Spring games wrap up around the country this weekend. Then teams pivot to summer conditioning programs in preparation for fall camp.
I’m running through my way-too-early Top 25 to pick out the biggest question marks for each team as we move out of spring ball.
25. Florida
Biggest question: Offensive tackle
First-year Florida head coach Jon Sumrall said after the Gators’ spring game that he is “pretty damn worried” about Florida’s tackles heading into the summer. Neither position is nailed down. “Those guys have to have a freaking great summer, or we got no chance. 
Like, no chance,” said Sumrall. “We’re nowhere near settled in that room.” With a new offense and a quarterback competition that will carry into the fall, having very little set in stone on the offensive line is concerning. Three Gators played more than 100 snaps at tackle last season. One went to the NFL, one has moved inside to guard, and the third needs to show major improvement from what was put on tape last fall.
24. Oklahoma State
Biggest question: Scalable offense
North Texas ranked third nationally last season in yards per play on offense. Notre Dame and Air Force were the only teams that averaged more yards per pass. North Texas was top-20 in rushing efficiency and top-25 in third-down efficiency. It led the nation in scoring. This offseason, Oklahoma State imported North Texas’s head coach, its offensive coordinator, its quarterback, its top rusher, and its top pass-catcher. Oklahoma State’s 2026 offense will be North Texas’s 2025 offense, for all intents and purposes. How does that offense scale when it plays up a league? The Big 12 isn’t the SEC, but the American isn’t a power conference. And the Cowboys welcome Oregon to Stillwater in Week 2.
23. Auburn
Biggest question: Quarterback
Byrum Brown threw 11 interceptions with 22 turnover-worthy plays in 2023. He threw 7 interceptions with 11 turnover-worthy plays in 2025. He hasn’t completed more than 66% of his passes in a season since his freshman year. The ball comes out slow. He threw 2 picks and lost a fumble in Auburn’s spring game. And his coach said afterward he didn’t see the field well. Yes, Brown is a dangerous runner. Yes, South Florida won 9 games last season with him leading the charge. The American is not the SEC. Brown has already played Alabama twice in his career, and he went 29-for-63 for 190 yards with no touchdowns and an interception. That’s a 46% completion rate and a 3.0 yards-per-pass average. Questions are fair.
22. SMU
Biggest question: Secondary
Florida State probably won’t be a world-beater through the air, but SMU has to deal with a Jeff Brohm offense away from home in Week 3. The Mustangs were middle of the road defending the pass last year, getting hands on balls or getting burned. Only 2 teams had more passes defended than SMU. Six guys saw at least 400 snaps in the secondary, and only 2 of them return in 2026. Coach Rhett Lashlee filled spots with the portal, but it’s a transitional time for the back end of the SMU defense. The top guys in the rotation played a ton of ball for SMU over the last 3 years. SMU needs their replacements to fit seamlessly into the operation to avoid starting the season in a hole.
21. Iowa
Biggest question: Passing game
Iowa should have an excellent rushing attack. Should. It might be a one-trick pony again because of questions at quarterback. Suffice it to say its groundhog day in Iowa City. The Hawkeyes brought in Mark Gronowski last season to revitalize a passing attack that has been dormant forever, but Gronowski instead faded and Iowa ranked 129th in passing offense. The Hawkeyes have not averaged even 150 yards per game through the air since the 2022 season. And this fall, the job will be won by either Hank Brown, formerly of Auburn, or Jeremy Hecklinski. The casual college football fan knows neither of their names, and probably still won’t by the end of the 2026 season.
20. Tennessee
Biggest question: Quarterback
Tennessee hoped Joey Aguilar would win an appeal and earn another year of eligibility. It probably would have liked to land a big fish in the transfer portal, but missed on guys like Josh Hoover and Sam Leavitt. Instead, the keys to the 2026 offense will go to George MacIntyre or Faizon Brandon. MacIntyre has 9 career pass attempts. Brandon is a true freshman. And this will be the fourth consecutive season Tennessee starts a new quarterback in Week 1.
19. Washington
Biggest question: Chemistry
Washington’s starting quarterback tried to leave in the winter window. Then he stayed and spent the spring months trying to win back the trust of his teammates. The Huskies have a gamer in Demond Williams Jr., who threw for 3,065 yards and ran for another 611 last season, but it remains to be seen how cohesive this group is. October looks incredibly challenging. If things get rocky, does the group still trust in their quarterback to steer the ship to clear water?
