Five College Football Teams Who Could Stake a Claim to Preseason AP No. 1 in 2026

With spring football in the rearview mirror and the weather turning warmer, the college football season is just around the corner.

Yes, it is only early May. But both the Big Ten and SEC will hold spring meetings this month, and conference media days are two months away, signaling the unofficial start to the new football season.

Naturally, it’s never too early to discuss who’s going to be atop the preseason AP poll when it is released later this summer.

Here are five programs who have a great case (listed in alphabetical order).

Editor’s note: Bill Connelly’s Returning Production rankings and spring SP+ power ratings were leveraged in the analysis of each program below.

Georgia Bulldogs

Returning Production Ranking: No. 8 (68%)

Preseason SP+ Ranking: No. 4

Key Departures: WR Zachariah Branch, LB CJ Allen, CB Daylen Everette, DT Christen Miller

Key Transfer Portal Additions: CB Gentry Williams (Oklahoma), WR Isiah Canion (Georgia Tech), DE Amaris Williams (Auburn), S Ja’Marley Riddle (East Carolina)

2026 247Sports High School Composite Recruiting Ranking: No. 6

Georgia continues to recruit at a high level and returns a roster that was one of the youngest in the SEC last season. And still, the Bulldogs made the College Football Playoff a year ago in quarterback Gunner Stockton’s first year as a starter. While the playmaking was there with Stockton, it wasn’t always as impressive with his arm, which could make-or-break Georgia’s national title aspirations if Stockton hasn’t noticeably improved in the pocket heading into his second season as a starter.

The defense should be one of the best units in college football, but the season will hinge on whether or not the offense can find ways to produce when opponents load the box to stop star Bulldogs running back Nate Frazier.

Ohio State Buckeyes

Returning Production Ranking: No. 31

Preseason SP+ Ranking: No. 1

Key Departures: S Caleb Downs, LB Arvell Reese, LB Sonny Styles, WR Carnell Tate, TE Max Klare, CB Davison Igbinosun, DL Kayden McDonald, DE Caden Curry

Key Transfer Portal Additions: DE Qua Russaw (Alabama), DL James Smith (Alabama), TE Hunter Welcing (Northwestern), S Terry Moore (Duke), S Earl Little Jr. (Florida State)

2026 247Sports High School Composite Recruiting Ranking: No. 4

On one hand, Ohio State lost one of its best wide receivers and three defensive cornerstones. On the other hand, the Buckeyes return Heisman finalist starting quarterback Julian Sayin, star running back Bo Jackson Jr. and All-American wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. By the way, the rich get richer at “Wide Receiver U” as Ohio State will look to play blue-chip freshman Chris Henry Jr. early and often.

Ryan Day and his staff did a terrific job in the portal adding playmakers defensively in Qua Russaw and James Smith out of Alabama, while supplementing the departure of Caleb Downs in the secondary with two quality safeties in Duke’s Terry Moore and Florida State’s Earl Little Jr.

The Buckeyes are loaded, but they also are breaking in a new offensive coordinator in veteran NFL play caller Arthur Smith, and face a brutal schedule—beginning with an early season test in Austin against Texas.

Oregon Ducks

Returning Production Ranking: No. 11 (66%)

Preseason SP+ Ranking: No. 2

Key Departures: S Dillon Thieneman, WR Malik Benson, TE Kenyon Sadiq, G Emmanuel Pregnon, LB Bryce Boettcher

Key Transfer Portal Additions: S Koi Perich (Minnesota), OT Michael Bennett III (Yale), S Carl Williams IV (Baylor), QB Dylan Raiola (Nebraska)

2026 247Sports High School Composite Recruiting Ranking: No. 3

Oregon’s 2025 football season came down with a thud in the CFP semifinal at the Peach Bowl when the Ducks were rolled by eventual national champion Indiana. After a 56–22 loss in the contest, Oregon was able to pick up the pieces and regroup, which was led by the retention of QB Dante Moore, who was projected to be one of the top quarterback prospects in the 2026 NFL draft.

Moore will be one of college football’s top returners under center, and the offense should score plenty of points. But the Ducks are replacing both offensive coordinator Will Stein—who left to take the head coaching job at Kentucky—and defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi—who departed to become the head coach at Cal.

Despite the overhaul on the coaching staff, Oregon will be one of the betting favorites on paper to make a run at a national title thanks to the return of Moore into the fold.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Returning Production Ranking: No. 1 (72%)

Preseason SP+ Ranking: No. 3

Key Departures: RB Jeremiyah Love, RB Jadarian Price, WR Malachi Fields, TE Eli Raridon

Key Transfer Portal Additions: DL Keon Keeley (Alabama), DT Francis Brewu (Pitt), CB DJ McKinney (Colorado), CB Jayden Sanders (Michigan), WR Quincy Porter (Ohio State), WR Mylan Graham (Ohio State), DL Tionne Gray (Oregon)

2026 247Sports High School Composite Recruiting Ranking: No. 5

Notre Dame has lost its star-studded, 1–2 punch in the backfield with both Jeremiyah Love (Cardinals) and Jadarian Price (Seahawks) selected in the first round of the NFL draft in April. But the Irish return second-year starting quarterback C.J. Carr, who is positioned to be one of the best quarterbacks in college football in 2026, while RB Aneyas Williams has looked plenty capable of picking up the workload in the backfield in his limited playing time to-date.

Marcus Freeman and the Notre Dame coaching staff loaded up in the trenches defensively in the portal, adding Keon Keeley from Alabama, Francis Brewu from Pittsburgh and Tionne Gray out of Oregon. Freeman also nabbed two wide receivers from Ohio State in Quincy Porter and Mylan Graham to help Carr in the passing game.

The Irish face a soft schedule, return a majority of their production on both sides of the ball outside of Love and Price, and are looking to avenge a CFP snub with a return back to the national championship for the second time in three seasons. This has a chance to be Freeman’s most talented team yet.

Texas Longhorns

Returning Production Ranking: No. 6 (68%)

Preseason SP+ Ranking: No. 6

Key Departures: LB Anthony Hill Jr., WR DeAndre Moore Jr., S Michael Taaffe, RB Quintrevion Wisner, CB Malik Muhammad, CB Jaylon Guilbeau

Key Transfer Portal Additions: WR Cam Coleman (Auburn), LB Rasheem Biles (Pitt), RB Hollywood Smothers (NC State), RB Raleek Brown (NC State), OT Melvin Saini (Wake Forest), CB Bo Mascoe (Rutgers)

2026 247Sports High School Composite Recruiting Ranking: No. 7

The expectation is that the 2026 season will be Arch Manning’s last at the college level. And if ‘26 is anything like the second half of last season for Manning, Texas will be one of the teams to beat. Manning began to settle in and play a level of football that most expected he would after a turbulent start to the season. The Longhorns are loaded at receiver to help him along, with Cam Coleman coming over from Auburn to line up opposite of star wide receiver Ryan Wingo. Texas added two NC State running backs in Hollywood Smothers and Raleek Brown to ease the loss of Quintrevion Wisner in the backfield.

Defense remains a question mark after Steve Sarkisian let Pete Kwiatkowski go before hiring Will Muschamp to replace him as the program’s defensive coordinator. The ceiling of the unit may be higher under Muschamp, who is no stranger to fielding outstanding defenses. We’ll know early in the year just how ready the Longhorns defense will be when Texas welcomes Ohio State to Austin in Week 2.

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