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Preseason Magazines
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April 15th
CBS Sports Top 100 Best Players List Includes Three Buffs (Travis Hunter No. 1)
From CBS Sports … We are in the thick of it on the college football calendar. Spring football is finished for some teams and will wrap up in the next couple of weeks for others. The transfer portal opens April 16. The NFL Draft, our final goodbye to the college football stars of the last few seasons, looms.
There’s a sense of change in the air (and angst, for a lot of coaches and NIL collectives). It was in that spirit that we decided it was time to do some spring cleaning of the final 2023 rankings of the top 101 players in college football. A majority of those players, including nine of the top 10, are off to the NFL.
It’s time for a new era. Here’s our spring version of the top 100 college football players for the 2024 season. For the preseason lists, I keep things to a tidy top 100. Somebody will earn that 101st spot by midseason.
Top 100 college football players entering 2024 season
From the Big 12 …
1. Colorado CB Travis Hunter
Former No. 1 overall recruit Travis Hunter leads my list as the top overall player in the country entering the 2024 season. He is a generational player and, if he took fewer snaps offensively at wide receiver, would be even more effective for Colorado’s defense. Hunter missed a handful of games after taking a cheap shot in the Colorado State game and still notched 1,044 snaps. He had seven games with more than 100 snaps, doing so as a two-way player. That is more than two seasons worth of reps for the typical defender.
A silky-smooth corner, Hunter is excellent in press coverage. In a Cover 2 scheme, he has the ability to undercut routes and make plays on the ball. Hunter has excellent hands and will sacrifice his body to make plays. He has fluid hips that allow him to trail his primary receiver, adjust to a ball thrown in his area and get involved for a PBU. Hunter shows an excellent ability to understand and match offensive patterns, as well as the make-up speed to catch up and make plays on a ball where he is slightly beaten. How will his two-way timeshare look this fall? And could it possibly continue in the NFL?
4. Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders
Sanders is my current pick to go first overall in the 2025 NFL Draft. He’s also, in my opinion, the best quarterback in college football entering the 2024 season. Sanders has an excellent arm to make all the throws necessary and is an extremely accurate passer both in the pocket and on the move. Sanders does a great job keeping his eyes downfield to go through his progressions and make the high percentage completion despite the constant pressure he was under all season. Sanders threw for almost 300 yards a game and only had three interceptions in 430 attempts completing 69% of his passes while suffering 21 drops by his receivers. Sanders is an excellent post-snap processor as well and extends the plays to give his guys an extra second or two to find green grass.
9. Oklahoma State RB Ollie Gordon II
Gordon gets my nod as the top returning back after an incredible 2023 season where he almost single-handedly carried the Cowboys to a Big 12 Championship Game appearance. Gordon is a complete back with power, speed, and vision. Gordon had 46 explosive runs last year and averaged 3.8 yards per carry after contact.
13. Arizona WR Tetairoa McMillan
The 6-foot-5, 205-pounder was a nightmare matchup out West as McMillian torched defenders for 93 catches for over 1,400 yards and 10 touchdowns. McMillian excelled in contested catches and had 63 grabs go for a first down or longer and only two drops. McMillian has the ability to win vs. press and the speed to separate and box out with his huge catch radius. He should expect a ton of attention this season as he should be one of the first receivers off the board in the 2025 NFL Draft.
36. Arizona QB Noah Fifita
The 5-11 Fifita burst onto the national scene in a big way in 2023. Thrust into action because of an injury to established starter Jayden de laura, Fifita made the job his. Fiftia throws his receivers open on the short/intermediate game as well as anyone. He throws the ball on the move well and can use his feet to scramble when needed, but he is generally not looking to run. Will that feature come in time?
49. Utah QB Cam Rising
Rising is entering his 10th 7th season of college football. After taking 2023 off to rehab his knee, I hope you didn’t forget about Rising, who will be 25-years-old when the season starts. The Utes might be my preseason pick to win the Big 12 and make the playoff and that’s thanks to Rising’s winning pedigree and playmaking ability. Rising excels on the intermediate routes and places the ball with precision both in the pocket and on the move. He’s a wizard with his feet.
52. Kansas RB Devin Neal
Neal is a silky-smooth back who excels in Kansas’s wide variety of ways to create space. Neal is the total package of speed, quickness, and power and has excellent vision. When he sticks his foot in the ground, he’ll make you look silly. A future NFL stud.
53. TCU WR Savion Williams
Williams is criminally underrated. It may be because he’s underused. The jumbo receiver has a ton of talent but only caught 41 passes last season. way under the radar receiver that is vastly underused for his ability despite hauling in 41 balls. I think Williams is a first-round talent: He has the speed, great length and is not scared to make contested catches in the middle of the field.
55. Texas Tech RB Tahj Brooks
Brooks is on track to break the all-time rushing record at Texas Tech this season. He’s been a workhorse for the Red Raiders, rushing for over 1,500 yards and 10 touchdowns last season. Over 1,000 of those yards came after contact. Brooks is a poised runner that lets his blocks set up and then makes an enormous amount of tacklers bounce off his powerful lower half. He’s pretty explosive, too. Brooks will be a force at the next level as a cold-weather back.
66. Kansas QB Jalon Daniels
Daniels has been a part of KU’s climb to respectability under coach Lance Leipold. A breakout season in 2022 earned him preseason all-conference honors, but most of 2023 was ruined by a back injury. The dual-threat playmaker rebuffed portal poachers and is ready to remind everybody he’s among the best in the business.
68. UCF QB KJ Jefferson
I’m still high on Jefferson. He’s a nightmare to tackle as a runner and is an underrated passer, steadily improving his passing mechanics over the last few years. When given time, he throws dots. Jefferson had very little time to throw last year (Arkansas gave up 42 sacks) and his numbers were down, but he’s still a player. UCF and coach Gus Malzahn will be a great fit for Jefferson.
77. Colorado EDGE BJ Green II
The No. 7-ranked defensive lineman in 247Sports’ transfer portal rankings, Green played on the edge at Arizona State but built more like a hybrid defensive tackle at 6-1, 270 pounds. Green plays with a relentless motor and is twitchy with some natural pass-rush ability. Colorado’s defense needs him to be a force in 2024.
93. Oklahoma State EDGE Collin Oliver
Oliver hasn’t put up the numbers like he did as a freshman all-american but is still a productive and disruptive force off the edge. His six sacks in 2023 don’t tell the whole story as he generated 40 pressures. Oliver is undersized but is sudden and can beat you with speed from the edge.
96. Colorado State WR Tory Horton
Horton has great length, speed, production and excels as a punt returner, too. Horton caught 98 balls for over 1,100 yards and had eight touchdowns for the season. Horton had 18 explosive catches for the year but is almost exclusively used in the short-to-intermediate quick game, where he moves the chains as well as anyone. Don’t see the game-breaking speed here but he’s a nice security blanket.
97. Iowa State RB Abu Sama III
Another star back for the Cyclones. Sama made the 247Sports True Freshman All-American Team after finishing the season on a heater including 276 yards in his first career start against Kansas State — a fun, memorable game in the snow. Sama averaged 7.3 yards a carry and scored six touchdowns on the ground for the Cyclones. Sama is also a receiving threat and showed some willingness to be a solid blocker in pass protection.
100. West Virginia OT Wyatt Milum
Milum was a dependable blind side blocker for the Mountaineers in 2023, yielding nine pressures and zero sacks. He’s a solid run blocker as well. Another good season could be his last in Morgantown.
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April 14th
Rating Recruiting potential: CU 5th in the Big 12
From The Athletic … We know what the recruiting rankings say. We know which programs sign the best — and worst — classes. But which programs have the highest potential with what they currently have in place? Which ones are set up to recruit the best moving forward?
Ten members of The Athletic’s college football staff — Sam Khan Jr., Mitch Light, Antonio Morales, Manny Navarro, Max Olson, Grace Raynor, Kennington Smith III, David Ubben, Ari Wasserman and Justin Williams — submitted their own rankings of the power-conference programs, Nos. 1 through 70, based on recruiting potential.
The current head coach factored heavily into the rankings, but this was about the entire program as well: location, history, facilities, etc. We didn’t ignore NIL, either. It wasn’t the only reason we ranked a school where we did, but it was definitely part of the equation.
We opted to include Oregon State and Washington State even though they aren’t really power-conference programs anymore.
We’ve included the highest and lowest vote each program received, as well. Here are last year’s rankings. And we added one new wrinkle this year: Each voter was allowed to pick out one ranking by another voter to ridicule. This can be found at the bottom of the story.
