Players to Watch from Sportsvival’s 2026–2027 Preseason College Football Top 25
The rankings set the order. The players will decide how long it holds.
Sportsvival’s preseason Top 25 is built around talent, depth, physicality and a team’s path to the College Football Playoff. This companion piece narrows the lens. From established superstars to portal additions and breakout candidates, these are the players who can swing the race—and the names fans and scouts should track every Saturday.
1. Ohio State
QB Julian Sayin and WR Jeremiah Smith: Sayin enters the fall as the trigger man for another championship-caliber roster, and his accuracy and command should make him one of the nation’s defining quarterbacks. Smith is the rare receiver who changes coverage before the snap and still wins after it. If Ohio State opens the offense, this pair could produce weekly highlight material.
2. Texas
QB Arch Manning, WR Cam Coleman and EDGE Colin Simmons: Manning remains at the center of the national conversation, but Coleman may be the piece that raises the ceiling. The Auburn transfer gives Texas a big, explosive target opposite Ryan Wingo. On defense, Simmons brings the first-step burst and closing speed that can wreck a game plan. Also monitor left tackle Trevor Goosby, whose August knee bruise makes his early-season availability important.
3. Georgia
QB Gunner Stockton and S Khalil Barnes: Stockton’s toughness and mobility fit Georgia’s personality, but the next step is creating more explosive plays without giving the ball away. Barnes is a versatile back-end defender who can erase mistakes, trigger downhill and affect the passing game. Georgia’s title path will depend on both players controlling the middle of the field in very different ways.
4. Oregon
QB Dante Moore and DB Koi Perich: Moore has the arm talent, experience and supporting cast to make a serious awards run. Perich arrives as one of the most intriguing defensive additions in the country—a true playmaker with range, ball skills and return ability. Oregon has stars everywhere, but these two can tilt high-leverage moments.
5. Indiana
QB Josh Hoover and OT Carter Smith: Hoover inherits the hardest job in college football: following a national-title quarterback. He brings nearly 10,000 career passing yards, confidence and a willingness to attack vertically. Smith is the stabilizer up front, a proven tackle who gives the new quarterback time to operate. If Hoover limits the risky throws, Indiana can remain in the national picture.
6. Notre Dame
QB CJ Carr and CB Leonard Moore: Carr is no longer a projection; he is a proven starter with the poise to take Notre Dame deep into the postseason. Moore is one of the best cover corners in the country and gives the Irish freedom to be aggressive elsewhere. Freshman safety Joey O’Brien is another name worth tracking as his role grows.
7. Miami, Fla.
QB Darian Mensah and WR Malachi Toney: Mensah steps into a talented offense with two years of starting experience and the arm to unlock the field. Toney was already a high-volume problem as a freshman, catching 109 passes for 1,211 yards. A more complete route tree and another year of physical development could turn him into the most difficult cover assignment in the ACC.
8. Oklahoma
LB Kip Lewis and DL David Stone: Oklahoma’s identity still begins with defense. Lewis is an active, instinctive linebacker who finds the ball and creates negative plays, while Stone has the power and athleticism to become a disruptive interior force. Edge Taylor Wein also deserves attention after a seven-sack season. If this front travels, the Sooners can win ugly anywhere.
9. Texas Tech
TE Terrance Carter Jr. and LB Austin Romaine: Carter gives the Red Raiders a matchup piece who can align in-line, flex out and stress linebackers down the seam. Romaine is the heartbeat of the defense, an experienced tackler with the range to clean up behind an aggressive front. Texas Tech’s roster is deep, but these two provide the dependable, every-down value that keeps a contender steady.
10. Ole Miss
RB Kewan Lacy and LB Suntarine Perkins: Lacy is the headliner after rushing for 1,567 yards and 24 touchdowns in 2025. His contact balance, patience and durability make him the engine of the offense. Perkins remains the defensive chess piece—fast enough to chase in space and explosive enough to pressure the passer. Both players give Ole Miss answers when the game tightens.
11. Texas A&M
QB Marcel Reed and WR Isaiah Horton: Reed’s athleticism can stress a defense before the ball is even snapped, but his growth as a downfield passer will decide how far the Aggies go. Horton gives him a proven target with size and catch-point strength. New edge Anto Saka is also worth watching as Texas A&M replaces NFL production up front.
12. Michigan
QB Bryce Underwood and RB Jordan Marshall: Underwood becoming a sophomore captain says everything about his importance. His arm talent and movement skills give Michigan a chance to become more explosive without abandoning its physical foundation. Marshall runs with power, balance and patience. Together, they are the young offensive core around which the Wolverines’ new era will be built.
