With spring lastly on the horizon after a protracted winter for a lot of the nation, optimism is in the air.
In that spirit, we requested our school football reporters about groups and players they suppose will probably be on the rise in the 2026 season.
No one rose increased than nationwide champion Indiana and Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza final 12 months, however loads of groups took massive steps in the fitting route. Texas Tech, Miami, Oklahoma and Ole Miss are among the many groups that made the College Football Playoff for the primary time, and Houston, Utah and Virginia went from dropping information in 2024 to double-digit wins in 2025.
Who may very well be in retailer for related enchancment this fall and past? These are the potential CFP contenders, breakout performers and bounce-back candidates our reporters have their eyes on.
Which non-CFP group from final 12 months do you anticipate to make the playoff in 2026?
Adam Rittenberg: Texas. If the Longhorns cannot make the College Football Playoff in quarterback Arch Manning‘s second season because the starter, with all of the expertise round him on each side of the ball, one thing is mistaken in Austin. Manning seemed like a Heisman Trophy candidate late in the 2025 season, and Texas made main portal investments in broad receiver Cam Coleman, linebacker Rasheem Biles, operating again Hollywood Smothers and others. The Longhorns face a difficult schedule, however two of their hardest video games (Ohio State, Ole Miss) will probably be at residence. Coach Steve Sarkisian’s group is proficient and skilled sufficient to return to the CFP.
Jake Trotter: Notre Dame truthfully ought to have been in the playoff this previous season. CJ Carr had a powerful freshman season, rating eighth nationally with a QBR of 83.4, and figures to be sharper with a 12 months of expertise underneath his belt. Even with operating again Jeremiyah Love transferring on to the NFL, the Irish will nonetheless have weapons, particularly if wideout Jaden Greathouse can return to his 2024 playoff kind coming off a severe hamstring damage. The protection will probably be seasoned. And off the playoff snub, coach Marcus Freeman could have his group enjoying with an edge.
Andrea Adelson: I used to be tempted to say LSU as a result of Lane Kiffin put collectively probably the greatest portal lessons in the nation, however then I remembered Brian Kelly put collectively probably the greatest portal lessons in the nation final 12 months and that didn’t precisely work out. Still, I feel LSU will probably be in the combination late. The group I’m going with is BYU. The Cougars return quarterback Bear Bachmeier and main rusher LJ Martin, shored up their offensive line and made some key switch portal additions on protection, beginning with standout linebacker Cade Uluave from Cal. The schedule is manageable, although an October matchup with Notre Dame in Provo might have enormous CFP implications.
Heather Dinich: Texas is my preseason No. 1, however I’ll add USC to this dialog. The stress is on coach Lincoln Riley, who hasn’t reached 10 wins since his first season, and the items are in place to get there. With quarterback Jayden Maiava returning, together with all 5 beginning offensive linemen and operating again King Miller, the offense has the potential to be potent. Riley lured in the No. 1 recruiting class and in addition has assist coming from the switch portal. If he can improve the protection, which allowed 23 factors per sport final 12 months, USC needs to be a playoff group. The Trojans needs to be 3-0 heading into their Sept. 26 residence sport towards Oregon, and a win towards the Ducks would change the narrative and place USC for a playoff run.
David Hale: This is, maybe, an outside-the-box choose, however I’ll provide Louisville as an under-the-radar choice. The ACC might have a clear-cut favourite in Miami, however past that, the league is broad open. The ACC has given us two first-time playoff packages in the previous two years — SMU and Miami — and it actually would not be a stretch to add one other in 2026. And though Louisville hasn’t been a real playoff contender late in the season the previous few years, the Cardinals’ 28 wins since 2023 are the second most by any Power 4 program to not make the playoff (Missouri has 29). What’s extra, of Louisville’s 12 losses underneath Jeff Brohm, eight have come by a landing or much less, together with three by a subject objective or much less final 12 months. Brohm may need one thing particular in QB switch Lincoln Kienholz, who brings an added dimension of athleticism to the place that Brohm hasn’t had in the previous. Add in a deep corps of operating backs and an improved protection, led by Clev Lubin, and there is a lot to like about this 12 months’s Louisville group.
