by Sean Szymczak
The college football landscape has finally settled down. After National Signing Day, an active coaching carousel, and busy activity in the transfer portal, college football has entered a period of relative quietude.
With rosters relatively finalized until the transfer portal re-opens on April 15th, we have a firmer grasp on where teams stand on the national stage. Unsurprisingly, the Big Ten & SEC combined for 14 of the 25 teams.
When are we going to stop saying “the power conferences” when referencing the SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, and ACC? It’s the Power-2, then the Okay-2, then the rest of the mid-major conferences. Anyway…
2024 College Football Top 25
1) Georgia
2023 Record: 13-1
Projected 2024 record: 12-0
Carson Beck took tremendous steps forward in his development during his first year as a starter. He gets some help with the addition of RB Trevor Etienne from Florida and 6’5″ WR Colbie Young from Miami. The Bulldogs also return 3 starters from an offensive line that was top-15 nationally in yards per rush and sacks allowed last year. This offense should improve and be one of college football’s best in 2024.
The defense has to reload, but you can always expect a Kirby Smart-coached defense to be elite. The schedule is a bit tougher than years past with games against Clemson, Alabama, Texas, and Ole Miss all away from Athens. But Georgia has won 30 of their past 31 games and has earned their spot as preseason #1 team.
2) Ohio State
2023 Record: 11-2
Projected 2024 record: 12-0
Few, if any, college football teams have had a better off-season than Ohio State so far. They lost only 4 starters from one of the nation’s best defenses and added Alabama S Caleb Downs, who was the best freshman in the entire country last year.
The offense should make tremendous leaps from 2023’s disappointment with the surprising return of WR Emeka Egbuka and All-Big Ten G Donovan Jackson. The return of Treveyon Henderson and the addition of Quinshon Judkins from Ole Miss give the Buckeyes the best backfield in the country. Ohio State has a higher ceiling than Georgia, but the unrealized potential of their QB and OL leaves them just shy of the Bulldogs at this point in time.
3) Oregon
2023 Record: 12-2
Projected 2024 record: 11-1
Despite the loss of stars Bo Nix, Bucky Irving, and Troy Franklin on offense, Oregon looks even stronger heading into 2024. Dillon Gabriel steps in for Nix, they have a dangerous three-headed backfield to replace Irving, and they added 2022 5-star WR Jeremiah Stewart next to Tez Johnson (1,186 yards & 10 TDs last year). The offensive line also returns 3 starters and adds long-time starter Matthew Bedford from Indiana.
Jordan Burch, Jestin Jacobs, and Jeffrey Basa headline a fierce defensive front that will torment Big Ten offenses. The secondary lost three starters but was completely retooled via the portal with guys like Washington star CB Jabbar Muhammad. The Ducks don’t look like they have a weakness.
4) Texas
2023 Record: 12-2
Projected 2024 record: 11-1
The Longhorns have to replace a lot of talent after finally returning to the pinnacle of college football in 2023. But the return of Quinn Ewers should help mask a lot of those losses. I think he is in line for a magical 2024 season and will be the clear-cut QB1 in the 2025 NFL Draft. It also helps that the offensive line is returning four starters.
Young cornerbacks Terrance Brooks and Malik Muhammad should build off a promising season and form a dangerous secondary alongside Clemson transfer Andrew Mukuba. With the addition of UTSA transfer Trey Moore, Texas returns three edge rushers that had 5+ sacks last year. The Longhorns have to travel to Ann Arbor in September but avoid Alabama, LSU, Ole Miss, Missouri, and Tennessee from their SEC schedule. Ten wins seems like a certainty.
5) Ole Miss
2023 Record: 11-2
Projected 2024 record: 11-1
Ole Miss assembled one of the country’s premier transfer classes which includes nine key additions on the defensive side of the ball. I expect big improvements from that side of the ball after finishing 70th in the country in total defense last year. QB Jaxson Dart, WR Tre Harris, and TE Caden Prieskorn all return to form one of the most potent offenses in the SEC.