13. USC
QB Jayden Maiava and TE Mark Bowman: Maiava’s efficiency on money downs gives Lincoln Riley a veteran point guard for an offense replacing several leading receivers. Bowman may be the immediate answer. The freshman tight end has college-ready size, natural hands and enough movement skill to become a featured mismatch. His usage in September will tell us plenty about USC’s offensive evolution.
14. LSU
TE Trey’Dez Green and EDGE Princewill Umanmielen: Green is a 6-foot-7 target with the catch radius to dominate the red zone and the athleticism to become far more than a safety valve. Umanmielen supplies the length and burst LSU needs off the edge. Wideout Jayce Brown is the breakout candidate who could connect the entire offense if he becomes a consistent vertical threat.
15. Alabama
WR Ryan Williams and DL Devan Thompkins: Williams remains the player every opponent must locate. His acceleration, body control and ability after the catch can rescue an offense even when the structure breaks down. Thompkins is the interior defender with a chance to change Alabama’s front, using length and power to collapse the pocket. Their star turns would give the Crimson Tide balance on both sides.
16. Washington
QB Demond Williams Jr. and LB Khmori House: Williams is an electric dual-threat quarterback capable of creating explosive plays when the designed play disappears. The next step is achieving week-to-week consistency from the pocket. House brings speed and striking ability to the middle of the defense. Washington will be dangerous if its two young leaders turn flashes into complete games.
17. BYU
RB LJ Martin and LB Cade Uluave: Martin’s size and downhill style set the tone for BYU, especially late in games when the Cougars want to own the line of scrimmage. Uluave is the defensive organizer—experienced, physical and comfortable working through traffic. Tight end Walker Lyons is the high-upside addition who could become a major third-down and red-zone option.
18. Utah
WR Braden Pegan and DB Smith Snowden: Pegan arrives after producing 60 catches for 926 yards and five touchdowns at Utah State, giving the Utes a proven target who can win at multiple levels. Snowden is the versatile defender who brings quickness, toughness and coverage value to the secondary. Utah’s transition will be smoother if both become immediate tone-setters.
19. Tennessee
WR Carnell Tate and DB Boo Carter: Tate gives Tennessee a polished vertical target with the size and route discipline to punish isolated coverage. Carter is the defense’s live wire, capable of blitzing, covering and creating momentum-changing plays. The Volunteers’ ceiling depends on finding consistency at quarterback, but these two can make that quarterback’s job much easier—and much harder for opponents.
20. Penn State
TE Ben Brahmer and EDGE Max Granville: Brahmer arrives with proven production and the frame to continue Penn State’s tradition at tight end. He can help the passing game immediately while remaining useful in the running structure. Granville returns from a lost 2025 season with the burst to claim a major role on the edge. Both are central to Matt Campbell’s first Penn State team.
21. SMU
QB Kevin Jennings and WR Yamir Knight: Jennings is the program’s proven winner, back for a final season after leading SMU to an ACC Championship Game, a playoff berth and a bowl victory. Knight’s quickness and versatility give him a chance to become Jennings’ most reliable chain-mover. Running back Kendrick Raphael adds another veteran option to an offense that should remain aggressive.
22. Louisville
RB Isaac Brown and EDGE Clev Lubin: Brown has the vision, burst and receiving value to become one of the most complete backs in the country. Lubin is the defense’s pressure producer after posting 13.5 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks and three forced fumbles in 2025. Transfer quarterback Lincoln Kienholz is the wild card, but Brown and Lubin are the established stars.
23. Iowa
RB Kamari Moulton and LB Karson Sharar: Moulton’s compact running style and contact balance fit exactly what Iowa wants to be on offense. He can turn routine carries into four- and five-yard gains and keep the Hawkeyes on schedule. Sharar brings veteran instincts and physicality to the defense. As usual, Iowa’s best path begins with the running game and reliable linebacker play.
24. South Carolina
QB LaNorris Sellers and EDGE Dylan Stewart: Sellers combines rare size, arm strength and open-field power, making him one of the most physically imposing quarterbacks in the sport. Stewart has the first-step explosion and bend to become a weekly problem off the edge. South Carolina’s upside is tied directly to these two former five-star talents turning pressure into production.
25. Houston
RB Jeremy Payne and OG Shadre Hurst: Payne returns as Houston’s leading rusher and gives Willie Fritz a dependable foundation for the offense. Hurst, a Tulane transfer and preseason All-America selection, can transform the line with his power and experience. Freshman quarterback Keisean Henderson is the future-facing name to monitor; his athletic ceiling may force an early role.
Final Thoughts
A preseason ranking is a snapshot, not a verdict. The teams that stay in the playoff race will be the ones whose stars meet expectations—and whose next wave arrives sooner than expected.
Quarterback play drives the conversation, but this list also shows how often tackles, tight ends, linebackers and edge rushers determine the games that shape November. Watch the headline names, then watch who wins the snaps around them. That is usually where a Top 25 season is decided.