Eli Lederman: This prediction depends on numerous “what ifs,” however why cannot a Michigan group that completed 9-4 with a great deal of on- and off-field points a 12 months in the past play its means into the 12-team subject in 2026? The arrival of longtime Utah coach Kyle Whittingham ought to deliver sorely wanted stability to Ann Arbor this offseason, and he introduced plenty of key former Utes with him, together with offensive coordinator Jason Beck and star defensive finish John Henry Daley. Any stage of success this fall will probably be tied closely to the Year 2 development of coveted quarterback Bryce Underwood. Beck’s modern scheme and recent ability expertise, together with five-star freshman rusher Savion Hiter and Utah switch go catcher JJ Buchanan, ought to actually assist. Meanwhile, Michigan plugged some key holes on protection via the additions of Daley and fellow ex-Utes Jonah Lea’ea and Smith Snowden. Visits from Oklahoma, Penn State and Indiana mixed with November journeys to Oregon and Ohio State make for a frightening schedule however might present the platform for the Wolverines to get again to the CFP if Whittingham can execute a fast turnaround.
Schlabach: BYU narrowly missed making the CFP in 2025, dropping to Texas Tech 34-7 in the Big 12 title sport. The Cougars fell to the Red Raiders twice final season — they misplaced 29-7 on the street in the common season — so they are going to have to work out how to crack Tech’s stingy protection. But the Cougars did an amazing job of preserving coach Kalani Sitake round after he was wooed by Penn State. BYU brings again Bachmeier, who accomplished 64.9% of his passes for 3,033 yards with 15 touchdowns and 7 interceptions as a freshman. He needs to be significantly better in Year 2. Martin, the Big 12’s main rusher with 1,305 yards and 12 scores in 2025, additionally got here again. BYU will want to rebuild its offensive line and discover some dependable receivers. The greatest information? The Cougars will not play the Red Raiders nor Houston in the common season, and so they’ll face Arizona and Arizona State at residence.
Which group will present the best enchancment from final 12 months?
Rittenberg: Virginia Tech. I additionally anticipate James Franklin’s former Penn State group to rise in 2026, however Virginia Tech actually will improve on a 3-9 mark from final season. Franklin has had a head begin on most new coaches in implementing his imaginative and prescient and had a strong portal haul, which included Penn State imports quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer and tight finish Luke Reynolds. A positive first-half schedule ought to assist the Hokies construct confidence and perception. Expect them to pull off one notable upset in November, too.
Trotter: After going 0-18 in the Big 12 over the previous two years, Oklahoma State, behind new coach Eric Morris and an array of proficient transfers, will bounce again to end with a successful convention report in 2026. The North Texas star switch trio of quarterback Drew Mestemaker, operating again Caleb Hawkins and wideout Wyatt Young will make sure that the Cowboys get again to placing up factors after two dismal offensive seasons in Stillwater. Don’t be surprised if the revamped Pokes make a run to the Big 12 title sport.
Adelson: I feel Florida could have an opportunity to double its win whole from a 12 months in the past for just a few causes. First, new coach Jon Sumrall made an amazing rent in offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner, who could have familiarity together with his quarterback, Georgia Tech switch Aaron Philo, plus former Jackets receivers Eric Singleton Jr. and Bailey Stockton. Jadan Baugh, Dallas Wilson and Vernell Brown III return on offense, giving Florida playmaking capability. Second, the schedule units up properly for a rebound. Florida had one of many hardest schedules in the nation the previous two years. With the brand new nine-game convention schedule in the SEC, Florida has a extra manageable nonconference slate and faces solely 4 groups ranked in our Way-Too-Early Top 25.
Dinich: Clemson as a result of … there’s simply no means Dabo Swinney can lose six video games once more. Can he? Bringing again former Clemson offensive coordinator Chad Morris is attention-grabbing as a result of he hasn’t known as performs since 2020 and hasn’t coached at Clemson since 2014. He’s a confirmed playcaller, although, who helped the Tigers to a 41-11 report throughout his tenure. How first-year beginning quarterback Christopher Vizzina fares is a legitimate query, however when looking for a group that can make a major leap this fall, it is onerous to imagine Clemson will proceed to be irrelevant in the ACC race. With a street opener at LSU, the Tigers will discover out early how far their climb again will probably be.
Hale: Virginia Tech and Oklahoma State really feel like apparent solutions right here, if solely as a result of there’s a lot room for enchancment. And it is tempting to say Bill Belichick will pull off a miracle at North Carolina after a disastrous 4-8 marketing campaign in 2025, however its schedule would not look promising. So, who’s somebody a bit outdoors the field? How about South Carolina? The stress is on coach Shane Beamer after a disappointing 4-8 12 months, however LaNorris Sellers and Dylan Stewart are again, 5 of the Gamecocks’ first six video games come towards groups that missed a bowl final 12 months, and though the again finish of the schedule is harder, it could take solely an upset or two to get South Carolina into the eight- or nine-win vary. And if there’s something we have discovered from the Beamer-era Gamecocks, it is that they have an inclination to play their greatest when nobody’s anticipating it.
