College Football Rankings 2024: Way-too-early Top 25 projections for next season

College football rankings 2024, Early Top 25 projections: No. 2-1

2. Texas Longhorns (2023 Record: 12-2)

If there were any questions that the Texas Longhorns were ready to join the SEC in the 2024 season, Steve Sarkisian’s program answered them this season, winning the Big 12, beating Alabama in Tuscaloosa, and earning a berth into the College Football Playoff. Even better, they’ll have a good chance to run that CFP berth back with what they have coming back to Austin next year. 

Quinn Ewers is expected to return at quarterback alongside a group of weapons that will reload with headliners like C.J. Baxter and Ryan Wingo, but the defense should also be improved as their host of talented young players, specifically in the secondary, grow after the experience they garnered in 2023. Things are looking up for Texas, though the new SEC schedule will put them through the wringer. 

1. Georgia Bulldogs (2023 Record: 13-1)

Sure, the Georgia Bulldogs fell short of their three-peat bid as national champions. But Kirby Smart’s team will enter the 2024 season as one of the favorites to win it all yet again, and almost a lock to make the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff. That starts with the return of Carson Beck at quarterback, especially with Trevor Etienne transferring in from Florida and a wide receiver corps that should remain exceptionally strong. 

But the big key for the Dawgs will be the defense bouncing back and returning to its dominance of previous years. Though Georgia saw a number of former high-star recruits hit the portal already, they are loaded up with more 4-stars and 5-stars ready to come in (and the aforementioned transfers may have been getting pushed out for playing time). We should see this group rebound, but a daunting schedule will certainly test UGA next year to prove their worthy of any ranking or berths they get.