2026 recruiting class rankings: Notre Dame pushes closer to the top spot
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Craig Haubert
Notre Dame has pushed its way into the No. 2 slot of our 2026 class rankings after adding a second ESPN 300 running back. On the heels of landing Javian Osborne, the Fighting Irish brought on Jonaz Walton, a versatile athlete who is also an accomplished track-and-field participant.
Walton has a compact frame and can produce after contact, but with multiple 10.6 100-meter times, he also has the speed to pull away when he gets in the open. As a junior, he not only rushed for more than 1,300 yards but also showed he can be productive as a target out of the backfield, hauling in 39 passes for more than 600 yards.
The Fighting Illini shook off the loss of ESPN 300 CB Victor Singleton quite well and have managed to ascend the rankings. Leading that charge was the commitment of Nasir Rankin, a top-10 athlete in the ESPN 300. An early in-state priority for this class, the two-sport prospect (basketball) could contribute on either side of the ball but projects to offense, where he can use good ball skills and his ability to make defenders miss after the catch.
With a wave of official visits set for many of the top prospects, June is shaping up to be a busy month, with the expectation that by early July, a sizable portion of the 150-plus uncommitted ESPN 300 prospects will come off the board. With that, the class rankings are poised for several shake-ups over the coming weeks.
Here’s a look at our latest top 25.
New this ranking: Texas
Out: Ole Miss
(Previous update: May 14)
Previous ranking: 1
ESPN 300 commits: 12
Top offensive prospect: OT Keenyi Pepe
Top defensive prospect: CB Elbert Hill
No program has more 2026 momentum than USC under Lincoln Riley, especially after hiring general manager Chad Bowden away from Notre Dame. The Trojans have double-digit ESPN 300 commits, with several joining the list since January. That includes two five-stars to start May in Pepe and Hill, and a pair of four-star commits who flipped from Big Ten rival Oregon: in-state defensive lineman Tomuhini Topui and quarterback Jonas Williams. Topui is a physical, aggressive defensive tackle who could develop into an interior pass-rushing headache for opposing offenses, and Williams is a true dual-threat signal-caller.
USC also made it a point to beef up in the trenches. It pulled four-star defensive tackle Jaimeon Winfield out of Texas, landed in-state defensive end Simote Katoanga and traveled to Utah to snag Corner Canyon offensive lineman Esun Tafa. To further bolster the O-line, the Trojans landed Pepe out of IMG Academy. He is huge at roughly 6-foot-7 and 320 pounds, but is light on his feet as well as physical and can become a standout tackle. On the perimeter, they will not have to wait for in-state defender R.J. Sermons as the ESPN 300 CB reclassified to 2025 and will join the Trojans this fall. For 2026, they pulled Elbert Hill, the top-ranked corner, out of the Midwest. Hill possesses elite speed, having been measured at over 22 mph in game play.
Previous ranking: 3
ESPN 300 commits: 12
Top offensive prospect: OT Tyler Merrill
Top defensive prospect: DE Rodney Dunham
Notre Dame started the year off slowly on the recruiting trail but heated up during the spring, landing a handful of ESPN 300 prospects in April. On defense, the Irish landed Dunham, an edge player with nice length and a quick first step, and Ayden Pouncey, a rangy safety out of Florida.
On offense, ESPN 300 OT Gregory Patrick joined a class that already featured several top OL prospects including top-10 OT Merrill, who at 6-7 and 335 pounds is a massive presence with physicality and power in the run game. This group collectively can continue the school’s strong reputation as an offensive line factory.
The Irish also landed Thomas Davis Jr., whose father is former Panthers star Thomas Davis, and four-star quarterback Noah Grubbs, who already has shown impressive footwork and a sound release from the pocket.
Previous ranking: 2
ESPN 300 commits: 11
Top offensive prospect: WR Chris Henry Jr.
Top defensive prospect: S Blaine Bradford
Ryan Day has the luxury of building his 2026 class around one of the most coveted players in the country: five-star receiver Henry, whose father, the late Chris Henry, was a star receiver for West Virginia and the Cincinnati Bengals. Henry Jr. stands 6-6 and has a combination of length and quickness rarely seen from high school receivers.
The rest of the Buckeyes’ class has started to take shape around Henry. The team has added a handful of ESPN 300 prospects since March, including Bradford out of Louisiana and linebacker Simeon Caldwell out of Florida. C.J. Sanna is a prospect we like on tape; he is a big, physical linebacker with excellent range and is a bit of an underrated pickup for this talented class. In-state offensive tackle Maxwell Riley is impressive changing direction and finishes plays with the type of nastiness that will endear him to fans in Columbus.
Previous ranking: 4
ESPN 300 commits: 6
Top offensive prospect: WR Davion Brown
Top defensive prospect: S Matt Sieg
The Nittany Lions jumped out to a fast start fueled by strong in-state recruiting and have kept that momentum going. Several of their top commits are Pennsylvania natives, including four-star Harrisburg High School teammates Kevin Brown and Messiah Mickens. Brown is a big, flexible offensive tackle, while Mickens has been a productive prep running back, which bodes well for a Penn State program that must finally replace Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton after 2025.
James Franklin also landed in-state athlete David Davis Jr., who has clocked a 20.5 mph max speed and has the cover skills to fit into the back end of a defense one day. While most of the early commits are within Penn State’s primary recruiting radius, the Nittany Lions also landed strong-armed quarterback Troy Huhn out of California. He’s a big body with good feet and brings nice upside. They also went out of state to land a potential big-play target in Davion Brown. Out of Virginia, Brown possesses excellent speed, having been recorded at over 21 mph in game play, and can do a good job of high pointing the football to win contested matchups.
Previous ranking: 5
ESPN 300 commits: 8
Top offensive prospect: WR Naeem Burroughs
Top defensive prospect: S Kentavion Anderson
Clemson is coming off a College Football Playoff appearance, but the Tigers are still chasing the heights of their mid-2010s success under Dabo Swinney, and their 2025 class ranked just 37th in the country. Their 2026 group is looking more promising, especially after a red-hot March in which Swinney landed eight verbals, including five ESPN 300 commits.
Much of the talent is currently concentrated on offense. Burroughs is a burner in the 100-meter dash who can take the top off a defense and has a high football IQ. Fellow receiver Connor Salmin is another big-play threat. Grant Wise, Adam Guthrie and Chancellor Barclay give the Tigers multiple ESPN 300 OLs to help reload a senior-heavy unit that is projected to lose multiple starters after 2025. They could one day protect fellow four-star Tait Reynolds, a dual-threat QB out of Arizona who could push to be part of the long-term solution to replace Cade Klubnik.
While the foundation of the class is on offense, Anderson is a key in-state pickup on the other side of the ball. With his frame (roughly 6-foot-2, 190 pounds) and range, he can be a versatile back-end defender for the Tigers.
Previous ranking: 6
ESPN 300 commits: 6
Top offensive prospect: RB Jonathan Hatton Jr.
Top defensive prospect: CB Victor Singleton
Mike Elko has quickly proved he can identify and recruit at a high level. He has worked fertile recruiting grounds, landing the Aggies’ top-ranked commit, defensive end Jordan Carter, out of Georgia. He landed fellow four-star defensive tackle Jermaine Kinsler out of New Jersey.
Elko has also been able to unearth talent from more unlikely places, such as quarterback Helaman Casuga out of Utah. Casuga is not a big, physical prospect at roughly 6 feet, but he has a live arm and can get the ball out quickly. Singleton, one of the top prospects in Ohio, was a nice flip from Illinois. He has clocked a 21 mph max speed and has the type of quickness and excellent feet to thrive in man coverage. A key in-state keep is Hatton, who has an excellent blend of size (200 pounds) and speed (he was measured hitting 21 mph on film).
Previous ranking: 8
ESPN 300 commits: 1
Top offensive prospect: OL Kaden Snyder
Top defensive prospect: CB J.J. Dunnigan
Lance Leipold is no stranger to building a program, and he’s off to a hot start in fortifying Kansas’ 2026 class. At 6-3, 190 pounds, in-state corner Dunnigan has the length to reroute receivers off the line and the straight-line speed to hang with them on vertical routes. The Jayhawks have a few offensive linemen committed, led by 6-5 Kansas native Snyder, who has an enticing combination of athleticism, pass protection skills and upside if he can continue to fill out his frame.
The Jalon Daniels era enters its sixth and final season in 2025. In-state three-star commit Jaylen Mason is an intriguing developmental option for the future at QB.
