The top of ESPN’s newly-released ‘future power rankings‘ is loaded with programs from the SEC.
The league is responsible for 5 of the top 10 teams, including the No. 1 overall spot. ESPN updated its future power rankings list on Wednesday morning. Per ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg, teams are scored in 6 categories: Returning quarterback, likelihood of a multi-year QB on the roster, offensive/defensive line outlook, roster management, star power and coaching staff.
The future power rankings consider both the 2025 and 2026 college football seasons.
With that criteria in mind, the Texas Longhorns captured the No. 1 spot in this year’s future power rankings from ESPN. Texas scored well in all 6 categories, but its coaching staff seems to be the biggest reason for its top-line ranking this year. Here’s some analysis from Rittenberg on Texas’s coaching staff:
Sarkisian’s growth as a head coach has been on full display the past few seasons, as he led Texas to CFP appearances in different conferences. He’s at an A-list job and likely isn’t going anywhere, and he has done a good job establishing and maintaining a veteran staff that includes coordinators Kyle Flood (offense), Pete Kwiatkowski (defense) and Jeff Banks (special teams).
Steve Sarkisian has led Texas to the College Football Playoff in back-to-back years, but the Longhorns will be hoping to get all the way to the National Championship Game this season.
Elsewhere around the SEC, Georgia landed at No. 3 in ESPN’s future power rankings. Three other SEC programs ended up in the top-10: No. 8 LSU, No. 9 Tennessee and No. 10 Alabama.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
