Texas Tech is the top story in college football ... but not for the reasons the Red Raiders had hoped. The vibes in Lubbock shifted from dark horse national title contender to dark clouds after a gambling scandal likely cost Texas Tech its star quarterback.
Losing Brendan Sorsby, one of the most productive signal-callers in the conference, a player who looked like the difference-maker for Tech after his success at Cincinnati, is the kind of development that makes a reporter reach for the Tylenol and makes a fan base lose sleep.
The news dropped just as I was finalizing my post-spring top 25, leading to a shakeup on my list. Interestingly, the analytics model I built this offseason to power my rankings remained steadfast as a cold-blooded machine. Its weighted formula is designed to strip away the hype, but when I plugged in the post-spring data, the computer didn't flinch with Tech. Because of the massive scoring gap between the top seven teams and No. 8 in the model, the math kept Texas Tech at No. 7 despite me introducing a few formula tweaks contextualizing the loss of Sorsby's production.
While information is context and context is king, common sense is the palace guard. In my published top 25 today, I applied a human override by manually dropping the Red Raiders four spots from where the formula says they belong. A team doesn't lose a talent like Sorsby and expect to maintain a top-10 pace in this chaotic era, especially with backup Will Hammond likely to miss the beginning of the season. Tech has a favorable schedule featuring three of its toughest games at home, but will it look the part of a top-eight team without its multi-million-dollar QB? Probably not.
Spring ball is in the rearview mirror, and the waters are getting rough for some and calmer for others ahead of a crucial summer. Let's dive into the post-spring top 25.
Arch Manning. Cam Coleman. Hollywood Smothers. Texas' offense is loaded with superstars. But will Steve Sarkisian dial up some plays down the field? He seems more open to that these days after the dink-and-dunk era under Quinn Ewers. The defense is loaded, too, and veteran play-caller Will Muschamp's arrival only bolsters hopes that the Longhorns will be a more consistent bunch. Week 2 against Ohio State promises to be electric.
The Buckeyes will be among the more potent offenses in the country with a load of talent returning, including QB Julian Sayin and all-everything receiver Jeremiah Smith. Questions abound with the defense, which must replace eight starters for the second straight season. Matt Patricia worked wonders in his first season calling defensive plays. Can he do it again? If so, the Buckeyes will win the Big Ten -- and possibly the national championship.
Might Oregon be the most physical team in the country? The Ducks' defense was dominant throughout the spring, ending the session with nine sacks at their annual spring game. Depth is everywhere. Former five-star Dylan Raiola will be a backup to Dante Moore at quarterback. The feeling here is that this might be Dan Lanning's best team yet.
Georgia has everything it needs to win yet another SEC title. But will the Bulldogs' pass rush return to their elite form of two or three years ago? Kirby Smart's defensive line had its worst season yet in getting to the quarterback in 2025. That needs to improve for the Bulldogs to advance beyond the second round of the CFP. Auburn transfer Amaris Williams suffered a knee injury in the spring, dampening hopes of that pass rush improving.
We'll talk all summer about Notre Dame's "easy" schedule. Critics will poke holes in the Irish's championship plans, fueled mostly by the PR hit they received for whining about their exclusion from the CFP and opting out of a bowl game in December. But don't let that cloud the true evaluation of the team's talent and a top-5 coaching staff.
Indiana ruled the sport last fall, running through the schedule with blowout after blowout before beating Miami for the school's first national title. Now we see if Curt Cignetti can implement a plug-and-play philosophy with similar results. The "Moneyball" numbers certainly back up the belief that TCU quarterback transfer Josh Hoover is capable of putting up big numbers after Fernando Mendoza's generational run last season. Our big question: Will the new offensive line gel enough for another Big Ten championship run?