Previous ranking: 7
ESPN 300 commits: 1
Top offensive prospect: OT Javeion Cooper
Top defensive prospect: DE Kamron Wilson
The Fran Brown era in Syracuse certainly isn’t boring. He led the Orange to just their second 10-win season since 2001 behind Ohio State transfer Kyle McCord, then landed a solid 2025 recruiting class. Now he’s pushing for more talent in 2026. Four-star defensive end Jarius Rodgers out of Florida is one of Brown’s biggest gets so far. The 6-5 220-pounder has tremendous length and an impressive track background. He has considerable physical tools and upside if Syracuse’s coaching staff can harness it. Wilson is another big pull out of Florida; the edge defender has good initial quickness and tallied 17 sacks in 2024.
Cooper has real upside too. He has good size (6-5, 300 pounds) yet plays with impressive balance for someone with his power and contact explosiveness. The Orange also have been active in the mid-Atlantic, landing three receivers from Delaware. Among that group is B.J. Garrett, a big target (6-3, 191 pounds) with good hands who could develop into a player in the mold of Oronde Gadsden, who had similar measurables coming out in the 2021 class.
Previous ranking: 9
ESPN 300 commits: 2
Top offensive prospect: QB Jake Fette
Top defensive prospect: DE Julian Hugo
Kenny Dillingham deftly pulled all the roster-building levers available to him as he rebuilt the Sun Devils back to national relevancy. They have an interesting 2026 class so far that includes a pair of ESPN 300 recruits. Fette, a four-star Texas native, is a dual-threat playmaker with excellent short-area quickness and a smooth, consistent release.
They lost a key, potentially productive, target with the decommitment of Israel Briggs, but still sit in good position. The class already included another TE in Hayden Vercher, who possesses excellent ball skills and is a good route runner, with more than 1,000 yards receiving in 2024. Shortly after losing Briggs, they added ESPN 300 WR Nalin Scott, a big target at roughly 6-3, 210 pounds who moves well for his size and can be tough to tackle after the catch.
Previous ranking: 20
ESPN 300 commits: 1
Top offensive prospect: ATH Nasir Rankin
Top defensive prospect: LB Cam Thomas
Good recruiting starts at home, and an early priority for the Fighting Illini was in-state athlete Rankin. A two-sport star who also excels on the hardwood, the ESPN 300 prospect projects to wide receiver, where he can be a playmaker with good hands and the ability to make defenders miss after the catch. Also from in-state, big man Casey Thomann is one of the top OL prospects in Illinois, and three-star Tony Balanganayi is an interesting big man. He projects to the defensive line, where he has shown he can be disruptive, but with more mass could offer higher upside as an OL.
From within the Big Ten footprint, four-star Thomas (Ohio) is a defender with an outstanding first step and could develop into an edge rusher with big upside. Parker Crim brings good arm length, can move well and has shown he can be explosive off the ball. Tony Williams, out of Florida, is a middle linebacker with good instincts and can be a physical presence between the tackles.
Previous ranking: 10
ESPN 300 commits: 8
Top offensive prospect: WR Tristen Keys
Top defensive prospect: CB Havon Finney Jr.
The Tigers are tough to beat for in-state talent, and they built the foundation for one of the top classes in the country on homegrown recruits. But landing Keys from nearby Mississippi delivered Brian Kelly and his staff their first five-star of the 2026 cycle. As of now, the 6-3 Keys would be the highest-rated receiver to make it to Baton Rouge since Kayshon Boutte. Keys is a long strider with long arms who prioritizes winning and is a favorite of coaches and teammates alike.
LSU also recently added wide receiver Jabari Mack (a strong route runner) and offensive tackle Brysten Martinez, a pair of in-state four-star recruits who bolster a class that now features more than half of the top 10 players from Louisiana. That includes a pair of teammates from Edna Karr High: DT Richard Anderson, a stout presence at more than 300 pounds with good initial quickness, and Aiden Hall, a safety with good length, speed and downhill physicality. Though much of their recruiting success is from within their primary recruiting footprint, the Tigers did go out west to land ESPN 300 Finney. A 2027 prospect who reclassified into the 2026 class, he has shown he can be physical in press coverage but also brings excellent speed to be able to run with receivers.
Previous ranking: 15
ESPN 300 commits: 6
Top offensive prospect: QB Jared Curtis
Top defensive prospect: S Zechariah Fort
The Bulldogs have been a consistent staple among the top three overall classes during Kirby Smart’s tenure and look to be a contender to do so again in 2026. A big step toward finishing near the top again is bringing five-star quarterback Curtis back into the mix. After a decommitment, the Bulldogs were able to fend off other suitors, most notably Oregon, and give themselves a potential impact QB for the future. Curtis might need to adjust to a relatively steep jump in competition level, but he has elite physical tools, including a smooth, quick release and the ability to change arm angles.
With three of their top four pass catchers from 2024 having moved on and the fourth likely to leave after this season, Georgia is bringing in new receiving targets with speed. Vance Spafford out of California won the fastest-man competition last summer at the UA Future 50 event and in-state prospect Brady Marchese has been recorded hitting over 22 mph in game play. After signing two ESPN 300 TEs in their 2025 class, the Dawgs continue to restock there, adding Lincoln Keyes, who with his big frame and good body control can offer a wide catch radius. On defense, Fort is a safety with good range who can be active in run support.
Previous ranking: 13
ESPN 300 commits: 1
Top offensive prospect: RB Crew Davis
Top defensive prospect: DT Trashawn Ruffin
Unsurprisingly given his ethos, Bill Belichick is building North Carolina’s 2026 class from the inside out. In-state four-star defensive tackle Ruffin flipped from Texas A&M and the 300-pounder has plenty of raw physicality to mold. Ruffin is one of several interior linemen in the class right now, and Belichick went to his former home base in Massachusetts to bring in 335-pound guard Lenneil Hall. The Tar Heels also pulled a pair of three-star corners out of California in Justin Lewis and Marcellous Ryan. High three-star athlete O’Mari Johnson further bolsters that unit as he also projects to the secondary.
Now North Carolina is beginning to layer in skill players such as three-star receiver Darrion Kirksey, who picked the Tar Heels over offers from Ole Miss and Arkansas and has outstanding short-area quickness. Davis can be a versatile back with the power to run between the tackles, but he also possesses good ball skills. As a junior, he rushed for more than 1,300 yards and also hauled in more than 50 receptions.
Previous ranking: 14
ESPN 300 commits: 1
Top offensive prospect: RB Evan Hampton
Top defensive prospect: DB Jaydin Broadnax
Jeff Brohm has raised Louisville’s floor with a 19-8 record and an appearance in the ACC championship game two years ago. His 2026 class already has more than a dozen commits, with four-star defensive back Broadnax out of Florida the biggest get so far. At nearly 6-3, he has great length, balance and body control for a corner. DE Kevontay Hugan was another nice pull out of Florida. He lacks ideal length but possesses a quick first step and has been a versatile defender for his high school and was productive as a junior with more than 100 tackles with 18 sacks.
Hampton, a three-star running back, ran for 1,549 yards and 20 touchdowns as a junior at in-state Owensboro High School. He’s an elusive, upright runner with the ball skills to affect the pass game and also has a baseball background; he originally committed to rival Kentucky as a freshman before pursuing football. Adding more help along the line could be a focus for Louisville after Miami flipped three-star offensive tackle Joel Ervin.
Previous ranking: 12
ESPN 300 commits: 5
Top offensive prospect: OT Jackson Cantwell
Top defensive prospect: LB Jordan Campbell
Despite a rocky finish to the 2024 season, the Hurricanes are trending in the right direction. They’re coming off a 10-win season, former QB Cam Ward was the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft and they’ve reeled in two consecutive top-15 recruiting classes. Mario Cristobal’s 2026 class is working to match or even exceed those groups.
The Hurricanes are adding pieces to field a dominant offensive line. They could lose several projected 2025 starters after this season but are adding big men who can step in and project a bright future in the trenches. In addition to landing the top-rated interior OL in the 2025 class, they have added several OLs to their 2026 class, led by No. 1 tackle Jackson Cantwell. Much like current standout OT Francis Mauigoa, who was a five-star himself and a Year 1 starter, Cantwell could step in at one of the tackle spots upon arriving in South Florida. He is a massive presence at roughly 6-7 and 320 pounds and carries his size well. In addition to being powerful, he possesses good quickness and flexibility, and much like Mauigoa is being projected to be a high NFL draft pick.
QB Dereon Coleman has room for growth but has a quick release and accuracy. Four-star Miami native Jordan Campbell is 6-2, 220 pounds with the versatility to make plays in pursuit and the bend and power that portend a potential impact pass rusher. He’s a candidate to take a leap with college coaching.