Continuity can be a concern with a team adding so many new faces in a single off-season. But the Rebels’ 2024 schedule starts with Furman, MTSU, Wake Forest, Georgia Southern, Kentucky, and South Carolina. Ole Miss should have an easy 6-0 start, enabling this team to gel and play their best football when it really matters.
6) Notre Dame
2023 Record: 10-3
Projected 2024 record: 10-2
Notre Dame’s defense will be absolutely loaded next season thanks to the return of LB Jack Kiser, All-American S Xavier Watts, and essentially their entire defensive line. This looks like a top-5 unit in the country and should not have any collapses like we saw against Louisville and Clemson last year.
The offense does have to replace star RB Audric Estime and three starters on the line, but the pass-catchers are looking much stronger after a disappointing performance in 2023. Ex-Duke QB Riley Leonard replaces Sam Hartman after battling injury in the second half of the season. Leonard’s mobility will open up an entirely new dimension to this offense. The Irish are no joke in 2024.
7) Penn State
2023 Record: 10-3
Projected 2024 record: 10-2
Despite another 10-win season, Penn State’s 2023 was an utter disappointment. They have to replace both coordinators, but both replacements – OC Andy Kotelnicki from Kansas and DC Tom Allen from Indiana – were slam dunk hires and offer reason for optimism in 2024. Kotelnicki specializes in getting playmakers the ball in space and should have a field day utilizing RBs Nick Singleton & Kaytron Allen, TE Tyler Warren, and WR KeAndre Lambert-Smith. I also expect Drew Allar to take a big step forward after an up-and-down first season.
The defense loses a lot but also returns an anchor at each level: DT Dvon Ellies, LB Abdul Carter, and S Jaylen Reed. The Nittany Lions’ season will be determined by a four-game stretch of at USC, at Wisconsin, vs Ohio State, vs Washington.
8) Alabama
2023 Record: 12-2
Projected 2024 record: 10-2
Although Nick Saba retired, he left the Alabama football program in as good of condition as anyone could have hoped. Even with a litany of transfers out of the program, new HC Kalen DeBoer will have as much talent at his disposal as he has ever had. QB Jalen Millroe should be a preseason Heisman favorite and will form a dangerous rushing attack alongside RB Justice Hayes.
The Tide should have one of the best and deepest defensive lines in the SEC which should help mask some question marks in the back-end of their defense. Although the addition of USC CB Domani Jackson does help. This may not be the Alabama we’ve been used to seeing over the past 17 seasons, but they are not leaving the national stage any time soon.
9) Missouri
2023 Record: 11-2
Projected 2024 record: 10-2
QB Brady Cook and WR Luther Burden III return after a magical 11-2 season last year. The Tigers lose star RB Cody Shrader but add Marcus Carroll (1,350 yards, 13 TDs last year) from Georgia State in his place. The offensive line needs to be retooled, but Missouri added a ton of talent via the portal and 2024 recruiting class. This offense should get even better in 2024.
Losing DC Blake Baker to LSU hurts their chances of matching last year’s production, but their schedule will allow for a relatively easy 7-0 start (Murray State, Buffalo, BC, Vanderbilt, A&M, UMass, Auburn). Missouri should find themselves in the thick of the SEC and CFP race in 2024.
10) Michigan
2023 Record: 15-0
Projected 2024 record: 9-3
First-time head coach Sherron Moore has his work cut out for him in replacing Jim Harbaugh. Michigan loses both coordinators, the majority of their defensive coaching staff, and 18 starters from 2023’s national championship team. The offensive side of the ball is the biggest question mark with the Wolverines likely leaning on the athletic yet unpolished QB Alex Orji to be their next starter. The return of RB Donovan Edwards was huge but he will be running behind an entirely new offensive line.
