As the calendar shifts to summer, college football turns its attention to reflecting on spring practice and answering key roster and depth questions before kickoff. With that reset in mind, let's take a look at the latest edition of our 2024 preseason college football rankings.
ESPN has taken on the task of re-ranking the current 25 best teams in college football, and while there have been some notable moves, it's expected to still focus on the SEC and Big Ten. Here's the current state of ESPN's latest 2024 soccer power survey.
With Alex Grinch out and Danton Lin in, if the Trojans' defense can do what it did last year at UCLA and put USC on a stronger footing toward the Big Ten. While I'm looking forward to it, Mirror Moth will take over. Caleb Williams offense.
There's a lot of pressure on Mario Cristobal to produce a winner, with key transfers like quarterback Cameron Ward and running back Damian Martinez, both working behind a quality offensive line. This is a team to keep an eye on in the broader ACC title race this season.
Brian Ferentz and his legendary unproductive offense are a thing of the past, and Tim Lester is set to revamp the Hokies' strategy. Cade McNamara returns at quarterback, fresh off an injury, while Iowa's excellent defense returns significant production.
It will be interesting to see how the Jayhawks' offensive line replaces the missing pieces, but if that unit can get into shape, this offense can really get going. Jarron Daniels is back at center after injury issues from a year ago, and tailback Devin Neal is also back after playing significant time at wide receiver.
It's easy to overlook the Hokies, but third-year coach Brent Pry brings back a wealth of experience on both sides of the ball, added value to his front seven through the transfer portal, and the offense was very productive late last year. .
Jed Fisch helped build the Wildcats into a 10-win program last season, but key players chose not to follow him while he went to Washington. Noah Fifita returns at quarterback and wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan is also a key addition to building under new coach Brent Brennan as Arizona heads to the expanded and more competitive Big 12.
This Cowboys team returns nearly 20 stars, and while OSU needs to improve its secondary defense, no one will be more important than tailback Ollie Gordon, who led college football in rushing a year ago and thrived behind a strong line.
The Sooners enter the SEC with an improved defensive rotation that includes returning starter Danny Stutzman, but the new offensive line has work to do and quarterback Jackson-Arnold still lacks experience as he looks ahead to a grueling schedule. are doing.
Will Howard is out, but quarterback Avery Johnson is a quality two-way player at the position, and with DJ Giddens back in the backfield with help from Colorado transfer Dylan Edwards, the Wildcats' run game is It's going well.
Dabo Swinney's teams have missed the College Football Playoff the past three seasons. Part of the reason for that is his lack of a true, game-changing wide receiver on his offensive line. Until such a player is found, Cade Klubnik will not be able to fully develop into Garrett Riley's offensive line. Clemson's defense is still top notch and this team should remain in the ACC race for him all year.
Niko Iamareava made a very good first impression as a quarterback in the bowl game and has talented receivers and three returning blockers behind him. However, the Vols' secondary is unfinished and could put too much pressure on an otherwise strong front seven.
Blake Baker was brought in from Missouri to revive LSU's abysmal defense, ranked No. 118, but questions remain about that entire unit, including a secondary that struggled at times in the spring and a lineup that lost key players. Garrett Nussmeyer replaced Jaden Daniels and has been praised so far, and he's working with talented receivers, as LSU always has talented receivers.
Dave Doeren acquired a potentially game-changing replacement at quarterback by signing veteran transfer Grayson McCall. The Portal acquisitions also include running back Jordan Waters, receivers Noah Rogers and Wesley Grimes, and tight end Justin Jolly.
Drew Allard struggled to build a consistent passing game downfield a year ago, but now he needs to make adjustments on the offensive line. But he still has Allen and Singleton from Starbucks, as well as wide receiver Julian Fleming, a transfer from Ohio State, who could help replace departing Keandre Lambert-Smith in the fight for an expansion playoff spot. Dew.
Although the Seminoles lost a large amount of players, they made up for the losses by acquiring many players in the transfer portal. DJ Uiagalelei joins at quarterback, Malik Benson joins wide receiver from Alabama, and Roydell Williams and Lawrence Toafili help strengthen the backfield.
College football's defending national champions return a virtually different program, let alone a team, than they had a year ago. Sherone Moore was an easy choice to replace Jim Harbaugh for UM, bringing some much-needed continuity, and the defense returns five starters, including corner Will Johnson and lineman Mason Graham. But who's the quarterback and who's going to protect him?
While the return of eight starters with an ever-physical and disciplined defense will be critical for the Utes in a more open Big 12 title race, veteran quarterback Cameron Rising has suffered a knee injury. Dorian Singer and tight end Blount are back from injury. Kuithe is the star of a very talented skill rotation.
Eli Drinkwitz faces pressure to maintain the progress that culminated in an 11-win season a year ago. The offensive trio of quarterback Brady Cook and wideouts Luther Burden and Theo Weese returns, but tailback Cody Schroeder is out and we lose a very good defensive coordinator, but LT Overton and elite freshman Williams Nwaneri on the line.
The post-Nick Saban era is upon us for the Crimson Tide, and his replacement, Karen DeBoer, has won big everywhere she goes but has yet to come under SEC investigation. We'll see how his career win-loss record of 89.6% holds up over time, but he'll have Jalen Milroe back under center, helped by a strong ground game and a promising front seven. There is.
The Portal Kings have added another strong transfer class with Henry Parish stepping in for tailback Quinshon Judkins, defensive backs Princelee Umanmillen and Walter Nolen bolstering the front-seven rotation and Antwan Wells emerging as a quality receiving target for Jackson Dart.
The Irish lost key players in their offense, especially tackles, but they did acquire two-way quarterback Riley Leonard and wide receiver Beau Collins from Clemson University. Marcus Freeman is looking for a winning schedule and a possible expansion playoff spot.
Heading into the Big Ten, the Ducks look full at the line of scrimmage and boast an offensive line full of skilled personnel, including transferred quarterback Dillon Gabriel and wide receiver Evan Stewart, while Oregon State is on the tail end. Backup Jordan James is placed behind center.
Quinn Ewers returns as quarterback behind a strong and experienced offensive line and has top-level targets at wide receiver, including transfers Matthew Golden and Isaiah Bond. But the Longhorns will need to fix a shaky secondary for their SEC debut with big games scheduled, including matchups against Michigan and Georgia, and a new rivalry with Texas A&M.
Some of the big names the Buckeyes acquired from the transfer portal include quarterback Will Howard, two-time SEC rushing champion Quinshon Judkins and former Alabama star safety Caleb Downs. This also includes several key defensive starters returning on the edge, lead rusher Trevyon Henderson and wide receiver Emeka Egbuka. Ryan Day needs to get the win against Michigan and work hard now to win the national title.
Kirby Smart has a tough schedule in the restructured SEC, including trips to Alabama, Texas and Ole Miss, and the season opener against Clemson. Carson Beck returns at quarterback after a very productive year a year ago, and a strong supporting cast has moved on, including receivers Colby Young and London Humphries and tailback Trevor Etienne. It will be supported by
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