Miami has the most potent offense of any college football program in Florida.
At least, that's what EA Sports decided when releasing its offensive team ratings for the upcoming release of the highly anticipated College Football 25 video game, with the Hurricanes ranked seventh overall, surrounded by prestigious teams like Georgia, Oregon, Alabama, Texas, Ohio State and LSU. Check your notes — Colorado.
Meanwhile, UCF was ranked 21st, one spot above the defending ACC champion, Florida State.
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Miami's acquisition of former Washington State quarterback Cameron Ward through the transfer portal is surely a sign of the developer's confidence. The Hurricanes entered the 2023 season ranked 38th in scoring (31.5 points per game) and 31st in total offense (431.2 yards per game).
Did EA Sports get the rankings right? Who's too high, who's too low? Here's the full list, plus five initial thoughts.
College Football Offensive Power Rankings 25
- Georgia — 94
- Oregon — 94
- Alabama — 91
- Texas — 91
- Ohio State University — 89
- LSU — 89
- Miami — 89
- Colorado — 89
- Missouri — 89
- Clemson — 87
- Utah — 87
- Penn State — 87
- Ole Miss — 87
- Kansas — 87
- Arizona — 87
- NC State University — 87
- Notre Dame — 85
- Texas A&M — 85
- Memphis — 85
- SMU — 85
- UCF — 85
- Florida State University — 83
- Oklahoma — 83
- Virginia Tech — 83
- USC — 83
UCF should climb further thanks to KJ Jefferson and RJ Harvey.
A common thread among the teams ranked in the top 25 on EA Sports' list is their deference to experienced two-way quarterbacks: former UCF and Oklahoma starter Dillon Gabriel propels Oregon to No. 2, while Grayson McCall (North Carolina State), Riley Leonard (Notre Dame) and DJ Uiagalelei (Florida State) filled the center void for each team via the transfer portal.
UCF similarly found a playmaker in the portal in three-year starter KJ Jefferson at Arkansas, a veteran who played in 44 college games and had nearly 10,000 yards of total offense. At 6-foot-3 and 248 pounds, Jefferson would be like a bulldozer on QB-designed run plays in the virtual world.
On top of that, UCF owns one of the deepest backfields in college football. Returning starter RJ Harvey and Toledo's 2023 MAC Offensive Player of the Year Penny Boone rank sixth and eighth nationally in rushing yards. Johnny Richardson's blazing speed around the edge should complement their skill sets nicely, plus there's the added bonus that he can potentially score from anywhere on the field.
Kobe Hudson and Xavier Townsend are proven playmakers at wide receiver, while Randy Pittman Jr. is a developing talent at tight end. The offensive line certainly saw a lot of change over the course of 2023, but Amari Kite and Marsellus Marshall are capable veteran starters who can start at multiple positions.
Shadur Sanders and Travis Hunter overcome Colorado's glaring weaknesses
Colorado will undoubtedly be in the conversation for a spot in the top 10. Honestly, anything related to Deion Sanders is an obvious talking point in college football these days.
Meanwhile, Shedur Sanders is arguably one of the best quarterbacks in the country, completing 69.3 percent of his passes for 3,230 yards, 27 touchdowns and three interceptions in 11 games. Travis Hunter has been a two-way weapon when available, winning the Paul Hornung Award with five touchdowns and three interceptions. Samford product Jimmy Horn Jr., FAU transfer LaJontae Wester and Ohio State transfer Darran Hayden make for an attractive supporting cast.
But Colorado's offensive line ranked second-bottom in sacks allowed (56) last season, which led to a major personnel overhaul. Four new starters, possibly including true freshman Jordan Seaton, could solve the Buffaloes' lethal pass-protection issues, but it's still enough of a question mark to at least move them down a few notches.
Utah and Arizona are among the Big 12's elite, but where is Oklahoma?
Utah and Arizona, who also left the Pac-12, are both ranked in EA Sports' top 15 offensive powerhouses. Utah is seen as a favorite to win the Big 12 in its debut season, according to BetOnline, and Cameron Rising could make a big jump if he stays healthy. Arizona will hope to make up for the departure of Jedd Fisch to Washington by retaining the prolific passing duo of Noah Fifita and Tetairoa McMillan.
Still, Oklahoma State seems underdoged here. Ollie Gordon II (1,732 yards rushing, 330 yards receiving, 22 TDs) won the Doak Walker Award last year as the nation's top running back, and the Cowboys ranked 25th nationally in passing (276.5 yards per game). They scored at least 39 points in five Big 12 Conference games last season, but the Cowboys didn't show up on a rainy afternoon in Orlando and were swept by Texas in the league finals.
Mike Gundy's offense has consistently been one of the best in college football. From 2010-2023, Oklahoma State averaged 37.2 points and 473.0 yards of total offense per game, finishing in the top 10 in scoring six times.
Clemson is in the top 10. Based on …???
There's already some question about Colorado's place in the top 10, not to mention the Buffaloes finished 99th in yards per play. Clemson, the 10th-best offense in the EA Sports College 25, was 98th last year.
Unlike Colorado, Dabo Swinney isn't going to reach into the transfer portal to make an immediate addition to his roster, so the Tigers will likely have roughly the same roster this fall, with the exception of Will Shipley, who was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles.
Former Texas Gatorade High School Player of the Year Cade Klubnick could take a big leap in his junior year at Clemson, but when you look at the other highly-rated quarterbacks on the offensive line, he's still unproven. The Tigers don't have a 1,000-yard rusher or a 600-yard receiver on their 2023 roster.
It's hard to imagine Clemson not improving in coach Garrett Riley's second year at the helm, but will it rise to the top of the sports world? This ranking feels more based on reputation than reality.
Memphis will fly the Group of 5 flag, but watch out for Texas State and USF
Group of Five teams are often ignored due to the perception that they have weaker competition in the league, but Memphis deservedly makes the list after ranking sixth nationally in scoring (39.4 points per game average). The Tigers return quarterback Seth Hennigan and leading receiver Lock Taylor and add South Carolina leading rusher Mario Anderson to their backfield.
Texas and South Florida will also have plenty to offer gamers.
Former UCF offensive coordinator GJ Kine made a big switch at Texas State in 2023, landing Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year Jordan McCloud from James Madison University. McCloud threw for 3,657 yards with 35 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, while also adding 276 yards and a team-high eight touchdowns on the ground.
South Florida similarly made strides in Year 1 under former UCF assistant Alex Goresh, with most importantly, USF retaining dangerous dual-threat quarterback Byram Brown, who led the Bulls to 4,101 yards of total offense (8th in the FBS) and 37 touchdowns.
And of course, Air Force, Navy and Army add their own unique twist with their triple-option rushing attack.