Previous ranking: 11
ESPN 300 commits: 5
Top offensive prospect: TE Kendre’ Harrison
Top defensive prospect: DT Tony Cumberland
Dan Lanning’s run of sustained excellence in Eugene rolls on with Oregon’s 2026 class. Reeling in five-star tight end Harrison in November set the tone. The 6-6 250-pounder is a dynamic two-sport athlete with an exceptional catch radius who is a nightmare for opposing defenses in the red zone. In late February, the Ducks added four-star defensive back Xavier Lherisse, who clocked an impressive 1.62 10-yard dash and 4.49 40-yard dash a few days later at the Under Armour Miami camp. Four-star running back Tradarian Ball adds explosiveness and excellent ball skills.
While the commitment of five-star DE Richard Wesley was short-lived, the Ducks still have a strong defensive line foundation within this class. They secured the top two big men in-state, in ESPN 300 DTs Cumberland and Viliami Moala. The latter is a massive 300-pounder who not only brings jolting power but is light on his feet for his size and can be a handful in the heart of the trenches. DE Dutch Horisk will arrive from one of the top programs in California (St. John Bosco), where he will have been a multiyear starter and is a sound football player who uses his hands well. As a junior he had nine TFLs and four sacks.
Previous ranking: NR
ESPN 300 commits: 6
Top offensive prospect: QB Dia Bell
Top defensive prospect: CB Hayward Howard Jr.
As Texas tackles the 2025 season led by one of the most high-profile signings in recent years in quarterback Arch Manning, the Longhorns continue to build for the future as well, including another five-star QB. Bell brings valuable experience, having faced quality competition during his time in high school. He has shown good accuracy and deep-ball touch, and as a junior threw for more than 2,500 yards and completed 70% of his passes.
The Horns also added potential targets including ESPN 300 WRs Chris Stewart and Jermaine Bishop Jr. Stewart brings big-play speed, and Bishop is a quick, fluid target who can create after the catch. To protect their new offensive weapons, they have also landed some top in-state OLs, including top-10 OG Nicolas Robertson, a powerful big man with good feet.
Previous ranking: 17
ESPN 300 commits: 4
Top offensive prospect: QB Faizon Brandon
Top defensive prospect: DE Zach Groves
Brandon, a five-star quarterback, is the headliner, and rightfully so. He’s a strong, accurate passer who fits Tennessee’s offense perfectly. His commitment was big initially but seems even more impactful now after the well-publicized split with Nico Iamaleava. In-state four-star receiver Tyreek King (Knoxville Catholic) pairs well alongside Brandon. He is a quick, fluid target who has clocked in-game speeds faster than 21 mph. The Vols also added 6-3 wide receiver Tyran Evans out of North Carolina in January, and likely aren’t done at the position.
They are doing well in-state, and Groves is another strong addition from within their borders. A defender with good quickness and power, he has amassed more than 50 TFLs heading into his senior season. Keep an eye on in-state offensive tackle Gabriel Osenda, who is a massive presence (6-7, 330 pounds) for the Vols to develop.
Previous ranking: 25
ESPN 300 commits: 2
Top offensive prospect: WR Dyzier Carter
Top defensive prospect: ATH Chris Hewitt Jr.
The Scarlet Knights have added some top talent to their wide receiver room with Carter and Elias Coke, both of whom have been long-time commits, having joined the class before the 2024 season started. Carter is a good route runner with strong hands and could be a quick contributor once arriving. Coke is a nice target at roughly 6-2.
On defense, Joey Kopec is a two-way player in high school, contributing at RB and LB. He has good range and is effective dropping into coverage. Athlete Hewitt projects to the secondary.
Previous ranking: 24
ESPN 300 commits: 2
Top offensive prospect: TE Brock Harris
Top defensive prospect: DT Bott Mulitalo
The Cougars finished 63rd in the 2025 cycle but are capitalizing on in-state talent to compete for one of the top classes in the Big 12 in 2026. Harris is the top-rated player in the state of Utah and one of the top TE prospects in the country. He has excellent size at roughly 6-6 and is smooth in his movements with excellent ball skills. Harris could be a highly productive target in BYU’s passing attack.
Mulitalo, the top-ranked defensive player in the state, can offer versatility along the line and, in camp evaluations, has demonstrated an intense demeanor with the ability to take and apply coaching well. He has been transitioning his focus to the offensive line, evident by his OL MVP performance at the UA Salt Lake City camp this spring. His ability to contribute on either side of the ball only raises his value. The Cougars also stayed in-state to land a QB to develop in Kaneal Sweetwyne, who has a rangy frame with quick feet and can be a dual-threat option with nice upside as a passer.
Previous ranking: 16
ESPN 300 commits: 5
Top offensive prospect: WR Devin Carter
Top defensive prospect: DE Hezekiah Harris
Though other teams have more total commits at this stage, Hugh Freeze has done a great job attracting premium talent to the Plains as he rebuilds the Tigers. In-state defensive talent forms the early foundation, with commitments from Harris and linebackers JaMichael Garrett and Shadarius Toodle. Harris is a lengthy edge defender with good power and range. Toodle and Garrett are highly productive players who have combined for more than 200 tackles and 20 tackles for loss in their careers.
Freeze then added four-star Carter out of Douglasville (Georgia) High School in January. The son of 1990 NFL first-round running back Dexter Carter, Devin is one of the faster receivers in the class and pairs his speed with fluid, smooth route-running ability.
Previous ranking: 22
ESPN 300 commits: 1
Top offensive prospect: OG Marek Jin
Top defensive prospect: DE Mason Leak
Bill O’Brien has injected new life into Boston College by returning the program to its local roots. That has continued so far in 2026, with most of BC’s commits hailing from Massachusetts, Connecticut or New York. A key add from that Northeast footprint is Jin, an ESPN 300 OL. At their height, the Eagles built a reputation for developing NFL-caliber talent, particularly along the offensive line and on defense, and just recently had two offensive linemen drafted into the NFL. Jin, who played both ways in high school, fits that mold but projects to the offensive line, where he can be very productive with a nice blend of flexibility and mobility.
D.J. Bordeaux gives O’Brien a promising quarterback to develop. The three-star has bounced around a bit in high school but has a smooth throwing motion, completed 68% of his passes as a junior and performed well among a talented QB pool at this offseason’s Under Armour Salt Lake City camp. On defense, Leak is an interesting prospect who probably will need developmental time but flashes very good raw tools and could in time be a breakout player from this class.
Previous ranking: 21
ESPN 300 commits: 0
Top offensive prospect: WR Dequane Prevo
Top defensive prospect: DE Colton Yarbrough
The talk about coach Sam Pittman on the hot seat seemed to cool off entering the offseason, which will benefit recruiting and aid a 2026 class that already has a solid foundation. Four-star Prevo out of Texas is a 5-10 receiver who has outstanding balance, body control and short-area burst. Several high-three-star prospects anchor the class, including quarterback Jayvon Gilmore, a tall (6-4) but lean passer with a nice frame to develop. He has a strong arm with a smooth release and is a nice early pickup by the Razorbacks.
Yarbrough brings upside at defensive end with good first-step quickness and range. Pittman, a former offensive line coach, also landed in-state big man Tucker Young, who can get push and help create lanes in the run game.
Previous ranking: 19
ESPN 300 commits: 3
Top offensive prospect: OT Kodi Greene
Top defensive prospect: DE Derek Colman-Brusa
Jedd Fisch did an excellent job bringing in talent at Arizona and is now working to retool Washington’s roster and get the Huskies back into the playoff hunt. The Huskies won a key recruiting battle by pulling away Greene, an ESPN 300 OL, from rival Oregon. He is a 300-pounder who moves very well for his size with good quickness and the one-time Washington resident can be a key option in the trenches. The Huskies went east to land their QB in Derek Zammit, a tough, smart player with a smooth, quick release. He should continue to improve with the tools to develop into a productive starter.
Washington landed several commitments in the secondary, including in-state Durr, who has good size at roughly 6 feet and is smooth in his movements. He could develop at cornerback or safety.
Previous ranking: 18
ESPN 300 commits: 3
Top offensive prospect: ATH Efrem White
Top defensive prospect: S Tedarius Hughes
The Seminoles are coming off a disastrous 2-10 season and a disappointing No. 26 finish in the 2025 recruiting cycle after losing several ESPN 300 commitments down the stretch. Florida State also took a hit when four-star 2026 quarterback Brady Smigiel decommitted in late January. Despite the challenges, they are still scoring some victories on the recruiting trail.
