but there’s also a lot of turnover on that roster, in addition to lingering question marks. Meanwhile, the usual suspects like the Georgia Bulldogs and Texas Longhorns come in with loaded rosters, but similar questions to the Buckeyes. But don’t overlook two College Football Playoff teams from a year ago, Penn State and Clemson, who are returning a ton of talent and could level up in the 2025 season. The question is if the AP Top 25 will agree.
Our own college football rankings will come in due time but, based on what we know about biases, the Coaches Poll, and so on, we’re going to predict what the AP Top 25 college football rankings will ultimately look like when the poll drops. So let’s not belabor that any longer and get right into our projections for how the voters will lean in the preseason.
Preseason AP Top 25 college football rankings projection
No. 25-21
25. Utah Utes
While I could be convinced that the AP Top 25 will have a Group of 5 representative in this spot, the sleeper nature of Utah this season has me intrigued. Devon Dampier might be one of the most electric players in the sport you’ll come to learn about this season. With him and one of the best O-lines in the country, the Utes’ ceiling may depend on a defense that lost a ton of experience, but has talent ready and waiting in the wings.
24. Oklahoma Sooners
Things feel as if they could go either way for the Oklahoma Sooners but there’s reason to be optimistic. Bringing in John Matter, Jaydn Ott and a revamped offense should pay immediate dividends and we should always have confidence in a Brent Venables defense. Having said that, OU faces one of the most difficult schedules in the country, which could ultimately limit this team’s ceiling. In the preseason, though, expect some level of expectations, even coming off a disappointing campaign in Norman.
23. Texas Tech Red Raiders
Joey McGuire has been crushing it at Texas Tech and this appears to be a year when it could ultimately pay off in Lubbock. Behren Morton is back at quarterback after flashing last season with a further upgraded receiver room and an underrated defense. There won’t be much love from AP voters for the Big 12, mostly because of the parity atop that league, but the Red Raiders should still sneak into the preseason rankings.
22. Iowa State Cyclones
Again, so much of the top of the Big 12 feels homogenous at this point, and Iowa State is absolutely in the mix for that. Rocco Becht continues to be an unsung hero at quarterback and the Cyclones as a whole still have a talented roster. Much like me, though, voters trust an experienced quarterback and Matt Campbell, which should get ISU plenty respect coming into the year.
21. Indiana Hoosiers
If you thought Curt Cignetti’s Hoosiers were a one-year wonder, think again. Indiana lost some talent, no doubt, but may have upgraded at quarterback with transfer Fernando Mendoza entering the fray while also reloading the offense around Elijah Surratt in the portal. The defense might be the calling card, though, returning a ton of production despite some losses and with the opportunity to remain a thorn in the side of the rest of the Big Ten.
No. 20-16
20. Kansas State Wildcats
Will Avery Johnson make the leap this season? The answer to that question might define the 2025 campaign for Kansas State when it’s all said and done. The weapons are there for the Wildcats, but a raw offensive line is absolutely a concern. Meanwhile, the front seven is great on defense, but the secondary has some holes. Frankly, I might have them outside my rankings, but the AP Top 25 will likely buy in on the upside.
19. Tennessee Volunteers
Speaking of teams I’m not there with, that’s Tennessee without Nico Iamaleava. Put simply, I don’t think Joey Aguilar is an SEC-caliber quarterback and that will ultimately severely limit the ceiling of the Vols this season. The parts around him are good enough for Josh Heupel’s team to still be fine and make a bowl game. I believe in the future in Knoxville, but Aguilar’s role doesn’t have me inspired entering the 2025 season.
18. Texas A&M Aggies
We might just label this 20-18 range as the tier I don’t believe in, but there will be voters who are ready to jump on the Texas A&M hype train. Marcel Reed is now The Guy at quarterback and we know that Mike Elko will make good of the talent on defense. The run game should be effective with Reed and Le’Veon Moss, but I worry the offense might be too one-dimensional for them to truly compete atop the SEC.
