KillerFrogs College Football Preseason Top 25
Top 25 season is still a month or so away for outlets like ESPN and the AP. But it's coming, and we're ready. Here is the second annual KillerFrogs College Football Top 25 ranking for the 2023 season.
This top 25 is for the beginning of the year and isn't a projection of where teams will finish by November. This is simply the 25 best teams we foresee to start the season. Agree (or, let's be honest, disagree) with this list? Let me know on Twitter @roadtocfb.
KillerFrogs College Football Preseason Top 25
1. Georgia Bulldogs
Kirby Smart has arrived. There's not a lot of pretense needed for the back-to-back National Champions; despite what they lost, they have a treasure trove of talent on their roster that makes them a no-brainer for the preseason No. 1. Expect another College Football Playoff run for the 'Dawgs, who look to become the first three-peat champion since Minnesota from 1934-36.
2. Michigan Wolverines
Michigan returns the best backfield in the nation – headlined by Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards – an experienced and talented quarterback, one of the three best offensive lines in the nation, and a strong defense once again. The Wolverines bolster that talent with a terrific transfer class, at least two of which will start on the offensive line from Day 1. Barring injury or a serious surprise, Michigan will be a top-five team all season long.
3. Ohio State Buckeyes
Although a top NFL Draft choice leaves at quarterback, Ohio State has the talent to replace and reload. Expected starter Kyle McCord played high school football with superstar Marvin Harrison Jr. and has the best receiving corps in the nation at his disposal. The Buckeyes also return talent on defense and enter Year 2 under prized defensive coordinator Jim Knowels. Expect more of the same from Ohio State in 2023.
4. Clemson Tigers
Hiring Garrett Riley might be a move that resurrects Clemson to their mid-2010s form. They have five-star Cade Klubnik rising as the starting QB and another top-flight defense. Although they've won 10+ games every season since 2011, they might just be a surprise to the college football world. I project them to return to the College Football Playoff behind what should be a vastly improved offense.
5. Alabama Crimson Tide
Although they lose a Heisman winner and the best defensive player in the nation, Alabama is here to stay. Hiring on Tommy Rees at offensive coordinator and Kevin Steele at defensive coordinator suggests the Tide are going back to their 2010s roots – running the football and defense ground the program. They have a question mark at quarterback and a less-talented receiving room than we've seen lately, but have three studs in the backfield ready to run behind a massive offensive line.
6. LSU Tigers
LSU won the transfer portal this offseason. They bring in three starters in the secondary (three of the top seven corners available!) and return the bulk of their offense. The Tigers have to travel to Tuscaloosa this season to repeat as SEC West champions – a tough feat by all accounts – but they'll be in the running again. Perhaps this time they clean up some unfortunate mistakes and be in contention for the College Football Playoff.
7. USC Trojans
They return Heisman winner Caleb Williams and a glut of talent on offense. While the defense let USC down time and time again (see: Pac-12 Championship and Cotton Bowl), they addressed the talent issue in the transfer portal. Do I expect them to be a top-25 defense? No. But they can only go up from last year. And, if they do, 11-3 is only the beginning.
8. Penn State Nittany Lions
Penn State returns plenty of NFL talent to their roster, including both running backs and prized prospect Olu Fashanu at tackle. Defensively, this team expects to be a top-10 unit once again on the back of Manny Diaz at coordinator. Offensively, they rise five-star QB Drew Allar, who is set to replace veteran Sean Clifford. They added a couple receivers in the portal and should be set up for another 10-win season.
9. Tennessee Volunteers
No Hendon Hooker, no problem. Tennessee won't have to adjust their offense much thanks to having rocket-armed Joe Milton III running the show. They return key pieces like Jabari Small (a 1,000-yard rusher) and still expect to out-gun opponents with one of the fastest-paced offenses in the country. The only thing holding them back is a defense that was remembered as more dreadful than they finished statistically. If not for getting 63 points hung on them by South Carolina, the Vols would have made the CFP.
10. Texas Longhorns
This certainly won't be cause for contention, right?
Texas returns a downright loaded roster. They have one of the top receiving rooms in the nation, only made better by Georgia transfer AD Mitchell, three extremely capable quarterbacks, a top-flight offensive line, and a very strong defense. What could go wrong?
Whether or not Texas lives up to the hype remains to be seen. But in terms of purely talented rosters, Texas is a top-10 team, hard stop.
11. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Adding Sam Hartman to the roster will be an interesting case study in system vs. talent. The Wake Forest transfer accrued over 12,000 career passing yards in Winston-Salem, making him easily the best quarterback Notre Dame has rostered in over a decade. However, will he take an offensive roster lacking top-end talent to new heights? Perhaps – but if not, the Irish's defense should be able to shoulder the load.
12. Florida State Seminoles
Not many teams excelled in the transfer portal as Florida State. They return almost everybody from a 10-win team a season ago, headlined by QB Jordan Travis, 6-foot-7 receiver Johnny Wilson, and All American pass rusher Jared Verse. The 'Noles added a pair of talented corners in the portal and come into 2023 as the betting favorite in the ACC.
13. Oregon Ducks
The next three teams can be ordered in any way and I wouldn't argue.