The good news is this Wolverine defense should be good enough to keep them in every game. CB Will Johnson, S Rod Moore, and DL Mason Graham could all be 1st-round picks in 2025. But with road trips to Ohio State & Washington and home games against USC, Oregon, & Texas, it might be hard for Michigan to live up to this ranking.
11) Oklahoma State
2023 Record: 10-4
Projected 2024 record: 10-2
The Cowboys will be one of the country’s most experienced teams in 2024. Essentially everyone on offense returns including their entire offensive line, QB Alan Bowman (who was granted a 7th season by the NCAA), All-American RB Ollie Gordon, and leading receiver Brennan Presley.
LB Collin Oliver and S Kendal Daniels give Oklahoma State two leaders and potential All-Americans on defense. The defensive line is a concern, but the competition in the new-look Big 12 isn’t the steepest. With Texas and Oklahoma gone, Mike Gundy has a chance to make Oklahoma State the new power in the conference.
12) Florida State
2023 Record: 13-1
Projected 2024 record: 10-2
Florida State loses the majority of the players that guided them to their 13-0, playoff-less season last year. But Mike Norvell has the Seminoles here to stay as a national contender. He has retooled this roster with 15 transfer portal additions, including 5 from Alabama. DJ Uiagalelei won’t light up a lot of scoreboards, but his veteran presence should keep this offense potent alongside RB Roydell Williams and versatile hybrid players Jaylin Lucas & Ja’khi Douglas.
It’s difficult to say how good their new-look defense will be, but Florida State’s schedule does not feature any elite offenses. The Seminoles’ season will be determined by their home matchup against Clemson (potentially an ACC Championship preview) and their road trip to South Bend in November.
13) Tennessee
2023 Record: 9-4
Projected 2024 record: 9-3
New starting QB and former 5-star prospect Nico Lamaleava passed his first test in the Citrus Bowl against Iowa and should elevate the Volunteer offense after a disappointing season from the strong-armed Joe Milton. Lamaleava will have plenty of weapons at his disposal thanks to some key returns and the addition of 6’5″ WR Chris Brazzell, who led Tulane in receiving last year. This offense should have more of the electricity that we saw in 2022.
The Vols’ fierce defensive line remains relatively in tact next season along with their linebacker core which was plagued with injuries last season. Tennessee’s biggest question mark will be how they handle the seven transfer departures from their secondary.
14) Oklahoma
2023 Record: 10-3
Projected 2024 record: 9-3
Brent Venables righted the ship in his second season, upsetting Texas and finishing 10-3. However, former 5-star and much-hyped QB Jackson Arnold’s struggles in the Alamo Bowl vs Arizona slowed down the hype train heading into 2024. Even so, the Sooners return four starters on the offensive line and brought in four transfers. They also picked up WR Deion Burks (who was sensational at Purdue last season) & RB Sam Franklin (1,400 yards & 11 TDs at UT-Martin last year).
The return of LB Danny Stutsman (104 tackles & 16 TFLs last year) and CB Billy Bowman (6 INTs) could allow this Venables defense to finally take shape. If it does, the Sooners could find themselves back in the CFP.
15) LSU
2023 Record: 10-3
Projected 2024 record: 9-3
The Tigers obviously have to replace Heisman winner Jayden Daniels and star receivers Malik Nabers & Brian Thomas Jr. But Garrett Nussmeier looked great in the ReliaQuest Bowl vs Wisconsin, throwing for 395 yards and 3 TDs. It will also help that his offensive line returns four starters. LSU also brought in CJ Daniels (1,000 yards & 10 TDs at Liberty last year) and Zavion Thomas (500 yards at Mississippi State last year, former 4-star prospect) at WR.
But all eyes will be on the defense that finished 108th nationally in yards allowed – particularly the inexperienced cornerbacks who were torched all season long. Missouri DC Blake Baker and transfers Austin Ausberry, Jardin Gilbert, & Jyaire Brown should help plug the holes in the back-end. There’s reason to think LSU can improve in 2024.
