Early 2025 Rankings Part Two Are Insane

The early college football rankings for the 2025 season are continued here with numbers 11-20. The first 10 were already published. Though we know some things about these teams, there is still some uncertainty. The transfer portal will open again in the spring, and there is much that can still change regarding the makeup of these teams.  So, in a sense, these rankings are way too early. But thinking about the next college football season is fun, don’t you think? Ranking these teams is a bit difficult, as you would guess.

11-20 Early Rankings

Arizona State is #11, though they will not sneak up on people. Most of the Sun Devils’ defense returns, so that should be a strength of this team next season. Quarterback Sam Leavitt returns. But running back Cam Skattebo is gone. However, Arizona State hopes Army transfer Kanye Udoh, Kyson Brown, and Raleek Brown will replace him. Top wide receiver Jordyn Tyson (75 catches for 1,101 yards) also returns.  A difficult road schedule that includes Utah, Iowa State, Colorado, and Baylor will challenge Arizona State in 2025.

Tennessee is #12 in the 2025 rankings. Are the Volunteers really back? A repeat trip to the college football playoff will hinge on the development of quarterback Nico Iamaleava. They lose running back Dylan Sampson and must contend with a revamped offensive line and receiving corps. Tennessee’s defense also sees the departure of star James Pearce. They play a lot of home games in 2025 but must travel to Alabama and Florida.

South Carolina is #13 in the rankings. They were one of the hottest teams in the nation last season and just narrowly missed the playoff. They may make it in 2025. The Gamecocks have a lot of players back, and the improvement of their quarterback, LaNorris Sellers (267.3 total yards a game), is important. They will benefit from new offensive coordinator Mike Shula. The defense has some holes but should improve with recruits and transfers.  A schedule featuring road dates at Missouri, LSU, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M, along with home games versus Alabama and Clemson, is difficult and will challenge South Carolina.

The Florida Gators are #14 in the way-too-early rankings for 2025. They had bad injury luck last season and are poised for a comeback. Last season, the Gators defeated LSU, Ole Miss, Florida State, and Tulane in the Gasparilla Bowl to finish the ’24 campaign 8-5. This season, quarterback play should be solid as both Graham Mertz and DJ Lagway have big-game experience. Their defense should improve further.  The schedule is tough for coach Billy Napier’s squad again in ’25.

At #15 and #16 in our rankings, we have two teams that surprised last season: BYU and SMU. Both teams have a ton of talent returning and benefit from relatively soft schedules. They will not sneak up on anyone this year, though they may both be adversely affected by changes expected to be made to the college football playoff structure.

At #17 in our rankings, we have the Kansas State Wildcats. The Wildcats have won at least nine games in each of the past three seasons under coach Chris Klieman and should continue that trend. Quarterback Avery Johnson is poised to take a step forward, and though Running back DJ Giddens departed early to the NFL, Dylan Edwards (7.4 yards a carry) should be a good option.  Expect the defense to remain one of the better groups in the Big 12. The schedule is relatively favorable for the Wildcats.

The darlings of the 2024 season, the Indiana Hoosiers, are ranked #18 in our way early rankings. Quarterback Kurtis Rourke, three starting offensive linemen, and some key defenders — lineman James Carpenter, linebacker Jailin Walker, and defensive backs Shawn Asbury II and Terry Jones Jr. — all departed after a prolific ’24 season. Maybe coach Curt Cignetti can make some more transfer magic. It starts with California transfer quarterback Fernando Mendoza. Receivers Elijah Sarratt and Omar Cooper are returning, as are standout end Mikail Kamara, linebacker Aiden Fisher, and cornerback D’Angelo Ponds. The schedule for Indiana is favorable. The Hoosiers must travel to Eugene to take on the Oregon Ducks but miss most of the other difficult conference powers.

At #19, we have the Ole Miss Rebels. The Rebels lost several important players but replaced most of them with transfers. Head coach Lane Kiffin’s job will be to meld those transfers into a cohesive team.

Rounding out our 2025 top 20 are the Texas A&M Aggies. They seem to be near the top of the yearly recruiting rankings but never seem to put it all together. They will have one of the deepest backfields in the country. Quarterback Marcel Reed must develop behind a talented offensive line. An improving defense for the Aggies gives some promise, though the road schedule at Notre Dame, LSU, Missouri, and Texas is not kind to the Aggies.

Conclusion

It may be easy to think these teams do not matter much. Remember, even if they revamp the college football playoff rules, there will likely still be twelve teams in the playoff. The cut line will likely fall within this group, but most will likely compete for their conference championships.