In-state athlete White projects as a receiver but has been a jack-of-all-trades in his high school career as a quarterback, corner and returner. Though he’s undersized at 155 pounds, his speed, quickness and creativity make him dangerous in space. Fellow four-star athlete Darryon Williams has the elusiveness and ball skills to develop into a valuable receiver in the open field once he gets to campus. The Seminoles further bolstered their class by adding a trio of in-state prospects early in 2025: offensive tackle Xavier Payne, running back Amari Thomas and linebacker Karon Maycock, who can close well and be a physical hitter.
On Monday, the next installment of the Battle of Florida will be contested between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers, a rivalry that has certainly intensified in recent years.
The two teams entered the league one year apart. The Bolts in 1992 and the Cats a year later.
Although the Panthers miraculously made it to the Stanley Cup Final in their third season, the state of Florida wasn’t truly on the hockey map until the Lightning won the title in 2004.
But for most of the two teams’ existence, the rivalry was purely geographical, with the hockey world largely focusing on other feuds or thriving franchises. Despite achieving far less success in the 23 years after they made the Cup Final in 1996, the Panthers won the lion’s share of games against the Lightning. In that same 23-year span, the Cats had a sub-.500 record against the Lightning in only seven seasons, and the club’s all-time record against their in-state rival is 79-54-29.
But this truly became the “Battle” when both teams became great, and that has been in the past six seasons. The pair met in the playoffs for the first time in 2021, which is the perfect start of this era — Tampa Bay was coming off a Stanley Cup win in 2020 (in the bubble) and dispatched Florida in six games en route to their second straight Cup. The Lightning would sweep the Panthers the next season before bowing out to Colorado in the Cup Final, marking three straight trips to the Final.
Then it was Florida’s turn to do the exact same thing, making their three straight trips to the Cup Final (with the streak still active), and beating Tampa Bay 4-1 in back-to-back first rounds in 2024 and 2025 en route to Cup wins. Their playoff records against each other are identical: two series wins, 10-10 overall.
And this feud has turned ugly, bloody and downright nasty. Two preseason games (!) this October saw Lightning and Panthers players maul each other on the ice to the tune of a combined 508 penalty minutes and 26 misconducts. “It just got silly, got stupid,” lamented Panthers forward Evan Rodrigues, describing the chaos that some hockey fans absolutely relish. There were so many ejections that Florida’s Niko Mikkola got ejected, didn’t leave and then assisted on a goal, that had to be called back upon review.
It took a while to get there, but the Battle of Florida is now one of the most bitter rivalries in hockey and has no signs of slowing down. Both teams have thrown haymakers (literally and figuratively) at the other throughout the years. Although this might hurt many traditionalists to hear, the rivalry is an offshoot of both team’s playoff and championship success and that means — if you’re judging this purely on glory at the highest levels — Florida is cemented as the current “State of Hockey.” I don’t make the rules, people, I just bring them to light.
The Panthers and Lightning drop the puck on Monday in Tampa Bay. It’s without a doubt one of the biggest games of the week.
Jump ahead:
Games of the week
What I loved this weekend
Hart Trophy candidates
Social post of the week
Stick taps
Biggest games of the week
I have my eyes firmly on every game the Minnesota Wild, Pittsburgh Penguins and Edmonton Oilers play this week. Purely because I want to see the immediate impact the traded players will be making. And there’s some overlap!
The Quinn Hughes trade was a Friday night shocker. Minnesota! What a coup!
The Wild play the Washington Capitals on Tuesday (one of the teams rumored to be in on the Hughes trade talks), followed by the the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday, and the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday (a big test). Before the Avs, they’ll host the Oilers on Saturday … when I hope Tristan Jarry will be starting, and we get some sort of Hughes scoring chance on the new Oilers goalie.
Aside from the showdown in Minnesota, the Oilers have the Boston Bruins on Thursday and Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday (a big offensive test).
Jarry won his first game with the Oilers on Saturday, a 6-3 victory in Toronto.
The Penguins, with Stuart Skinner and Brett Kulak now in the mix, face the Ottawa Senators on Thursday, then have a home-and-home series against the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday and Sunday.
But I have a big red circle around Tuesday on my calendar, because the Oilers face the Penguins. Hockey trade bingo! It’s always awesome when traded players face their old teams right away. It’s like getting early and tangible “who won the trade?” argument fodder based on how the traded players perform. Let’s hope the coaches help out the narrative and start both Jarry and Skinner in this one.
Other key games this week
MONDAY
8 p.m. ET | ESPN+
TUESDAY
7 p.m. ET | ESPN+
7 p.m. ET | ESPN+
7 p.m. ET | ESPN+
WEDNESDAY
7 p.m. ET | ESPN+
THURSDAY
7 p.m. ET | ESPN+
FRIDAY
7 p.m. ET | ESPN+
10 p.m. ET | ESPN+
SATURDAY
12:30 p.m. ET | NHL Network
7 p.m. ET | ESPN+
SUNDAY
1 p.m. ET | NHL Network
What I loved this weekend
The San Jose Sharks are a lot of people’s second favorite team, and they made a whole bunch of fans happy — outside of Pittsburgh, of course — on Saturday. Down 5-1 with 12 minutes to play in the game, the Sharks scored four unanswered goals in the third period, then won the game in overtime. And no, this was not Stuart Skinner‘s debut — his immigration paperwork was held up, so it was Arturs Silovs in goal for the Penguins.
1:51
Sharks score 5 unanswered to rally for OT win vs. Penguins
The Sharks put five unanswered goals past the Penguins over the third period and overtime in a huge comeback win.
This marks only the 26th time in NHL history a team was down four goals in the third period and won the game.
This is where I tell Maple Leafs fans to look away. Because the ESPN Research team dug even deeper, and found that there were only two instances of teams that came back from five-goal deficits in the third period and won the game.
The two teams that pulled off this feat were the Calgary Flames in 1986-87 and the St. Louis Blues in 2000-01.
Their opponents on both occasions? Yes, the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Hart Trophy contenders if the season ended today
Nathan MacKinnon obviously gets a spot. He still leads the league in points and in goals, and has points in five straight games, with nine points total in that span.
Connor McDavid is second in scoring, back to his “I’ll score at will” video game mode, and is also on a five-game point streak, where he has a silly 15 points. Casual Connor, no big deal.
0:49
Connor McDavid lights the lamp for Oilers
Connor McDavid lights the lamp for Oilers
Finally, enough is enough; I’m putting Logan Thompson on my Hart Trophy list! I’m all for goalie Hart pushes. Deal with it.
The Caps are third in the Metro Division, and Thompson has an excellent .922 save percentage through 23 games. Scott Wedgewood will likely rotate into this spot on occasion given how much of an absolute wagon the Avs are this season. Aside from his last game where he let in five goals, Wedgewood has had a terrific stretch, including a shutout.
Social media post of the week
I said this last week, and I’m serious — the 6-7 trend is getting out of control! Now it’s on the back of warmup jerseys. STOP IT NOW!
On to my actual favorite social media from this week. As my fellow pro wrestling heads out there know, John Cena’s final WWE match took place on Saturday (and Cena’s submission to Gunther ignited a reaction from the WWE crowd more heinous than a lengthy offside review). A part of the homage this week was reflecting on the jerseys Cena wore over the years, including a few hockey ones. The Oilers, Kings, Jets and Canadiens were among the pro teams to share posts with Cena wearing their threads:
The funniest one was the Habs, because Cena mimics shooting a puck in his entrance. Which confirms in WWE retirement he will be signing with Montreal, adding bottom-six depth for a playoff push.
Stick taps
I’m going to give my ESPN colleague (and, of course, Stanley Cup champion) T.J. Oshie a lot of credit. He had a “welcome to TV” moment where, because he’s a retired NHL player-turned-citizen of hockey by being on national broadcasts, he received a Stadium Series jersey like the rest of us:
We revealed the #StadiumSeries jerseys! @espnSteveLevy @TJOshie77 @espn @NHL @NHLBruins @TBLightning https://t.co/3nlxP4pgFf pic.twitter.com/sCy6CJ0H5W
— ᴀʀᴅᴀ Öᴄᴀʟ (@Arda) December 12, 2025
The problem is, Oshie never played for the Lightning or the Bruins. But we egged him on and like the true good sport that he is, he put on the Boston jersey, explaining that it resembled his old Warroad team colors.
“I did put it on, somewhat against my will.” 😅@TJOshie77 and @Arda broke down the fine details on the Boston Bruins’ 2026 NHL Stadium Series jerseys 🐻 pic.twitter.com/XuCg9lTzCl
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 12, 2025
What a sight. I’m sure it was equally jarring to see “Oshie” on the back of the Boston jersey, and perhaps more jarring to see No. 77, Oshie’s number in the NHL that also happened to be Ray Bourque’s number — which the Bruins retired in 2001.
