2024 post-spring, post-portal Top 25 College Football Rankings: Georgia tops Ohio State for No. 1
With spring football and the second transfer portal window (essentially) in the rearview mirror, we’re officially entered the doldrums of the college football offseason.
Or have we?
Although the spring transfer window wasn’t the dizzying carousel many anticipated, so much has changed since the Early Signing Period in December now is the perfect time to asses where teams stand entering the summer before the 2024 season. We debuted the series with the post-portal, post-spring Power Rankings series with SEC and then followed that up with the Big Ten, ACC and Big 12.
Although several Group of 5 programs (or whatever they prefer to be called in 2024) were considered (see: Liberty, Tulane) for the latest updated Top 25, none made the cut this go-round. But there were plenty of shakeups since my last Way-Too-Early Top 25 Rankings right after the conclusion of the College Football Playoff.
My updated 2024 post-spring, post-portal Top 25 College Football Rankings:
1. Georgia
The Bulldogs are one of the favorites to win the 2024 national championship, and with good reason — from Carson Beck back at quarterback to a defense littered with experience and blue-chip talent, the roster is as good as any in the country. UGA avoided the injury bug through spring practice, and added impact tight end Ben Yurosek and potential QB insurance in Jaden Rashada.
2. Ohio State
The Buckeyes are the undisputed 2024 off-season champions, but that won’t mean anything if Ryan Day can’t capitalize on an all-in season this fall. Ohio State is loaded after returning every standout off a Top 5 defense, plus adding the likes of All-American safety Caleb Downs and All-SEC tailback Quinshon Judkins. Interestingly, Day decided not to name Will Howard the team’s starter exiting spring practice, and while the Kansas State transfer remains the likeliest option, Devin Brown and Alabama transfer Julian Sayin will continue to compete at the start of fall camp.
3. Texas
While Arch Manning stole the show in Texas’ spring game, Quinn Ewers — EA Sports College Football 25 cover-boy — remains the headliner for a Texas offense that projects to be elite again in 2024. The Longhorns used the spring to incorporate Ewers’ new weapons (like Alabama wideout Isaiah Bond, Houston wideout Matthew Golden), while shoring up some defensive holes by flipping tackle Jermayne Lole away from Oklahoma and adding Arizona end Bill Norton.
4. Alabama
It may take some time for the Tide to totally gel in 2024, but Kalen DeBoer has a squad capable of contending for a College Football Playoff spot in Year 1 post-Nick Saban. The roster looks a lot differently than it did in 2023, but with the boomerang transfer of 5-star tackle Kadyn Proctor, the offensive line should be a major strength and the secondary added key pieces this spring from Michigan, Penn State, Wake Forest and elsewhere.
5. Oregon
In advance of the program’s move to the Big Ten, the Ducks have had an excellent offseason. Dan Lanning inked another Top 10 recruiting class and signed a bevy of impact transfers, including quarterback Dillon Gabriel, wideout Evan Stewart and corner Jabbar Muhammad. Oregon grabbed one of the top defensive tackles on a thin market this spring (Michigan State’s Derrick Harmon) and plucked former fringe 5-star safety Peyton Woodyard away from Alabama.
6. Ole Miss
Coming off their best season in school history (11-2), the Rebels have gone all-in on making the CFP and competing for an SEC Championship this fall. Lane Kiffin did yeoman’s work retaining the key portions of Ole Miss’ roster and adding star transfers like Walter Nolen and Juice Wells. During the spring, the Rebels grabbed a pair of tailbacks to supplement the offense’s lone weakness. If a defense full of mercenary transfers can coalesce, Ole Miss will top last year’s historic season.
7. Michigan
The Wolverines exited the spring with an ongoing quarterback battle with as many as four players still nominally competing for the job. And yet, Sherrone Moore’s program was one of the spring window winners because Michigan held onto star players like Will Johnson, Kenneth Grant and Mason Graham — all future 1st Round picks — and adding four key pieces to the secondary including UNLV safety Ricky Johnson.
8. Notre Dame
Outside of Georgia, the Fighting Irish were the only team to make an appearance in all of my 2024 Positional Unit Rankings on defense, and Marcus Freeman made sure to upgrade the offense with the likes of Duke transfer quarter Riley Leonard and several portal receivers, led by Clemson’s Beaux Collins and FIU’s Kris Mitchell. Leonard missed most all of the spring still rehabbing his ankle injury, but that allowed former LSU OC Mike Denbrock, now back for his third stint at Notre Dame, to work with promising underclassmen quarterbacks CJ Carr and Steve Angel. If the Irish are able to plug some real holes along the offensive line, this is a no-doubt CFP team with their 2024 schedule.