17. Ole Miss Rebels
Despite the losses that Ole Miss suffered last year, this is both where I think the Rebels will end up in the AP Top 25 and where I also feel they should be. Lane Kiffin has raised the floor substantially in Oxford and Austin Simmons is checking the right boxes to be worthy of believing in his upside. The defense should still be good, even if taking a step back, but the Rebs also have a manageable schedule that they could well take full advantage of.
16. SMU Mustangs
Kevin Jennings should be getting more love than he is as he returns for the SMU Mustangs this season after leading the program to its first College Football Playoff berth while also in its first year in a Power 4 conference. Rhett Lashlee has built a sustainably successful program here in the DFW and, while another CFP berth might be reaching too high, they’ll at least be on the cusp of that again with Jennings at the forefront.
No. 15-11
15. Florida Gators
The hype train for Florida is already taking off and, frankly, it’s understandable. I’d probably have the Gators slightly outside of the Top 15 but the belief in DJ Lagway combined with what we saw from Billy Napier’s team at the end of last year will certainly give enough AP Top 25 voters confidence in this team being a bonafide factor in the national landscape. However, Florida, like Oklahoma, will have to navigate a bear of a schedule to meet those expectations.
14. Illinois Fighting Illini
Illinois should absolutely be higher but, if we’re facing the reality that is the AP Top 25, it’s hard to escape the fact that they’re Illinois and name-brand value will matter. But Luke Altmyer looks tailormade to thrive in an offense with a high-end O-line and some enticing weapons in the fold. Furthermore, we could see the defense elevate higher than some expect. I’ll go ahead and say it: We should consider the Fighting Illini a sleeper threat to win the Big Ten.
13. Michigan Wolverines
Hype trains in the preseason always tend to color our perception, and Michigan isn’t an exception to that. The Wolverines should probably be a Top 25 team on the strength of their defensive talent. But they’ll likely end up this high with the Bryce Underwood believers ready for him to take college football by storm immediately. I’m more ready to exercise some patience, but make no mistake that Michigan will be one of the most polarizing and intriguing teams in the country.
12. South Carolina Gamecocks
I’ve not made many secrets about South Carolina being my darling for the 2025 season, but I’m not alone. Despite the losses of guys like Kyle Kennard, Dylan Stewart will anchor a stout defense. But LaNorris Sellers is the true difference maker at QB. With an uber athletic offense around him, Sellers is a viable Heisman Trophy candidate with unreal dual-threat talent. If he makes another leap, Shane Beamer and the Gamecocks should be sliding into the Playoff.
11. Arizona State Sun Devils
Even with the loss of Cam Skattebo, Arizona State is likely to be the one Big 12 team that’s separate from the rest of the league in preseason rankings. That’s a credit to Kenny Dillingham for building something special quite quickly. Sam Leavitt and Jordan Tyson are going to steal the headlines, as will Army transfer Kanye Udoh, but the Sun Devils defense is going to be fierce as well. ASU should be the favorite to be in the CFP out of their conference.
No. 10-6
10. LSU Tigers
Blake Baker wasn’t the defensive cure-all that LSU was hoping when they hired him a year ago, but now he has the talent to help him out with the Tigers’ portal class being overloaded with defensive talent. If that side of the ball can elevate to even being average in the SEC, Garrett Nussmeier and a scary offense, albeit with questions in the trenches, are more than good enough to get LSU back into the CFP mix.
9. Miami Hurricanes
There’s only one team in the ACC I full-heartedly believe in and it’s not Miami. The defense should be marginally improved but I still question how much, and Carson Beck is not only perhaps not as good as once expected, but it now coming off a serious arm injury. We know that the Hurricanes will have plenty of talent with the level that Mario Cristobal has recruited at, but that hasn’t stopped them from being on the outside looking in of the Playoff before. Still, voters will buy in yet again and have The U as a Top 10 team.