I will jump in here and say that I believe that the retired number rule applies only for active players on that team. Celebrities, analysts, media types, or really anyone that wants to customize a jersey … pick whatever number you want. You’re not suiting up for the team with that number. It’s fine. We can let that one go.
If you want to nominate someone for stick taps in a future column, reach out to me on social media.
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Bill Connelly
The new era of college football features a larger College Football Playoff and a lower bar (and more forgiveness) for inclusion. Meanwhile, the transfer portal and increased freedom of movement for players have meant that today’s best teams can’t quite stockpile awesome backups as easily as they could in the past.
The idea of greatness has, therefore, also changed a bit. As we saw with Ohio State’s incredible national title run in 2024, it’s more about when you peak and less about how high and how long that peak might be.
It might be more difficult, then, for a team to rise to the top of this list, in other words.
It is once again time for me to rank every College Football Playoff team to date. Is it an awkward mix of 40 teams that cleared one bar during the four-team playoff era and 24 teams that cleared a lower bar in the new 12-team era? Absolutely. Is that stopping me from continuing this tradition? Absolutely not. As always, this list is derived through a combination of numbers and my own personal opinions. I start out using my SP+ ratings as a guide, then steer whichever way I want to steer with it. The rankings for 2025’s playoff participants will obviously shift in the future, once we’ve seen how this year’s four-round tournament plays out.
Jump to:
Top 10 CFP teams
64. 2025 Tulane (11-2)
CFP matchup: First round at Ole Miss
Jon Sumrall’s final Tulane team is adaptable and resilient and certainly clears a physicality bar that not every awesome Group of 5 team might. But the Green Wave’s two losses — 45-10 against first-round opponent Ole Miss, 48-26 at UTSA — were a sign that when things go awry, the ceiling is much, much lower than what we might expect from a playoff team.
63. 2024 Clemson (10-4)
CFP result: Lost to Texas 38-24 in the first round
The first official bid thieves of the 12-team era, Dabo Swinney’s Tigers looked like their hopes were finished after an end-of-regular-season loss to South Carolina. But upsets elsewhere placed them in the ACC championship game, and they won the league with a last-second field goal. That gave them a shot at Texas in the CFP first round, and although they played well while behind, the game was never truly in doubt.
62. 2024 SMU (11-3)
CFP result: Lost to Penn State 38-10 in the first round
Rhett Lashlee’s Mustangs made the absolute most of their first power conference campaign in three decades, going 8-0 in the regular season and falling just six points short of a 13-0 start. But they didn’t beat any teams that finished in the SP+ top 20, and they were utterly overwhelmed in the first round in State College, throwing two pick-sixes, suffering countless other miscues and trailing big most of the way.
61. 2024 Boise State (12-2)
CFP result: Lost to Penn State 31-14 in the Fiesta Bowl quarterfinal
Behind Ashton Jeanty and his 2,601 rushing yards (not to mention a fierce pass rush), Boise State nearly took down Oregon in Week 2 and headed into the CFP having won 11 straight games. The Broncos couldn’t overcome a slow start in the Fiesta Bowl, however, trailing PSU 14-0 after about 11 minutes, clawing to within three points in the third quarter and eventually falling because of turnovers and red zone failures.
60. 2025 James Madison (12-1)
CFP matchup: First round at Oregon
Bob Chesney’s final JMU team faced only one power conference opponent and suffered offensive ups and downs early on, but the Dukes have risen to 24th in SP+ because of a dynamite homestretch. They’ve outscored their past seven opponents by an average of 28 points with aggressive defense and increasingly explosive offense. Do they have the upside to scare Oregon? Probably not, but they earned their spot.
59. 2015 Michigan State (12-2)
CFP result: Lost to Alabama 38-0
Mark Dantonio’s 2015 Spartans are proof that no matter what the committee said, it was picking the four “most deserving” teams rather than the four “best” — MSU was definitively the former and in no way the latter. And that’s fine! The Spartans finished 18th in FPI and 15th in SP+ but beat a dynamite Ohio State team and outlasted unbeaten Iowa to win the Big Ten. Then they did exactly what was expected of them against Alabama in the Cotton Bowl: They lost big.
58. 2025 Alabama (10-3)
CFP matchup: First round at Oklahoma
Alabama basically earned its playoff spot in October, beating Georgia, Vanderbilt, Missouri and Tennessee to craft a dynamite résumé. But due primarily to increasing numbers of offensive mistakes, the Tide’s form slipped dramatically. The committee did them a massive favor by completely ignoring poor late performances against Auburn (narrow win) and Georgia (blowout loss). Will Alabama reward the committee for its faith?
57. 2025 Oklahoma (10-2)
CFP matchup: First round vs. Alabama
The Sooners’ defense is playoff worthy by any definition, and the offense has mastered the art of opportunism — it doesn’t create nearly enough chances, but makes the most of what it creates. Tight November wins over Tennessee and Alabama drove some late résumé boosting, and a clutch, season-ending win over LSU kept Oklahoma in the field. But that offense sure looks like a fatal flaw.
56. 2019 Oklahoma (12-2)
CFP result: Lost to LSU 63-28
After three years at No. 1, Lincoln Riley’s 2019 Sooners slipped to third in offensive SP+, and the defense wasn’t good enough to make up for this smidgen of offensive mortality. They rolled to 7-0 but stumbled against Kansas State and had to survive four tight wins in their final five games. That was enough to earn the Sooners their fourth CFP appearance in five years, but they got destroyed in the Peach Bowl.
55. 2020 Notre Dame (10-2)
CFP result: Lost to Alabama 31-14
Brian Kelly’s Irish beat Trevor Lawrence-less Clemson in overtime, and behind consensus All-America offensive linemen Aaron Banks and Liam Eichenberg, they proved physical, mature and adaptable while starting the season 10-0. But in their final two games, against a full-strength Clemson team in the ACC championship game and Alabama in the Rose Bowl, the Irish were outscored 65-24.
54. 2024 Indiana (11-2)
CFP result: Lost to Notre Dame 27-17 in the first round
Curt Cignetti’s first Hoosiers team benefited from a pretty easy Big Ten schedule but won seven games by at least 24 points and finished the regular season second in the country in points per drive and sixth in points allowed per drive. Unfortunately, quarterback Kurtis Rourke‘s season-long ACL injury finally caught up to him with a poor CFP performance, and the Hoosiers couldn’t overcome a slow start in South Bend.
53. 2025 Miami (10-2)
CFP matchup: First round at Texas A&M
The Hurricanes started and finished the season looking the part and overcame a midseason funk that included timid, turnover-plagued losses to Louisville and SMU. A smart, aggressive defense gives them the upside to compete with anyone, and the offense enjoys long runs of efficiency thanks to quarterback Carson Beck and receiver Malachi Toney. Do they have the close-game chops required to make a run? We’ll see.
52. 2024 Arizona State (11-3)
CFP result: Lost to Texas 39-31 in the Peach Bowl quarterfinal
It’s tricky figuring out where to place a team that didn’t look the part until November, then very much looked the part. As late as Week 12 in 2024, ASU’s playoff odds were minuscule. But the Sun Devils won six straight down the stretch, and star Cam Skattebo almost took them even further. Behind his 242 yards from scrimmage against Texas, they were one play away from the semifinals but fell agonizingly short.
51. 2024 Tennessee (10-3)
CFP result: Lost to Ohio State 42-17 in the first round
Despite Josh Heupel’s offensive tendencies, his Vols reached the CFP in 2024 by fielding their best defense since 1999. They ran the ball well, defended the run better than anyone and rode a home win over Alabama to a playoff berth. Unfortunately, their limitations were made clear in Columbus. They punted three straight times to start the game, found themselves quickly down 21-0 and couldn’t recover.
50. 2025 Texas A&M (11-1)
CFP matchup: First round vs. Miami
With bursts of spectacular upside countering frustrating funks — most vividly captured by a 27-point comeback against South Carolina — Mike Elko’s Aggies went 4-0 in one-score games; avoided Georgia, Alabama and Ole Miss in SEC play; and began the season 11-0. They have a speedy skill corps, a beautifully structured offense, a fierce pass rush and a first-round home game. But a playoff tends to punish funks.
49. 2014 Florida State (13-1)
CFP result: Lost to Oregon 59-20
The Seminoles returned lots of key figures from their 2013 national title romp, but they had to eke out tight win after tight win — seven one-score games in all. While the BCS would have given us a Bama-FSU title game that year, the CFP gave the Noles the No. 3 seed and sent them to the Rose Bowl, where a 34-0 Ducks run ended Florida State’s 29-game winning streak in stark fashion.
