This is our way too early top 10 list rankings for next year. They are loaded exactly where you need to be loaded. Even though they're going to have 44 new incoming players, you still have Julian Sayan and Jeremiah Smith. That's a lot. Indiana is going to be right back at the top of college football again. He's operated out of the transfer portal every year anyways. So the fact that he's bringing in 35 transfers doesn't scare me at all. Touchdown. These fans are the best in the country. A day like today is why we love college football. Hey, welcome into the Joel Klatt Show. I'm Joel Klatt. This show is brought to you by Graduate by Hilton. We thank them for their support. And we are now in off-season content. Can you believe it? Can you believe that we are now finally through the college football season? Wild. I cannot believe it. Here's what we've got for you today. This is our way too early top 10 list rankings for next year. So we already are looking towards next year. And I'm telling you, there's going to be some really good teams. And there's going to be more parity. And I think we're set up for another tremendous college football season, which were coming off the heels of that great season with Indiana win the national championship on Monday night. It's still quite strange. Indiana, national champions of college football. What a year Kurt Signetti had. We'll see where they fall here in the top 10. Hey, if you have not subscribed to the show over on YouTube, please go do so. That's where you will find all of our content that we have. And we've got stuff that is exclusive to YouTube, like our Understanding Football series. And all of our content lands there. You can hit the notification button. You'll know exactly when our content comes out. Or you can follow us on social media. We are wherever you like to social media, at Joel Clash Show. We've got all of our content out there in shorter form so you can enjoy college football during the course of the regular season and now the offseason here moving forward. Let's get into it. Okay, now before I get into it, some ground rules here. I'm going to go 10 to 1, okay? So just like I do in the regular season. So we're going to start at number 10, then we're going to get to 1. And then I'll talk about some teams that just missed out of my top 10 way too early for next season. And then I wanted to tell you kind of a couple of principles that I used in guiding lights in terms of what I think is valuable and how I value teams and aspects of teams now in college football, because listen, it's different than a few years ago. The game is changing, has changed. And I think the evidence of that was Monday night with Indiana winning the national championship and what we've seen now in subsequent years with Ohio State and Michigan, we're seeing veteran teams win the national championship. And two things more specifically I think that I want to land on and you're going to see a lot of here in this top 10 as we go through it. I value veteran quarterback play, and I know coaches are valuing that veteran quarterback play as well. So most of these teams are going to have either veteran quarterbacks that are coming in out of the portal or their own player that is now one year older and will be a veteran in that system. So that's coming. I mean, Mendoza and Beck were great examples of that on Monday night. Both transfers, yes, but experienced guys. Will Howard was an example of that for Ohio State. J.J. McCarthy was an example of that for Michigan a few years ago. The next thing is a monster defensive line. I know that Indiana was able to overcome what was a monster defensive line for Miami, but even Indiana's defensive line for the majority of the year was dominant for a large stretch of the season. And so defensive line play and veteran quarterback play, that's ultimately how I would break ties here and there, and that's how I kind of rank teams. So let's get into it. 10-1 next year's top 10, as I see it right now, way too early right after this national championship game. Number 10 is going to be Texas Tech. Joey McGuire's group is coming off their best season in program history, their first Big Ten title, a push toward the playoff. Texas Tech is not going to go anywhere. There's too much investment that they've got going on with Cody Campbell and everything and those folks down there. And Joey's a terrific coach. I love what he did on his staff last year, and they are fully bought in down in Lubbock. They are committed to winning. In addition to what they do out of the portal, they also had the number one high school recruiting class in the Big 12 this offseason. And then they obviously have hit the portal again, and they got some really key contributors, namely Brendan Soresby. So they get the veteran quarterback, and this is one of the more highly coveted quarterbacks out of the transfer portal. So