Duke quarterback transfer Darian Mensah flashed -- as expected -- in the spring and threw three touchdowns in the Hurricanes' spring game. The ACC's best quarterback will be counted on to do more than Carson Beck, who he replaces. It all starts in the trenches for Mario Cristobal, who pieced together an incredible group on both sides of the ball during last season's run to the national championship game. The offensive line needs to be rebuilt, and we'll keep a close eye on developments as pre-season camp begins in August.
Texas A&M had a terrific offseason in the NFL Draft, which is good and bad news after an 11-win season and CFP appearance. The Aggies' returning production is near the bottom of the SEC, but a slew of transfers, led by former Alabama receiver Isaiah Horton, has them primed for another run in the top half of the SEC. Quarterback Marcel Reed returns, which is a big boost as they break in new pieces. The best news out of the spring? The defense looked elite. Northwestern transfer Anto Saka led a pass rush that was described as unblockable. Senior linebacker and captain Daymion Sanford, the designated signal man on the field, was injured in the spring game (leg) and is expected to miss at least a portion of the season.
Lane Kiffin might be trying to temper fan expectations in Year 1, but we're not. The offensive line has come together quickly, and pass protection appears solid. Keeping defensive coordinator Blake Baker on staff was a huge win, and we're expecting a big jump. When Arizona State quarterback transfer Sam Leavitt returns from injury in August, we'll get a better read on how potent Kiffin's always-explosive offense will really be this fall, but the pieces are clearly already in place with a load of elite transfers, including many from his run at Ole Miss.
The dark horse in the SEC. The Sooners seemed primed to make a big jump this fall after getting back into the CFP last season. The offense was a mess when QB John Mateer played most of the season with an injured hand; he didn't get much help from the running backs, either, leading to a No. 12 ranking in scoring in the SEC. A second season with coordinator Ben Arbuckle should result in a noticeable jump in production for the unit, particularly with Mateer correcting his throwing mechanics. The defense should be elite again, too, with a senior like Peyton Bowen returning.
Texas Tech is the story of the offseason -- and for all the wrong reasons. Many don't expect Brendan Sorsby to be back on campus after he admitted his gambling addiction to Texas Tech officials. The NCAA is unlikely to approve his eligibility. That leaves the otherwise-loaded Red Raiders in a major lurch. Backup QB Will Hammond is not expected to be ready for the season (knee), leaving Joey McGuire with his third option. The good news amid this unforeseen mess? The schedule is so favorable that the Red Raiders will likely remain the favorite to win the Big 12 when preseason camp begins.
It's difficult to believe, but Lincoln Riley heads into Year 5 at USC without a single appearance in the CFP. Dare we say that ends this fall? The spring was notable for a slew of injuries and recoveries among projected starters, but backups received meaningful reps. The depth is there after stacking some notable recruiting classes. QB Jayden Maiava was fantastic last season in an under-the-radar showing that deserved more attention.
The Pete Golding era began in December, culminating in a CFP win and a thriller against Miami in the semifinals. Now he faces a rebuilding project at several key positions, including receiver and linebacker. The Rebels pulled the nation's No. 2 transfer class -- one spot behind Kiffin at LSU -- and return superstar quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and running back Kewan Lacy. No offseason win was bigger than a local judge granting Chambliss a sixth year of eligibility in February.
Alabama is positioned to outperform the top 25's expectations, but offseason developments have reduced confidence in the Tide heading into Kalen DeBoer's third season. NC State running back Hollywood Smothers reneged on his transfer commitment, opting instead for Texas. The quarterback position is still up for grabs, though it appears Keelon Russell has the edge over Austin Mack. DeBoer is an elite coach, but it's still nearly impossible to match the standard still bleeding over from the Nick Saban era.
Michigan needed a hard reset following the Sherrone Moore error (not era). Kyle Whittingham sets high standards and maintains consistency at the head of the table. He brings with him an incredible offensive coordinator, Jason Beck. Coupled with rising sophomore QB Bryce Underwood, this offense could blossom into something special by the middle of the season. The Wolverines are in position to reach the CFP, but we'll rank them here for now.