From the Big 12 (none in the Top 25 nationally) …
28. TCU: After a surprising slide from 13-2 and the CFP national title game to 5-7 in 2023, TCU must get back to building what worked: veteran teams full of studs acquired by out-evaluating other programs. The Playoff run did raise the Horned Frogs’ national profile and get them in the mix with more blue-chip talent, and this program has all the necessary ingredients to be an annual contender in the new Big 12. — MO
Highest vote: 21 • Lowest vote: 42 • Last year: 20
29. Texas Tech: The Red Raiders jumped 12 spots from last year after Joey McGuire and his staff signed a second consecutive top-30 class — the second time that’s been done at Texas Tech in the modern recruiting era. Lubbock is a bit remote, but the state of Texas is obviously very fertile, and the school has its NIL act together. — ML
Highest vote: 24 • Lowest vote: 43 • Last year: 41
33. UCF: The Knights are a wild card, but their stock continues to rise. What is possible at UCF? That’s a question with no definitive answer. Gus Malzahn is a proven recruiter and UCF has more to sell than ever, along with a renewed emphasis on building up its NIL budget as the program adjusts to life in the Big 12. If UCF can ever sell a Playoff bid on the trail, don’t rule out the possibility of the program out-recruiting some of the more tradition-heavy programs in the state. UCF was one of the biggest risers from last year to this year. — DU
Highest vote: 25 • Lowest vote: 44 • Last year: 43
34. Utah: The Utes found a natural landing spot in the Big 12 after the Pac-12 fell apart, and Kyle Whittingham is one of the most respected coaches in college football. Utah won’t be a perennial top-20 finisher in the recruiting rankings, but the Utes know who they are behind an established identity and can give any team a run for its money on any given Saturday. — GR
Highest vote: 20 • Lowest vote: 56 • Last year: 31
37. Colorado: Yes, I’m the genius who believed the Deion Sanders hype a little too much and ranked Colorado fourth in last year’s poll. The reality here is Sanders can make a few splash signings, but he’s not interested in investing loads of energy on entire classes. He’d rather rely on the portal. I believe a return to the Big 12 helps Colorado in the long run, but I think we have a good read now on what this program is under Sanders. — MN
Highest vote: 25 • Lowest vote: 55 • Last year: 21
40. Arizona State: The Sun Devils have had stretches of consistent top-30 recruiting before; from 2012 through 2020, Arizona State averaged a class rank of 29th. The end of the Herm Edwards trended far from that; can Kenny Dillingham get the Sun Devils back in that range? His staff has talented recruiters, and ASU’s move to the Big 12 provides real intrigue. — SK
Highest vote: 26 • Lowest vote: 48 • Last year: 35
41. Oklahoma State: The Cowboys jumped a spot in this year’s rankings but have had back-to-back recruiting classes that finished in the 50s. Mike Gundy tends to outperform his rankings, though, and even if the recruiting results aren’t overly impressive, Oklahoma State should be operating from a position of strength in the new-look Big 12 without Oklahoma and Texas. — AM
Highest vote: 32 • Lowest vote: 57 • Last year: 42
42. Houston: Houston is polarizing. On the surface, it seems like a Big 12 program located in the heart of one of the most densely populated cities for high school talent in the country should have all the advantages in the world. The problem is the Cougars have done rather poorly in accessing that nearby talent. Maybe that was on Dana Holgorsen, who doesn’t have a reputation as a ruthless recruiter. Maybe that’s why Houston jumped up a few spots now that Willie Fritz is in the fold. — AW
Highest vote: 29 • Lowest vote: 62 • Last year: 45
45. Baylor: The Bears are in need of a reset. After two straight top-40 finishes, Baylor was 67th in the 2024 cycle on the heels of a disappointing 3-9 season in 2023. Staff changes have been made — head coach Dave Aranda was retained, but he is taking over defensive play calling and replaced Jeff Grimes with Jake Spavital at offensive coordinator. Will it be enough to spark improvement? Baylor is obviously in a talent-rich state, and a new $90 million football development center is on track to open this summer, which should help. — JW
Highest vote: 30 • Lowest vote: 65 • Last year: 33
48. Arizona: Arizona might’ve ranked higher this year if it had secured continuity coming off a breakthrough 10-win season. But Jedd Fisch and his staff leaving for Washington (and taking a bunch of signees with them) means another program reset. The stellar play of their 2022 class continues to prove that recruiting at a top-25 level in Tucson is possible and gives the Wildcats an opportunity to be an immediate contender in the Big 12. — MO
Highest vote: 40 • Lowest vote: 60 • Last year: 49
51. Cincinnati: During his best years, Luke Fickell had the Bearcats somewhere between 40 and 45 in the national rankings. Cincinnati is in a power conference now but checked in at 51st in the 2024 cycle after winning just three games and posting the program’s first losing record since 2017. Scott Satterfield has a lot to work to do on the field and the recruiting trail. — AM
Highest vote: 39 • Lowest vote: 64 • Last year: 48
52. Kansas: No program moved up more spots on this list in one year than Kansas. Isn’t it incredible what a little bit of winning and a competent head coach can do for a place? The state of Kansas doesn’t have high school talent, but it’s close enough to Texas to get by. A spot in the low 50s is a nice little improvement for a program that was left for dead a few years ago. — AW
Highest vote: 37 • Lowest vote: 60 • Last year: 68
54. West Virginia: West Virginia typically hangs out in the 30s and 40s of the rankings, which isn’t bad for a program that doesn’t have a strong local recruiting base. There have been only two blue-chip prospects in West Virginia in the last six cycles (2020 through 2025). There were three in the Class of 2019, but none signed with the Mountaineers. Neal Brown’s breakthrough 9-4 record in 2024 is a good sign things are trending in the right direction. — GR
Highest vote: 36 • Lowest vote: 63 • Last year: 54
56. Kansas State: Signing four-star quarterback Avery Johnson in the 2023 class was a massive win, and it helped lead to the No. 33 overall class. But historically, this is a developmental program that’s built on turning diamonds in the rough into productive college players. And it has worked tremendously well under Bill Snyder and current coach Chris Klieman. — KS
Highest vote: 43 • Lowest vote: 63 • Last year: 50
60. Iowa State: The nine classes before Matt Campbell’s first full recruiting haul averaged a national ranking of 62.9. The eight classes since have an average ranking of 49. Campbell has clearly raised the floor on Iowa State’s recruiting, but can he raise the ceiling closer to the top 40 as the Cyclones enter the new Big 12 era? — SK
Highest vote: 49 • Lowest vote: 61 • Last year: 56
61. BYU: The Cougars received a nice recruiting bump in their first recruiting cycle as a full-fledged member of the Big 12, checking in at 44th in 2024, their first top-50 finish since 2016. It’s still to be determined whether that was a one-year boost or whether BYU can sustain that sort of recruiting in its new conference home. — AM
Highest vote: 45 • Lowest vote: 68 • Last year: 55
Notes
- Seven programs had a gap of at least 30 spots from their highest to lowest vote: Colorado (30: 25 to 55), Georgia Tech (32: 28 to 60), Houston (33: 29 to 62), SMU (34: 33 to 67), Stanford (34: 32 to 66), Baylor (35: 30 to 65) and Utah (36: 20 to 36).
- Six programs jumped up 10 spots or more from last year’s ranking: Ole Miss (10), UCF (10), Texas Tech (12), Missouri (14), Syracuse (14) and Kansas (16).
- Three programs fell by 10 spots or more: Oregon State (12), Baylor (12) and Colorado (16).
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April 10th
ESPN: 30 Coaches who will define the next decade (No. 14 – Coach Prime)
From ESPN … Nick Saban, likely the greatest coach in college football history, retired. Jim Harbaugh, the reigning national champion, left for the NFL again. All we needed was for one of those “Atlanta Falcons to offer Kirby Smart a jillion dollars a year!” rumors — or Lane Kiffin’s pleas on the topic — to turn out true, and we’d have gotten a complete restart in the balance of power in college football coaching.
Smart is still at Georgia, but 2024 will still see a pretty big reset. And college coaching is quickly becoming a younger man’s game. Only one of the projected top 15 teams in the winter SP+ rankings has a coach older than 53 years old (LSU’s Brian Kelly is 62), while three are led by someone 40 or younger. Considering Saban was 52 when he won his first of seven national titles, this all says something pretty clear: The coaches who rule the sport in the coming years might do so for a while.
Who is potentially poised to take over college football? Some names are pretty obvious, but others aren’t as easy to spot. So let’s break things into categories and talk about 30 coaches who could rule college football through the 2020s and beyond.
Coaches named Deion Sanders
If we’re talking about coaches who will define the sport in the coming years, it’s hard to leave off the guy who turned a four-win season into a nonstop, headline-grabbing escapade in his first season as an FBS head coach.
14. Deion Sanders, Colorado Buffaloes. Whatever happens for the 56-year-old Sanders moving forward, good or bad, it will be news. Sanders attempted an almost total roster flip in 2023, signing more than 50 transfers in the process. But after a bright, 3-0 start, the Buffaloes crashed and burned, losing eight of their last nine. Still, (A) going 4-8 and ranking 81st in SP+ still qualified as significant improvement, and (B) Sanders also has massive success at Jackson State (23-3 in 2021-22) on his résumé. And hey, does The Rock come to your team’s home games?
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April 7th
College Football News: CU going bowling (along with 14 of 16 schools in the Big 12)
From College Football News … Spring football is rolling, everyone will soon start to think about the actual game instead of all the outside stuff, and we’re diving in with our early calls on every game – to go along with the schedules for all 134 college football teams.
We’ll certainly change up the picks and predictions several times through the offseason, but for now, here’s where we start with what might happen once it all gets going in late August.
From the Big 12 …
- Arizona … 8-4
- Arizona State … 6-6
- Baylor … 6-6
- BYU … 6-6
- Cincinnati … 5-7
- Colorado … 6-6 … Aug 31 North Dakota State W FCS
Sept 7 at Nebraska L P4
Sept 14 at Colorado State W Gof5
Sept 21 Baylor W Big 12
Sept 28 at UCF L Big 12
Oct 5 OPEN DATE
Oct 12 Kansas State L Big 12
Oct 19 at Arizona L Big 12
Oct 26 Cincinnati W Big 12
Nov 2 OPEN DATE
Nov 9 at Texas Tech L Big 12
Nov 16 Utah L Big 12
Nov 23 at Kansas W Big 12
Nov 29 Oklahoma State W Big 12 - Houston … 4-8
- Iowa State … 7-5
- Kansas … 8-4
- Kansas State … 9-3
- Oklahoma State … 9-3
- TCU … 6-6
- Texas Tech … 7-5
- UCF … 6-6
- Utah … 10-2
- West Virginia … 6-6
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April 6th
ESPN: Two Big 12 coaches among Top Ten in College Football
From ESPN … When we asked our college football reporters to rank the sport’s top 10 coaches, we figured there wouldn’t be much debate about who is No. 1 — and there wasn’t. Georgia’s Kirby Smart, whose Bulldogs are 42-2 over the past three seasons, was the unanimous pick among our 10 voters.
But after that, there was very little consensus.
The only other coach to appear on all 10 ballots was new Alabama head man Kalen DeBoer, but his rankings ranged from second to 10th.
Two coaches appeared on nine ballots: Utah’s Kyle Whittingham, whose rankings ranged from three second-place votes to two ninth places, and Florida State’s Mike Norvell, whose votes included two second places and two 10ths.
Then there’s Clemson’s Dabo Swinney, who received four second-place votes and was left off four ballots altogether.
With points assigned based on our reporters’ votes (10 points for first place, nine for second place and down to one point for 10th place), here are the complete rankings.
Also see: Surprises and snubs — top 10 coaches reaction
From the Big 12 …
3. Kyle Whittingham, Utah
2023 record: 8-5 (.615)
Career record: 162-79 (.672)
Points: 56
Utah is the only home Whittingham has known since arriving at the school as the defensive line coach in 1994. He was elevated to defensive coordinator the next year and to head coach upon the departure of Urban Meyer just before the end of the 2004 season.
Since then, Whittingham has been a hallmark of consistency, finishing with just two losing seasons in 19 years (right after Utah made the jump from the Mountain West to the Pac-12). He guided the Utes to an undefeated season in 2008, two Pac-12 titles and eight top-25 finishes in the AP poll, including six in the past 10 years. All at a school without the resources of the other coaches’ programs on this list.
9. Lance Leipold, Kansas
2023 record: 9-4 (.692)
Career record: 54-54 (.500)
Points: 28
In the six seasons before Lance Leipold arrived at Kansas, the Jayhawks went 9-60. In 2023, they went 9-4. You can almost rest your case right there. Hired after spring practice had already concluded in 2021, Leipold inherited a team that had gone 0-9 in 2020 and won two, then six, then nine games. While it’s unfair to compare anyone to Bill Snyder, he has done one hell of a Snyder impression over his first three seasons in Lawrence, and with his track record, there’s reason to believe he could keep it up.
This is, after all, a guy with six national titles on his résumé. Once a Division III dynasty builder at Wisconsin-Whitewater, Leipold has since taken his masterful culture building to Buffalo and KU, and damned if it’s not working wherever he goes. He’ll face a new challenge in 2024, coaching without ace offensive coordinator and right-hand man Andy Kotelnicki for the first time since 2012. (Kotelnicki moved on to the Penn State OC job.) But if anyone in college football gets the benefit of the doubt, it’s Leipold.
Kansas won nine games last year! Kansas! It boggles the mind.
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April 2nd
Ari Wasserman – Coach Prime’s lack of recruiting a “waste”: “His potential is off the charts, and he isn’t going to reach that potential because he isn’t putting in the work”
From Ari Wasserman at The Athletic … Deion Sanders became Prime Time because he’s a showman. The way he danced into end zones and dominated on the field, the man was born to be a star. When he was hired, we knew Colorado was going to be “different.” That’s the beauty of the hire.
But being different isn’t what scares me. Being different is what you embrace.
It’s not putting in the work that scares me. It’s not embracing what it takes to be a college football coach and disguising that with misleading statements about being different.
Getting back to the showman comment, it’s very easy to lose track of what’s going on in Boulder. Sanders is engaging, entertaining, personable and funny. When people criticize him or he has something to say, the showman in him comes out and he has an answer for everything. He was very clever in saying he doesn’t travel for recruiting because he wants to save his university money. He was clever when saying people would get mad if he’s in a certain area of the country and visits only a few high schools, though that’s an issue every big-time coach faces. You want to buy what he is saying because he’s so damn charismatic.
But it’s all fluff. There’s no substance.
That’s why Sanders is disappointing me. Doing things “differently” was supposed to be him recruiting unconventionally and weaponizing his fame. He was supposed to show up at five-star prospects high schools and dazzle everyone with that big smile and unmatched swagger. He was supposed to make Colorado a factor because of his persona and he was supposed to sign really, really good recruiting classes.
Instead, he’s leaned almost solely on the transfer portal — which he has said publicly is his plan to flip the roster faster — and hasn’t been on the road for recruits … at all. He has plenty of time to go on book tours and appear on late-night television, but the man didn’t make one off-campus recruiting contact last year. Think about that. A celebrity as big as Deion didn’t go on the road to try to sign top-level high school players. What’s the point of being famous if you aren’t going to use it in all aspects of the job?
