PFF unveiled their way-too-early Top 25 rankings for the 2026 college football season, following this year’s national championship. Indiana defeated Miami to finish 16-0 and win their first title in program history.
But it’s never too early to look ahead to the next year. After all, we have six or seven months before we fully get back into it!
So without further ado, let’s look at Pro Football Focus’ top 25 for next season. We start with the early No. 1!
Oregon gets the top spot for PFF in this ranking. The Ducks will bring back QB Dante Moore, who should be in the Heisman Trophy conversation next season.
Oregon made it to the CFP semifinals after getting bounced in the quarterfinals in 2024-25. The next logical step for Dan Lanning and crew is to make it to the finals, if not win it all, with portal wins and high level recruiting and development.
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Texas missed out on the College Football Playoff this year, but a late surge in the regular season showcased what could come. Arch Manning is back for Year 2 as a starter in 2026 and with his tremendous second half, PFF is convinced this is a national title contender again.
Cam Coleman joins the fray at WR from Auburn as well as RBs Raleek Brown and Hollywood Smothers. Let’s not forget about tackle Trevor Goosby, a potential first rounder in 2027.
The national champions get the No. 3 spot, per PFF. That may seem a tiny bit harsh, but the Hoosiers do have to reload the roster.
Curt Cignetti wasted no time though. They’ll have QB Josh Hoover from TCU replacing Fernando Mendoza, plus a plethora of other players. Cignetti just wins, so it stands to reason Indiana is going to be in the conversation to go back to back.
Ohio State was the team vying for back to back titles this season, but how about two in three years? It’s possible. They come in at No. 4 for PFF’s early rankings.
Julian Sayin will return at QB, as well as Jeremiah Smith at WR. Not only that, Bo Jackson taking a leap in 2026 is expected at RB, hopefully offsetting the loss of Carnell Tate at WR. The Buckeyes will have to reload the defense with losses like Caleb Downs, Arvell Reese and more.
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Texas Tech invested heavily into the transfer portal this past season and it led to a 12-1 campaign and Big 12 title prior to the College Football Playoff. Joey McGuire and crew fell short to Oregon in the quarterfinals after a bye week though.
Still, they round out PFF’s top five in the early rankings as they bring in Cincinnati QB Brendan Sorsby to pilot a talented team. Transfers aplenty will highlight the defense again, giving them another elite unit.
Georgia is coming off an SEC title and another CFP appearance under Kirby Smart. But they’ve gone one and done the last two years in the quarterfinals.
QB Gunner Stockton will return next year, as well as Nate Frazier in the backfield. Add in safety KJ Bolden, this team is easy to put in PFF’s top 10 for 2026.
Notre Dame went 10-2, missed the College Football Playoff, caused a big stink and opted out of a bowl game. Still, this team is very talented and brings a lot back, warranting a top 10 ranking in the early PFF rankings.
CJ Carr returns under center and with a year under his belt, he might emerge as one of the best quarterbacks in the country. The defense brings back talented players like Leonard Moore and Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa.
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Miami was oh-so-close to knocking off an undefeated Indiana team for the national title this year. The Hurricanes had their breakthrough year under Mario Cristobal and that level of competitiveness should be the norm.
PFF has them in the top 10 of the early rankings and they’re ready to reload. They certainly did at quarterback, getting Duke transfer Darian Mensah.
Ole Miss made a run without Lane Kiffin as Pete Golding proved he had the head coaching chops. Trinidad Chambliss is likely not coming back based on current legal battles with the NCAA, so they could ultimately drop down PFF’s list.
Still, the Rebels will bring back RB Kewna Lacy to lead the offense as well. Not only that, a new and improved defense for 2026 should cause some fear throughout the SEC.
BYU has had one heck of a run over the last two years, going 23-4 in that span. Kalani Sitake brings back a great roster ahead of 2026 as the Cougars round out PFF’s top 10.
Bear Bachmeier returns under center following an impressive freshman year. Not only that, they have LJ Martin (RB), Evan Johnson (CB) and Faletau Satuala (S) back in the fold.
PFF unveils way-too-early Top 25
11. LSU
12. Texas A&M
13. Oklahoma
14. Michigan
15. USC
16. Alabama
17. Houston
18. Louisville
19. Tennessee
20. Missouri
21. California
22. SMU
23. Arizona
24. Penn State
25. Oklahoma State