18. LSU
Biggest question: Run game
Sam Leavitt, LSU’s prized portal addition from Arizona State, was injured last fall and that had a ton to do with the Sun Devils failing to return to the College Football Playoff. But Leavitt wasn’t his usual self even when healthy. He threw less often in 2024 than he did in 2025, and he had a much healthier yards-per-pass clip when the Sun Devils made their run to the Big 12 title. He benefited tremendously from tailback Cam Skattebo. The backfield wasn’t the same once Skattebo left, and the offense felt those effects. For Leavitt to return to his 2024 form, LSU’s run game needs to be significantly better than it was. Only 3 running backs carried the ball more than 20 times last season. None of them cleared 5 yards per carry. Caden Durham was the leader with 505 total rushing yards. Only 10 FBS teams produced fewer explosive runs than the Tigers. Durham and Harlem Berry are both back. Two starters on the offensive line return, but there are double-digit newcomers in the room to try and overhaul the unit.
17. Houston
Biggest question: Special teams
Houston’s 10-win season was a product of competent play on both sides of the football. Both the offense and the defense ended the year top-50 in SP+. With key returners all over the field, the Cougars shouldn’t take a step back in 2026. But true contention in the Big 12 might come down to special teams improvement. The Cougars were outside the national top 100 in touchback rate on kickoffs, punt return average, allowed punt return average, and allowed kickoff return average. Houston punted well, but gave up 15 yards per return. Houston connected on the majority of its field goal tries, but it probably doesn’t want to be settling for as many field goals in 2026. Field position is a subtle game flipper.
16. Utah
Biggest question: Coaching
The Utes finally made the move away from Kyle Whittingham this offseason, handing the keys to the program over to Morgan Scalley. He spent 18 years as a Utah assistant and will be a first-time head coach in 2026. He had to hire a new offensive coordinator and fill major spots vacated by players looking to follow Whittingham to Michigan. Say what you will about Whittingham’s recent form, but he has 22 years of coaching experience and a career 67% win rate. Sometimes the grass isn’t greener. Sometimes the transition is bumpy. Even though Scalley has been in the building for years, things will feel a lot different with him changing offices.
15. Oklahoma
Biggest question: John Mateer
The Oklahoma quarterback was not good after he returned from injury mid-year last fall. He threw 3 picks in the loss to Texas — his first game back — and closed the year with 4 picks and 5 sacks over his final 2 games. Mateer had been thought of as a draftable quarterback early in the season, but ultimately made the decision to return to Norman for another year. He needs to show significant improvement as a passer — reading defenses, working through his progressions, then delivering an accurate ball — for the Sooners to stay in the CFP discussion. The defense has to replace key pieces. The run game has eyeballs on it. Mateer ultimately determines this team’s ceiling.
14. Alabama
Biggest question: Run game
The Crimson Tide were awful at running the football last season. Alabama ranked 126th nationally in rushing efficiency (3.35 yards per carry) and ended the year without even a 600-yard rusher for the first time since 1990. In the biggest games, the offense was entirely one-dimensional — 3 yards lost in the SEC Championship, 28 yards on 25 carries in the first round of the CFP, 23 yards on 17 carries in the quarterfinals. The offense will be quarterbacked by a first-time starter in 2026, and that player will need help.
13. Michigan
Biggest question: Passing game
Quarterback Bryce Underwood flashed as a freshman, but the mistakes were concerning. At times, he looked uncomfortable in the pocket. At times, he looked too willing to take risks over the middle. At times, he missed when looking down the field. In his final game at Michigan Stadium last fall, he threw for 63 yards on 18 attempts in a 27-9 loss. Michigan fans were hoping for improvement, then Underwood stunned with his spring game performance. He went 3-for-9 for 22 yards and showed all the same warts. Michigan doesn’t get back into Big Ten title contention without a better passing attack.
12. USC
Biggest question: Linebacker
Gary Patterson takes over the USC defense, which needs to replace all-over linebacker Eric Gentry, edge rusher Anthony Lucas, cornerback DeCarlos Nicholson, and Bishop Fitzgerald and Kamari Ramsey. A huge burden falls on Desman Stephens II to be the organizer in the middle of the defense. Stephens played the most snaps of any USC linebacker last year, but he ended the season with a 52.4 grade in run defense. The Trojans got beat up on the ground in their biggest games, giving up 306 rushing yards to Notre Dame, 183 to Iowa, and 179 to Oregon.
11. BYU
Biggest question: Wide receiver
Four players caught more than 15 passes last season for BYU. Tailback LJ Martin had 36 receptions to rank fourth on the team. Tight end Carsen Ryan ranked third. He’s in the NFL now. Wideout Chase Roberts was second on the team in receptions. He’s in the NFL now, too. Then there’s wideout Parker Kingston, who paced the Cougars in receptions and receiving yards. He’s no longer on the team following an arrest. BYU’s first-year passer, Bear Bachmeier, was promising in 2025. He needs people to throw the ball to, though, in 2026.
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10. Texas A&M
Biggest question: Defensive line talent drain
Nic Scourton was unblockable in 2024. Shemar Stewart and Shemar Turner were terrors on the defensive front, too. In 2025, they were replaced by Cashius Howell and Tyler Onyedim. All 5 players have been drafted within the first 3 rounds in the last 2 years. What does Texas A&M have waiting in the wings to replace them?