Back for the Ducks is a resurgent Bo Nix, who enters the year as a Heisman contender. Oregon also has a decent offensive line and an explosive receiver room. The issue last year was the pass rush, or lack thereof. Oregon picked up a sack on just 3.3% of opposing dropbacks, the fifth-worst rate nationally. And yet, they finished 10-3.
14. Washington Huskies
Washington contends as the biggest half-team in the nation. Michael Penix Jr. is a legitimate Heisman contender and he returns both 1,000-yard receivers for 2023. Like their Pac-12 counterparts, Washington severely lacked defensively, being constantly burned in the run game. They bring back talent on the defensive line, namely Braden Trice, but that's a unit that seriously has to improve for the Huskies to be in CFP consideration.
15. Utah Utes
Cameron Rising suffered a torn ACL in the Rose Bowl and his status entering the year is questionable. But even without him, Kyle Whittingham gets the most out of his roster; he has more 10 win seasons at Utah (7) than seasons with fewer than nine wins (6). No matter what the Utes lose, they'll be the best-coached team in the Pac-12 and be in the top-15 mix.
16. Oklahoma Sooners
Oklahoma's defense just couldn't get any worse than it was last year. Brent Venables hit the portal to bring in more bodies and return the Sooners from their worst season in decades. Dillon Gabriel is a legitimately great quarterback and returns, as does a very good offensive line. If the defense can improve from catastrophic to merely bad, OU improves on their 1-4 record in one-score games and contends for one last Big 12 title.
17. TCU Horned Frogs
There's almost nowhere to go but down after the miracle run TCU made last season. The vast majority of that roster is gone, but the Frogs do bring back plenty of talent, namely Johnny Hodges and Josh Newton. They also landed a few key transfers in JoJo Earle, Tommy Brockermeyer, and Trey Sanders. Sonny Dykes proved he's going to get the most out of his players and this roster is still talented enough for a top 25 campaign.
18. UTSA Roadrunners
Jeff Traylor has turned UTSA into a legitimately great team with a capital "G." Star QB Frank Harris returns for another season and, although his top receiver left for Ole Miss, the Roadrunners' skill corps is dangerous. I anticipate them to compete for an AAC championship from Day 1 as they enter the league as a new member this year. UTSA could also be eyeing their third straight 11-win season.
19. Ole Miss Rebels
If Ole Miss can sort out the mess that is their QB room, they have top-10 potential. Quinshon Judkins is one of the top handful of players in the SEC and he led the league in rushing as a freshman. The Rebels added serious receiving talent in the portal, namely UTSA's Zakhari Franklin, and Lane Kiffin remains one of the great offensive minds in college football. But without a real answer at QB – a three-way battle between Jaxson Dart, Spencer Sanders, and Will Howard – then Ole Miss will continue to be closer to 20 than 10.
20. Wisconsin Badgers
It's a new dawn for Wisconsin football. The Badgers have a top-10 ceiling, but have to prove it, first. Phil Longo takes hold of the offense after leading UNC to gaudy numbers and adds a QB familiar with the air raid: SMU's Tanner Mordecai. The defense should still be strong, but a new, fast-paced, air-it-out system in Madison makes them legitimately dangerous. Luke Fickell is one of the best coaches in the Big 10 immediately, as well.
21. Kansas State Wildcats
Although the top stars from K-State's Big 12 Championship year depart, they bring back plenty to be excited about. The Wildcats roster one of the best offensive lines in the country and QB Will Howard is a certified playmaker. They added receiving talent in the portal and should have another stout defense. The coaching staff remains one of the best in the Big 12 and Chris Kleimann will have his guys in contention for another Big 12 Championship this season.
22. Oregon State Beavers
Oregon State won 10 games for just the third time in school history and they did so with a backup quarterback. Jonathan Smith went out and grabbed DJ Uiagalelei in the transfer portal, really testing the theory that the Beavs are a QB away from being in legitimate Pac-12 contention. They return a star running back, a top offensive line, and should be poised to be the best Oregon State team in program history. No pressure.
23. Boise State Broncos
Since transitioning to a new offensive coordinator and young star Taylen Green at quarterback, the Broncos were a force to be reckoned with. The 6-foot-6 dual threat QB dominated Mountain West opposition and should do so again this year. Having a formidable defense and a star quarterback goes a long way in college football and Boise, in my opinion, is a frontrunner for a New Year's Six at-large bid.
24. Tulane Green Wave
After a remarkable 10-win turnaround, Willie Fritz returns to New Orleans with QB Michael Pratt. Explosive star Tyjae Spears and their top two receiving options depart, but the Green Wave are still in business for another good season. It hosts Ole Miss in Week 2, a game in which Tulane is a short underdog – around a touchdown. They upset Kansas State and USC last year and are loaded to do the same this year.
25. Kentucky Wildcats
Kentucky's X-Factor returns for 2023: offensive coordinator Liam Coen. In 2021, Coen led Kentucky to their all-time best scoring rank (15th) in points per drive. Returning largely the same players in 2022, but not Coen, Kentucky finished 95th. NC State transfer Devin Leary enters and should be a good fit for Coen. The Wildcats should look more like their 2021 self – a top-15 team – than what they did in 2022.
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