9. Florida State
While the Seminoles are currently in litigation to leave the ACC, Mike Norvell aims to win a second-straight conference title. DJ Uiagalelei is back in the league, but FSU is likely to rely on a retooled defense and a deep backfield. Transfers Marvin Jones (edge, Georgia), Earl Little (nickel, Alabama) and Shawn Murphy (linebacker, Alabama) carved out key roles this spring, and Norvell, who’s had the Midas touch when it comes to landing impact transfers, dipped into the portal for a pair of other defensive contributors during the second window.
10. Missouri
The Tigers have the makeup of a CFP contender this fall, as Eli Drinkwitz has assembled a roster that can compete with any program in the SEC. The loss of defensive coordinator Blake Baker to LSU stung, but Drinkwitz has proven he can hire capable assistants as well as any coach in the league recently. The Tigers still have some pressing questions to answer defensively during fall camp, but they did grab Georgia Tech edge Eddie Kelly for some depth, and All-AAC offensive lineman Marcus Bryant from Houston.
11. Utah
Easily, the best news out of Salt Lake City this spring were the glowing reports around seventh-year senior starting quarterback Cam Rising’s health. Same for tight end Brant Kuithe and tailback Micah Bernard. With the added firepower from guys like Dorian Singer, Traeshaun Lyons and Damien Alford, Utah’s offense should be more prolific in 2024. The Utes also go some Rising insurance by landing former 5-star Sam Huard, once a Washington signee, out of the portal. Kyle Whittingham has some spots to sort out in the secondary, but overall, Utah projects to have one of the best defenses in the Big 12 and should contend for a new conference championship in Year 1.
12. Penn State
The Nittany Lions spent the spring breaking in new coordinators on offense (Kansas’ Andy Kotelnicki) and defense (former Indiana head coach Tom Allen). James Franklin’s team should boast one of the saltier defenses in the country again this fall, and the hope is Drew Allar will make a leap playing in Kotelnicki’s system and throwing to the likes of Ohio State transfer Julian Fleming. Penn State did not add a single player in the second window, but they did see top returning wideout KeAndre Lambert-Smith (Auburn) and promising safety King Mack (Alabama) transfer.
13. Clemson
The Tigers’ claim to the No. 2 spot in the post-spring, post-portal rankings has as much to do with my reticence with Miami as it does confidence in Clemson. Dabo Swinney continues to stick his foot in his mouth about why his program doesn’t use the transfer portal (zero additions — the only power conference school in the country to do so). The Tigers do return a defense littered with NFL talent, and freshmen wideouts TJ Moore and Bryant Wesco look to provide more support for quarterback Cade Klubnik. But Klubnik has yet to fulfill his 5-star ranking and the OL remains underwhelming.
14. Tennessee
Outside of Nico Mania, Tennessee had a rather quiet spring. The Vols didn’t add a single transfer, and much of the focus was on implementing all the new pieces — offensively and defensively — from the previous window. While Iamaleava has star potential, Tennessee’s defense (which returns just three starters) could actually be what spearheads a special season with the return of pass rusher James Pearce (maybe the best defensive player in the conference) and the additions of Oregon State corner Jermod McCoy and MTSU safety Jakobe Thomas.
15. Miami
The Hurricanes have as much offseason hype as any program in the country, as Mario Cristobal followed up a Top 5 recruiting class and solid winter window (quarterback Cam Ward) with a super-splashy spring. Miami brought in Oregon State standout tailback Damien Martinez, Michigan State defensive tackle, Simeon Barrow, Marshall corner D’Yoni Hill and Houston receiver Sam Brown, among others — all of whom will start in 2024. With all the offseason additions, Miami’s offense could be the best in the ACC this fall, but have the ‘Canes done enough this offseason to bolster a defense that ranks 84th nationally in returning production.
16. LSU
It’s hard not to be down on LSU’s 2024 ceiling after the Tigers exited the spring with continued questions defensively, and then whiffed on key targets in the transfer portal. Brian Kelly upgraded LSU’s defensive staff, but the failures to add more than a single defensive tackle (and zero DBs) in the second window leaves the Tigers’ defense shorthanded before the season even begins. While the offense should remain really good, it’s likely to take (a natural) slight step back after losing Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels and two 1st-round picks at wideout.
17. Oklahoma
The Sooners have the look of a potential playoff spoiler in 2024. Brent Venables’ program has been overshadowed by Texas all offseason, but OU boasts an offense that should be one of the SEC’s best even with first-year starting quarterback Jackson Arnold and a completely new starting five along the line. They brought in SMU’s Branson Hickman to start at center, and landed a key defensive piece in TCU tackle Damonic Williams. The schedule is gnarly, so it’ll be imperative for the new-look OL to come together immediately this summer.