9. Ole Miss
Biggest question: Offensive line
The starting duo of Diego Pounds and Jayden Williams allowed 2 combined sacks in 2025. As far as bookend tackles go, Ole Miss had as reliable a pair as any program could hope for. Both starters need replacing in 2026. The interior remains intact, and Ole Miss still has Kewan Lacy and Trinidad Chambliss in the backfield, but replacing both tackles is never fun.
8. Miami
Biggest question: Mario Cristobal’s regular-season tendencies
Miami’s run to the College Football Playoff national title game last season was exemplary. The run almost never happened because of the Hurricanes’ regular-season mess-arounds. Head coach Mario Cristobal remains something of a question mark in the regular season. Miami has lost multiple regular-season games in each of his 4 seasons in charge. And though the Canes have 20 regular-season wins over the last 2 years, they are just 2-4 in their last 6 regular-season games decided by 7 points or less. They are 8-9 in such games across the entirety of Cristobal’s tenure.
7. Texas Tech
Biggest question: Uncertainty
The Big 12 champion Red Raiders were looking to build upon a College Football Playoff appearance in 2025 when they signed quarterback Brendan Sorsby from Cincinnati out of the transfer portal this offseason. Now, it’s unclear if Sorsby will play a game for Texas Tech. Sorsby reportedly checked into a residential treatment program earlier this week for a gambling addiction. His backup at Tech, Will Hammond, is coming off an ACL tear last October that might leave him unavailable for the opening weeks of the 2026 season. Tech has quickly gone from a sure thing to wild card in the Big 12 race.
6. Georgia
Biggest question: Passing game
The Bulldogs lost 4 of their top 5 receivers from last season, and 6 of their top 7 pass-catchers. Zach Branch (81 receptions) had a 38% target share among receivers; his absence will be felt early on while Georgia tries to figure out its receiver rotation. Will the Bulldogs open things up a bit more for Gunner Stockton? In his first year as the starter, Stockton ranked sixth in Total QBR and third in EPA despite dealing with constant drop issues, but 59% of his passes were thrown within 9 yards of the line of scrimmage. He only connected on 17 passes of 20-plus air yards. It’s still tough to know what we have with this passing attack.
5. Ohio State
Biggest question: Handling pressure in big spots
Quarterback Julian Sayin was wonderful in his first year as a starter. His postseason tape was rough, though. Against the best defensive fronts he faced, Sayin got sped up. He was sacked 5 times in the Big Ten title game and then sacked 5 more times in the CFP quarterfinal loss to Miami. He threw a pick against Indiana and then 2 against Miami. Sayin returns alongside 4 starters on the offensive line, so continuity here suggests improvement is coming. Experience gained is valuable. What do the Buckeyes do with it?
4. Oregon
Biggest question: Run defense
Oregon jumped from 66th to 20th in run efficiency defense in 2025. The defense made real strides. There is more needed. In 2024, the Ducks gave up 221 rushing yards at home in an early narrow win over Boise State. Penn State and Ohio State then combined for 473 rushing yards at 7.2 yards per carry over the final 2 games of the year. In 2025, Washington ran for 154 at 4.7 per carry, James Madison ran for 186 at 5.3 per carry, and then Indiana ran for 185 at 4.6 per carry. The Ducks are almost there, but there’s still work to be done.
3. Texas
Biggest question: Offensive line
Two starters graduated and 5 other offensive linemen transferred. Texas stockpiled talent all over the field to give quarterback Arch Manning as many weapons as possible, but none of that will matter if Texas can’t win the line of scrimmage. Texas ranked 84th in run efficiency last season, and it ranked 112th in tackles for loss allowed. No quarterback in the SEC was pressured on more drop-backs than Manning last year.
2. Notre Dame
Biggest question: Running back
Notre Dame lost not 1 but 2 first-round draft picks at running back this offseason. Quarterback CJ Carr has big expectations entering into his second season as a full-time starter. Jordan Faison and Jaden Greathouse are promising receivers. The Irish should be fine on offense. But 2,046 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns (the combined output of Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price) is a lot to replace. Notre Dame will likely use a committee, but Aneyas Williams goes into the summer as the expected starter. He had 24 carries last season and 34 carries in 2024. Big shoes to fill in the Irish backfield.
1. Indiana
Biggest question: Is there still any magic?
Indiana has absolutely crushed its portal evaluations over Curt Cignetti’s first 2 seasons in Bloomington. Cignetti’s first transfer class ranked 30th, according to 247Sports. His second transfer class ranked 25th. Those groups helped transform a 3-9 Indiana team into one that went 27-2 across Cignetti’s first 2 seasons. Fernando Mendoza wasn’t the flashiest quarterback in the portal, and he became the Heisman Trophy winner. D’Angelo Ponds was a 3-star transfer who became a second-round draft pick. Can Cignetti and his staff continue to hit a ridiculously high percentage in the portal?
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
