ESPN releases first Top 25 power rankings of 2023 college football season
Opening kick-off for the college football season is just weeks away, which means it’s finally time for various outlets to release their official preseason top 25.
The latest to do so is ESPN, who surveyed 57 of their brightest college football minds to make the list. Of course, there’s a pretty obvious pick leading the way, but the further we get away from the top spot, the wackier the rankings become, although ESPN steered clear of very many hot takes this time around.
So just below, you can take a look at how ESPN rates the 25 best clubs as we barrel towards the official start of the 2023 college football season:
1. Georgia
With a whopping 50 out of 57 first place votes in ESPN’s poll, the two-time reigning champs rightfully sit on the throne as we begin the 2023 season. It’s not just a formality, either, as the Dawgs return their best skill position weapons, including the nation’s top tight end in Brock Bowers, and will field another elite defense under Kirby Smart.
The questions come at two key spots on offense: quarterback and offensive coordinator. The brains who engineered a pair of Georgia’s best offenses under Smart — Stetson Bennett at QB, Todd Monken at OC — are each gone to the NFL. Sure, the replacements seem more than capable, but you just don’t know that lack of experience will ultimately bite UGA.
2. Michigan
The next three clubs all tied for second place in No. 1 votes with two apiece. Arguably, Michigan has the strongest claim for the top spot aside from Georgia and land at second in these rankings, given what they return on each side of the ball. Especially at quarterback, where UM gets a rising junior back in JJ McCarthy while other contenders — like Penn State, Ohio State, Alabama, Clemson and Georgia — all replace their QB.
Michigan does have guys to replace, particularly on the defense, but that offense is as loaded as it’s been under Harbaugh. McCarthy has talent and versatility under center, Blake Corum is a possible Heisman candidate at RB and the offensive line will be in the running for the Joe Moore award yet again. The Wolverines may be the contender with the least questions.
3. Ohio State
The other half of the Big Ten’s greatest rivalry falls right in at No. 3. For the Buckeyes, all eyes are on that receiving corps as 1,200-yard wideout and Chad Ochocinco’s lock for the 2023 Heisman, Marvin Harrison Jr., returns alongside his partner in crime, 1,100-yard receiver Emeka Egbuka. They could be the best two WRs in college football and they share a locker room (but don’t tell that to Washington’s guys).
Elsewhere, OSU is strong also at running back, where they get back three guys who went for 500+ yards each and combined for 2,010 total yards in Miyan Williams, TreVeyon Henderson and Dallan Hayden. They also have some rising stars on the defensive line and a true leader of the defense in middle linebacker Tommy Eichenberg. With newcomers at OL and QB, toppling Michigan will be tough, but as they showed last year, a playoff appearance is possible regardless.
4. Alabama
Fourth is pretty deep water for the Crimson Tide under Nick Saban, as they typically open the year at either the one or two spot. But it’s fair this time around. Alabama failed to make the College Football Playoff last season and then lost their Heisman-winning QB, Bryce Young, who became the top pick in the NFL Draft. Plus, so far, it doesn’t sound like the race to replace him has produced a standout yet.
Aside from the new quarterback, ‘Bama is looking at a much younger offensive line but do get back their top two receivers (Ja’Corey Brooks and Jermaine Burton) plus two of their top three running backs to give that new signal caller some weapons to work with. Then on defense, a swath of pros left, but that’s typical for Saban’s club and you’d expect he fills those absences with more future pros. However, this year’s departing haul was a little larger than others.
5. LSU
The Tigers are nipping at the Tide’s heels on the 2023 rankings after surprising them with an overtime win a year ago to grab a stranglehold over the SEC West. Off that team, star quarterback Jayden Daniels returns, along with his favorite target in 1,000-yard receiver Malik Nabers. LSU also gets its top five rushers, including Daniels, all back, and adds Notre Dame starter and 800-yard ball carrier in ’22, Logan Diggs, to run behind an OL that gets four starters back. Yep, this offense is loaded.
But the defense ain’t bad, either. Harold Perkins gets all the headlines as a rising sophomore who recorded 72 tackles and 7.5 sacks during his true freshman season. Him and Sai’vion Jones make for a nasty 1-2 pass rush duo, while upperclassmen like Greg Brooks and Major Burns man the defensive backfield. This definitely feels like a club that can unseat ‘Bama and win the West once again.
6. USC
Lincoln Riley’s club received a sole vote for first place from the ESPN survey, and that likely has a lot to do with the rising junior superstar at quarterback: Caleb Williams. With him, there should be no obstacles en route to a top-ranked offense in year three of his and Riley’s partnership. A 700-yard RB is returning in Austin Jones, and the receivers do lose top target Jordan Addison, but Williams did a good job sharing the wealth last fall and three other wideouts return who put up 600 yards or more.
