Biggest strength, weakness for college football's top 25 teams

ESPNApr 22, 2026, 07:50 AM ETAs spring football continues, teams are able to better assess what they expect to rely on and where they need to improve by the time the season begins this fall. Unlike recent seasons, there is no spring transfer portal to make roster adjustments that might address any shortcomings.We asked our college football reporters where the teams in our updated Way-Too-Early Top 25 stand at this point, with some springs games already played and others right around the corner.Here are the biggest strengths and weaknesses for each of the top teams. 1. Ohio State Buckeyes2025 record: 12-2, 9-0 Big TenStrength: Offensive triplets. Last year, quarterback Julian Sayin was a Heisman finalist in his first season as the starter. Running back Bo Jackson rushed for more than 1,000 yards as a true freshman. And wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, well, he remains the most complete receiver in college football.Weakness: Offensive line. The Buckeyes return four starters on the offensive line, including second-team All-Big Ten selections Austin Siereveld and Luke Montgomery. But this was a group that got pushed around by Indiana in the Big Ten championship game and by Miami in the playoff -- both defeats. For Ohio State to win the national championship, this group has to be better when it matters most. -- Jake Trotter 2. Oregon Ducks2025 record: 13-2, 8-1 Big TenStrength: Defensive front. The easy answer would be quarterback play with Dante Moore forgoing the NFL draft and returning to Eugene, but the Ducks' defensive front might actually be an even bigger strength heading into the 2026 season. Linemen A'Mauri Washington, Bear Alexander, Matayo Uiagalelei and Teitum Tuioti all decided to come back for one more season, giving Oregon one of the best, if not the best, defensive fronts in the sport.Weakness: Questions about getting over the hump. As the last two seasons have shown, Dan Lanning has built a near complete team in Eugene, albeit one that hasn't been able to get over the final hump. And while the linebacker room without Bryce Boettcher begets some questions and the new offensive line rotation around returning center Iapani Laloulu will be up for scrutiny, perhaps the biggest weakness the Ducks have going into this season is scar tissue. For the last two years, they have now been dominated and ousted in the playoffs by the team that has gone on to win the national championship. -- Paolo Uggetti 3. Georgia Bulldogs2025 record: 12-2, 8-1 SECStrength: Linebackers. Even with star CJ Allen, a projected first-round pick, moving on to the NFL draft, the Bulldogs are loaded in the linebacker room. Returning starter Raylen Wilson was the No. 2 outside linebacker prospect in the class of 2023 by ESPN Recruiting. He had 74 tackles with 2.5 sacks last season. Another projected starter, Chris Cole, was the No. 1 outside linebacker in the class of 2024, and Justin Williams was the top inside linebacker in the same class. Two other top prospects, Zayden Walker (No. 1 outside linebacker in 2025) and Isaiah Gibson (No. 1 defensive end in 2025), might be coming off the bench.Weakness: Receivers. The Bulldogs lost four of their top five receivers from last season, and six of their top seven pass catchers when you throw in tight end Oscar Delp and running back Cash Jones. No one will be missed more than Zachariah Branch, who had 81 catches for 811 yards with six scores. Returning players London Humphreys and Sacovie White-Helton are going to have to step up, along with young receivers Talyn Taylor, Thomas Blackshear and CJ Wiley. Georgia did add Isiah Canion, a big target who caught 33 passes for 480 yards with four scores at rival Georgia Tech last season. -- Mark Schlabach 4. Notre Dame Fighting Irish2025 record: 10-2Strength: Defensive experience. Nine of the top tacklers from 2025 return, including safety Adon Shuler (53 tackles) and cornerback Leonard Moore (31). The Irish also have a veteran secondary and an elite group of linebackers. DT Francis Brewu (Pittsburgh) and DL Keon Keeley (Alabama) were important transfer portal additions on the defensive line. With some key veterans recovering from injuries, this unit should be one of the best in the country this fall.Weakness: Schedule strength. Under the new CFP rules that begin this season, if Notre Dame is ranked in the selection committee's final top 12, the Irish are guaranteed a playoff spot and won't get displaced, as happened in 2025. With a relatively soft schedule, though, there's not much margin for error. The three toughest games are against BYU, Miami and SMU, the latter two of which are home games. All three of those opponents are also CFP contenders, though, and as everyone was reminded last season -- head-to-head matters. -- Heather Dinich5. Texas Longhorns2025 record: 10-3, 6-2 SECStrength: Defensive line. New defensive coordinator Will Muschamp will turn these rushers loose, and Colin Simmons already led