The Transfer Portal closed Friday, but schools, much less their fans, don’t know who’s exactly on their teams without a program — or, for our readers under the age of 80, an online roster. Despite all of that uncertainty and the opening weekend still more than seven months away, On3 is not deterred. We will provide what the people want: On3’s Way-Too-Early College Football Top 25 rankings.

On3’s college football’s experts: Chris Low, Brett McMurphy, Pete Nakos, JD PicKell, Andy Staples and Ari Wasserman (not a slight, Ari, just listed alphabetically) each provided their Way-Too-Early Top 25 ballots. And just like that: On3’s official 2026 Way-Too-Early Top 25.

Four schools received first place votes and 39 schools overall received votes. Only the top 14 teams in our rankings were listed on everyone’s Top 25 ballot. Ohio State was the top choice of Chris Low, JD PicKell and Andy Staples. Georgia received Pete Nakos’ No. 1 ranking, while Ari Wasserman picked Texas and Brett McMurphy chose Notre Dame as their top teams.

Don’t worry, our final official preseason rankings in August will look much different than our Way-Too-Early Top 25 rankings once the players — and coaches! — finally determine where they’ll be for the 2026 season.

1. Ohio State (3 first place votes)

Chris Low: Having the top pass-catch combo in college football is always a good place to start. Julian Sayin returns at quarterback and Jeremiah Smith at receiver. They hooked up for 12 touchdowns in 2015. Running back Bo Jackson, after rushing for 1,090 yards and earning true freshman All-America honors, is also returning, along with the left side of the offensive line and center Carson Hinzman. The Buckeyes lost a ton on defense, so bringing back defensive end Kenyatta Jackson after his breakout 2025 season was a big win for Ryan Day. The Buckeyes are hopeful Alabama transfer Qua Russaw can add some pass-rushing punch.

2. Georgia (1)

Pete Nakos: Kirby Smart continues to retool Georgia and has the Bulldogs in the College Football Playoff picture. He will return quarterback Gunner Stockton, who went 12-2 in his first full season as the starter. Stockton had his moments where it was clear he was elevating the Bulldogs offense, notably against Tennessee and Texas. He will have a few new weapons around him, including Georgia Tech transfer wide receiver Isaiah Canion and Kentucky transfer running back Dante Dowdell. The Bulldogs return their core of running backs in Nate Frazier and Chauncey Bowens, who combined for 1,473 yards in 2025. Smart’s program returns linebacker Chris Cole, who led Georgia with 4.5 sacks this season.

3. Texas (1)

Ari Wasserman: People got annoyed with the Arch Manning hype heading into the 2024 season. With the way it turned out, it’s hard to blame them. But if you watched Manning play down the stretch of the season and look at what the Longhorns are returning and adding, it’s hard for the hype train to not leave the station yet again. Manning, incoming receiver transfer Cam Coleman and elite-level pass rusher Colin Simmons, it’s hard to envision a world where Texas isn’t very good.

4. Notre Dame (1)

Brett McMurphy: This season should be vastly different for Notre Dame after last year’s disappointing College Football Playoff snub and then opting out of a bowl game. The Irish lose star running back Jeremiyah Love, but return a lot of other key players, including quarterback CJ Carr and several defensive standouts: linebackers Drayk Bowen and Jaylen Sneed, defensive end Boubacar Traore, cornerback Christian Gray and safety Adon Shuler. The Irish’s defense could be one of the nation’s best and should dominate a schedule featuring only two teams in On3’s Way Too Early Top 25 (No. 9 Miami and No. 13 BYU). 

5. Indiana

Andy Staples: At this point, we should trust Curt Cignetti to populate his roster with players capable of competing at the highest level. Yes, the Hoosiers lose a lot of talent off this team. But TCU transfer QB Josh Hoover arrives in Bloomington with an even better resume than Fernando Mendoza had last year. Plus, homegrown talents like receiver Charlie Becker and edge Daniel Ndukwe are ready to become stars.

6. Oregon

McMurphy: The Ducks’ meltdown against Indiana in the College Football Playoff was a little easier to take with the news that quarterback Dante Moore will return this season. Moore’s return makes the Ducks among the top teams in the Big Ten. Oregon has had four consecutive double-digit win seasons, but is still seeking its first national title game berth under Dan Lanning. To make the final game this season, they’ll have to do so without several standouts from last season, including tight end Kenyon Sadiq, running back Noah Whittington and wide receivers Malik Benson and Gary Bryant Jr.

7. Texas Tech

JD PicKell: I don’t believe 2025 was a flash in the pan for the Red Raiders. I said all year long that Texas Tech was the real deal, regardless of playing in the Big 12. General Manager James Blanchard is poised to retool the defensive trenches. Offensively, QB transfer Brendan Sorsby gives Tech the extra firepower that could have made a difference in their playoff loss to Oregon. Head coach Joey McGuire, once again, will be in a strong position to earn a playoff spot in 2026.