What a waste. His potential is off the charts, and he isn’t going to reach that potential because he isn’t putting in the work.
You can excuse it as “doing things differently.” I’ll categorize it as mismanagement of his qualifications.
Some may be quick to point out that Colorado was much better last year than we thought. They’ll point to the work he has done in the portal, and the fact he brought in Travis Hunter, Cormani McClain and Jordan Seaton. That’s all true.
To me, that makes it worse. Look at what Sanders has been able to accomplish without fully embracing what it takes to be a college football coach. Could you imagine if Sanders — er, Prime Time — embraced the less desirable parts of being a college football coach and got on the road and talked to teenagers? What if he lost himself in the art of recruiting and did everything in his power to sign as many elite-level high schoolers as possible? With relentless effort, could you imagine what the future of this Colorado program could look like?
But no, Sanders isn’t interested in that. He wants to win quickly, and doing so has come at the expense of loading his roster with higher-caliber athletes who’ll be on the team in three years. There is no future. There is only a now. He’ll distract us with funny comments at a podium or by pulling one five-star prospect a year at the end of the recruiting cycle, but he won’t put in the heavy lifting to build for now and the future.
… Continue reading story here …
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March 12th
247 Sports 2024 Quarterback rankings: Seven in Top 25 from the Big 12; Shedeur Sanders No. 2
From 247 Sports … Ranking college football’s top 25 quarterbacks ahead is a challenge. With as many as five quarterbacks projected in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, the sport replaces several superstars. As with all quarterback power rankings, this one is subjective with projected 2024 numbers, potential 2025 NFL Draft placement and career production all impacting placement in this top 25.
Here are college football’s top 25 quarterbacks, a ranking that’s sure to change as the season nears …
From the Big 12 …
23. Avery Johnson, Kansas State
Career statistics: 37-of-66 (56.1%), 479 yards, 5 TD; 296 yards rushing, 7 TD
Outlook: Rarely are two programs okay with a player leaving, but the Wildcats didn’t panic after multi-year starter Will Howard entered the portal (and signed with Ohio State). Avery Johnson, a freshman, showed enough in a limited role to give Kansas State’s coaching staff and those around him considerable confidence that he’ll be a difference-maker this fall, especially after his bowl performance against NC State.
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22. K.J. Jefferson, UCF
Career statistics: 626-of-962 (65.1%), 7,911 yards, 67 TD, 18 INT; 1,876 yards rushing, 21 TD
Outlook: A three-year starter in the SEC at Arkansas, Jefferson played for several different coordinators and rather than stay put under new OC Bobby Petrino, he left for the portal and will team up with Gus Malzahn at UCF within a scheme that’s ideal for his skill set.
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Career statistics: 209-of-385 (54.4%), 3,070 yards, 21 TD, 7 INT; 1,385 rushing yards, 13 TD
Outlook: The advanced analytics suggest Garrett Greene is college football’s most underrated returning quarterback in 2024 after he exploded onto the scene for the Mountaineers last season. He led the FBS ranks in big-time throws (10.2%) last fall per PFF and is rarely sacked when pressured given his mobility. It’s a dangerous comp, sure, but Greene is the closet quarterback we’ve seen to Johnny Manziel in the Power conference ranks in several years. He’s lethal on the move and can move the chains with his feet or finding guys at the second level when the secondary begins to close in.
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12. Jalon Daniels, Kansas
Career statistics: 365-of-574 (63.6%), 4,297 yards, 31 TD, 12 INT; 602 rushing yards, 13 TD
Outlook: Can Jalon Daniels stay healthy? That’s the major question most everyone has for the veteran Big 12 quarterback who played in only three games last season after having a statistically-efficient 2022 campaign for the Jayhawks. At full strength, there are few better in big-time situations than Daniels on the move, but he’s yet to play in 10 games during any season. Losing his OC to Penn State is something to watch, too.
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10. Cameron Rising, Utah
Career statistics: 456-of-711 (64.1%), 5,572 yards, 46 TD, 14 INT; 953 rushing yards, 12 TD
Outlook: Rarely does a quarterback with a pair of conference championships to his credit return for a seventh season. But Cameron Rising gave it another go after missing the 2023 season with a knee injury. The Utes enter the Big 12, and according to most projections, are a playoff contender as one of the league’s new frontrunners. Rising made big plays in crucial moments during his career and has seen just about everything as a starting quarterback.
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5. Noah Fifita, Arizona
Career statistics: 250-of-352 (71%), 2,997 yards, 26 TD, 6 INT
Outlook: After a standout sophomore season, Noah Fifita stayed put at Arizona despite watching his head coach, Jedd Fisch, bolt for Washington at season’s end. According to PFF, Fifita was at his best under pressure last season with one of the highest passer ratings in the country under duress. And on money downs, Fifita’s grade of 90.3 was No. 3 nationally. The young signal caller can play as one of the top sub 6-feet passers in college football.
Career statistics: 911-of-1,326 (68.7%), 10,193 yards, 97 TD, 17 INT (includes two seasons at Jackson State)
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2. Shedeur Sanders, Colorado
Outlook: Behind one of the country’s most porous offensive lines last season, Shedeur Sanders proved his worth within the Power Five after throwing 27 touchdown passes in essentially 10 games. He officially had 11 starts, but only played a couple series against Washington State in November before leaving the Buffaloes’ penultimate contest with an injury. He’ll have a chance this fall to ascend to top quarterback billing ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft if there’s better play up front and Colorado gets to bowl eligibility thanks to his arm and accuracy.
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March 9th
FanSided: Five Teams Which Will be Better than you Think (No. 3: CU)
From John Buhler at FanSided … It is the dawn of a new era in major college football. Long gone are the days of antiquated divisions and the flaws of a four-team College Football Playoff. While the four-team format accomplished what it set out to do, which was to give us the four best teams in a given season, that is not what the general public really wanted. What it wanted was an opportunity for everyone to have a shot at a title.
So with that in mind, we have to look at the playoff picture quite differently than before. It is no longer about being one of the top four teams in college football, but rather one of the five highest-ranked conference champions or one of the seven next-best teams who didn’t win their league. The expanded playoff is going to be more inclusive than ever. I can’t wait to see how it all unfolds this fall.
But for every team that is a lock to make the 12-team field like a Georgia, an Ohio State, an Oregon or a Texas, there is always somebody hiding in the tall grass, waiting to pounce. Yes, there will be other contenders like Missouri, Ole Miss and Penn State probably making the field, but what about the guys nobody is thinking about? Who could some of those teams be? Let’s find out now with this deep dive.
Here are five college football teams I fully expect will be better than most of the casual fans expect.
- 5. Texas A&M (7-6 in 2023) …
- 4. Miami (7-6 in 2023) …
- 3. Colorado … (4-8 in 2023) … This could come back to haunt me, but I am bullish on all things Colorado Buffaloes for next season. It will be year two under Deion Sanders. While he has made a killing picking up players in the transfer portal, this is also year two of him being able to recruit high schoolers to Boulder, as well as year two of Pat Shurmur calling plays, to some extent. More importantly, Colorado is going back to the Big 12.
This has been a talking point my FanSided.com colleague and False Start co-host Cody Williams has been talking about all offseason: How huge it is for Colorado to be back in the Big 12. This is a league, as well as its predecessor of the old Big Eight, that CU saw its most gridiron success, whether that was under Bill McCartney during the Buffs’ heyday or a little later under Gary Barnett in the 2000s.
Colorado retains regional rivals, as well as being better equipped to recruit talent-rich states now in the new/old conference of Florida (UCF), Ohio (Cincinnati) and Texas (Baylor, Houston, TCU, Texas Tech). Factor in Shedeur Sanders being a Heisman Trophy hopeful, and it would not shock me if the Buffs went something like 8-4 in its first year back in the Big 12. This team is so close to being great.
With the Big 12 wide open after the Oklahoma and Texas exoduses, upwards of 12 teams can win it.
- 2. North Carolina State (9-4 in 2023) …
- 1. Notre Dame (10-3 in 2023) …
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March 8th
CBS Sports QB Power Rankings: Shedeur in at No. 5
From CBS Sports … The focus in the football world right now is on former star college quarterbacks ready to be taken in the 2024 NFL Draft. Some believe that as many as five could go in the first round with some theorizing the first four picks could all be signal callers. That would be a surprise but not a huge one because QB is the most powerful position in sports.
The right QB can change an entire team or program’s fortunes.
There is another reason why so many NFL talent evaluators believe we’ll see a run on QBs in the NFL Draft this season: Scouts aren’t as high on the potential prospects in the 2025 class. There’s a long time between now and the 2025 draft and plenty of opinions will change (nobody thought Jayden Daniels or Bo Nix would be potential first-rounders at this time last year), but I bring this up for one simple reason.
These QB Power Rankings are not a ranking of NFL potential, talent or statistics. They are power rankings. They take everything into account — where you are, who you are, what you have done, what you could do and your overall vibe. At this point of the offseason, there’s far more art than science. These rankings are a reflection of the March vibes with spring practices beginning for many teams around the country. A lot can change between now and the first snaps of the fall.
No. 3 … Noah Fifita … Arizona … Fifita pulled a power move this offseason. Many expected him to follow Jedd Fisch to Washington, but Fifita opted to stick with Arizona and his top receiver Tetairoa McMillan. Fifita exploded onto the scene last season after replacing an injured Jayden de Laura and never gave the job back. Now, he and the Wildcats are looking to make noise in a wide-open Big 12.
No. 5 … Shedeur Sanders … Colorado … The hypebeast’s college QB, Sanders had plenty of ups and downs at Colorado last season. Nobody drew more angry messages when left out of these rankings last year than Sanders, but it’s not my fault. I just make the rules and follow them! I don’t rank QBs after losses (no power in defeat), and Sanders and the Buffaloes lost too much. Sanders has plenty of talent, but I’d like to see him do a better job of getting rid of the football and avoiding sacks. He was sacked 49 times last season, and those weren’t all on the offensive line.
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March 5th
Stewart Mandel’s Ranking of Top 25 coaches: Six from the Big 12 (three in top ten)
From The Athletic … This year’s coach rankings exercise presented a challenge unlike any before it. Between Nick Saban’s retirement, Jim Harbaugh’s NFL exit, Dabo Swinney and Lincoln Riley’s backslides and Ryan Day’s Michigan problem, I’m left with an obvious No. 1 (Kirby Smart), followed by a gaping void. And as always, there’s the difficulty of comparing coaches from schools with vastly different expectations.
The result is an unprecedented level of upheaval a year earlier, including eight new entrants.
Finally, I can’t emphasize this enough: These are not career achievement rankings. These are my Top 25 coaches right now. A coach’s career resume is important, but recent performance carries more weight in my evaluations.
2. Lance Leipold, Kansas (2023: No. 11)
Kansas was the nation’s worst Power 5 program for more than a decade. Then Leipold arrived. He got the Jayhawks to a bowl by Year 2 and to nine wins and a Top 25 finish by Year 3. It’s one of the sport’s all-time great rebuilding jobs, by a man who previously led Buffalo to the only 10-win season in school history. He won six Division III national titles before that.
5. Kyle Whittingham, Utah (2023: No. 8)
I give last year’s disappointing 8-5 campaign an asterisk due to the Utes’ staggering number of injuries. Whittingham has achieved remarkable consistency at a non-obvious school. Utah won back-to-back Pac-12 Championships in 2021 and ’22 and has fielded six Top 25 teams in the last decade. The Utes are well-positioned to win in the Big 12.
9. Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State (2023: No. 14)
Gundy’s program was showing cracks early last season. A year after going 7-6, the Cowboys started 2-2, with a bizarre blowout loss to South Alabama. But by year’s end, they’d secured Gundy’s eighth double-digit win season since 2010, reached their second Big 12 title game in three years and finished in the Top 25 for the third time in four years.