Schlabach: Penn State was lastly in a position to lure Matt Campbell away from Iowa State, and he may very well be poised for an enormous turnaround in Happy Valley. The Nittany Lions gained their final 4 video games to salvage a 7-6 marketing campaign in 2026. Much of the roster adopted Franklin to Virginia Tech and ex-defensive coordinator Jim Knowles to Tennessee. But Campbell introduced in 39 transfers, together with two dozen from Iowa State. Quarterback Rocco Becht, tailback Carson Hansen, receiver Chase Sowell and tight finish Benjamin Brahmer are plug-and-play starters on offense. The Nittany Lions do not play Indiana, Ohio State or Oregon in the common season, so a 10-win season is not out of the query.
Which participant do you suppose might take a serious step ahead in 2026?
Trotter: We began to see Manning dwell up to the hype and potential late final season, as he posted a QBR of 92 or above in 4 of his ultimate 5 video games. There’s little cause to imagine he will not carry that over into subsequent season. With Coleman’s arrival, Manning could have a official No. 1 receiver. With a 12 months of expertise, he might reemerge into the dialog as the highest QB prospect heading into the 2027 NFL draft.
Adelson: As Jake famous above, Notre Dame’s Carr was one of the vital spectacular freshman quarterbacks in the nation a 12 months in the past, and his trajectory ought to solely go up from right here. He was poised, correct, didn’t make many errors and barely bought flustered final season. It will probably be an adjustment not having Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price in the backfield, however Carr is greater than able to shouldering the load if crucial.
Rittenberg: Remember Ryan Williams‘ electrifying, spin-infused 75-yard landing towards Georgia early in the 2024 season? Then a 17-year-old freshman, the Alabama broad receiver was the speak of school football following a blistering begin to his profession. But Williams struggled with drops and inconsistency throughout a sophomore season that fell properly wanting expectations. He’s pushing ahead, although, and clearly has the expertise and expertise to break via as a junior. The street to stardom is not all the time linear, and Williams should not be missed in 2026.
Dinich: Alabama linebacker Caleb Woodson, who transferred from Virginia Tech, needs to be somebody informal followers get to know this fall. Coach Kalen DeBoer instructed me he was in search of a mature man to assist compensate for the lack of three senior linebackers who graduated, and Woodson began 17 video games for the Hokies. Last 12 months, he was second on the group with 58 tackles and had 2.5 TFLs. He’s the form of participant who can get to the quarterback, disrupt passing lanes and make game-changing performs. With the Tide’s total secondary returning, Alabama’s protection needs to be quick and bodily.
Hale: If you are a purchaser on Dabo Swinney’s “what’s old is new again” strategy to Clemson’s offense for 2026 with new coordinator Chad Morris, you then would possibly as properly make investments closely in operating again Gideon Davidson‘s inventory, too. Entering his true freshman 12 months in 2025, Davidson was hyped as a sport changer, with Swinney lauding him as one of the vital proficient backs he’d ever recruited, and an expectation that, at the least by 12 months’s finish, Davidson would seize the first function in the ascendant Tigers’ backfield. Instead, each Davidson and Clemson disillusioned. Davidson had simply 12 carries by the tip of October, and it was solely after Clemson had successfully punted on any hopes for 2025 that he carved out an even bigger function. Down the stretch, although, he had just a few moments for optimism, and switching from the clearly ineffective RPO sport favored by Garrett Riley again to a extra easy, vertical offense with an influence run part underneath Morris ought to assist Davidson’s progress. It’s a cube roll, however there’s numerous upside right here.
Lederman: Cal‘s Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele emerged as the most efficient freshman quarterback in the nation final fall when he threw for 3,454 yards, twelfth most amongst returning FBS starters in 2026. With one other 12 months of expertise, a brand new offensive coordinator in Jordan Somerville and a reasonably beneficiant ACC schedule, there’s each cause to imagine the left-hander from Hawai’i will make one other massive bounce this fall. First-year coach Tosh Lupoi has injected new vitality in the Bears’ program, and Sagapolutele — the quarterback Lupoi went to see hours after his hiring again in December — is on the middle of all of the optimism hovering over Cal proper now.
Schlabach: Georgia goes to have to establish playmakers at receiver after dropping Zachariah Branch, Colbie Young, Dillon Bell and Noah Thomas to the NFL draft. The Bulldogs picked up Georgia Tech switch Isiah Canion in the switch portal, however the buzz in Athens is that sophomore Talyn Taylor is poised to escape in an enormous means. He had a crucial drop in the Bulldogs’ 24-21 loss to Alabama and missed a protracted stretch with a damaged collarbone. He completed with two catches for 28 yards in six video games. But Taylor was the No. 4 receiver in the nation as a senior at Geneva (Illinois) High School in the category of 2025 and has elite velocity.