48. 2018 Notre Dame (12-1)
CFP result: Lost to Clemson 30-3
The Fighting Irish earned their spot in the playoff with increasingly dominant wins over quality Michigan, Stanford and Syracuse teams. The defense was solid and excellent (second in defensive SP+), but the offensive limitations were made crystal clear when the Irish had to face Clemson in the Cotton Bowl. The game was tied after one quarter, but it got much, much worse from there.
47. 2025 Ole Miss (11-1)
CFP matchup: First round vs. Tulane
The Rebels’ stay in the 2025 playoffs might forever be defined by who wasn’t there — Lane Kiffin left for LSU after the regular season — and they probably don’t have the same raw upside as the 2024 team that fell just short of a bid. But Ole Miss can both run through and pass over opponents, and the only test the Rebels haven’t passed this year is “Can you survive a rugged fourth quarter in Athens?” They’re capable of a run.
46. 2021 Cincinnati (13-1)
CFP result: Lost to Alabama 27-6
Even adjusting for strength of schedule, Luke Fickell’s CFP debutants finished sixth in SP+. The Bearcats physically dominated a strong Notre Dame squad and absolutely earned their playoff spot, and once there, they hemmed in Bryce Young and the Alabama passing attack. The problem: They got gashed by the Bama run game and, more importantly, couldn’t even slightly protect quarterback Desmond Ridder in a Cotton Bowl loss.
45. 2018 Oklahoma (12-2)
CFP result: Lost to Alabama 45-34
OU lost Baker Mayfield but somehow improved offensively. Kyler Murray threw for 4,361 yards and rushed for 1,001, but unfortunately, the defense was dreck. Lincoln Riley fired coordinator Mike Stoops six games in, but the Sooners allowed 44 points per game over their final six contests and gave up 31 first-half points to Alabama in the Orange Bowl. That was too much for even Murray to overcome.
44. 2015 Oklahoma (11-2)
CFP result: Lost to Clemson 37-17
Bob Stoops’ Sooners headed into 2015 with a new offensive coordinator (Lincoln Riley) and a transfer quarterback (Baker Mayfield), and after a disappointing 2014, OU reignited. The Sooners won a loaded Big 12 and were 3.5-point favorites against Clemson in the Orange Bowl. They took a 17-16 lead into halftime, but Clemson shifted into fifth gear in the second half and sent the Sooners home with a 20-point loss.
43. 2016 Ohio State (11-2)
CFP result: Lost to Clemson 31-0
After what might have been Urban Meyer’s most talented Ohio State team missed the CFP in 2015, the most offensively limited one made it the next year. The defense was strong enough to limit Deshaun Watson and Clemson to just two touchdowns in the Tigers’ first 10 drives in the semifinal, but the Buckeyes’ offense, which ranked 20th in offensive SP+ (terrible by their standards), got embarrassed.
42. 2017 Clemson (12-2)
CFP result: Lost to Alabama 24-6
You know your program is in great shape when “transition year” means “only making the CFP semis.” The Tigers boasted perhaps the best defense of the Dabo Swinney era, but Deshaun Watson was gone, and Trevor Lawrence wouldn’t arrive in town for another year. Clemson was too good for the rest of the ACC but gained just 188 yards against Alabama in the Sugar Bowl, bowing out slightly earlier than normal.
41. 2023 Alabama (12-2)
CFP result: Lost to Michigan 27-20
Nick Saban’s final team was maybe his worst since 2007 and ranked just eighth in the CFP rankings before an SEC championship upset of Georgia. The Tide mastered the art of surviving, advancing and saving their best performance for the most important games. And when they were given a lifeline by snagging a CFP spot over Florida State, they nearly made the most of it, leading eventual champ Michigan into the final two minutes before succumbing in overtime.
40. 2021 Michigan (12-2)
CFP result: Lost to Georgia 34-11
A loss to Michigan State set Jim Harbaugh’s Wolverines back early on, but they took down Ohio State for the first time in a decade, then stomped Iowa to win their first outright Big Ten title since 2003. This was an excellent team and the champion of an excellent conference, but the Wolverines ran into a slight problem in the Orange Bowl: They weren’t better than Georgia at a single thing. That will catch up to you.
39. 2024 Penn State (13-3)
CFP result: Beat SMU 38-10; beat Boise State 31-14; lost to Notre Dame 27-24 in the Orange Bowl semifinal
James Franklin’s Penn State tenure was defined by an extreme ability to control the controllables and a failure to rise to the biggest occasions. The Nittany Lions beat SMU and Boise State as comfortable favorites to reach the 2024 semis and came achingly close to beating Notre Dame. But they came up short, and their attempt to keep the band together and go all-in in 2025 crumpled to the ground too.
38. 2023 Texas (12-2)
CFP result: Lost to Washington 37-31
Steve Sarkisian’s Longhorns gave Alabama its first double-digit home loss of the entire Nick Saban era. They beat seven other bowl-eligible teams by an average of 24 points and pummeled Oklahoma State by 28 in the Big 12 championship game. They returned to relevance in a major way, but they couldn’t slow Michael Penix Jr. and Washington in the Sugar Bowl. The Huskies quarterback threw for 430 yards and made Texas’ first playoff stay a one-gamer.
37. 2022 TCU (13-2)
CFP result: Defeated Michigan 51-45; lost to Georgia 65-7 in the national championship
Heisman runner-up Max Duggan and the Horned Frogs were close-game masters, winning five one-score games during a 12-0 start and losing only to a top-10 Kansas State team in the Big 12 championship. Their big-play ability and volatility were fully on display in the CFP, where they pulled off an upset of Michigan in maybe the best game of 2022, then got absolutely trounced by Georgia in the national title game.
36. 2024 Texas (13-3)
CFP result: Beat Clemson 38-24; beat Arizona State 39-31; lost to Ohio State 28-14 in the Cotton Bowl semifinal
With a dynamite defense and an occasionally wobbly offense, Steve Sarkisian’s Longhorns went 13-0 against teams not named Georgia or Ohio State in 2024. They narrowly survived Arizona State in the quarterfinals thanks to clutch late play from quarterback Quinn Ewers, and they were driving to tie their semifinal late against Ohio State before a Jack Sawyer scoop-and-score touchdown sealed their fate.
35. 2016 Washington (12-2)
CFP result: Lost to Alabama 24-7
Chris Petersen’s Huskies sent a message by beating a top-20 Stanford squad by 28 points in September, then finished up by felling Colorado by 31 in the Pac-12 championship game. An outstanding defense led by Budda Baker and Greg Gaines mostly controlled Alabama in the Peach Bowl, too; Washington trailed just 10-7 late in the first half before a Ryan Anderson pick-six changed the game.
34. 2024 Georgia (11-3)
CFP result: Lost to Notre Dame 23-10 in the Sugar Bowl quarterfinal
Georgia survived upset bids and a late-season injury to quarterback Carson Beck to still brawl its way to the SEC title despite lacking the elite-level talent that won it the 2021 and 2022 national titles. But the Bulldogs couldn’t do Gunner Stockton enough favors against Notre Dame, in his first career start, and allowing 17 points in 56 seconds in the middle of the game was too much to overcome.
33. 2025 Georgia (12-1)
CFP matchup: Sugar Bowl quarterfinal vs. Ole Miss or Tulane
The current version of the Dawgs scraped by early with nothing but guile and second-half adjustments, then kicked into gear late. An inexperienced defense established a high level in November, and Georgia avenged its lone loss, to Alabama, with an SEC championship game blowout. Do the Dawgs have the big-play capabilities for a playoff run? I’m not sure, but as always, you do not want to find yourself in a brawl with Georgia.
32. 2025 Oregon (11-1)
CFP matchup: First round vs. James Madison
Oregon’s 2025 outfit combines the offensive upside we’re used to seeing from the Ducks — especially from a run game featuring Noah Whittington, Jordon Davison and Dierre Hill Jr. — with a Big Ten-level defense capable of driving rock-fight wins. Dan Lanning’s team fell only to Indiana in the regular season, but of the teams that didn’t receive a first-round bye this year, the Ducks are the most likely to make a big run.
31. 2017 Oklahoma (12-2)
CFP result: Lost to Georgia 54-48
After a bumpy start, Lincoln Riley’s first Sooners squad found its top gear midway through 2017, winning its final six Big 12 games by an average of 23 points, earning Baker Mayfield the Heisman Trophy and surging to a 31-14 first-half lead over Georgia in the Rose Bowl. The Sooners couldn’t hold on, though. Georgia came back twice to force overtime and won what still is one of the best games of the CFP era.
