College Football Rankings 2024: Way-too-early Top 25 projections for next season
- Michigan not in the Top 5 after national championship
- Trio of SEC powers vie for Top 3 in the rankings
- Oregon, Ole Miss look to crash the party in Top 10
College football rankings 2024, Early Top 25 projections: No. 20-16
20. NC State Wolfpack (2023 Record: 9-4)
Dave Doeren had one of the strongest-finishing teams in the country this past season, and NC State looks like it can carry that momentum into 2024. With Grayson McCall transferring in to join a talented skill position group on offense, we know the Wolfpack have stayed consistently impressive on defense. Don’t count this team out as one that could win the ACC if Florida State takes a big step back and Clemson again falls short of expectations.
19. Kansas State Wildcats (2023 Record: 9-4)
Chris Kleiman has been winning nine games consistently at Kansas State but the Wildcats are clearly trying to tap into some more upside going into 2024. They essentially showed Will Howard the door for uber-talented young QB Avery Johnson. The roster took some lumps in the transfer portal, but Klieman has been a bastion of consistency and it’s hard to imagine a drop-off coming now.
18. Utah Utes (2023 Record: 8-5)
Cam Rising is back for his 13th (checks notes, sorry, seventh) college season after missing all of the 2023 campaign. That should be a huge boost on offense for Utah as they venture into the Big 12 as one of the league favorites. Having said that, the Utes defense was not as dominant as we’ve seen. If that doesn’t step back up, which it may not given the personnel, the wide-open league could test them quite a bit.
17. Oklahoma Sooners (2023 Record: 10-3)
Oklahoma has anything but a friendly schedule in its inaugural foray into the SEC, but the Sooners have a lot to be excited about still. Jackson Arnold is a former 5-star who’s been handed the keys to the offense, which may raise the ceiling if he can deliver right away. Brent Venables will hope to keep the defense improving as well, but OU has more upside than some might realize.
16. Washington Huskies (2023 Record: 14-1)
Moving to the Big Ten, Kalen DeBoer is going to be challenged in his third season with the Washington Huskies. Even if Mississippi State transfer Will Rogers is a solid replacement for Michael Penix Jr., the offense also has to also replace its star trio of receivers. One thing that the Huskies can feel good about is their strength in the trenches, but we’ll have to see what the new-look offense works like before fully believing in Washington again.