Soresby is going to be their quarterback, and he's got a lot of starts coming in from Cincinnati. And then they hit that defense again. You get a defensive tackle from Wake Forest. You get Kansas State linebacker Romaine. You've got a couple of edge players, which, of course, they brought in this last year. And now you've got a team that can resemble what you were able to do a year ago. And remember, they've got to replace a lot of guys on that defense. And so they bring in some of these guys out of the portal. And you're going to have to replace David Bailey and Romello Height. Those are really good players. Lee Hunter, Buckus Award winner Jacob Rodriguez. You know, it's not going to be easy. But again, Shield Wood, the defensive coordinator, came in last year from Houston. And he did a heck of a job. And I would imagine he would do that again. Offensively, they're going to pair Soresby with their tight end Terrence Carter, who's a good player. They've got Cowboy Coy Aiken on the outside. He's a terrific wide receiver. Their two backs are back, three returning starters on the offensive line. So here we go, Texas Tech in the top 10. The schedule is going to be pretty easy for them. Guys, if they don't win 11 football games, something went terribly wrong, probably from an injury perspective. Tech is likely going to be back in the Big 12 championship game. They're likely going to be back in the playoff, and they're going to start in my top 10. At number nine, there was some debate in these spots here, but at number nine, I'm going to go Michigan. Michigan's had a really good offseason, guys, even after the wild exit for Sharon Moore. I understand that it's been wild, but you talk about solidifying what went on or what's going on in Ann Arbor since that point. The Maize and Blue have only come out better, I think, since that point where Sharon Moore exited the program. Kyle Whittingham's one of the better coaches in America, and now he comes into Michigan. So like that in and of itself, you talk about a foundational coach that is built on toughness, winning defense, running the football. That's exactly what Michigan wants, needs, and is their identity. That's their blueprint. And so they got a guy that's that's immediately in their blueprint. I think he put together a really good staff. Jason Beck is going to be the offensive coordinator. He did a tremendous job at Utah. Jay Hill comes in from BYU, but has a long history with Whittingham. Jim Harding, the offensive line coach at Utah, has done one of the great jobs in college football with the offensive line at Utah for a number of years. He's going to come over and coach the offensive line at Michigan. And then Michigan did a really good job of retaining some of their players that flirted with and even entered the transfer portal and bringing them back out. You know, Zeke Berry is one of those guys. I think Jason Beck's system looks like a great match for this Michigan team and what Bryce Underwood could be at quarterback. Now, clearly he's going to need to take a step forward. There's no doubt. But they're also bringing in a quarterback-specific coach for him in Coy Detmer Jr., who came from Utah. I think that going to be big for Bryce Underwood He also has Andrew Marsh on the outside That huge for them Jordan Marshall comes back at running back That's big for them. They also got a couple of great running backs that are coming in as commits. One, a true freshman, Heider. He comes in as the number one back in the country. Tatum, a back that was the number one back in the country a couple of years ago, has been at Oklahoma for a couple of years, is now coming into Michigan. So they should be able to run the football. I think Andrew Marsh is an incredible player, and if Jamie French can do anything on the other side, former top 50 recruit, comes in as a transfer from Texas, then that offense should be pretty good. Jay Hill as defensive coordinator, I like that. Jay Hill is a really good coach. They bring in John Henry Daly from Utah. He's a terrific player. Smith Snowden, one of the best nickels that we've got in college football. He comes in, and so it comes down to schedule. Home games against OU, Indiana, Penn State, and Iowa. road games against Oregon and Ohio State. Not an easy schedule for this Michigan team. This Wolverine team is going to have to take care of their home field and then try to knock off either Oregon or Ohio State on the road. It's going to be difficult, there's no doubt, but I think Michigan is going to be a really good team. They're number nine. At number eight, listen, I've got to go with LSU. While the exit from Ole Miss was messy, Lane Kiffin is basically guaranteed to have a great offense, something that was totally lacking at LSU a year ago. They were 103rd in scoring offense, 111 in total offense, and Kiffin's going to come in, and he's going to turn