8. Alabama Crimson Tide
Make no mistake, Alabama will have a Top 5 defense in the entire sport. The talent on that side of the ball collectively is just plain special and will harken back to Crimson Tide teams of old. At the same time, where will this offense ultimately end up? It seems like Ty Simpson might be QB1, which doesn’t make me feel great, and I can’t escape the feeling that we’re overestimating what this offense is capable of because of Kalen DeBoer and Ryan Grubb. They’ll be good, but I don’t know if they have a “great” ceiling in 2025.
7. Oregon Ducks
Across the board, you have to like what you see with Oregon. That’s of no surprise to anyone that’s been paying attention to Dan Lanning in Eugene with his aggressive recruiting and action in the transfer portal. Having said that, Dante Moore represents the first time in three years that the Ducks won’t have a super-experienced veteran at quarterback. Moore is a former 5-star and talented, but Oregon might ultimately go as far as their new signal-caller takes them.
6. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
The fact that Notre Dame and Marcus Freeman felt comfortable enough to allow Steve Angeli to transfer and give the keys of the offense to C.J. Carr says quite a lot to me. Especially with Jeremiyah Love in the backfield, the Fighting Irish might add an extra gear offensively. The defense is like clockwork under Freeman, but also returns a ton of playmakers at each level that should make the Irish a factor in the postseason once again.
No. 5-1
5. Georgia Bulldogs
Put simply, it feels like AP Top 25 voters are going to disrespect how good Georgia can be this season because of Gunner Stockton. While QB questions aren’t abnormal in the Top 5, Stockton won’t be viewed as favorably as others. More importantly, though, the Dawgs are going to look like what we expect from a Kirby Smart team everywhere else, including an upgrade at the skill positions and a defense that could be the country’s best. UGA is easily Top 5, but they should probably be Top 3.
4. Clemson Tigers
Clemson was actually the toughest program to slot into these rankings projections simply because I’m a big believer, it’s easy to believe in the Tigers this season, but they also haven’t been at this level in a few years. Something clicked for Cade Klubnik in a talent-laden offense last year, though, and Dabo Swinney has quietly constructed a defense that’s littered with high-end NFL-caliber talent. Clemson could run away with the ACC, but this is a team that should have legitimate national title aspirations.
3. Ohio State Buckeyes
Last year’s natty is going to help the Buckeyes curry favor with AP voters that I firmly think ignore some of the facts. Make no mistake, Ohio State is an elite program that should probably be Top 7-10 in every single season. Having said that, the QB battle between Julian Sayin and Lincoln Kienholz has appeared uninspiring this offseason, the O-line and backfield have questions, and the defensive front lost real juice. Throw in the fact that Matt Patricia is a serious downgrade from Jim Knowles, and there could be more growing pains than the preseason rankings suggest for Ryan Day’s team.
2. Penn State Nittany Lions
Just ahead of Ohio State, we have a team that’s struggled to compete with the Buckeyes. If there’s a year to do it for Penn State, though, it’s the 2025 season. Drew Allar now has a better receiving corps to finally break out fully, but also has the safety blankets behind him with Nicolas Singleton and Kaytron Allen returning. The defense obviously lost Abdul Carter, but still has plenty of playmakers at Knowles’ disposal. James Franklin’s team should be setting a natty-or-bust mentality, and it’s wholly deserved.
1. Texas Longhorns
Just go ahead and book it. Just like the Coaches Poll did, Arch Manning and Texas are going to be the preseason No. 1 team in the country. Let me clear that I’m a believer in the biggest name in college football and think Manning can lead the Longhorns to a long-awaited title. Steve Sarkisian has also built a roster I firmly believe is the best in the country. Having said that, it does feel like we might be crowning Manning a bit prematurely. I could comfortably have Texas in the Top 3-5, but having them No. 1 is a bit rich for my blood, even if it’s what I believe the AP Top 25 will ultimately hold for us.