College football rankings: Fox Sports reveals preseason top 25 poll

Where things stand in the Fox Sports preseason top 25 college football rankings

The college football preseason schedule has moved into spring practice around the country, and that means it's time to get a new look at the latest top 25 rankings heading into practice.

More: College football rankings: ESPN reveals preseason top 25

Fox Sports analyst RJ Young has unveiled his preseason poll and, perhaps unsurprisingly, defending national champion Georgia features prominently.

College football rankings: Fox Sports reveals preseason top 25 poll

An early look at the 2023 college football rankings / USA Today Images

25. Texas Tech. After a solid 8-5 showing last season with a win over Ole Miss in the bowl, second-year coach Joey Maguire loses edge rusher Tyree Wilson but keeps quarterback Tyler Shough with an early game against Oregon to make a statement.

24. Texas. Steve Sarkisian has his most talented roster and is coming off his best recruiting class yet, with experienced pieces returning on offense and a 5-star quarterback to distribute the ball.

23. Kansas. Looking to make a bowl in consecutive years for the first time since 2007, the surprise Jayhawks have a tough early slate, playing Illinois and BYU at home and going to Texas, all in September.

22. Iowa. We'll see if the Hawkeyes' offense comes out of hibernation after acquiring Michigan transfer quarterback Cade McNamara, and if the team can maintain its customarily tough defense.

21. Oklahoma. Brent Venables comes into Year 2 with a mandate to resurrect a sloppy defense, now with transfer additions like Dasan McCullough and Trace Ford to help out in the front seven, while much of a solid offense returns, including quarterback Dillon Gabriel.

20. Colorado. Some preseason love for Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes, coming off some recruiting and transfer portal success, but with a brutal early schedule, going to TCU in Week 1 with Nebraska, Oregon, and USC after that.

19. Oregon State. Jonathan Smith won 10 games, including against Oregon in the Civil War, last season and now boasts transfer quarterback DJ Uiagalelei in from Clemson to give the Beavers' offense a shot in the arm.

18. LSU. The surprise SEC West champs a year ago in Brian Kelly's debut return the bulk of their offense including quarterback Jayden Daniels, boast an elite front seven defensively, and brought in an elite transfer class, too.

More: College Football Transfer Portal Team Rankings for 2023

17. UCLA. Chip Kelly's two best playmakers are gone, but the Bruins brought in some key transfer additions at the skill positions and 5-star quarterback recruit Dante Moore flipped from Oregon, all positive developments to keep this team in the Pac-12 conversation.

16. Wisconsin. Get ready to see a new-look Badgers as first-year coach Luke Fickell and offensive play-caller Phil Longo go to work renovating this attack, now with transfers like Tanner Mordecai at quarterback and Bryson Green and C.J. Williams at wide receiver to open things up.

15. Oregon. Bo Nix is back to lead this potent offense, but the Ducks need to patch some holes on the line and on defense to stay in the conference race. Former 5-star player Jordan Burch is a key transfer pickup at the defensive end position.

14. TCU. College football's national title runner-up has some surgery to do on the roster after losing top contributors, but gained some notable transfer players, including three from Alabama: OT Tommy Brockermeyer, WR JoJo Earle, and RB Trey Sanders.

13. Kansas State. The defending Big 12 champions lost Deuce Vaughn and Malik Knowles on offense, but retain quarterback Will Howard and gained transfer running back Treshaun Ward in addition to its entire offensive line.

12. Notre Dame. Transfer quarterback Sam Hartman, the ACC's all-time leader in touchdown passes, should give the Irish offense a jolt, playing behind one of college football's best lines and alongside a gifted running back rotation, with games against Ohio State and USC at home and NC State and Clemson on the road.

11. Washington. Michael Penix was college football's most productive passer last season and his return, combined with the Huskies getting two 1,000-yard receivers back, should keep this team in contention not just for the Pac-12 title but potentially for the playoff, too.

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10. Clemson. It's go-time for the Tigers, who have missed the College Football Playoff for two straight years. Cade Klubnik steps in at quarterback, led by star play-caller Garrett Riley who came over from TCU this offseason, but needing help at receiver and Clemson needs to replace huge stars on the defensive front.

9. Utah. Cameron Rising returns at quarterback for an athletic Utes team that has won two straight Pac-12 football championships.

8. Florida State. Jordan Travis returns at quarterback and Jared Verse at defensive end, complemented by a skilled running back room and some vital transfer additions, most notably tight end Jaheim Bell and cornerback Fentrell Cypress on a team that has the potential to make a run at the ACC title, and more.

7. Penn State. Plenty of skill and experience on defense, offensive line, and especially at running back for the Big Ten hopefuls, led by a quarterback in Drew Allar who is high on potential but low on experience. Beat either Ohio State or Michigan, and Penn State can take a giant leap forward.

6. Alabama. Change is the theme for Nick Saban this season. He has two new coordinators and major turnover at vital positions, and he needs to clean up the penalty and turnover issues while building up his receiver corps.

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5. Tennessee. A somewhat surprising ranking for the Vols given how much they just lost. The core of college football's No. 1 total offense is gone, including quarterback Hendon Hooker and receiver Jalin Hyatt. That, combined with UT's considerable defensive struggles, could result in a minor step backwards.

4. USC. Something of a bipolar roster for the Trojans, one loaded on offense with Heisman quarterback Caleb Williams uniting with transfer receiver Dorian Singer and running back MarShawn Lloyd, but with structural concerns on a defense that directly cost this team in the Pac-12 title game with the College Football Playoff on the line, and in the Cotton Bowl.

3. Ohio State. Questions at quarterback and on the offensive line for an otherwise skilled Buckeyes roster that boasts some of college football's premier receiver and running back skill and a solid defensive alignment that added transfer defensive back Ja'Had Carter from Syracuse.

2. Michigan. The two-time defending Big Ten champs return the core of their attack with backs Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards reprising their roles behind one of the nation's top lines combined with a defense that should remain at par from last season's output.

1. Georgia. Whoever inherits the quarterback position should get plenty of help from a star receiving group that includes Brock Bowers and Ladd McConkey in addition to transfer additions Dominic Lovett and RaRa Thomas. College football's two-time defending national champions also return more than enough talent on defense to emerge as the odds-on favorite to make it three straight.

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(Fox)

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