Brady Vernon's Way-Too-Early 2026 Softball America Top 25

Rankings are always a funny thing, but with the recent changes in the transfer portal, what might a way-too-early 2026 Softball America Top 25 Rankings look like? Brady Vernon gives his answers.

1. Texas Tech

NiJaree Canady has made the Women’s College World Series every year of her career. Canady and the Red Raiders were one win away from a WCWS title in 2025, and thanks to the portal, they have a much better offense going into 2026. The transfer additions of Taylor Pannell, Jazzy Burns, Mia Williams, Lagi Quiroga, Desirae Spearman, and Jackie Lis should supply Canady with her best offense of her career. Plus, Kaityn Terry gives Texas Tech a reliable second option in the circle behind Canady.

2. Texas

The reigning National Champions return most of their roster from 2025, plus the return of starting shortstop Vivi Martinez, who missed the season with a knee injury. Replacing Mia Scott and Joley Mitchell is no easy task, but Texas added former Arizona utility Kaiah Altmeyer to join a lineup led by Reese Atwood. 2025 WCWS Most Outstanding Player Teagan Kavan also returns for her junior season.

Teagan Kavan’s historic WCWS performance leads Texas to first national championship

3. Oklahoma

The Sooners very well could have the best offense next season. Ella Parker, who should be 100% healthy, and Kasidi Pickering spearhead the lineup in their junior seasons. Oklahoma also adds our top-ranked recruiting class that includes No. 1 (OF Kai Minor), No. 2 (RHP Allyssa Parker), No. 3 (INF Lexi McDaniel), and No. 5 (C Kendall Wells) recruits. Former All-American Sydney Berzon should also step into the ace role after three seasons at LSU.

4. Oregon

The Ducks return both Lyndsey Grein and Elise Sokolsky, who carried most of the innings last season and hard-throwing incoming freshman Maddie Milhorn joins the staff. Oregon had a pretty young lineup last season with Rylee McCoy earning All-American honors as a freshman. The Ducks do have to replace the graduated Paige Snicki, Kai and Kedre Luschar, but a transfer class of Elon Butler, Addison Amaral and Amari Harper will certainly ease those losses.

5. Florida State

The Seminoles were one of the best teams all season and ran into the Canady and Texas Tech buzzsaw in Super Regionals. While they have not been uber active in the portal, Florida State returns a lot, including a good 2024 class that will step into bigger roles and a 2025 class that ranks third overall. All-American shortstop Isa Torres will be at the forefront of the offense, and a bounce-back season from Jaysoni Beachum is certainly in the cards. What we saw from Ashtyn Danley and Jazzy Francik was very promising last season and now they add talented freshman Bella Dimitrijevic.

6. Arkansas

The graduations of Bri Ellis and Courtney Day are a huge loss for Arkansas. However, they return nearly everyone else from their starting lineup while adding All-American Dakota Kennedy and former Cal slugger Tianna Bell. Bogle Park also welcomes Softball America’s fourth-ranked 2025 recruiting class. Arkansas will have Robyn Herron and Payton Burnham back in the circle. Five-star pitcher Saylor Timmerman suits up for the Razorbacks next season as well.

7. Tennessee

If you have Karlyn Pickens, you’ll win a lot of softball games. The Lady Vols have a chance to have the deepest pitching staff between Pickens, Sage Mardjetko, Erin Nuwer, EKU transfer Maddi Rutan, top 20 2025 recruits Peyton Hardenburger and Kailey Plumlee. The Lady Vols have a lot to replace in terms of offensive production, especially in the power department, after the departures of Taylor Pannell, Sophia Nugent and McKenna Gibson. However, Tennessee does add the two-way Rutan, Boise State transfers Sophia Knight, Makenzie Butt, five-star position players Taelyn Holley and Elsa Morrison.

8. Nebraska

Jordy Bahl and Nebraska were one win away from the Women’s College World Series. There are still questions about the pitching behind Bahl, but as we’ve seen in the postseason, the generational talent might be all they need. Nebraska returns most of its starting lineup, which certainly clicked more in the second half of the season. The transfer additions of Hannah Coor and Jesse Farrell plug immediate holes for the Cornhuskers.

9. UCLA

UCLA has question marks in the circle after Kaitlyn Terry and Addisen Fisher transferred away. Although there are plenty of teams in worse spots because they don’t have a Taylor Tinsley-type talent to lead the pitching staff. The Bruins could have one of the most explosive offenses in the nation, led by Jordan Woolery and Megan Grant. A handful of younger Bruins could make offensive jumps as they enter their second seasons as full-time starters.

10. Clemson

The youthful Tigers were 60 feet away from knocking out the eventual national champions in the Austin Super Regional. Clemson has to replace most of its innings as well as key pieces in their lineup with Alex Brown and Maddie Moore graduating. John Rittman and his staff have done well to plug those roster holes with the commitments of Abby Dunning, Sierra Maness, Kiley Channell and Corri Hicks.

11. Florida
12. Alabama
13. Texas A&M
14. South Carolina
15. Georgia
16. Stanford
17. Arizona
18. Oklahoma State
19. LSU
20. Duke
21. Washington
22. Ohio State
23. Virginia
24. Mississippi State
25. Auburn

For transfer portal news, stay up to date with the Softball America transfer wire and the Dugout, our discussion board for members.

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