the SEC in sacks with 12 last year. Lance Jackson, one of the nation's top recruits last year, will step up alongside him, along with senior Brad Spence. The DTs got a boost with Arkansas transfer Ian Geffrard (6-foot-6, 370 pounds).Weakness: Offensive line. The offensive line was a work in progress last season, but moving some pieces around helped them settle in. This year could be similar. Two starters, Cole Hutson and DJ Campbell, graduated and five other O-linemen left via the transfer portal. Wake Forest transfer Melvin Siani and Western Kentucky guard Laurence Seymore are expected to start. -- Dave Wilson6. Indiana Hoosiers2025 record: 16-0, 9-0 Big TenStrength: Offensive line. A year ago, Indiana complemented holdover linemen with several smart portal moves to elevate the overall group. The Hoosiers still have tackle Carter Smith, the 2025 Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year, while center Bray Lynch and guard Drew Evans enter their third seasons as starters. IU also added Wisconsin's Joe Brunner, who started the past two seasons at guard.Weakness: Cornerback. Coach Curt Cignetti has done a masterful job filling roster gaps at IU, but the team undoubtedly will miss D'Angelo Ponds, a two-time first-team All-Big Ten selection and first-team All-American who sizzled during the team's national title run. Jamari Sharpe (of the national title-winning interception) and others return, but Ponds leaves a significant coverage void in the back end. -- Adam Rittenberg7. Miami Hurricanes2025 record: 13-3, 6-2 ACCStrength: Running back. Miami returns its top four running backs from its national championship run, starting with senior Mark Fletcher Jr., who turned down the NFL for one more year with the Hurricanes. Fletcher helped power Miami's playoff run, using his blend of speed and power to not only bulldoze over defenders but outrun them. Of his 1,192 yards, 507 came in CFP games. Just as important was getting backups CharMar Brown, Girard Pringle Jr. and Jordan Lyle to return.Weakness: Linebacker. If there is one position where the Canes must develop depth in a hurry it is linebacker, where Mo Toure is the only returning player with significant starting and playing experience (yes, that Mo Toure, who received his eighth year of eligibility after an injury-plagued start to his career). Kamal Bonner, who was injured for most of last season after transferring in from NC State, will be expected to play a much larger role alongside Toure. Cam Pruitt, Kellen Wiley Jr. and freshman JJ Edwards are three more players to watch. -- Andrea Adelson8. Texas Tech Red Raiders2025 record: 12-2, 8-1 Big 12Strength: Running back. Cameron Dickey and J'Koby Williams each enjoyed spectacular sophomore seasons with the Red Raiders, producing a combined 2,882 all-purpose yards and 25 touchdowns in 2025. If touted former USC transfer Quinten Joyner can return to form after missing last season with a torn ACL, Tech should have one of the most dynamic running back trios in college football.Weakness: Offensive guard. Texas Tech has few question marks along its depth chart in terms of experience and depth, but here's one spot with no returning starters and an ongoing spring battle. The Red Raiders brought in transfer Jordan Church from Louisville, are hoping to get a healthy year out of Hunter Zambrano and have Holton Hendrix, D'Anthis Upshaw Jr. and several others competing for the opportunity to start. -- Max Olson9. Ole Miss Rebels2025 record: 13-2, 7-1 SECStrength: Offensive backfield. Few FBS teams are going to have a better offensive backfield than Ole Miss, which is bringing back star quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and tailback Kewan Lacy. The Rebels won a legal fight with the NCAA to get Chambliss another season of eligibility, after he was the SEC Newcomer of the Year in 2025, throwing for 3,937 yards with 22 touchdowns and running for 527 yards with eight scores. The former Ferris State starter might be even better in Year 2 at Ole Miss. Lacy was heavily pursued by LSU and others after he ran for 1,567 yards with 24 touchdowns in 2025.Weakness: Offensive tackle. Replacing both starting tackles is going to be a priority on the offensive line. Diego Pounds didn't allow a single sack in 2025, and Jayden Williams surrendered only two. Neither player will be easily replaced. The Rebels brought in three transfers -- Carius Curne (LSU), Tommy Kinsler IV (Miami) and Enoch Wangoy (Florida) -- to battle for the jobs. Former Maryland transfer Terez Davis, who played at Ole Miss last season, will also be in the mix. At least the Rebels have three starters returning on the interior line. -- Mark Schlabach10. Texas A&M Aggies2025 record: 11-2, 7-1 SECStrength: Receivers. The Aggies lose KC Concepcion, a likely first-round NFL draft pick, but are deeper this year, adding the 6-4 Isaiah Horton from Alabama alongside last year's breakout star Mario Craver. Ashton Bethel-Roman and Terry Bussey are both expected to take big leaps and a freshman class