16. Chris Klieman, Kansas State (2023: 15)
Like Leipold and DeBoer, Kliemam’s lower-level success (four FCS championships at North Dakota State) has translated at the highest level, where K-State followed up its 2022 Big 12 title with a 9-4 campaign and another top-20 finish. The Wildcats have won at least eight games in four of his five seasons.
19. Willie Fritz, Houston (2023: NR)
Fritz has won big in Juco (Blinn), Division II (Central Missouri), FCS (Sam Houston State), the Sun Belt (Georgia Southern) and most recently the AAC, where his Tulane teams went 23-4 in his last two seasons, upsetting USC in the 2022 Cotton Bowl. He reached as many bowls in a six-year span — five — as Tulane had earned in the nearly three decades prior.
21. Matt Campbell, Iowa State (2023: No. 25)
Iowa State rebounded from a 4-8 mark in 2022 to go 7-6, including 6-3 record in Big 12 play, despite losing several key players prior to the season due to a gambling investigation. It moved Campbell’s conference record to 38-34, making him the first Iowa State coach above .500 since…1925!
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March 3rd
ESPN Ranking the Top 2024 Quarterbacks – Big 12 has four of Top Ten
From ESPN … With spring practices about to kick off, we’re taking stock of college football’s top returning players at several positions. First off is the most important position on the field: quarterback.
We polled our college football reporters, asking them to rank their top 10 QBs entering the 2024 season. Points were assigned based on their votes: 10 points for first place, 9 for second place, down to 1 for 10th place.
Our picks include four quarterbacks from the SEC and two who are returning from injury after missing most or all of the 2023 season. And while QBs have been frequent visitors to the transfer portal in recent years, only two transfers from this offseason made our list. So maybe there’s something to be said for continuity behind center.
Here are our picks for the top 10 quarterbacks in college football.
5. Noah Fifita, Arizona
2023 stats: 2,869 yards passing, 25 TD passes, 6 INTs, -33 yards rushing, 0 TD rushes, 83.8 QBR
Points: 42
Fifita was a 5-foot-11, 175-pound prospect out of Anaheim, California, and he had an unassuming set of offers from schools in his region (Arizona, Cal, Fresno State, Hawai’i, Utah State). Even if he were to eventually turn into a solid player, he wasn’t the type of prospect a coach would lean on for an overnight program turnaround. And yet … after an 8-8 start to Jedd Fisch’s tenure in Tucson — which was a solid improvement in itself considering the Wildcats had lost 23 of 24 games before he arrived — the Wildcats ignited the moment Fifita entered the lineup for an injured Jayden de Laura. He nearly led upsets of both Washington (he threw for 232 yards and three TDs in a 31-24 loss) and USC (303 yards and five scores in a 43-41 loss), and from mid-October on, he didn’t lose again.
A relative unknown before the season, Fifita finished with 2,869 yards and 25 touchdowns despite starting only nine games, and he finished eighth in Total QBR, ahead of such notables as USC’s Caleb Williams, Alabama’s Jalen Milroe and Florida State’s Jordan Travis. Fisch left for Washington, but both Fifita and 1,400-yard receiver Tetairoa McMillan remained with UA, and they could lead the Wildcats to a lovely start to life in the Big 12.
7. Jalon Daniels, Kansas
2023 stats: 705 yards passing, 5 TD passes, 1 INT, 74 yards rushing, 0 TD rushes, 82.7 QBR
Points: 34
All he’s got to do is stay on the field. In his past 14 complete games, Daniels has thrown for 3,336 yards, 29 touchdowns and only eight interceptions while rushing for 691 yards (not including sacks). He scrambles beautifully, avoiding both sacks and picks, and over the 2022-23 seasons, he produced the highest combined Total QBR of any returning quarterback. But finding that “14 complete games” sample requires you to look through Kansas’ past 29 games. He missed a month in 2022 and saw snaps in only three games last season because of back issues. He was a huge reason for the Jayhawks’ fast starts in both 2022 and 2023, but he hasn’t played since Sept. 23 of last season.
Is this the year it all comes together for the player from Lawndale, California? He’s got a dynamite running back corps, with 1,200-yard rusher Devin Neal and big Daniel Hishaw Jr., at his disposal, and his receiving group is loaded with seniors. Kansas went 9-4 with backup Jason Bean starting most of last season, and the offense has truckloads of experience for new offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes. Yep, all Daniels has to do is stay on the field. Hopefully this is the year.
8. Shedeur Sanders, Colorado
2023 stats: 3,230 yards passing, 27 TD passes, 3 INTs, -77 yards rushing, 4 TD rushes, 63.1 QBR
Points: 33
Colorado’s start to the season ended up being a mirage on several levels, but not regarding Sanders, who transitioned well from the FCS to the FBS. He finished ninth nationally in completion percentage (69.3%), 10th in passing yards average (293.6 ypg) and fourth in interception percentage (0.7%) despite the team’s late-season challenges and an incessant pummeling that left him with a broken back.
Sanders set Colorado’s single-game passing record in his Buffs debut, piling up 510 yards at TCU. He had 348 passing yards or more in five games and had multiple touchdown passes seven times, while throwing just one interception in his final six contests. Sanders generated NFL draft buzz, especially during the first half of the season, and finished with a team-record 3,230 passing yards and 27 touchdown passes (second most in CU history).
He will enter his first full season with coordinator Pat Shurmur, who took over play calling in November. Sanders ultimately must do his part to limit sacks and hits after taking 52 sacks and being pressured on 39.9% of his dropbacks. If he stays healthy and keeps progressing in the Buffs’ new league, he should be one of the top quarterbacks on NFL draft boards for 2025.
9. Cameron Rising, Utah
2023 stats: DNP
Points: 24
Rising wasn’t supposed to be Utah’s savior back in September 2021. The Utes opened that season with Charlie Brewer as their starter after the Baylor transfer beat out Rising for the job. The early results were poor, however, and Utah lost its first two games against FBS foes before coach Kyle Whittingham made a change. And once Utah was Rising’s team, the Utes never looked back.
Rising and the Utes went 9-1 and won a Pac-12 championship before losing in a shootout against Ohio State in the Rose Bowl — a game in which Rising accounted for three TDs and completed 77% of his throws. It was more of the same in 2022, with Rising leading the Utes to a 10-3 record and another Pac-12 title before falling to Penn State in the Rose Bowl. Over the course of those two seasons, Rising was 18-6 as a starter with 46 touchdown passes, 13 picks and an 83.6 Total QBR.
But for a true appreciation of Rising’s value, just look what happened to Utah’s offense when he missed the 2023 campaign with a knee injury. The Utes went from averaging nearly 39 points in 2022 to just 23 last year, and saw a decline of 85 passing yards per game, while their pass TD total was cut in half.
… Continue reading story here …
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March 1st
Updated Preseason Top 25 has five Big 12 teams (all CU opponents)
From CBS Sports … The college football landscape has changed drastically since Jan. 9. That day, we gave you the annual way-too-early top 25 rankings looking ahead to the 2024 season just as Michigan had won the College Football Playoff National Championship. It wasn’t long, however, for those rankings to quickly be proven outdated.
Not only was there a plethora of movement in the transfer portal, but we also took a ride on one of the wildest coaching carousels in recent memory. At least 10 of the 25 teams you see below have changed head coaches — a list that, of course, includes the reigning national champions — and/or at least one coordinator since the second week of January.
That’s why this refresh is necessary with spring practices getting underway across the country. This pre-spring top 25 takes all the movements into consideration as some new teams even enter the fold. As an indicator of just how much has changed, we’re including the teams’ ranking from the way-too-early top 25 in January.
From the Big 12 …
No. 12 Utah … The Utes are one answer to a pivotal question entering the 2024 season: With the loss of Oklahoma and Texas, who are the dominant programs in the new Big 12? Kyle Whittingham begins Year 21 at Utah with a good chance to win his third conference title in the last four years. Oft-injured quarterback Cam Rising returns. That might be enough in the Big 12 considering Utah’s typically physical style. Way-too-early ranking: 13
No. 14 Arizona … Since our last rankings, Jedd Fisch left for Washington, Brent Brennan took over the Wildcats and athletic director Dave Heeke was fired. The staff did a great job of holding the roster together in the interim between Fisch’s departure and Brennan’s arrival. The Wildcats will have a chance to win the Big 12 in their first season as a member with the return of quarterback Noah Fifita and receiver Tetairoa McMillan. Way-too-early ranking: 10
No. 18 Kansas State … The Avery Johnson era begins in earnest after an impressive bowl game performance. The five-star freshman QB had that hair-on-fire look to him, accounting for three touchdowns against NC State in the Pop Tarts Bowl. The offensive line must be rebuilt from a nine-win season. Way-too-early ranking: 17
No. 21 Kansas … Kansas is doing everything it can to take the next step after last year marked the Jayhawks’ first nine-win season since 2007. There is a monster $300 million stadium renovation underway that will make the football footprint look Big Ten-ish. Lance Leipold is arguably the most desired coach in the country — yet he stays loyal to Kansas — with a new $7 million contract. Star quarterback Jalen Daniels also returns. Way-too-early ranking: 20
No. 24 Oklahoma State … Mike Gundy is now an elder statesman beginning his 20th season in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Star running back Ollie Gordon returns after winning the Doak Walker Award. Quarterback Alan Bowman was granted a waiver for a seventh year of eligibility. Coming off a 10-win season, the Cowboys have to be considered a contender in the reconfigured Big 12 because, really, who isn’t? Way-too-early ranking: 23
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February 28th
CBS Sports: Coach Prime building on initial hype; eyeing a bowl game in 2024
From CBS Sports … Big expectations follow Deion Sanders like a shadow. Few are more adept than the Colorado coach at building hype and energy around his program, no matter what the circumstances may be. His first season in Boulder certainly gave fans a glimpse of what could be on the horizon.
Colorado started the 2023 season scorching hot; a debut win over TCU kick-started a 3-0 run that culminated in an appearance in the AP Top 25. Then the wheels fell off against eventual Pac-12 runner-up Oregon, and Colorado only won one of its last nine games to drop to 4-8.
That’s not necessarily a disappointment. Colorado hasn’t won more than four games since 2019. Its streak without a winning record extends far beyond that back to 2016. Given the program’s context, Sanders’ first year was a success.
Now he’s gearing up for more. Sanders spent the offseason reworking his coaching staff with shuffles at both offensive and defensive coordinator. Once again, he hit the transfer portal in an effort to revamp his roster, supplementing returning stars like quarterback Shedeur Sanders and two-way unicorn Travis Hunter. In total, 24 transfers will suit up for the Buffaloes in 2024.
… What does improvement even look like for Sanders’ Colorado? He inherited a complete mess and put an admirable four-win effort on the board in his first year. He doesn’t necessarily need to make a bowl to show signs of progress, especially as the program embarks on a new journey in the Big 12.
Get to at least five wins while staying competitive in most conference games and folks will surely be satisfied. But, without letting the hype train get too far off the rails, the 2024 schedule does set up well for Colorado to make it back to the postseason for the first time since 2020.
… Continue reading story here …
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February 27th
Fan Duel: Utah betting favorite to win Big 12; CU at 40-1
From Fan Duel …
Odds to win the 2024 Big 12 Championship (2023 record) …
- Utah (8-5, 5-4) … +340
- Kansas State (9-4, 6-3) … +360
- Kansas (9-4, 5-4) … +650
- Arizona (10-3, 7-2) … +750
- Texas Tech (7-6, 5-4) … +850
- UCF (6-7, 3-6) … +1150
- Iowa State (7-6, 6-3) … +1200
- Oklahoma State (10-4, 7-2) … +1600
- TCU (5-7, 3-6) … +1600
- West Virginia (9-4, 6-3) … +1900
- Colorado (4-8, 1-8) … +4000
- Baylor (3-9, 2-7) … +5500
- Cincinnati (3-9, 1-8) … +6500
- Arizona State (3-9, 2-7) … +10000
- BYU (5-7, 2-7) … +13000
- Houston (4-8, 2-7) … +13000
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February 25th
Preseason Top 25 has CU playing a Top Ten team Thanksgiving Weekend
From YardBarker.com … Yes, we’re early into 2024, and a lot has happened in the college football world that can shape the upcoming season. So, it’s actually never too early to offer up our initial Top 25 for the 2024 campaign.