Which off-the-radar group will we be speaking about in December?
Rittenberg: Washington. I really favored Jedd Fisch’s group in this class a 12 months in the past, however the Huskies struggled to preserve tempo with their hardest opponents. In hindsight, Year 3 all the time appeared extra smart for a possible breakthrough, as Fisch and his employees have progressively improved the roster. The fallout from quarterback Demond Williams Jr.’s close to exit in January is price watching, but when issues are secure there, Washington ought to take a step ahead offensively. Washington’s schedule additionally helps as its hardest video games in September and October are at residence — USC and Iowa in consecutive weeks. The Huskies conclude the common season with Indiana (residence) and Oregon (street).
Trotter: Last season was a catastrophe for the Gamecocks, who completed with just one SEC win. But two years in the past, South Carolina was the most popular group in school football heading into December and practically snuck into the playoff. The Gamecocks return two absolute stars in Sellers and Stewart. With higher go safety for Sellers — the Gamecocks are hopeful left deal with switch Jacarrius Peak (NC State) will probably be prepared to go after an offseason basketball damage — South Carolina may very well be a sleeper playoff contender come December.
Adelson: I’m not positive whether or not it’s honest to name SMU underneath the radar contemplating the Mustangs have gained 42 video games over the previous 4 years, together with 20 in their first two years in the ACC. But SMU needs to be thought-about a CFP contender this 12 months. With quarterback Kevin Jennings returning, a powerful offensive line and one other strong portal class, SMU merely finds methods to win and keep related in the nationwide dialog. The first three weeks of the season are vastly vital. SMU opens at Florida State on Labor Day night time, then performs at Louisville two weeks later.
Dinich: Boise State. The highest-ranked Group of 6 group will make the playoff this 12 months — not the highest-ranked Group of 6 champion, which is completely different from earlier seasons. Boise State will even be competing for a Pac-12 title this 12 months after convention realignment, and the Broncos have one of many higher schedules to impress the choice committee, beginning with their season opener at Oregon. With senior quarterback Maddux Madsen returning, the Broncos needs to be in a place to contend for the Group of 6 spot.
Hale: Let’s go means off the radar. Like, to date off the radar, many individuals may not even notice what convention this group is in. But, here is the case for Cal. First, the Golden Bears may need the very best younger QB in the nation in Sagapolutele. Second, new coach Lupoi is coming from a program (Oregon) that has created a powerful blueprint on how to win in the Northwest. Third, Lupoi inked one of many prime portal lessons in the nation, fully renovating an offense that supplied far too little help for its burgeoning star QB final 12 months. And Lupoi is a defensive guru who has introduced a handful of impression players with him from Oregon and stocked the remainder of the unit with loads of upside. Then, have a look at the schedule: Aside from a visit to UNLV (no simple win), 5 of Cal’s first six opponents misplaced at the least six video games final 12 months. The Bears miss Miami, Louisville and Florida State. The solely video games the place Cal figures to be at a definite expertise drawback are vs. Clemson and at SMU (and that expertise drawback is not as enormous because it might sound primarily based on reputations). Loads would have to go proper for Cal to make a run on the playoff — and, frankly, Cal is not a spot the place loads has gone proper in current years — however on paper, there is definitely a method in which this all works out superbly in Year 1 for Lupoi.
Lederman: Predicting a Group of 6 CFP contender this time of 12 months is a little bit of a idiot’s errand … which is why it is enjoyable to dive into all the varied prospects, together with San Diego State constructing on its 2025 momentum and thrusting itself into the CFP combine this fall. The Aztecs adopted up a 3-9 end in 2024 with a 9-4 marketing campaign in coach Sean Lewis’ second season forward of this system’s long-anticipated transfer into the reformed Pac-12 in 2026. Between quarterback Jayden Denegal and reigning All-Mountain West first-team operating again Lucky Sutton, SDSU returns the foundational players in the nation’s Nineteenth-ranked speeding offense in 2025. How the Aztecs rebuild following the departure of coordinator Rob Aurich and plenty of starters from school football’s No. 6 protection, together with Trey White and Owen Chambliss, will, after all, be crucial. But with a pleasant schedule and résumé-boosting alternative in a late November journey to Boise State, SDSU has each likelihood of being in the CFP dialog come late fall.