led by Aaron Gregory has impressed in spring.Weakness: Inexperience at linebacker. The Aggies have talent at linebacker, just not much experience. Three-year starter Taurean York is gone, as is Scooby Williams. Daymion Sanford returns, but will have two new starters alongside him, with Ray Coney arriving from Tulsa, where he had 128 tackles last year, and sophomore Noah Mikhail playing a bigger role. -- Dave Wilson 11. LSU Tigers2025 record: 7-6, 3-5 SECStrength: Defensive line. The Tigers have depth, size and talent across all positions on the defensive line, giving this group the potential to be among the best in the nation. But because there are so many new players, we are merely projecting this as the strength of the entire team. Ole Miss transfer Princewill Umanmielen and Tennessee transfer Jordan Ross headline the newcomers at rush end, while Stephiylan Green (Clemson) and Malik Blocton (Auburn) join Dominick McKinley and a strong group of young players on the interior of the line.Weakness: Offensive line. This was a weak spot a year ago, and to fix it, Lane Kiffin went into the portal -- headlining the pickups with Colorado tackle Jordan Seaton. In all, LSU returns two starters and added 11 players to try to overhaul this entire unit. On the offensive line in particular, it is important to find a group that has chemistry right away but expect mixing and matching throughout the spring to find the best rotation to improve this group. -- Andrea Adelson12. BYU Cougars2025 record: 12-2, 8-1 Big 12Strength: Running game. In LJ Martin, the Cougars have a running back who is expected to be among the national leaders in rushing yards. But the ground game is more than him. QB Bear Bachmeier also proved to be a more than capable ball carrier as a true freshman and that tandem is where BYU's offense will be built around.Weakness: Receiver. There just isn't much in the way of depth here. Jojo Phillips might be the team's top receiver and he made just 24 catches over the past two seasons. Kyler Kasper also is expected to play a significant role, and in four seasons at Oregon, he made just six catches while fighting injuries. -- Kyle Bonagura13. Oklahoma Sooners2025 record: 10-3, 6-2 SECStrength: Pass catchers. After struggling for a consistent passing game in 2025, the Sooners invested in surrounding quarterback John Mateer with pass-catching talent this offseason. Texas transfer Parker Livingstone crossed the Red River after logging 29 catches for 516 yards and six scores last fall, and fellow portal receiver Trell Harris (59 catches, 847 yards at Virginia in 2025) gives Oklahoma playmaking talent alongside the returning Isaiah Sategna III. In tight end transfers Hayden Hansen (Florida), Rocky Beers and Jack Van Dorselaer (Tennessee), the Sooners are stronger at the position than they've been in years.Weakness: Inexperience on defense. As long as Brent Venables is calling plays, Oklahoma should be plenty suffocating on defense. However, the departures of stars such as R Mason Thomas, Gracen Halton and Kobie McKinzie leave the Sooners' defense light on veteran experience, especially after Oklahoma pulled just one FBS defensive starter -- UTSA's Kenny Ozowalu -- out of the portal. Those moves place pressure on returners such as Eli and Peyton Bowen, Kip Lewis and Jayden Jackson not only to produce, but also to lead in 2026. The addition of veteran Michigan linebacker Cole Sullivan will help too. -- Eli Lederman 14. Michigan Wolverines2025 record: 9-4, 7-2 Big TenStrength: Running game. The Wolverines lost starting running back Justice Haynes to Georgia Tech, but the rushing attack should remain prolific. Jordan Marshall is back after running for 932 yards and 10 touchdowns while averaging 6.2 yards per carry last year. Michigan added Savion Hiter, the nation's No. 2 running back recruit. Quarterback Bryce Underwood can be electric with his legs too.Weakness: Pass catchers. Andrew Marsh barely played until October as a true freshman last year and still led the Wolverines with 45 receptions and 651 yards. Keeping the promising Marsh in Ann Arbor was a big win for new coach Kyle Whittingham. But otherwise, the Wolverines will be relying heavily on transfers JJ Buchanan (Utah) and Jaime Ffrench Jr. (Texas) to give them much-needed production. -- Jake Trotter 15. Penn State Nittany Lions2025 record: 7-6, 3-6 Big TenStrength: Continuity. Matt Campbell brought 25 transfers with him from Iowa State, which will make the transition easier, especially with veteran quarterback Rocco Becht leading the offense. Becht started all 12 games for the Cyclones last year and completed 205 of 339 passes for 2,584 yards and 16 touchdowns. He also had 116 rushing yards and eight touchdowns.Weakness: Wide receiver. Yes, Penn State has to replace four starting offensive linemen, but the receiver room has been underwhelming for three straight seasons, including zero catches in the 2024 CFP semifinal against Notre Dame. New wide receivers coach Noah Pauley also left for the Green Bay