Texas and Georgia lead the way in CBS Sports analyst’s post-spring top 25
By David Wasson
Published:
Now that spring practices and scrimmages are in the rear-view mirror, the long summer march toward fall workouts and the 2026 college football season has begun. This time of year also brings preseason Top 25 lists, where analysts try to hone in on both teams to watch and programs not worthy of the hype.
CBS Sports college football analyst Brad Crawford offered a unique take Sunday on the preseason rankings, issuing his “post-spring college football top 25” – in which Texas and Georgia lead the SEC brigade.
The Longhorns rank second behind the Miami Hurricanes on Crawford’s Top 25, with the defending SEC champion Bulldogs checking in at No. 7. Two more programs – LSU at No. 8 and Ole Miss at No. 9 – are also in Crawford’s Top 10.
Alabama ranks 11th, Texas A&M 13th, Oklahoma 16th and Florida 22nd among Crawford’s post-spring Top 25 list.
The Longhorns return potential NFL first-round draft pick Arch Manning at quarterback along with an array of offensive weapons. The Bulldogs also return starting quarterback Gunner Stockton along with a stellar transfer portal class aimed at returning Georgia to the top of the college football pantheon.
Both teams are looking up at a Miami Hurricanes squad that was driving to win the CFP championship until Indiana thwarted the push to finish off a 16-0 season with the Hoosiers’ first national title.
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