From the Big 12 …
No. 22 … Kansas … The Jayhawks continue to get better under coach Lance Leipold, who in his third season of 2023 guided the squad to a 9-4 mark. With Texas and Oklahoma out of the Big 12, the Jayhawks might have a shot at winning the conference and earning one of the 12 College Football Playoff spots. Key to any success of that magnitude is the health of quarterback Jalon Daniels (4,297 career passing yards, 31 touchdowns, 13 rushing TDs), who was limited to three games last season because of a back injury. However, running back Devin Neal (1,280 yards, 16 TDs) and Kansas’ top three receivers, Lawrence Arnold, Quentin Skinner and Luke Grimm, are all back.
No. 21 … Arizona … Another team with a shot at the Big 12 title in 2024, or so we think. The Wildcats won their final seven games — including a 38-24 victory over Oklahoma in the Alamo Bowl — to finish 10-3. Coach Judd Fisch, however, is headed to Washington. At the moment, as many as four offensive linemen could return for the Wildcats. Quarterback Noah Fifita (71.0 completion percentage, 2,869 passing yards, 25 touchdowns, six interceptions) was exceptional in his first full season and returns with hopes of being even better in 2024. Arizona will have a tough road slate, playing at Kansas State, BYU, TCU and Utah.
No. 19 … Kansas State … The Wildcats have won 27 games over the last three seasons, and coach Chris Klieman’s stock continues to rise. In 2023, K-State’s four defeats came by a total of 21 points with three-point losses at both Missouri and Texas. It needs to retool the offensive line, but quarterback Avery Johnson has garnered plenty of excitement after he threw for two touchdowns and ran for another during a victory over North Carolina State in the Pop-Tarts Bowl. The Wildcats get Arizona, Oklahoma State and rival Kansas all at home within the Big 12.
No. 13 … Utah … Injuries hindered Utah’s 2023 season, especially late in losing three of their final four to finish 8-3. A big problem was offensive inconsistency, as the Utes were held under 20 five times. However, Cameron Rising (5,527 passing yards, 46 touchdowns, 15 interceptions; 12 rushing TDs over the 2021, ’22 season) is expected back after missing all of last season with injury. His veteran presence and overall leadership could prove invaluable for a team that should still be stout in the trenches on both sides of the ball while a possible favorite in its initial Big 12 campaign.
No. 10 … Oklahoma State … As the Big 12 gets a makeover, look for these Cowboys to be serious players for the league title in 2024, and their chances still begin and end with the production of an offense that is loaded with talent and experience. Ageless quarterback Alan Bowman (3,460 passing yards), running back Ollie Gordon II (1,732 rushing yards, 21 touchdowns) and receiver Brennan Presley (101 receptions, 991 yards, six touchdowns) all return as Oklahoma State looks to win at least 10 games for the third time in four years.
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February 16th
FanDuel sets CU over/under win total at 5.5
Several ways to look at this … CU’s projected win total is two wins higher than last year, so if the Buffs again exceed expectations, CU is going bowling … The first time in years in which CU is not predicted to be near the bottom of its conference … The Big 12 will probably the only conference in the nation which does not have a team projected to win ten games, which means it will be a wide open race in 2024 …
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February 15th
ESPN updated Preseason Top 25: Five CU opponents make the list
From ESPN … It was just more than a month ago that Michigan ended its 26-year title drought by defeating Washington 34-13 in the CFP National Championship game.
In the 36 days since then, Alabama coach Nick Saban retired, Wolverines coach Jim Harbaugh left for the NFL and Ohio State hired two offensive coordinators, the second one a sitting power conference coach.
Saban’s surprising announcement Jan. 10 precipitated eight coaching moves that led to five FBS schools — Washington, Arizona, South Alabama, Buffalo and San Jose State — hiring new head coaches.
After so much chaos, it’s the perfect time to update the 2024 Way-Too-Early Top 25.
10. Utah Utes
Previous ranking: 13
2023 record: 8-5, 5-4 Pac-12
Winter update: The Utes lost four games or more in each of the past three seasons, as they were undone by injuries and lost four of their last six games in 2023. With quarterback Cameron Rising returning from a knee injury that caused him to miss all of last season, the Utes could be much better in their first season in the Big 12. Tight end Brant Kuithe is also coming back from a knee injury, along with tailback Micah Bernard. The Utes started four sophomores and a freshman on the offensive line last season, so that unit should grow up. After losing three starters in the secondary, Utah added safety Alaka’i Gilman (Stanford) and cornerbacks Cameron Calhoun (Michigan) and Kenan Johnson (Georgia Tech).
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11. Arizona Wildcats
Previous ranking: 9
2023 record: 10-3, 7-2 Pac-12
Winter update: The Wildcats’ momentum from last season’s 10-win campaign hit the skids when Washington plucked coach Jedd Fisch to replace DeBoer. San Jose State’s Brent Brennan takes over after guiding the Spartans to a 26-19 record and three bowl appearances in the past four seasons. He did a good job getting quarterback Noah Fifita and receiver Tetairoa McMillan to stay in Tucson. There was quite a bit of turnover on Arizona’s roster after Fisch left; six players, including top rusher Jonah Coleman, cornerback Ephesians Prysock and defensive end Russell Davis II, followed him to Seattle. A trio of Spartans — offensive tackle Ryan Stewart, edge rusher Tre Smith and tailback Quali Conley — are following Brennan to Arizona. Conley ran for 842 yards with nine scores in 2023; Smith had 6.5 sacks and 67 tackles.
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17. Oklahoma State Cowboys
Previous ranking: 18
2023 record: 10-4, 7-2 Big 12
Winter update: With Oklahoma and Texas moving on to the SEC, Oklahoma State has a chance to stake its claim to the newly shaped Big 12. There’s reason for optimism with the return of tailback Ollie Gordon II, the FBS’ leading rusher with 1,732 yards in 2023. Also back are all five starting offensive linemen, leading receiver Brennan Presley and quarterback Alan Bowman, who was given an NCAA waiver to play a seventh season. OSU picked up veteran UTEP cornerback Kobe Hylton and Obi Ezeigbo, a pass-rusher from Division II Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania. The Pokes play Big 12 road games at Baylor, BYU, Colorado, Kansas State and TCU in 2024.
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20. Kansas State Wildcats
Previous ranking: 21
2023 record: 9-4, 6-3 Big 12
Winter update: The Wildcats are going to have a new look on offense after Howard transferred to Ohio State and offensive coordinator Klein departed for the same position at Texas A&M. Kansas State coach Chris Klieman replaced Klein with co-coordinators Conor Riley (his offensive line coach) and Matt Wells (a former head coach at Utah State and Texas Tech). Avery Johnson is a dual-threat quarterback with a ton of talent. The Wildcats will have to rebuild up front after losing Cooper Beebe and three others who combined to make 144 career starts. Tight end Ben Sinnott is another big loss. Kansas State added receiver Dante Cephas, who was very good at Kent State but didn’t do as much at Penn State.
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22. Kansas Jayhawks
Previous ranking: 23
2023 record: 9-4, 5-4 Big 12
Winter update: The Jayhawks would probably be ranked higher if quarterback Jalon Daniels wasn’t coming off a back injury that sidelined him for most of the 2023 season. When healthy, Daniels is among the most explosive players in the FBS. So is tailback Devin Neal, who ran for 1,280 yards with 16 touchdowns in 2023. The Jayhawks will also bring back their top three receivers, while three starting offensive linemen will have to be replaced. The Jayhawks picked up Tiffin University’s Shane Bumgardner, who won the Rimington Award as the top center in Division II, and guard Darrell Simmons, who started 38 games at Iowa State. Former Baylor offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes takes over playcalling duties.
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February 13th
Projecting the Top 15 College Football Quarterbacks of 2024 – Shedeur Sanders in at No. 5
From SportsGrid.com …
1. Carson Beck – Georgia
2. Jaxson Dart – Ole Miss
3. Quinn Ewers – Texas
4. Dillon Gabriel – Oregon
5. Shedeur Sanders – Colorado
6. Noah Fifita – Arizona
7. Jalen Milroe – Alabama
8. Cam Ward – Miami
9. Nico Iamaleava – Tennessee
10. Garrett Nussmeier – LSU
11. Cam Rising – Utah
12. Riley Leonard – Notre Dame
13. Brady Cook – Missouri
14. Drew Allar – Penn State
15. Jalon Daniels – Kansas
Shedeur Sanders – Colorado
No. 5 might be controversial, but Shedeur Sanders showed he could play at a high level despite the circus. Despite a weak offensive line and teams pressuring him, Sanders threw for 3,230 yards with 27 touchdowns and only three interceptions. The offensive line should be somewhat improved, and Colorado has playmakers for him to throw to. Sanders stepped up in competition and continued to produce.
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February 5th
ESPN SP+ Projections: CU moves up 115 spots to No. 15 nationally
… Last season, with virtually no returning production on either side of the ball, CU was ranked last in the nation in the ESPN SP+ projections …
From ESPN … College football’s roster carousel never ends, but as we approach February’s national signing day and the official end of the 2024 recruiting cycle, things have at least slowed down a bit on the personnel front. Coaching changes have assured that some schools could still see transfer portal entries, but now’s as good a time as any to take stock.
Around this time of year, I typically spit out the first SP+ projections of the new season, based on a forever-changing combination of returning production, recruiting and recent history. As always, those projections stem from three primary questions: How good has your team been recently? How well has it recruited? And who returns from last year’s roster? SP+ projections come next week, but let’s go ahead and deal with that last question. Who returns a majority of last year’s production (or has done the best job of importing production from another team)? Who is starting from scratch?
For a few years now, I’ve been attempting to expand how we measure returning production. The formula I have created shifts with each new year of data and has had to shift a ton with the rising number of transfers. But the gist remains the same: High or low returning production percentages correlate well with improvement and regression. They might not guarantee a good or bad team, but they can still tell us a lot.
With that in mind, here are the returning production percentages and rankings for all 134 FBS teams for 2024. (Yes, we’re up to 134 teams. Hello, Kennesaw State!)
From the Big 12 … (* – CU opponent in 2024)
- No. 2 … Iowa State
- No. 3 … Nebraska*
- No. 4 … Oklahoma State*
- No. 15 … Colorado … Returning production … 72% overall … Offense: 69% (41st nationally) … Defense: 76% (13th nationally)
- No. 16 … Utah*
- No. 21 … TCU
- No. 24 … West Virginia
- No. 35 … Arizona State
- No. 41 … Baylor*
- No. 39 … Colorado State*
- No. 43 … Arizona*(interesting, considering those who are touting Arizona as Big 12 favorites cite returning production as one of the reasons for choosing the Wildcats)
- No. 49 … BYU
- No. 62 … Cincinnati*
- No. 72 … Houston
- No. 78 … Kansas*
- No. 82 … Kansas State*
- No. 93 … Texas Tech*
- No. 101 … Central Florida*
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February 4th
ESPN Playoff projections: No consensus for Big 12 champion
From ESPN … Last week, ESPN’s college football reporters made their cases for the players, teams and games that they are most excited to see in the fall. This week, they’re talking about the 12-team playoff — what the issues with the format might be and which teams will be able to make the most of the new system. They’ll also give their way-too-early predictions for the 12 teams that will compete for the national title.
What is your way-too-early prediction for the 12-team playoff field?
Note: The four highest-ranked conference champions will receive the top four seeds AND a first-round bye. This means each writer’s top four teams below are also predictions of conference champions — but that might not necessarily reflect where the writer would rank those teams in his or her top 25. For example, Dinich has Utah as the No. 3 seed and projected Big 12 champion, but would rank the Utes No. 7 overall.