30. 2025 Texas Tech (11-1)
CFP matchup: Orange Bowl quarterfinal vs. Oregon or James Madison
Tech has beaten the spread in 12 of 13 games this season, a sign that we continue to underestimate just how impressive the Red Raiders are. They might have the two best defensive players in the sport in Jacob Rodriguez and David Bailey, and despite multiple injuries to QB Behren Morton (who was hurt during their lone loss), they’ve scored fewer than 29 points just once. Each of their 12 wins has come by at least 22 points.
29. 2023 Washington (14-1)
CFP result: Beat Texas 37-31; lost to Michigan 34-13
The TCU of 2023, Washington boasted both an explosive passing game — Michael Penix Jr. threw for 4,903 yards, mostly to the incredible trio of Rome Odunze, Ja’Lynn Polk and Jalen McMillan — and exquisite timing: The Huskies won eight games by one score, including two wild wins over a dynamite Oregon team and a 37-31 thriller over Texas in the CFP semifinals. They couldn’t keep up with Michigan in the national title game, but that only dampened the run so much.
28. 2022 Ohio State (11-2)
CFP result: Lost to Georgia 42-41
After face-planting against Michigan for the second straight year, no team stood to gain more from a CFP bid than Ryan Day’s Buckeyes. And they almost gained everything. Thanks to an incredible performance from quarterback C.J. Stroud, Ohio State held a 38-24 Peach Bowl lead on the champs heading into the fourth quarter. And even when Georgia charged back, the Buckeyes had a field goal try at the buzzer to win it. But it missed badly.
27. 2020 Clemson (10-2)
CFP result: Lost to Ohio State 49-28
It’s hard to properly grade a team that was without its star quarterback for one of its two losses (Trevor Lawrence vs. Notre Dame). But while Lawrence threw for 3,153 yards in just 10 games and Travis Etienne was dangerous as both a receiver and a runner, the Tigers’ defense had a bit of a big-play issue at times. And in the semifinal at the Sugar Bowl, they got dominated in the trenches, which made the biggest difference in a 21-point loss to Ohio State.
26. 2022 Michigan (13-1)
CFP result: Lost to TCU 51-45
Jim Harbaugh’s Wolverines improved significantly after their brief stay in the 2021 CFP. They were even better at their go-to manball routine, and they proved to have more explosive offensive weapons as well. (Just ask Ohio State.) They were well-rounded and probably the second-best team of 2022, but they fell victim to an onslaught of TCU big plays and couldn’t pull off a last-minute comeback.
25. 2024 Notre Dame (11-2)
CFP result: Beat Indiana 27-17; beat Georgia 23-10; beat Penn State 27-24; lost to Ohio State 34-23 in the national championship
With explosive running backs and dynamite defense, Marcus Freeman’s Fighting Irish overcame a baffling early loss to Northern Illinois — and a lack of high-level passing — to roll to a playoff berth. After comfortable wins over Indiana and Georgia, they overcame multiple deficits to beat Penn State and reach the championship game. Only the best team in the country was going to take them down at that point.
24. 2014 Oregon (13-2)
CFP result: Beat Florida State 59-20; lost to Ohio State 42-20
Marcus Mariota combined 4,454 passing yards with 770 rushing yards and 57 total touchdowns (and duly won the Heisman), and the Ducks ranked second in offensive SP+. They scored at least 42 points in nine straight games and put up 59 on defending national champion Florida State … but weren’t able score over the final 20 minutes of the national title game. An overwhelmed Ducks defense couldn’t hold Ohio State back.
23. 2024 Oregon (13-1)
CFP result: Lost to Ohio State 41-21 in the Rose Bowl quarterfinal
In their first Big Ten season, the Ducks won their first 13 games behind Dillon Gabriel‘s ruthlessly efficient passing, a 1,200-yard season from Jordan James and one of the best pass defenses in the country. They beat Ohio State and Penn State and earned the No. 1 seed in the CFP, but luck of the draw was not on their side: They were swarmed by a revenge-minded Buckeyes team in the Rose Bowl quarterfinal.
22. 2025 Ohio State (11-1)
CFP matchup: Cotton Bowl quarterfinal vs. Texas A&M or Miami
The Buckeyes began the regular season with a tight win over Texas, ended it with a tight loss to Indiana and won 11 straight in between by an average score of 39-8. They might have the most talented players in the country on both offense (Jeremiah Smith) and defense (Caleb Downs), and they head into the CFP knowing that peaking now is what matters. It would be a surprise if we didn’t see the Buckeyes’ best in December.
21. 2014 Alabama (12-2)
CFP result: Lost to Ohio State 42-35
The 2014 season saw both the dawn of the CFP era and the beginning of the Great Nick Saban Offensive Evolution. He hired Lane Kiffin to modernize a stale offense, and after an early loss to Ole Miss, the Tide won eight straight to earn the No. 1 seed in the first CFP. They jumped out to a 21-6 lead on Ohio State, but three turnovers and a famous Ezekiel Elliott touchdown run did them in.
20. 2015 Clemson (14-1)
CFP result: Beat Oklahoma 37-17; lost to Alabama 45-40
Eight years ago, Clemson was still an upstart. Quarterback Deshaun Watson was healthy and dominant, and the Tigers began to look the part of a contender. They outlasted Notre Dame in an October monsoon and blew most of a huge lead against North Carolina before surviving. In the CFP, the Tigers surged past Oklahoma in the second half and led Bama before succumbing in what might have been the greatest fourth quarter in CFP history.
19. 2017 Georgia (13-2)
CFP result: Beat Oklahoma 54-48; lost to Alabama 26-23
Kirby Smart’s second UGA team all but ended a 37-year national title drought. The Dawgs won at Notre Dame in September, destroyed all comers in the SEC East and avenged their lone loss with a dominant SEC championship game win over Auburn. They outlasted Oklahoma in the greatest game in CFP history and had Alabama all but beaten in the championship game … until Tua Tagovailoa came onto the field.
18. 2020 Ohio State (7-1)
CFP result: Beat Clemson 49-28; lost to Alabama 52-24
The Buckeyes played only eight games, but they won four by at least 21 points, including a 49-28 victory over Trevor Lawrence and Clemson in the semifinals. They lived up to most of their preseason hype and avenged their 2019 semifinal loss to the Tigers. They also lost the national title game by 28 points. Still, in a year of abbreviated schedules and limited two-deeps, Ohio State was a poster child of sorts, and the Buckeyes looked the part until the final act.
17. 2021 Alabama (13-2)
CFP result: Beat Cincinnati 27-6; lost to Georgia 33-18
Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide had maybe the best offensive (Bryce Young) and defensive (Will Anderson Jr.) players in the country but didn’t enjoy as much depth and experience as normal and were lucky to reach 11-1. But they walloped Georgia in the SEC championship game, then beat Cincinnati with pure physicality to reach the final. They led Georgia in the fourth quarter of the championship game, too, but the Dawgs scored the final 20 points.
16. 2025 Indiana (13-0)
CFP matchup: Rose Bowl quarterfinal vs. Oklahoma or Alabama
It’s hard to tentatively rank a team much higher than this, knowing that up to three more games will be needed to tell the entire tale. But the Hoosiers have the only unbeaten record this season, they just beat Ohio State in one of the more impressive proof-of-concept games in recent memory, and their quarterback just won the Heisman. With three more wins, they would end up well into the single digits here.
15. 2016 Alabama (14-1)
CFP result: Beat Washington 24-7; lost to Clemson 35-31
Freshman quarterback Jalen Hurts took over as Alabama’s starter. A rebuilding season in Tuscaloosa? Hardly. Hurts won SEC Offensive Player of the Year, and the Tide rolled to the CFP final unbeaten, with only one win by single digits. They couldn’t finish the job, though. With star running back Bo Scarbrough hurt, the Alabama offense couldn’t stay on the field, and an exhausted defense gave up three late scores to fall to Clemson.
14 and 13. 2019 Ohio State (13-1) and 2019 Clemson (14-1)
CFP result: Clemson beat Ohio State 29-23, then lost to LSU 42-25
It was overshadowed by LSU’s late-season brilliance, but both the Buckeyes and Tigers were unreal for most of 2019. They went a combined 26-0 in the regular season; 22 of the wins were by at least 24 points, and only one was by single digits. And in the Fiesta Bowl semifinal, they played one of the most even and compelling games in recent college football memory.
Ohio State dominated the early proceedings, going up 16-0 but settling for field goals; that offered Clemson a lifeline, and the Tigers charged back. The second half featured three scores and three lead changes, and after controversy and countless plot twists, Nolan Turner‘s interception of Justin Fields made the difference. If they’d played 100 times, each team would have won 50.
