College football rankings: Why Penn State is No. 1 in our post-spring top 25

Spring ball is over, and we’re now a few months away from the start of the 2025 college football season. So, how does Penn State stack up ahead of a potential national title run?

We published a set of way-too-early top 25 rankings back in January, in the moments after Ohio State beat Notre Dame to win the College Football Playoff title. Since then, we’ve had coaching changes and player movement via the transfer portal and the NFL draft.

Now that the portal is closed and spring ball is over, let’s take another crack at ranking the top 25 teams ahead of the 2025 season.

25. Washington: There were a lot of teams I thought about including at the tail end of these rankings like Kansas State, TCU, Louisville and Beau Pribula’s Missouri. But I firmly believe QB Demond Williams Jr. can be the breakout star of the Big Ten this fall.

24. Auburn: Whether or not Year Three is a success for Hugh Freeze hinges on Oklahoma transfer QB Jackson Arnold. But the talent at wide receiver — headlined by five-star Cam Coleman and Georgia Tech transfer Eric Singleton Jr. — will certainly help.

23. Baylor: Sawyer Robertson was one of the best QBs in the country that no one was talking about last year. That should change.

22. Indiana: Cal transfer Fernando Mendoza can sling it, and portal additions on the offensive line should fill in the cracks. After a stunning, transfer-laden run to the CFP, Curt Cignetti’s second season will be fascinating to watch.

21. SMU: The Mustangs are going to miss multi-purpose running back Brashard Smith. But with QB Kevin Jennings back in Dallas, Rhett Lashlee’s high-octane offense can have another go.

20. Kansas State: Kansas State’s success hinges on entertaining QB Avery Johnson taking the next step in his development (and vastly improving the defense).

19. Iowa State: Losing wide receivers Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins to the NFL hurts. But with QB Rocco Becht returning, it’s difficult to doubt Matt Campbell’s program.

18. Arizona State: The Sun Devils, who beat the Cyclones in the Big 12 title game and made some noise in the CFP, have stud QB Sam Leavitt back. But it’s going to be awfully difficult to replace Cam Skattebo.

17. BYU: You can sense a theme in the Big 12. There are a lot of talented QBs coming back, and Jake Retzlaff is one of them. Kalani Sitake’s team, which won 11 games last fall, returns the majority of its roster and is positioned well.

16. Oklahoma: I was intrigued by the Sooners bringing in Washington State dual-threat John Mateer in the winter portal. But using the spring portal to add Cal running back Jadyn Ott (1,305 yards, 12 TDs in 2023) was enough for me to elevate my expectations for Oklahoma.

15. Texas Tech: Speaking of the portal, Texas Tech is looking like last year’s Ole Miss. The Red Raider boosters spent plenty of oil money in the winter and added standouts (WR Micah Hudson, EDGE David Bailey, OL Cash Cleveland) in the spring. Can the pieces come together?

14. Florida: DJ Lagway impressed as a freshman and could end up being the most impactful QB in the SEC. He’ll have four returning offensive linemen blocking for him. But the playmakers around him and the defense leave a little bit to be desired.

13. Miami: Carson Beck’s lingering elbow injury is a concern. But if he’s healthy, the former Georgia star will have weapons at his disposal. He’ll have Francis Mauigoa, one of the best offensive tackles in the country, blocking for him. And Miami’s defense, after a bad 2024 season, should be better with the addition of new DC Corey Hetherman.

12. Michigan: It might be five-star freshman Bryce Underwood. It might be Jadyn Davis. Whoever it is has to be better than last year’s QBs. Alabama transfer RB Justice Haynes has the makings of a star, and the defense is expected to reload. Buy low on the Wolverines.

11. South Carolina: Similar to Lagway and Florida, the Gamecocks will go as far as QB LaNorris Sellers carries them. I venture to guess that’s pretty far.

10. Illinois: It might feel weird seeing Illinois here. But the Illini won 10 games last year, and few teams return as much production as Bret Bielema’s program, including QB Luke Altmyer, OL J.C. Davis, DB Xavier Scott and LB Gabe Jacas.

9. Alabama: Pocket passer Ty Simpson running Kalen DeBoer and Ryan Grubb’s offense ought to flow a bit better than it did with Jalen Milroe in 2024. Ryan Williams and Germie Bernard make up maybe the best 1-2 punch at WR in the country. Should be fun to watch.

8. Georgia: The Bulldogs had 13 players drafted, including three first-round defensive stars (Mykel Williams, Jalon Walker, Malaki Starks) and three offensive linemen on Day Two. I don’t doubt that Kirby Smart can reload. But that combined with a relative unknown in QB Gunner Stockton gives me a slight pause.

7. Oregon: Dan Lanning’s Ducks were aggressive in the portal, adding starters like OT Isaiah World (Nevada), OG Emmanuel Pregnon (USC), RB Makhi Hughes (Tulane) and, perhaps most importantly, DB Dillon Thieneman (Purdue). Even without Dillon Gabriel and nine other NFL draft picks, the reigning Big Ten champs will be a tough out.

6. Notre Dame: The defense will be salty, the offensive line will be a major strength, and Jeremiyah Love is one of the best backs in the country. But who will replace QB Riley Leonard? Steve Angeli transferred to Syracuse, so it’s down to C.J. Carr or Kenny Minchey. That’s a big question to have looming over the summer for Marcus Freeman’s program.

5. LSU: Garrett Nussmeier will be contending for the title of QB1 in the 2026 NFL draft while throwing to a pair of standout transfers (Oklahoma’s Nic Anderson, Kentucky’s Barion Brown). Couple that with a defense featuring LB Harold Perkins and a handful of portal additions, and Brian Kelly might be cooking with gas in Year Four.

4. Clemson: Todd McShay’s recent 2026 NFL mock draft had six Tigers going in the first round: QB Cade Klubnik, DT Peter Woods, DE T.J. Parker, OT Blake Miller, CB Aveion Terrell and WR Antonio Williams. Dabo Swinney has been criticized in the past for his anti-portal approach. But Clemson has the returning talent necessary to compete for a national championship this fall.

3. Texas: The Longhorns are replacing 12 draftees, including six in the first three rounds and three offensive linemen. That’s a lot. But with portal help and development, there’s belief Texas will be just as talented as it was when it made the CFP semifinal. There’s also belief that Arch Manning is good enough to win a national championship in his first season as the starter.

2. Ohio State: No team had more draft picks than Ohio State’s 14 with seven players going in the first two rounds. Again, a lot to replace. But the Buckeyes also have arguably the two best players in the country on either side of the ball in WR Jeremiah Smith and DB Caleb Downs. Those cornerstone pieces, plus five-star QB Julian Sayin and a bevy of young talent, should position Ryan Day’s program well to defend its crown.

1. Penn State: After Ohio State beat Notre Dame in the CFP final, I ranked Penn State at No. 2 in my way-too-early top 25. The basis for that was the returning talent. Bringing back Drew Allar, Kaytron Allen, Nick Singleton, Dani Dennis-Sutton and more is a source of serious optimism.

The major question marks the Nittany Lions had were at receiver and defensive coordinator. James Franklin answered those questions by hiring Ohio State play-caller Jim Knowles and adding three portal wideouts, including Syracuse star Trebor Pena in the spring portal.

Will Penn State win the national title? I don’t know. But the Nittany Lions are following the same blueprints as Ohio State and Michigan when they won it all in 2024 and 2023. Leaning on a veteran QB and a collection of top-tier returning talent worked for the Buckeyes and Wolverines. I think it has a good chance of working for Franklin and Penn State, too.

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