{"id":753378,"date":"2026-07-09T22:03:09","date_gmt":"2026-07-09T22:03:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/753378\/"},"modified":"2026-07-09T22:03:09","modified_gmt":"2026-07-09T22:03:09","slug":"college-football-rankings-espn-releases-preseason-fpi-ahead-of-2026-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/753378\/","title":{"rendered":"College Football Rankings: ESPN releases preseason FPI ahead of 2026 season"},"content":{"rendered":"

Preseason rankings continue to roll out ahead of the 2026 college football season. Thursday, ESPN released its initial Football Power Index (FPI) rankings<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Ohio State<\/a> comes in as the top team in the FPI to start the year. The Buckeyes return a number of key playmakers on offense, led by quarterback Julian Sayin<\/a> and wide receiver Jeremiah Smith<\/a>, while also blending both old and new faces on defense this season.<\/p>\n

[ $19.99 gets you a FULL year of On3 | Rivals national coverage ]<\/a><\/p>\n

With training camp on the horizon, the conversation is only just beginning about how rankings should look in college football. Here is ESPN\u2019s full preseason FPI.<\/p>\n

1. Ohio State<\/p>\n

After falling short in their attempt at a second straight national championship in 2025, Ohio State<\/a> returns with high expectations once again in 2026. With both Julian Sayin<\/a> and Jeremiah Smith<\/a> back after finishing in the Top 10 of the Heisman Trophy voting, as well as running back Bo Jackson<\/a> returning, the Buckeyes\u2019 offense will draw plenty of attention.<\/p>\n

On defense, there are a number of new faces coming in as Matt Patricia<\/a> gets ready for Year 2 as coordinator. But Kenyatta Jackson<\/a> is one of the most notable returners to anchor the pass rush as Ohio State looks to stay one of the top units in the nation this year.<\/p>\n

2. Texas<\/p>\n

After Arch Manning\u2019s<\/a> late-season surge in 2025, the Texas<\/a> hype machine is off and running. He will also have a high-profile new receiver coming in, too, with Cam Coleman<\/a> arriving to pair with Ryan Wingo<\/a> at wideout.<\/p>\n

Of course, the defense will also have its leader back in pass-rusher Colin Simmons<\/a>, along with a new \u2013 but familiar \u2013 coordinator. Will Muschamp<\/a> is back in Austin to take over a unit which held opponents to 338.8 yards per game in 2025.<\/p>\n

3. Notre Dame<\/p>\n

Despite a 10-game winning streak to end the regular season last year, Notre Dame<\/a> missed the College Football Playoff and later opted not to play in a bowl game. Although the Fighting Irish lost two eventual first-round picks at running back, quarterback CJ Carr<\/a> took strides throughout his first year as the starter.<\/p>\n

Carr is generating buzz as potentially one of the top quarterbacks in college football this year while Leonard Moore<\/a> is also back to anchor the secondary. Add in a talented recruiting class, as well as some key transfers, and Notre Dame checks in at No. 3 in ESPN\u2019s preseason FPI rankings ahead of the 2026 college football season.<\/p>\n

4. Oregon<\/p>\n

Dante Moore\u2019s<\/a> decision to pass on the NFL gave Oregon<\/a> a major boost heading into 2026. A potential first-round pick, he is now back in Eugene with receivers Evan Stewart<\/a> and Dakorien Moore<\/a> also returning to give the offense plenty of firepower.<\/p>\n

The Ducks also made a splash in the portal by bringing in Koi Perich<\/a> at safety to help fill the void left by Dillon Thieneman<\/a>. Despite having two new coordinators \u2013 both of whom were in-house promotions \u2013 Dan Lanning\u2019s<\/a> group enters 2026 as a top team in the Big Ten.<\/p>\n

5. Georgia<\/p>\n

All eyes will once again be on the Georgia<\/a> defense in 2026 after last year\u2019s SEC title. Of course, the Bulldogs also retained their quarterback in Gunner Stockton<\/a> after he was among the Top 10 vote-getters for the Heisman Trophy, adding to the high expectations in Athens.<\/p>\n