8. Texas A&M

Nakos: It’s hard not to get excited about what Texas A&M could look like in 2026. Starting quarterback Marcel Reed is back, and he’s only expected to improve. The Aggies added Alabama transfer receiver Isaiah Horton to give Reed another experienced option. That’s with Mario Craver returning, too. Mike Elko’s program went all-in on adding talent to the front seven in the portal, picking up proven pass rushers in Northwestern’s Anto Saka and San Diego State’s Ryan Henderson. With offensive coordinator Collin Klein leaving for Kansas State, the offseason will be critical to ensure Reed continues his development.

9. Miami

McMurphy: The Hurricanes continue to ascend under Mario Cristobal, increasing their win total from 5 to 7 to 10 to 13 and a berth in Monday’s College Football Playoff title game. In other words, the ‘Canes are here to stay. Miami looks to have already found a replacement for quarterback Carson Beck in Duke transfer Darian Mensah. UM also landed Ohio State transfer Jarquez Carter, one of the nation’s top 10 defensive linemen in the portal, which will help offset some defensive losses.

10. Oklahoma

PicKell: 2025 verified that Brent Venables has the chops as a head coach in the SEC. His defense is going to be something we can depend on being consistently elite in Norman. The excitement with Oklahoma is on the offensive side of the ball. When quarterback John Mateer was healthy, the offense gave OU a chance to hang with anybody in the country. If the Sooners can run the ball more effectively in 2026, they’re going to be back in the CFP and a dark-horse SEC title contender.

11. Michigan

Wasserman: Michigan’s 2024 ended in disaster with a loss to Ohio State, and things (somehow) got worse. The Sherrone Moore saga — which ended in his firing — was one of the more bizarre off-the-field stories you’ll find in college football. But what happened after is all really good stuff. The Wolverines hired former Utah coach Kyle Whittingham, retained quarterback Bryce Underwood and added a bunch of pieces in the transfer portal. Given Whittingham’s history and Michigan’s resources, the Wolverines should be a very tough out in the Big Ten next year.

12. LSU

Staples: When you hire Lane Kiffin, you get the circus. But you also get a portal-heavy roster that will produce results quickly. QB Sam Leavitt was the biggest prize in the transfer portal this offseason. Cornerback Faheem Delane (Ohio State) is the younger brother of Mansoor Delane, who starred for LSU in 2025. The Tigers aren’t done, either. They’re trying to land Colorado transfer offensive tackle Jordan Seaton out of the portal. Kiffin also has retained plenty of key players, including red zone cheat code Trey’Dez Green.

13. BYU

Nakos: Quarterback Bear Bachmeier had the Cougars at 12-2 as a true freshman, and it’s hard not be optimistic about his development heading into 2026. Despite multiple overtures from Penn State, head coach Kalani Sitake is back in Provo, locked into a new deal. Defensive coordinator Jay Hill has left, however, joining Kyle Whittingham at Michigan. He’ll be replaced by Kelly Poppinga, a promotion from defensive ends coach. With Sitake returning his star quarterback and leading rusher, the Cougars will contend for a Big 12 title.

14. Penn State

Low: Matt Campbell is in, and James Franklin is out after 12 seasons as Penn State’s coach. Franklin’s undoing was losing too many games against the best teams on the Nittany Lions’ schedule, even though he built a program that finished in the top 10 more times than not. Not surprisingly, Penn State’s portal haul has a heavy Iowa State flavor, most notably quarterback Rocco Becht. Campbell, after 10 seasons at Iowa State, is tasked with rebuilding a large chunk of Penn State’s roster, especially with 12 players declaring for the NFL draft. Campbell didn’t retain defensive coordinator Jim Knowles and replaced him with D’Anton Lynn from USC.

15. Ole Miss

Nakos: One of the biggest storylines of the offseason leading into 2026 will be Trinidad Chambliss’ eligibility lawsuit in Mississippi. The star quarterback’s eligibility will have a major impact on how 2026 plays out. But with running back Kewan Lacy — arguably one of the sport’s top five players — returning, the Rebels will compete for a CFP bid once again. Pete Golding has not missed a beat in adding portal talent following Lane Kiffin’s departure to LSU, adding over 20 players through free agency. Lead wide receiver Cayden Lee is also expected to enter the portal; however, he could return to Oxford depending on Chambliss’ eligibility.