Defense was the issue a year ago and it’s the area where USC needs to have improvement. Most prognosticators think they’ll get it, but enough to actually enter the national title discussion? It remains to be seen. Getting nine starters back helps, and so do additions like big Bear Alexander from Georgia on the DL, Mason Cobb at linebacker from Oklahoma State and Christian Roland-Wallace at cornerback from ASU.
7. Florida State
After a terrific 10-3 campaign in 2022 left Seminole fans with a taste of promise in their mouths, 2023 could be the year FSU finally makes the College Football Playoff. It will require breaking through against Clemson on the road, a team they haven’t beat at any venue since 2014. However, this could be the first time since ’14 that FSU is actually predicted at or above the Tigers’ level in the preseason.
As for why Florida State could finally pick off the Tigers and win the ACC, well, it comes down to some superstar talent on both sides of the ball. Jordan Travis and Johnny Wilson are as explosive a QB-WR duo as there is in the country, and Trey Benson is a stud at RB who gets to run behind and offensive line with 200+ career starts. Meanwhile, Jared Verse is a likely top-10 pick at EDGE as FSU returns eight other defensive starters and adds a top cornerback transfer in Fentrell Cypress.
8. Penn State
Here’s another club that has a loaded roster but a brand new and unproven face at quarterback. Drew Allar has high school pedigree, but the sophomore is young in a sport that’s gotten older. Lucky for him, PSU has either the best or second-best RB tandem in the nation with fellow sophomores Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen and have a stone wall at left tackle to protect Allar’s blindside in Olu Fashanu.
The receiver room took some hits this offseason, but James Franklin hopes KeAndre Lambert-Smith steps up as the ace, while Kent State import Dante Cephus brings in nearly 2,000 receiving yards over his last two seasons. Defensively, Chop Robinson and Abdul Carter lead the front, while Kalen King and Johnny Dixon provide lockdown corner coverage. It’s all about the quarterback in State College this fall, though.
9. Clemson
It’s been a long time since the Tigers weren’t the favorites to win their conference, and by these ESPN rankings, FSU gets the nod. Dabo Swinney’s club just has to figure out if they’re finally getting back to great quarterback play this year, because the rest of the roster is in tremendous shape, especially on defense.
Clemson has a deep offensive line that will be stellar, plus got their leading rusher (Will Shipley) and receiver (Antonio Williams) back for a QB that should provide more consistency than they got from the position a year ago. And then on defense, the front seven ought to be great once again, especially with Tyler Davis, Jeremiah Trotter and Barrett Carter all back, in addition to a fabulous CB duo of Nate Wiggins and Sheridan Jones in the secondary.
10. Texas
After triumphing over some injury obstacles in 2022 to finish with an 8-5 record, the hype train is full steam ahead for Longhorn football. The cannoned-armed Quinn Ewers is back to hold the QB job from Arch Manning for at least another season while Texas also returns a terrific offensive line and a star wideout in Xavier Worthy. No Bijan Robinson or Roschon Johnson will hurt, but expect a pivot to a more pass-happy system with a (hopefully) healthy Ewers.
On defense, the Longhorns get back three of their four top tacklers from ’22, including third team All-American Jaylan Ford. Plus, they return their best pass rusher in Barryn Sorrell, who put up 5.5 sacks last fall. In the defensive backfield, Jalen Catalon is a notable addition from Arkansas who links up with Jerrin Thompson to form a strong safety duo.
Teams 11-25
Tennessee just misses out on the top 10 and continue to have a lot of faith put in their new stars on offense, namely QB Joe Milton. Washington sneaks in after that to be the second Pac-12 team on the board, a hair ahead of back-to-back conference champ Utah, who is only two spots ahead of Oregon, with Oregon State rounding out the league’s representatives at No. 18.
11. Tennessee
12. Washington
13. Utah
14. Notre Dame
15. Oregon
16. TCU
17. Kansas State
18. Oregon State
19. North Carolina
20. Wisconsin
21. Ole Miss
22. Oklahoma
23. Texas Tech
24. Texas A&M
25. Tulane
Elsewhere, Texas A&M is always a controversial pick after what transpired on the field for them a season ago, but the talent is undeniable in College Station so it’s fair to expect a much better season this fall. Then Tulane was the top group of five club a year ago and made the AP Top 25 and flies in at the final spot in ESPN’s rankings as well. Everyone’s catching the big Green Wave.