The UGA defensive front will get the attention, but the secondary is also considered one of the top units in the sport, led by KJ Bolden<\/a>. With the talent on both sides of the ball, ESPN has Kirby Smart<\/a> and Co. at No. 5 in its preseason FPI rankings ahead of the 2026 college football season.<\/p>\n

6. Indiana<\/p>\n

After a historic run to a national title last year, Indiana<\/a> saw a wave of change this offseason. Curt Cignetti<\/a> and the staff again overhauled the roster through the portal, landing the top class in the country, according to the On3 Team Transfer Portal Rankings.<\/p>\n

The biggest addition, though, came at quarterback with Josh Hoover<\/a> arriving as the heir apparent to Fernando Mendoza<\/a>. Even with so many fresh faces, the Hoosiers are one of the Big Ten\u2019s top teams in 2026 and a Top-10 team in the nation, according to ESPN\u2019s FPI.<\/p>\n

7. Miami<\/p>\n

Miami<\/a> put together an impressive run to the national championship a season ago behind strong play in the trenches. While multiple highly rated players are off to the NFL, playmakers such as Mark Fletcher<\/a> and Malachi Toney<\/a> are back to lead the offense with new quarterback Darian Mensah<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Hurricanes\u2019 defense saw two notable departures from the pass-rush as Rueben Bain<\/a> and Akheem Mesidor<\/a> both headed to the NFL. But they went to the portal and got Missouri<\/a> transfer Damon Wilson<\/a> to help keep that unit among the nation\u2019s best.<\/p>\n

8. Alabama<\/p>\n

Following its first College Football Playoff appearance under Kalen DeBoer<\/a>, Alabama<\/a> checks in at No. 8 in ESPN\u2019s preseason FPI. The Crimson Tide got some key players back, including Ryan Coleman-Williams<\/a> and Bray Hubbard<\/a>, but all eyes are on the quarterback spot.<\/p>\n

Ty Simps<\/a>on<\/a> is heading to the NFL after becoming a first-round pick, and the competition is on to replace him. Keelon Russell<\/a> and Austin Mack<\/a> will continue to battle it out once training camp starts back up in just a few weeks.<\/p>\n

9. LSU<\/p>\n

LSU<\/a> found itself at the center of one of the highest-profile coaching searches in some time. Lane Kiffin<\/a> famously left Ole Miss<\/a> after the regular season to take over the Tigers, putting the program squarely in the spotlight in 2026 as a result.<\/p>\n

As Kiffin went to work to build the roster, he then made a big splash of his own in the portal. Arizona State<\/a> transfer quarterback Sam Leavitt<\/a> will make his way to Baton Rouge, along with a number of fresh faces joining the roster.<\/p>\n

10. Texas Tech<\/p>\n

After winning its first-ever Big 12 title last season, Texas Tech<\/a> looked to reload and stay atop the league in 2026. The Red Raiders made a huge move by landing quarterback Brendan Sorsby<\/a>, but the two sides mutually parted ways amid gambling allegations against him.<\/p>\n

Still, Texas Tech is considered a contender out of the Big 12 once again. The Red Raiders have a slew of top talent coming back, led by tight end Terrance Carter<\/a> and linebacker Ben Roberts<\/a>, as well as multiple impact transfers.<\/p>\n

ESPN preseason FPI: Nos. 11-25<\/p>\n

11. Texas A&M<\/a>
12. Oklahoma<\/a>
13. USC<\/a>
14. Ole Miss<\/a>
15. Michigan<\/a>
16. Tennessee<\/a>
17. Penn State<\/a>
18. Florida<\/a>
19. Clemson<\/a>
20. BYU<\/a>
21. Missouri<\/a>
22. Auburn<\/a>
23. South Carolina<\/a>
24. SMU<\/a>
25. Iowa<\/a><\/p>\n

Training camp is quickly approaching as the 2026 college football season nears. Of course, it\u2019s also preseason rankings season while the media days circuit continues to go along.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Preseason rankings continue to roll out ahead of the 2026 college football season. Thursday, ESPN released its initial…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":753379,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[67],"tags":[399,398,396,397,99],"class_list":["post-753378","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-ncaa-football","tag-football","tag-ncaa","tag-ncaa-football","tag-ncaafootball","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/753378","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=753378"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/753378\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/753379"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=753378"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=753378"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=753378"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}