16) Utah
2023 Record: 8-5
Projected 2024 record: 9-3
Speaking of 7th-year QBs, Cam Rising is back again after missing all of 2023 with a knee injury suffered in the Rose Bowl the year prior. An incredibly young and inexperienced offensive line stays in tact and should make strides next season after a disappointing performance last year. All in all, the Ute offense should improve in 2024.
Despite losing three starters in the secondary, Kyle Whittingham should have another elite defense on his hands. Utah will definitely be in the mix for what looks like a wide open Big 12 race. But with at least four losses in each of the past three seasons, I’m not setting my expectations too high.
17) Clemson
2023 Record: 9-4
Projected 2024 record: 10-2
For the first time since Trevor Lawrence was here, expectations seem a bit more reasonable around Clemson. Cade Klubnik struggled in his first season as a starter and now loses RB Will Shipley and two of his top four pass-catchers. But the offense does return 10 of the 11 starters from their 38-35 win over Kentucky in the Gator Bowl. The play of RB Phil Mafah and TE Jake Briningstool offer some optimism for the offense in year two under OC Garrett Riley.
If Clemson wants to return to the CFP picture, they’ll need to develop some play-makers at wide receiver and along the defensive line. That’s funny to think about considering those positions were synonymous with Clemson’s dominance from 2015-2020.
18) Arizona
2023 Record: 10-3
Projected 2024 record: 9-3
Losing HC Jedd Fisch to Washington was a huge blow, as the Wildcats appeared equipped to go on a run similar to the Huskies in 2024. Nonetheless, Arizona will be a player in the Big 12 and CFP race. QB Noah Fifits, who completed 72% of his passes for nearly 3,000 yards and 25 TDs as a redshirt freshman, is coming back along with his top target in WR Tetairoa McMillan.
The defense also got a boost with the return of LB Jacob Manu (116 tackles, 9.5 TFLs, 6.5 sacks last year) and Pac-12 Honorable Mention CB Tacario Davis could be returning despite entering the portal a few weeks back. With road trips to Kansas State and Utah in September, we’ll know early on whether Arizona is legit under former San Jose State HC Brent Brennan.
19) NC State
2023 Record: 9-4
Projected 2024 record: 9-3
The Wolfpack quietly went 9-3 with five straight wins to end the regular season before a tight loss to Kansas State in the bowl game. NC State finished in the bottom half of college football in total & scoring offense last year but should make tremendous strides in 2024 thanks to the arrival of veteran QB Grayson McCall from Coastal Carolina. They also added Duke’s leading rusher Jordan Waters and return last year’s leading receiver Kevin Concepcion & four starters on the offensive line.
The Wolfpack defense will be led by DE Davin Vann, LB Caden Fordham, and safeties Devan Boykin & Sean Brown. There’s an apparent hole at corner with the loss of their top two guys, but NC State is still built to make some noise in the ACC.
20) Louisville
2023 Record: 10-4
Projected 2024 record: 9-3
Jeff Brohm is not messing around with his hometown Cardinals. Louisville brought in a top-5 transfer class which included 24 players – many to improve an offense that finished out side the top 40 in points & yards and struggled mightily in their final two games against Florida State & USC. Tyler Shough, who has 27 games under his belt at Oregon & Texas Tech, was granted a 7th year and transferred to Louisville. MAC OPOTY Peny Boone will boost a depleted RB room.
All-American DE Ashton Gillotte and former Tennessee DE Tyler Baron form perhaps the best pass-rushing duo in the entire ACC. With much of the back-end of the defense also returning, Louisville looks like a more complete team heading into 2024.