Hale
First-round byes: 1. Georgia, 2. Ohio State, 3. Clemson, 4. Kansas
First-round matchups: 5. Oregon vs. 12. Memphis; 6. Texas vs. 11. USC; 7. Notre Dame vs. 10. Florida State; 8. Alabama vs. 9. Ole Miss
Low
First-round byes: 1. Georgia, 2. Ohio State, 3. Utah, 4. Clemson
First-round matchups: 5. Texas vs. 12. Liberty; 6. Oregon vs. 11. Michigan; 7. Alabama vs. 10. Penn State; 8. Ole Miss vs. 9. Notre Dame
Connelly
First-round byes: 1. Georgia, 2. Oregon, 3. Florida State, 4. Kansas State
First-round matchups: 5. Texas vs. 12 Memphis; 6. Ohio State vs. 11. Utah; 7. Penn State vs. 10. Alabama; 8. Ole Miss vs. 9. Michigan
Adelson:
First-round byes: 1. Georgia, 2. Ohio State, 3. Clemson, 4. Arizona
First-round matchups: 5. Oregon vs. 12. Boise State; 6. Ole Miss vs. 11. Florida State; 7. Texas vs. 10. Kansas State; 8. Notre Dame vs. 9. Missouri
Lyles:
First-round byes: 1. Georgia, 2. Oregon, 3. Florida State, 4. Utah
First-round matchups: 5. Texas vs. 12. Memphis; 6. Ohio State vs. 11. Penn State; 7. Ole Miss vs. 10. Alabama; 8. Notre Dame vs. 9. Michigan
Dinich
First-round byes: 1. Georgia, 2. Ohio State, 3. Utah, 4. Louisville
First-round matchups: 5. Texas vs. 12. Boise State; 6. Ole Miss vs. 11 USC; 7. Oregon vs. 10. Missouri; 8. Notre Dame vs. 9. Alabama
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January 30th
Sports Illustrated Top 25: Five Big 12 teams ranked (and CU plays all five in 2024)
From Pat Forde at Sports Illustrated … When we say these look-ahead Top 25s for the next college football season are “way too early,” we mean it. And that has never been more true than this year, when a second wave of coaching changes and player transfers turned January upside down. So this is the Way-Too-Early Top 25, Part II.
We already knew next season was going to be wild—a 12-team Playoff and massive conference realignment moves have completely changed the landscape—but now four Top 25 teams have changed coaches since the season ended Jan. 8. Of the programs that made the last four-team College Football Playoff, three will be under new leadership. And the post-realignment schedules—especially in the Big Ten and Southeastern Conference—are ridiculous.
So here’s a second guess at the Sports Illustrated 2024 Top 25. (The first guess can be found here.)
From the Big 12 …
11. Arizona Wildcats
The Wildcats were the hottest nonplayoff team in the country at season’s end, reeling off seven straight victories to set hopes soaring for 2024 … and then Washington pirated coach Jedd Fisch. Brent Brennan arrived from San Jose State and scored two big early victories by retaining quarterback Noah Fifita and his 6’5″ receiving colleague, Tetairoa McMillan. The nucleus of a vastly improved defense is back, as well. The move to the Big 12 will bring some new challenges, but theoretically an easier playoff path than competing in the Pac-12 against Oregon and Washington.
14. Utah Utes
The Utes went 8–5 without star quarterback Cam Rising playing a down, so expectations are for a return to double-digit wins as he returns to health. Utah will have to improve offensively around Rising, particularly on the line, but that can be accomplished. The Utah defense, always stout, has plenty of returning talent but loses two standout safeties.
18. Kansas Jayhawks
The Lance Leipold miracle makeover continues, having gone from two wins to six to nine the past three seasons. Leipold lost his offensive coordinator to Penn State but retained his two best offensive players, QB Jalon Daniels and RB Devin Neal. The line will need some rebuilding. The Kansas defense has made strides every season and returns enough key parts to be better yet again in 2024.
19. Oklahoma State Cowboys
The mercurial Mike Gundy pulled out a 10-win season in 2023 and got a boost for ’24 when star RB Ollie Gordon announced he’s staying in school and QB Alan Bowman got another season of eligibility. The Cowboys have not been good defensively since coordinator Jim Knowles left for Ohio State two years ago, but a lot of young players got reps on that side of the ball and should be improved. The revamped Big 12 schedule is user-friendly, offering the Pokes a chance to compile a great record.
21. Kansas State Wildcats
The Wildcats have become recession-proof under Chris Klieman, winning 27 games over the past three seasons. But there is work to do in 2024 after losing quarterback Will Howard to Ohio State and a lot of transfers. Avery Johnson is an intriguing young QB talent who will be a greater dual-threat player, and DJ Giddens is a centerpiece back. A young defense that had 23 takeaways in ’23 should be a salty unit.
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January 23rd
ESPN: Preseason All-American team – Travis Hunter 1st team (and 2nd team)
From ESPN … With ESPN’s Way-Too-Early Top 25 for the 2024 season unveiled following Michigan’s 34-13 defeat of Washington in the national championship game earlier this month, it’s time to move on to the Way-Too-Early All-America team.
Some of the names shouldn’t come as a surprise, such as Ollie Gordon II, Luther Burden III, Travis Hunter and Malaki Starks. But with these early All-America teams, it’s always refreshing to see some new names — and a few players who have changed schools.
Selecting our early All-America team is always difficult, especially in the transfer portal era, but we talked to NFL scouts, college coaches and other media members to select the players projected to be the best at their respective positions in 2024. We’ll have to wait to see if they go out and do it.
Ohio State leads the way with four first-team selections. Georgia and Michigan each have three.
From the Big 12 …
RB: Ollie Gordon II, Oklahoma State
The Doak Walker Award winner last season as college football’s top running back, Gordon is no longer an unknown quantity. He went from having 308 rushing yards as a freshman to an FBS-leading 1,732 yards this past season and scored 22 touchdowns. The 6-1, 211-pound Gordon combines strength, power and acceleration. He led all players with 14 rushes of 30 yards or longer and tied for second with 1,056 yards after contact.
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WR: Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona
McMillan was one of the nation’s top breakout players in 2023 in an Arizona passing game that ranked eighth nationally (308.3 yards per game). Coach Jedd Fisch has moved on to Washington, but McMillan will be back with the Wildcats and will again be catching passes from Noah Fifita. The 6-5, 210-pound McMillan is a difficult matchup for anybody and generated great numbers as a true sophomore (90 catches, 1,402 yards and 10 touchdowns).
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Wide receiver … Second team … Tory Horton, Colorado State …
Tight end … Second team … Brant Kuithe, Utah
All-purpose … Second team … Travis Hunter, Colorado
CB: Travis Hunter, Colorado
Colorado coach Deion Sanders called Hunter a “generational player” last year, and Sanders should know. A two-way player for the Buffaloes, Hunter played more snaps from scrimmage (566 on defense and 436 on offense) than anybody in college football. Despite missing three games with an injury, Hunter had three interceptions and has the skills to lock down any receiver in the country.
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Travis Hunter also named first-team All-Academic All-American
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The Athletic: Reason for Optimism/Cause for Concern for Pac-12 teams joining the Big 12
From The Athletic … It’s already been a wild 2024 for teams on the West Coast. Washington represented the Pac-12 in the national championship game just a few weeks ago. Since then, there have been significant coaching developments that have directly impacted the Huskies and the Arizona Wildcats and their respective rosters.
The year figures to become only more interesting as it progresses. The Pac-12 as we know it is gone. There will still be plenty of Power 5 (or Power 4?) football played on the West Coast in 2024 — it’ll just be scattered across a bunch of different conferences.
As we embark upon a new year, let’s evaluate reasons for optimism and concern for each of the West Coast programs.
Arizona (10-3, Big 12)
Reason for optimism: Brent Brennan has a track record of maximizing the most out of what he has on hand. San Jose State is one of the least-resourced programs in the FBS, and Brennan took the Spartans to three bowl games in the past four seasons. His teams often punched above their weight, and now he’ll have more resources behind him.
Cause for concern: Can Brennan keep the roster together? Arizona announced Brennan’s hire on Tuesday and as of Wednesday, the Class of 2022 Anaheim (Calif.) Servite signees — wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, quarterback Noah Fifita and linebacker Jacob Manu — are still on the roster. Re-recruiting them and keeping a majority of the team together will be the most important early task for Brennan.
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Utah (8-5, Big 12)
Reason for optimism: The Utes offense was a mess in 2023, primarily because of injuries and instability at quarterback. But Utah was still competitive in a loaded Pac-12. Well, quarterback Cam Rising will be back under center in 2024, which will provide the offense with a massive boost, and standout tight end Brant Kuithe announced his return as well after missing most of the past two years with an injury.
Cause for concern: While Rising and Kuithe are back, Utah has lost some pretty significant contributors this offseason. Jonah Elliss notched 12 sacks in 2023 and declared for the NFL Draft. Same for Sione Vaki, who made plays at safety and running back. Receiver Mikey Matthews surprisingly entered the transfer portal as did starting running back Ja’Quinden Jackson. There are holes to fill.
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Arizona State (3-9, Big 12)
Reason for optimism: Whether it was injuries or a bowl ban, Arizona State faced a lot of adversity last season and often exceeded expectations. There will be no bowl ban this season, promising young quarterback Jaden Rashada should be healthy and defensive coordinator Brian Ward can build off an encouraging season.
Cause for concern: Can Arizona State surround Rashada, or whoever starts at quarterback, with enough skill talent? There have been some intriguing additions in the backfield — USC transfer Raleek Brown and four-star signee Jason Brown — but the Sun Devils will need to add more.
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Colorado (4-8, Big 12)
Reason for optimism: The offensive line can’t be any worse, can it? Colorado surrendered 56 sacks in 2023, which was the second-most nationally. Deion Sanders has made a concerted effort to correct it, adding five-star offensive lineman Jordan Seaton and five offensive line transfers to help protect his son, quarterback Shedeur Sanders, in the pocket.
Cause for concern: The offensive line was far from Colorado’s only problem in 2023. The defense was a major issue as well and hasn’t really added any difference-makers through the portal. Depth was also a problem, and Colorado signed only six high school players during the early signing period.
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January 12th
Stewart Mandel: Big 12 in 2024 “a compellingly wide-open conference”
From The Athletic …
Looking forward to the “New Big 12,” do you expect it to be wide open? Which schools seem most likely to step up? The New Big 12 was 6-3 in bowl games, including Arizona’s win over Oklahoma of the Old Big 12. — Rick W., Chesapeake, Va.
When I do the research for my way-too-early Top 25 (which this year began right after the semifinals), I get my first sense of how the conferences might shape up next season, and my initial take on the Big 12 is it could be quite competitive.
I included seven Big 12 schools in the Top 25, and I could have grouped the top three — No. 11 Utah, No. 12 Oklahoma State and No. 13 Arizona — in any order. But you could also talk me into Kansas, Kansas State or even Iowa State winning the Big 12. There’s a common theme: All these programs have their QBs returning (in Kansas’ case, Jalon Daniels, the Jayhawks’ 2022 star), and nearly all have distinguished coaches whose programs are either well-established (Kyle Whittingham, Mike Gundy) or on the up (Jedd Fisch, Lance Leipold, Chris Klieman, Matt Campbell).
And who knows, maybe TCU gets back in the mix. Or Texas Tech gets it together. Or … well, Deion.
It all makes for a compellingly wide-open conference. The only downside: I don’t see any of these schools winning a national championship anytime soon. Texas Tech (No. 22) was the only “New Big 12” school to finish among the top 30 in recruiting this year. But continuing with the basketball analogy from earlier, the 12-team format gives an opportunity for one or more of these schools to become Big 12 football’s Gonzaga — a school that regularly gets into the Dance and pulls upsets, over time significantly boosting its recruiting profile.