12. 2015 Alabama (14-1)
CFP result: Beat Michigan State 38-0; beat Clemson 45-40
The second Saban-Kiffin mashup showed plenty of early flaws. New starting quarterback Jake Coker was shaky early on and briefly got benched, and while the defense was mostly solid, it got torched by Ole Miss in an early loss. But the Tide manhandled No. 2 LSU in early November, and Coker caught fire down the stretch. Thanks in part to a classic surprise onside kick, Bama outlasted Clemson in a title-game thriller.
11. 2016 Clemson (14-1)
CFP result: Beat Ohio State 31-0; beat Alabama 35-31
Clemson nearly lost to Auburn, Troy and Lamar Jackson‘s Louisville teams early and did lose to Pitt in mid-November. But as would become a Dabo Swinney custom, the Tigers turned into Angry Clemson after their loss, humiliating South Carolina, keeping Virginia Tech mostly at arm’s reach and shutting out Ohio State. Trailing Bama by 10 in the final, the Tigers played a nearly perfect fourth quarter, exhausting the Tide’s defense and scoring the title-winning touchdown with one second remaining.
10. 2014 Ohio State (14-1)
CFP result: Beat Alabama 42-35; beat Oregon 42-20
The ultimate “peak when you most need to” team. Ranked 16th in the initial CFP rankings, Ohio State kept getting better and rising down the stretch. Needing a huge statement in the Big Ten championship game, the Buckeyes unleashed the hugest statement, beating Wisconsin 59-0 to eke out the No. 4 CFP seed. They then proceeded to beat Bama with a 28-0 run and take down Oregon with a late 21-0 run. Late-arriving? Nope, just in time.
9. 2024 Ohio State (10-2)
CFP result: Beat Tennessee 42-17; beat Oregon 41-21; beat Texas 28-14; beat Notre Dame 34-23 in the national championship
Apparently the trick is finishing with a loss. Guess it adds motivation. The 2022 Ohio State team lost to Michigan, then nearly beat an incredible Georgia team in the CFP. The 2024 team lost to Michigan, then ripped off a four-game run that will stand as the model moving forward: Four top-10 opponents stood in the way, and four fell by an average of 17 points.
Hmm … Ohio State finished the 2025 regular season with a loss, too. Huh …
8. 2018 Alabama (14-1)
CFP result: Beat Oklahoma 45-34; lost to Clemson 44-16
The 2018 Bama squad was just as good as the 2020 Tide on paper but couldn’t clear the final hurdle. The Tide destroyed their first 14 opponents by an average of 32 points, and only Georgia in the SEC championship game offered any resistance (though the Dawgs offered quite a bit). The Tide combined Nick Saban’s best offense yet with a top-10 defense … but they laid the ultimate egg in the CFP finale.
7. 2017 Alabama (13-1)
CFP result: Beat Clemson 24-6; beat Georgia 26-23
Bama went scorched earth during an 11-0 start, but the offense grew rickety late. The Tide barely eked out a CFP bid after a 26-14 loss to Auburn, and they trailed Georgia 13-0 at halftime in the championship game before freshman Tua Tagovailoa tagged in, led Bama on a 20-7 run and — after the Tide nearly won in regulation — threw a famous second-and-26 strike to DeVonta Smith to win Nick Saban his sixth national title.
6. 2021 Georgia (14-1)
CFP result: Beat Michigan 34-11; beat Alabama 33-18
Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs were far and away the best team of the season’s first three months, combining steady and efficient offense with college football’s most consistently dominant defense in years. Only Bama scored more than 17 points on the Dawgs, who lost to the Tide in the SEC championship game but rebounded to pen a happy ending and, with help from a game-clinching Kelee Ringo pick-six, win their first national title in 41 years.
5. 2018 Clemson (15-0)
CFP result: Beat Notre Dame 30-3; beat Alabama 44-16
Clemson barely survived September unbeaten, needing a 2-point-conversion stop to escape Texas A&M and a rousing comeback led by backup quarterback Chase Brice to beat Syracuse. But once Trevor Lawrence was healthy and established in the starting lineup, no one had any hope against the Tigers. They beat Florida State by 49, Wake Forest by 60 and Louisville by 61, and they won two CFP games by a combined 74-19. Goodness.
4. 2023 Michigan (15-0)
CFP result: Beat Alabama 27-20; beat Washington 34-13
The Wolverines beat Penn State and Ohio State without suspended head coach Jim Harbaugh, and even with off-the-field matters swirling in the background, they were rarely challenged on the field, winning 11 games by at least 21 points. They extended their Big Ten winning streak to 25 games, they handed Nick Saban a Rose Bowl loss in his final game as a head coach, and with the national title on the line, they put on a defensive clinic. They dominated a brilliant Washington offensive line, holding the prolific Huskies to just 301 total yards and rolling to their first national title in 26 years.
3. 2022 Georgia (15-0)
CFP result: Beat Ohio State 42-41; beat TCU 65-7
Only twice did the defending national champs find themselves in a down-to-the-wire game, and only once did they have to lean on the college football gods for help (with Ohio State’s last-second field goal miss in the semifinals). They scored at least 37 points in 11 games and allowed 14 or fewer in nine. They didn’t have quite the level of high-end talent their 2021 team boasted, but they were an even more dominant team.
2. 2019 LSU (15-0)
CFP result: Beat Oklahoma 63-28; beat Clemson 42-25
Plenty of coaches have attempted to modernize their offenses in the hopes of giving their programs a shot in the arm. Ed Orgeron’s 2019 team set the bar impossibly high for any future modernizers. With help from an elite skill corps, Joe Burrow threw for 5,671 yards and 60 touchdowns (!!!). Once LSU’s defense got healthy late in the year, the Tigers were untouchable, beating Alabama in Tuscaloosa, then winning their last six games by an average of 30 points.
1. 2020 Alabama (13-0)
CFP result: Beat Notre Dame 31-14; beat Ohio State 52-24
The Crimson Tide had the Nos. 1, 3 and 5 finishers in the Heisman voting. They played one game decided by fewer than 14 points. They bested an SEC-only schedule by an average of 30.2 points per game. Their defense struggled early but allowed only 15 points per game after mid-October. This was the best Nick Saban team ever and quite possibly the best of the 21st century.
Best team … from the best coach … with the best dynasty of the 21st century (at the very least)? Sounds like the best team of the CFP era.
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Dave Wilson
Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, the Heisman Trophy runner-up, apologized Sunday for “being disrespectful” in a social media post he made after Indiana‘s Fernando Mendoza won the award for college football’s best player.
“F-All THE VOTERS,” Pavia wrote Saturday night on his Instagram story with a thumbs-down emoji, “BUT…..FAMILY FOR LIFE.”
The caption accompanied a photo of Pavia with his offensive linemen at the ceremony in New York.
Pavia faced criticism for his reaction, and on Sunday he posted a statement saying he didn’t handle his emotions well after losing.
Being a part of the Heisman ceremony last night as a finalist was such an honor. As a competitor, just like in everything I do I wanted to win. To be so close to my dream and come up short was painful. I didn’t handle those emotions well at all and did not represent myself the…
— Diego Pavia (@diegopavia02) December 15, 2025
“Being a part of the Heisman ceremony last night as a finalist was such an honor. As a competitor, just like in everything I do I wanted to win,” Pavia wrote on X. “To be so close to my dream and come up short was painful. I didn’t handle those emotions well at all and did not represent myself the way I wanted to.
“I have much love and respect for the Heisman voters and the selection process, and I apologize for being disrespectful. It was a mistake, and I am sorry.”
Pavia struck the Heisman pose several times this season while throwing for 3,192 yards with 27 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. He also rushed for 826 yards and added nine more scores on the ground while leading Vanderbilt to a 10-2 record.
Mendoza became Indiana’s first Heisman winner, leading the Hoosiers to their first No. 1 ranking and the top seed in the College Football Playoff bracket. He threw for 2,980 yards and an FBS-leading 33 touchdowns while running for six more.
Mendoza totaled 2,362 points and 643 first-place votes, and Pavia was second with 1,435 points and 189 first-place votes.
“Fernando Mendoza is an elite competitor and a deserving winner of the award. I have nothing but respect for his accomplishments as well as the success that Jeremiyah and Julian had this season,” Pavia, a transfer from New Mexico State, wrote. “I’ve been doubted my whole life. Every step of my journey I’ve had to break down doors and fight for myself, because I’ve learned that nothing would be handed to me.
“My family has always been in my corner, and my teammates, coaches and staff have my six. I love them — I am grateful for them — and I wouldn’t want anything to distract from that. I look forward to competing in front of my family and with my team one more time in the ReliaQuest Bowl.”
No. 14 Vanderbilt faces No. 23 Iowa on Dec. 31 in Tampa, Florida (noon ET, ESPN).
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