21) Kansas
2023 Record: 9-4
Projected 2024 record: 9-3
QB Jalon Daniels was held to just three games in 2023 due to a back injury but is returning for a 5th season. He’s accounted for 44 TDs and almost 5,000 total yards in 25 games. In the event Daniels still needs some time to ease into things, Jason Bean has proven more than serviceable. The Jayhawk were top-20 in yards & points and return their top rusher, top three receivers, and three starters on the offensive line. They also added a couple studs to that OL via the portal.
There is no doubt Kansas will be able to put up points in 2024. The concern is around the defense. The good news on that side of the ball is CBs Mello Dotson and Cobee Bryant return to form a dynamic duo on the outside. The bad news is they might have to lean on some freshman on the defensive line with the unexpected departures of Austin Booker & Gage Keys.
22) Liberty
2023 Record: 13-1
Projected 2024 record: 12-0
QB Kaidon Salter returns along with his entire backfield which led the nation in rushing last seasons. The majority of the offensive line stays in tact too. That’s a good sign because Liberty may need to lean even more on the run game with star receiver CJ Daniels gone. There are some holes to fill at safety and along the interior of the defensive line, but Liberty has been active in the transfer portal.
Liberty plays in C-USA and has non-conference matchups against Campbell, ECU, Appalachian State, and Kennesaw State. The Owls should be favored in every game this upcoming season.
23) USC
2023 Record: 8-5
Projected 2024 record: 9-3
Caleb William’s follow-up to winning the Heisman was certainly disappointing, but it feels like the public is selling the Trojans a bit short so far this off-season. Lincoln Riley finally made a real investment into his defense with the hire of DC D’Anton Lynn from UCLA. Lynn has a decade of NFL coaching experience and turned UCLA from one of the nation’s worst defenses into a top-15 unit in one season.
Miller Moss’ performance in the Holiday Bowl (22-33 for 372 yards and 6 TDs) proved that Lincoln Riley’s electric offense isn’t going anywhere. Tying even an average defense to a USC offense that returns four starters on the offensive line could mean big things for the Trojans in 2024. If Lynn can make USC’s defense elite, the sky is the limit.
24) Wisconsin
2023 Record: 7-6
Projected 2024 record: 8-4
The Badgers had a disappointing 7-6 first season under Luke Fickell but are geared up to be much more competitive. Wisconsin should return to their dominance along the line of scrimmage with four starters returning on their offensive line, highlighted by potential 1st-round pick Jack Nelson. Former Cincinnati & 2022 All-AAC center Jake Renfro also returns after missing all of 2023 with injury. RB Braelon Allen is gone, but veteran Chez Mellusi returns and they added Oklahoma RB Tawee Walker.
The Badgers opted for another one-year rental at QB with Tyler Van Dyke, who will be able to lean on the presence of star receiver Will Pauling. LB Jake Chaney, CB Ricardo Hallman, & S Hunter Wohler will lead a much improved defense. But Wisconsin needs some guys to step up on the defensive line for this defense to be great.
25) Texas Tech
2023 Record: 7-6
Projected 2024 record: 9-3
Texas Tech beat up on Cal in the Independence Bowl to salvage a season that fell short of expectations. But there’s reason for optimism heading into 2024. The Red Raider defense has improved in each of the past two seasons under DC Tim Deruyter and may finally be ready to breakthrough in his third year. Ben Roberts & Jacob Rodriguez are one of the Big 12’s top LB duos, while CJ Baskerville and Braylon Luxwill return in the secondary. The Raiders also picked up two of the best transfers at their respective positions in OG Davion Carter (Memphis) and WR Josh Kelly (Washington State).
Their schedule only has four teams that finished in the top half of the Big 12/Pac-12 in 2023: Oklahoma State, West Virginia, Iowa State, and Arizona. Texas Tech could be a major sleeper in the wide open Big 12 next season.
Just Missed Out:
Miami FL, Kansas State, Iowa, Boise State, Texas A&M
Ranked Teams by Conference:
SEC: 8
Big Ten: 6
Big 12: 5
ACC: 4
Other: 2 (Notre Dame, Liberty)