16. Utah

McMurphy: The Morgan Scalley era began in Salt Lake City perhaps sooner than Kyle Whittingham wanted. Whittingham “stepped down” and ended up at Michigan and took Utah offensive coordinator Jason Beck. Scalley’s first season as the Utes’ coach will feature dynamic quarterback Devon Dampier. Former Utah State offensive coordinator Kevin McGiven is the Utes’ new OC and brings wide receiver Braden Pegan along. Dampier is the unquestioned pulse of the Utes, but he’ll have to work his magic without stud offensive tackles Spencer Fano and Caleb Lomu, who are headed to the NFL.

17. Alabama

Wasserman: Alabama’s standard is insane. Even though the Crimson Tide made the College Football Playoff and advanced, you’d think last year was a disaster. Quarterback Ty Simpson is off to the NFL and there is going to be a quarterback battle between Keelon Russell and Austin Mack. Though you’d normally see the Crimson Tide much higher on this list, you know they are going to have as much talent as anyone in the country. Will it come together in a big way in 2026?

18. Washington

McMurphy: There was briefly some uncertainty if quarterback Demond Williams Jr. would remain with the Huskies, but Williams is definitely back at Washington. With Williams and 13 other returning starters, the Huskies could continue their momentum from last season when they closed 5-2 with all five wins by at least 17 points. Williams should benefit behind an offensive line with four returning starters. Even with star wide receiver Denzel Boston off to the NFL, look for Dezmen Roebuck to be Williams’ top target as the Huskies’ offense will continue to succeed under Jedd Fisch.

19. USC

Low: After suffering through a losing Big Ten record in its first season in the Big Ten, USC bounced back with a 7-2 mark in 2025 under Lincoln Riley, who’s still looking for his first playoff appearance at USC. The good news is that the Trojans are bringing in the No. 1 recruiting class in the country in 2026 and are hopeful some of those players can make immediate impacts. Quarterback Jayden Maiava is back after establishing himself as one of the most improved players in the country a year ago. Washington transfer Deven Bryant was a key addition at linebacker. The Trojans’ schedule in 2026 is brutal.

20. Tennessee

Wasserman: Why is Tennessee in the top 25? That’s a fair question, but Josh Heupel has shown throughout his tenure with the Volunteers that this team will overachieve. Right now, it seems highly unlikely that quarterback Joey Aguilar will be back next season, which raises the biggest question — who will play quarterback? Also, Jim Knowles takes over as defensive coordinator, and his defense typically takes more than a year for players to fully adapt to. That said, Tennessee will probably find a way to be ranked in this area next November.

21. Iowa

Staples: The Hawkeyes were better all season last year than they got credit for, and the Big Ten schedule on paper looks easier than last year. We can always assume excellent defense and special teams from the Hawkeyes. The question is how functional they’ll be on offense. Once coordinator Tim Lester got comfortable with Mark Gronowski’s dual threat capabilities last year, the Hawkeyes became far more dangerous. Lester raved during bowl prep about Wake Forest transfer Jeremy Hecklinski, who spent last season backing up Gronowski.

22. Houston

Staples: Willie Fritz wins everywhere he goes, and he immediately had the Cougars punching above their weight class. Now he’s had a full year to install his culture. QB Conner Weigman returns after throwing for 25 touchdowns and running for 11 more in 2025. Plus, Houston has added On3’s No. 6-ranked transfer portal class. Could RB Makhi Hughes, who Fritz recruited to Tulane, return to the form that saw him run for 1,401 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2024?

23. Virginia Tech

Low: James Franklin’s name was linked to the Virginia Tech job from the time he was fired at Penn State. Already, there’s a different energy surrounding the Hokies’ program. Franklin has hit the transfer portal hard with nine former Penn State players joining him in Blacksburg, including quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer, who played well last season after replacing the injured Drew Allar. Losing cornerback Dante Lovett to UCLA wasn’t ideal, but the Hokies replaced him with UConn transfer Cam Chadwick. Duke transfer receiver Que’Sean Brown should add some pop to the passing game after catching more than 100 passes over the past two seasons.

24. Florida

Wasserman: Florida may have been disappointed by not landing Lane Kiffin, but the coach it hired — Jon Sumrall — has never failed to reach the conference championship game as a head coach. The Gators lost quarterback DJ Lagway, but that was a welcome change. They also retained running back Jadan Baugh, receiver Dallas Wilson and defensive end Jayden Woods. So far, Sumrall is passing tests and Florida, on paper, should be at least solid.

25. Arizona

Nakos: In Year 2 under Brent Brennan, the Wildcats saw a five-game improvement as they finished 9-4. Starting quarterback Noah Fifita is back and will be one of the most experienced quarterbacks in the Big 12 in 2026. The Wildcats will need to replace production at wide receiver and running back, but Brennan has shown he’s on the right track at Arizona.

Also receiving votes: Vanderbilt, Louisville, Duke, Missouri, Navy, Baylor, Georgia Tech, Arizona State, Clemson, Illinois, UCLA, South Carolina, Northwestern, SMU