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January 10th
Athlon Ranks the 2024 16-team Big 12: Where did CU land?
From Athlon Sports … The Big 12 is all about change going into the 2024 college football season. The league will expand to 16 teams with Arizona, Colorado, Utah, and Arizona State joining with Oklahoma and Texas departing the SEC. In addition to the membership changes, this conference should be one of the most competitive in the nation.
Utah tops the way-too-early power rankings and predictions in the Big 12, but Arizona, Kansas, Kansas State, and Oklahoma State all have a case to be ranked No. 1. West Virginia headlines the next tier of teams, with Iowa State, Texas Tech, TCU, and UCF up next. Colorado should be much-improved in coach Deion Sanders’ second year in ’24.
It’s never too early to think about predictions or rankings for the 2024 college football season. With that in mind, Athlon provides its very early power rankings for the Big 12 for 2024:
- Utah
- Arizona
- Kansas State
- Oklahoma State
- Kansas
- West Virginia
- Iowa State
- Texas Tech
- TCU
- UCF
- Colorado … The Buffaloes took a step forward in coach Deion Sanders’ debut with a 4-8 mark and more improvement should be coming in ’24. Shedeur Sanders is back as one of the best quarterbacks in the nation and a shaky offensive line should be much-improved thanks to a few portal additions. Cornerback/receiver Travis Hunter also returns after a dynamic first season in Boulder. The defense has room to improve after giving up 34.8 points a game last year.
- Arizona State
- BYU
- Baylor
- Cincinnati
- Houston
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January 9th
ESPN’s Way-Too-Early Top 25 posted: Another Top Ten nod for Arizona
From ESPN … The curtain fell on the four-team College Football Playoff in Houston on Monday night, and it more than delivered in its last season with two nail-biting semifinals that weren’t decided until the final play and enough controversy to make even Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh raise an eyebrow.
The 2024 season will arrive with a seismic shift that includes even more conference realignment and a bigger (and supposedly better) 12-team CFP format. That will surely make everyone in Florida happy, right?
As we bid adieu to college football’s familiar landscape and embark on an even more uncertain future, let’s take a sneak peek at the inaugural edition of the 2024 Way-Too-Early Top 25:
From the Big 12 …
9. Arizona Wildcats
2023 record: 10-3, 7-2 Pac-12
2024 outlook: It has been quite a turnaround for the Wildcats under coach Jedd Fisch. After going 1-11 in 2021, Arizona won 10 games by defeating Oklahoma 38-24 in the Valero Alamo Bowl. The Wildcats will take a seven-game winning streak into 2024, when they jump from the Pac-12 to the Big 12. They’ll be among the favorites in their first season in their new league. The bulk of Arizona’s starters this past season were underclassmen, so there’s plenty of talent returning. Noah Fifita was one of the top freshman quarterbacks in the FBS, and one of his favorite targets, receiver Tetairoa McMillan, is also coming back. Four starters could also return on the offensive line, although left tackle Morgan will be missed. Upshaw had 8.5 sacks in 2023 and left a big hole on the edge. Arizona’s 2024 schedule is manageable with Big 12 road games at BYU, Utah, TCU and UCF.
13. Utah Utes
2023 record: 8-5, 5-4 Pac-12
2024 outlook: Injuries derailed the Utes this past season, as quarterback Cameron Rising and tight end Brant Kuithe missed the entire campaign while recovering from knee injuries and tailback Micah Bernard missed all but two games with an injury. The Utes struggled with consistency on offense and lost four of their last six games, including a 14-7 defeat against Northwestern in the SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl. There’s hope that Kuithe and Bernard might return with Rising in 2024, when Utah jumps to the Big 12. Four sophomores and one freshman started on the offensive line in the bowl game. Jackson, the team’s leading rusher with 797 yards, entered the transfer portal, as did backup quarterbacks Barnes and Johnson. Three starters will have to be replaced in the secondary.
18. Oklahoma State Cowboys
2023 record: 10-4, 7-2 Big 12
2024 outlook: The Cowboys got the last laugh on rival Oklahoma in the Sooners’ final season in the Big 12. The Pokes won the last Bedlam game for the foreseeable future, reached the Big 12 championship game and defeated Texas A&M 31-23 in the TaxAct Texas Bowl. With Oklahoma and Texas moving on, Oklahoma State could challenge Arizona and Utah for supremacy in the revamped league. Tailback Ollie Gordon II, FBS’ leading rusher with 1,732 yards in 2023, is coming back. So are all five starting offensive linemen, leading receiver Brennan Presley and quarterback Alan Bowman, who was given an NCAA waiver to play a seventh season. The Pokes play Big 12 road games at Baylor, BYU, Colorado, Kansas State and TCU in 2024.
21. Kansas State Wildcats
2023 record: 9-4, 6-3 Big 12
2024 outlook: The Wildcats came painfully close to putting together another magical run under coach Chris Klieman. They lost four games by a total of 21 points, including a 30-27 loss at Missouri and 33-30 defeat in overtime at Texas. Now, Kansas State will have to move forward without Howard, who left for Ohio State, and former offensive coordinator Collin Klein, who left for Texas A&M. Klieman promoted offensive line coach Conor Riley to co-offensive coordinator and hired former Texas Tech coach Matt Wells to work with him. The offense seems to be in good hands with quarterback Avery Johnson, who threw for two touchdowns and ran for another one in a 28-19 victory over NC State in the Pop-Tarts Bowl. Four starting offensive linemen will have to be replaced, including Beebe, an All-American.
23. Kansas Jayhawks
2023 record: 9-4, 5-4 Big 12
2024 outlook: Lance Leipold has done tremendous work at Kansas, leading the Jayhawks to consecutive bowl games and their first postseason victory since 2008, a 49-36 win against UNLV in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl. Now, Kansas could be on the verge of even bigger things in 2024 — if quarterback Jalon Daniels can recover from a back injury. The Jayhawks will have to do some work in the trenches, with three starting offensive linemen departing, along with Booker, the top pass-rusher. However, leading rusher Devin Neal, top receivers Lawrence Arnold, Quentin Skinner and Luke Grimm are all returning. Former BYU and Baylor offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes was hired to replace Kotelnicki.
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Athlon Sports Way-Too-Early Top 25 has five Big 12 teams, but none higher than No. 15
From Athlon Sports … The 2024 college football season doesn’t officially start until August, but it’s never too early to look ahead and project the Top 25 rankings for next year. Georgia takes the top spot in the Way-Too-Early Top 25 for ’24 by Athlon Sports, as coach Kirby Smart’s team looks to return to No. 1 after stumbling in the SEC Championship against Alabama. The Crimson Tide check in at No. 2, with SEC newcomer Texas at No. 3.
The Big Ten and SEC take the next chunk of teams in the rankings, as Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon, Ole Miss, and Missouri headline the next tier. The Wolverines are a tough team to rank this early with the Jim Harbaugh to NFL rumors, as well as quarterback J.J. McCarthy also a candidate to jump to the next level. With the new 12- team playoff format in place, teams like Ole Miss, Missouri, Oklahoma, Clemson, Arizona, and Kansas State have a chance to make some noise in ’24 for the expanded format.
With the transfer portal, recruiting, coaching changes, and more moves to come this offseason, this list could look a lot different by April and then by August. But with some clarity about rosters for next fall, here is Athlon Sports’ Way-Too-Early Top 25 for 2024:
From the Big 12 …
15. Utah
The return of quarterback Cam Rising after missing all of the ’23 season due to injury puts Utah at (or near) the top of the list of favorites in the new Big 12 next fall. Rising wasn’t the only player that missed significant time for the Utes last year and those ailments certainly played a role in coach Kyle Whittingham’s team dipping to 8-5 after beginning ’23 with Pac-12 title aspirations. Some improvement should be anticipated from an offensive line that returns mostly intact, and the defense is always a strength in Salt Lake City.
16. Arizona
The Wildcats were one of college football’s biggest surprises in ’23. After winning just six games in coach Jedd Fisch’s first two years, Arizona jumped to 10-3 and nearly earned an appearance in the Pac-12 title game with a 7-2 mark in league play. The emergence of quarterback Noah Fifita (2,869 yards and 25 TDs) and the passing game with Tetairoa McMillan and Jacob Cowing on the other end was a big reason for the breakout year. Also, the Wildcats improved significantly on defense. After giving up 36.5 points a game in ’22, this unit allowed only 21.1 last year. With the bulk of the defense slated to return, another step forward is within reach.
19. Kansas State
Coach Chris Klieman must replace a couple of members (including star guard Cooper Beebe) from K-State’s outstanding offensive line – next fall. However, the excitement level about the Wildcats’ offense next year is running high, as rising star quarterback Avery Johnson takes over and promising weapons in running back DJ Giddens and receiver Jayce Brown return. A defense that held opponents to 21 points a game in ’23 has some retooling to do. However, K-State’s schedule is very favorable with Arizona, Kansas, and Oklahoma State all coming to Manhattan.
21. Kansas
The Jayhawks took another step forward under coach Lance Leipold with a 9-4 record in ’23. That mark is even more impressive when you consider starting quarterback Jalon Daniels missed nearly all of the season due to injury. Daniels is back for ’24 and is among the nation’s top returning quarterbacks. New play-caller Jim Zebrowski has some retooling to do in the trenches, but running back Devin Neal (1,280 yards) and the top contributors at receiver are back. Kansas is making steady progress in fixing a porous defense in recent years. The good news for Leipold: The bulk of the two-deep is returning and another step forward should be expected in ’24.
22. Oklahoma State
The Cowboys rallied from a 2-2 start to a trip to the Big 12 title game in 2023. Coach Mike Gundy’s squad is arguably in better shape for ’24, as quarterback Alan Bowman will return after he was granted an additional year of eligibility, and standout running back Ollie Gordon II (1,732 rushing yards) is also back. The offensive line is slated to return intact, and No. 1 receiver Brennan Presley (101 catches) passed on the NFL for another season in Stillwater. The Cowboys have room to improve on defense (28.6 points a game allowed in ’23), but the bulk of the lineup is slated to suit up again in ’24.
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30. West Virginia
Neal Brown entered ’23 on one of the hottest seats in the nation but proceeded to direct the Mountaineers to a solid 9-4 season. Quarterback Garrett Greene and running backs Jahiem White and CJ Donaldson lead an intriguing West Virginia team for ’24.
The Next Tier
Iowa State
The Cyclones return most of their roster in ’24, including quarterback Rocco Becht, receiver Jayden Higgins, and running back Abu Sama.
Texas Tech/TCU
Don’t be surprised if the Red Raiders or Horned Frogs emerges as a contender in the Big 12.
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Action Sports Way Too Early Top 25 has Arizona at No. 8
From Action Sports … Atop the rankings are the usual suspects: No. 1 Georgia, No. 2 Michigan, No. 3 Oregon, No. 4 Alabama and No. 5 Ohio State. Rounding out the top 10 are No. 6 Texas, No. 7 Notre Dame, No. 8 Arizona, No. 9 Ole Miss and No. 10 Missouri.
These rankings are expected to change — and will change — when transfer portal additions are finalized and pending any future coaching moves (Jim Harbaugh, you’re on the clock).
The SEC has half of its 16 teams in Action Network’s Way-Too-Early Top 25. The Big Ten and Big 12 have six teams each, while the ACC four teams plus independent Notre Dame.
These rankings currently do not factor in all player transfers or players that may leave for the NFL. My Top 25 rankings should change drastically when rosters and/or coaching staffs are finalized in the coming weeks.