18. NC State
Could this be the season that Dave Doeren finally wins 10 games and has the Wolfpack seriously competing for an ACC Championship? Maybe. Doeren & Co., are counting on a host of offensive transfers — from quarterback Grayson McCall, tailbacks Jordan Waters and Hollywood Smothers and receivers Noah Rogers and Wesley Grimes — to help star wideout KC Concepcion provide more fireworks in 2024. Although NC State lost all-everything linebacker Peyton Wilson, the Wolfpack did retain key pieces in corner Aydan White and pass rusher Davin Vann. They brought in several rotational pieces this spring, including Ohio State safety/nickel Ja’Had Carter.
19. Kansas State
The Wildcats offense is in major transition, as former 5-star quarterback Avery Johnson takes over as the full-time starter after earning MVP honors in the Pop-Tarts Bowl. KSU is also breaking in a new offensive coordinator (former Texas Tech head coach Matt Wells), a trio of starters on the offensive line, and this spring, added Colorado playmaker Dylan Edwards to a backfield that returns DJ Giddens, who had over 1,200 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2023. Kansas State returns six starters off a defense that led the Big 12 in takeaways last season, and Chris Klieman signed a pair of portal pieces over the spring to supplement depth at linebacker and corner.
20. Oklahoma State
The Pokes rode star tailback Ollie Gordon to the Big 12 Championship in 2023, and the plan is to run it back this fall with a roster that ranks near the top nationally in returning production (85%). Seventh-year quarterback Alan Bowman and wideouts Brennan Presley and Rashod Owens are back, and in the spring, OSU plucked Gavin Freeman away from formal in-state rival Oklahoma. In addition to Arkansas transfer AJ Green, who they signed in January, they also added further backfield depth with Indiana transfer Trent Howland, who led the Hoosiers in rushing in 2023. The Cowboys’ linebacker unit ranks among the best nationally, and the entire defense should be better under second-year coordinator Bryan Nardo. Can the Pokes avoid the one-score regression monster (5-1 in 2023) that has befallen other recent Big 12 finalists? Time will tell.
21. Arizona
Brent Brennan takes over a program that probably would’ve been favored to win the Big 12 this fall if it hadn’t experienced so much upheaval since last season. While Jedd Fisch and a slew of signees are now at Washington, Brennan was able to hold onto star quarterback Noah Fifita, wideout Tetairoa McMillan and corner Tacario Davis. The former San Jose State head coach also restocked the roster with some key reinforcements — from New Mexico tailback Jacory Croskey-Merritt, who had 1,100 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2023, and defensive tackle Chubba Mae in the winter window, and another 11 transfer this spring. Notably, Arizona did lose a pair of potential starting lineman, as well as defensive end/tackle Bill Norton to Texas.
22. Kansas
Quarterback Jalon Daniels has missed more than a dozen games the last two seasons, yet his talent is undeniable, which is why so many are excited about the Jayhawks’ prospects in 2024 coming off the program’s best season in recent memory. Lance Leipold has staked his claim as one of the best coaches in America, and he returns a roster, along with Daniels, that brings back key starters like tailbacks Devin Neal and Daniel Hishaw and All-Big 12 corner Cobe Bryant. The Jayhawks aren’t major players in the portal, but they did make a couple solid adds this spring in Michigan State edge Bai Jobe and Michigan guard Amir Herring.
23. Texas A&M
Mike Elko has quickly put his stamp on TAMU’s program, buttoning up the operation in College Station with a strong coaching staff and key transfer portal additions (Purdue edge Nic Scourton and Florida linebacker Scooby Williams chief among them) up and down the roster. After a busy initial window, the Aggies brought in another five players including Utah center Koli Faaiu. Notably, Faaiu was recruited to replace multi-year starter Bryce Foster, which was a significant loss for the Aggies. Former blue-chip safety Jacoby Mathews also let the program this spring.
24. Nebraska
Is the Cornhusker hype too much again this offseason? I don’t think so. Matt Rhule was able to keep his defensive staff together while upgrading the offensive assistants. Freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola looked the part of a 5-star recruit during the spring, and portal upgrades at receiver, tailback and linebacker look like hits. It’s tough to bank on a freshman at QB, but Raiola raises Nebraska’s ceiling — which gives the Cornhuskers the slight edge over a group of teams that all could make cases for rounding out the Top 5 entering the summer.
25. Iowa
The Hawkeyes made one of the sneakier moves of the spring portal window bringing in Northwestern transfer quarterback Brendan Sullivan. Although Cade McNamara is back in 2024, the Michigan transfer did not look healthy in the spring and Sullivan might represent an upgrade, anyways. Phil Parker’s defense stands to be fantastic once again (especially at linebacker, corner and safety), so if new OC Tim Lester can at least awaken Iowa’s moribund offense then Kirk Ferentz could find his way to another 9-10 win season.