No. 8 Arizona Wildcats
- 2023 Record: 10-3
- Last Season: Defeated Oklahoma in Alamo Bowl
2024 Schedule Highlights
- Sept. 14 at Kansas State
- TBA vs. West Virginia
- TBA vs. Colorado
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No. 12 Kansas State Wildcats
- 2023 Record: 9-4
- Last Season: Defeated NC State in Pop-Tarts Bowl
2024 Schedule Highlights
- Sept. 14 vs. Arizona
- TBA vs. Oklahoma State
- TBA vs. Kansas
- TBA at Colorado
- TBA at West Virginia
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No. 15 Oklahoma State Cowboys
- 2023 Record: 10-4
- Last Season: Defeated Texas A&M in Texas Bowl
- Aug. 31 vs. South Dakota State
- Sept. 7 vs. Arkansas
- TBA at Kansas State
- TBA vs. Utah
- TBA vs. West Virginia
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No. 19 Utah Utes
- 2023 Record: 8-5
- Last Season: Lost to Northwestern in Las Vegas Bowl
2024 Schedule Highlights
- TBA vs. Arizona
- TBA vs. BYU
- TBA at Colorado
- TBA at Oklahoma State
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No. 23 Kansas Jayhawks
- 2023 Record: 9-4
- Last Season: Defeated UNLV in Guaranteed Rate Bowl
2024 Schedule Highlights
- TBA at Kansas State
- TBA at West Virginia
- TBA vs. Colorado
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No. 25 West Virginia Mountaineers
- 2023 Record: 9-4
- Last Season: Defeated North Carolina in Duke’s Mayo Bowl
2024 Schedule Highlights
- Aug. 31 vs. Penn State
- Sept. 14 at Pitt
- TBA at Arizona
- TBA at Oklahoma State
- TBA vs. Kansas
- TBA vs. Kansas State
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26 Replies to “Preseason Magazines”
wow
This time of year smacks of pundolt desperation. I have seen a couple of articles on the Alabama and maybe a couple of other big shot spring games, none of which I bothered to read. Aside from that its all “rate this, rate that.” How much longer before they rate the best locker room laundry facilities, the best training table dinner ware….and one that might hit home with the culture these days….the best football players on playing video games.
one other thing
Hundreds of mock drafts, with the exception of a wild eyed trade rumor, are all exactly the same. I dont know if Kiper’s golden goose has been cooked but its being drowned by the rest.
Dont these guys ever take a vacation? are they paid that poorly? I’m not sure they work that hard anyway
“And hey, does The Rock come to your team’s home games?”
Enough said, drop the mike.
That April 6 ESPN article about Top 10 coaches in the Nation placed Willingham (3#) which sounds right and then Lance Leipold (#9) which is a complete joke. Mike Gundy has taken OSU to consecutive bowl games since 2006–not one losing season. Since, 2008 TEN 9+ win seasons. Two B-12 championship games in past 3 years. I have nothing against Lance Leipold, Kansas is a tough football program, he did get a 9 win season last year, but is 9-18 in conference and never finished higher than 7th. Matt Campbell has done much more. Chris Klienman has done much more, won the conference once and his previous resume is much stronger. Instead of Leipold, they could have just put in Jedd Frisch! FWIW, Gundy got three votes, Prime got 2.
I did not have many other problems with the list, except I’m not sure DeBoar has shown enough to be the #2 coach, yet. You could say the same about Dan Lanning, annoying as hell, but he is killing it recruiting.
I think all these rankings are worthless and I certainly dont do any of my own but I think you are coming down a little hard on Liepold. I’m sure he had nothing to with them as well. Kansas was a program at the bottom of an outhouse probably longer than the Buffs. The way he turned them around was a freaking miracle. I’m sure had less quality recruits than the others you praised that are at established programs.
once again I’m not saying he is any better than others ranked behind him but calling him a joke is a bit harsh
So College Football News has 14 of 16 Big 12 teams eligible for bowls (88%)… they see a lot of parity except for the Utes – time will tell
As far as magazines prognosticators go, I’ll stick with the pros, they live in Las Vegas. I picked the over on CU last year (it was 3.5) and barely won, although I won early in the season. They have it at 5.5 right now. I’ll bet the over as I think they will get a couple of upsets, but I’d bet more that it will either be 5 or 6 wins this year, no more, no less.
That poll about Prime’s comments on marijuana, first that isn’t the first time he has said something similar, second CU has always had the reputation as a party school, third he’s not wrong-that pungent odor drifts all the way up to section 215 row 62 where my season tickets are, fourth bleep em if they can’t take a joke.
If one of your poll options about this Ari clown was “This guy is blowing smoke out of his rear end and is completely clueless” I would have participated.
I can’t answer today’s poll about ari’s dumb ass writing, none of the choices is: he’s an asshat… Ari, not Prime. Eric’s correct that the talent in Boulder is up compared to before Prime.
So suck it ari!
Seems to me ari is like a lot of people. Doesn’t like prime.
But his non recruiting recruiting is still elevating the talent level beyond anything we’ve seen in Boulder in 25 years or so. I’ll take it.
Go Buffs
Shedeur’s career stats: 911 out of 1,326. 68.7% 10,193 yards. 97 TDs, 17 intercept. (totaled up from espn)
His freshmen year he had 8 interceptions to 30 TDs, would have been ok not great on the list above, but his soph he got it down to 6 interceptions to 40 TDs; that’s pretty great on same list.
Last year running for his life with 52 sacks he only threw 3 picks v. 27 TDs, that’s an improvement each year from 26.6% interceptions freshmen year down to 15% soph to 11% last year. What are his numbers going to be this year?
His second year at JSU his stats were:
341 out of 483, 70.6% 3,732 yards, 40 TDs 6 int 160.4QBR
What kind of season would the Buffs have if he matched his year two stats at JSU during his second year at CU? Come on front five, give him the time and protection to do more.
Almost all of the QBs (who played a full season) had six interceptions with one with five, Shedeur only had three while undoubtedly having the worst protection of the group. So the question remains, did Prime upgrade the O-line? YES.
Is the upgrade enough to compete in the Big12? TBD, but looks better… At least on paper.
Shedeur says he likes the new offense better than Lewis’ offense last year, so if he’s more comfortable in the offense and can make decisions quicker that’s a plus. Add in better protection and then the question becomes, what is Shedeur’s ceiling when he has the time and knows where he wants to go with the ball?
It will be exciting, especially the first three games. The first against a giant killer FCS champion, a true test of being mentally ready, but the Buffs should out talent them. The second against a hated rival which will be a tough game in the lion’s den, but the Buffs handled the corn better than any other team last season… And Lincoln sucking is why the winds blow east from Boulder. 😉
I’m sorry, I had to. No not sorry!
And, the third against the second most hated rival… And scrappy little brother CSU. Regardless of how Hunter humbly forgave the CSU player for the injury, the cheap shots and bad mouthing by their head coach will give the Buffs plenty of motivation. Let’s hope the Buffs are firing on all cylinders and give us the game against the lambs that we were looking forward to last season.
YardBarker says OSU is a top 10 with 10 wins per year and FanDuel says 7.5 wins for OSU’s win over/under while showing 6 Big12 teams with 8.5/9.5 wins?
Meanwhile, YardBarker says top 13 for Utah, 3 spots below OSU and FanDuel shows 9.5 wins for Utah’s over/under 2 more than OSU?
And they both give 5 maybe 6 teams a chance to win the Big12, so it’s wide open with talent! And, some good coaches that have three years of winning seasons, while OU and UT were part of the conference, who have their starters and key players including QBs coming back.
So it’s wide open with competition and good coaching, did the Buffs improve their lines enough to compete against the top of the Big12?
With 9 teams in the 7.5 to 9.5 wins prediction and five of those ranked in the top 10 – 22, upsets are gonna a plenty with spreads maybe depending on who’s the home team.
I can’t help but hope that improved protection and a simplified offense will help a QB who only threw 3 interceptions while being sacked more than any other QB last year all while running for his life the majority of the season, will help Shedeur to improve his production above the record setting year he already had… While running for his life most of the time.
It will be exciting for sure, here’s hoping that Prime’s second season is a winner.
I expect CU to be rated in the Top Ten before Thanksgiving.
So there.
Gooooooooo Buffs
Up the Skooooooooooo
They didn’t list the TD/I ratio for the players ranked above Shedeur, but for him to only throw 3 interceptions while being sacked and harassed as much as he was just makes me wonder how good can he be with a little more time and simpler routes with quicker decision making ability?
It’s crazy, but it seems like the lower you go in football the more creative the offenses can be, but in the NFL and the top college programs it’s about executing quickly, but in lower divisions you get the triple option or more complex offense like Lewis’ that takes advantage of the other teams weaknesses. But top level teams operate differently and it appears Prime is moving away from a more complex offense to one that Shedeur can react more quickly to.
Shedeur says in the new offense, there are simpler routes and reads and he can make quicker decisions and he should be able to know more often where he’s going with the ball quicker. Add better protection and what is Shedeur’s limit?
I don’t know where he will end up against the other QBs listed, but a QB with great stats on a great team has a major advantage over a player with pretty great stats and only 3 Interceptions, on a lessor team with only 4 wins. Can the Buffs pull out a winning season with improved QB play?
And then where Shedeur end up?
So what happens to “Eric” now
Sheesh. He is a free agent. Be Buff.
He is out
Buffs
does that mean we cant get him to come home and put Shurmur back on the screen? an ex RB would be a leg up on reviving the running game
The Buffs should have the top QB in the Big12 and with a new and improved O-line things will be much different then last season. Shedeur’s TD to TO ratio is as good as anyone else, while running for his life, what will he be able to do with some better protection? If just a little more production ends up in a few more scores and keeps the defense off the field for a few more minutes, that right there will improve the defense’s stats.
Add the improved players coming in on the D-line and those close losses can become wins. We’ll see after the dust settles from the transfer portal and after spring camps on how the depths charts will look.
Maybe the Buffs can shock the voting world and get into top 25 and stay there.
EYES GETTING BAD…ALL CAPS SO I CAN PROOF…..I JUST SLID INTO 85….CAN’T TELL IF I’M IN BED WITH MY GIRL FRIEND OR MY WIFE.
FOLKS….IT’S WAY, WAY TOO EARLY TO KNOW WHICH ROOSTER WILL HAVE THE MOST FEATHERS
WE PROBABLY WON’T KNOW ANYTHING UNTIL OUR BUFFS HAVE PLAYED A SEVERAL GAMES. REMEMBER LAST YEAR….AFTER 3 GAMES WE WERE WONDERING WHICH BOWL GAME WE WOULD PLAY IN…….BUT, I HAVE “HIGH HOPES” FOR THIS YEAR.
EVERYTHING HINGES ON OUR OFFENSIVE LINE AND SHEDEUR STAYING HEALTHY….WHICH-TO-ME MEANS “DON’T OPEN THE BETTING.”
GO HERD !!!!!!!!!!!
I hope I’m getting in bed with any woman when I am 85. Like it will make any difference. My eyes are as bad as yours most likely. I proof but as everyone who has read anything I write in here knows it isnt proof enough
Yo Trax,
I got the big magnifiers so i can actually see the screen. Behind you a bit 78 in April. Have had 7 eye operations for lid issues etc etc. Go one more coming up in a couple of months. Sheesh
Glad to see you up and running.
Keep the faith. Bowl game oh please a bowl game. And if it works out, meaning a lot of wins then off to the 12 playing for the national championship.
As I have said before
“Hoping and thinking and wishing and praying”
Buffalo Up
VK, TALK TO YOUR OPHTHALMIC SURGEON AND SEE IF HE/SHE CAN IMPLANT A LENS THAT WILL MAKE THE GIRLS WITH 52″ HIPS LOOK LIKE 36″. IF IT WORKS, COULD YOU GIVE ME THE SURGEON’S NAME ?
SECONDLY – IF IT WORKS – PERHAPS YOU WILL GET TO SEE THE BALL ON YUR HOLE-IN-ONE…. GO IN THE HOLE ! – – -MINE WAS UP A HILL AND I COULDN’T SEE THE BASE OF THE FLAG STICK….’THOT I HIT IT OVER THE GREEN….UNTIL I LOOKED IN THE HOLE.
HERD….GET’ER DONE
not going to waste the time. “Way too early” is the only thing that might be right.
Indeed.