that around right away. And listen, he's operated out of the transfer portal every year anyways. So the fact that he's bringing in 35 transfers doesn't scare me at all. that's normal for Kiffin in particular because he got his guy at the most important position that's Sam Levitt widely considered I think the best quarterback in the transfer portal they get him from Arizona State guy has playoff experience he's won a Big 12 championship took Texas to the brink in that playoff game I love that get from them and they're going to have more wide receivers they got Jace Brown from Kansas State You get Eugene Wilson III from Florida. Good players. They got a couple of really good defenders out of the portal as well. Edge player Jordan Ross from Tennessee. The quarterback, Ty Benefield from Boise. So again, like, and LSU is not done. They're probably going to grab a couple of more players out of the portal that we don't even know of at the time that we're recording this. They also retained Blake Baker. Blake Baker had some head coach interest around the country. There's no doubt. And he did a really good job at LSU last year. And if he continues to do that and they continue to develop, then this is a top 10 team. I think the schedule is going to start with the, well, it will start with the return trip from Clemson. Spicy one there. I like that. I love the SEC opener, by the way, at Ole Miss. Sign me up for that one. That one would be tremendous. LSU, number eight, top 10 team, Lane Kiffin and the Tigers. All right, at number seven, I'll be honest, I struggled with this one because they're going to be replacing a lot of really, really good players. So I've got to believe that they've built in both the portal and through high school recruiting, which this team and program has, and that's Miami. So Miami is going to be number seven. They just wrapped up an incredible season for them getting to the national championship game. And let's face it, if it weren't for that blocked punt for a touchdown, they're right there to win a national championship for Mario Cristobal and the Canes, which is a great tenure so far for them. And if they just continue on that trajectory, they will be on the doorstep again. They really will. Now, they're expected to lose a lot of star power. Guys, this is what keeps them out of the top five for me. I think it's easy to put them into the top five because of where they finished. But man, think about this. Ruben Bain, Akeem Mesidor, both likely first-round picks. Ahmad Moten starting linebackers, both of them need to be replaced. That's a lot on that defensive front seven. And that was a front seven that was really key for them. They're going to have to replace four offensive linemen, depending on some of those decisions up front, likely the top 10 pick right tackle Francis Maui Noah. That's a lot. You're going to have to replace your quarterback back. Now it's not official right now. We think, we think that it might be Darian Mensah from Duke. Now, if that's the case, then you get an experienced quarterback in there and you start to place him with some talented players and maybe one of the more talented players in the country like Malachi Tony on the outside. That's a terrific player. And we saw that throughout the playoffs. You've got Mark Fletcher, who did a great job save for that punch after the game. But on the field, he was terrific running the football throughout the playoffs. And then on defense, you know, you're going to have to have some of these guys step up as returning players. Justin Scott in the tackle position. Xavier Lucas, who didn't get to play in that first half, came in and played pretty well in the second half as Indiana struggled to move the football, in particular in those first few series. And Ethan O'Connor over at corner as well. Those guys are going to have to play well. I really love Malachi Tony. I think if they get Mensa and if they were able to add maybe an offensive lineman or two out of the portal after this, they are easily top 10 for me. They're at number seven. What's up, Clash Show fans? every great idea deserves the power to bring it to life. Meet the all-new Dell XPS laptop, the perfect combination of style, power, and performance designed to elevate everything that you do. With its modern ultra-thin design, it's as stunning as it is functional. And the battery? It's built to last all day long, from that first sip of coffee to your evening wind-down. The Infinity Edge display captivates with vibrant colors and crystal clear detail, pulling you into an immersive experience, whether you're working or you're streaming. And when it comes to performance, the XPS doesn't just keep up, it leads the way. Whether you're tackling your biggest projects or bringing your creative vision to life, it's built for editing photos, mixing tracks, and designing masterpieces. Powered by the Series 3 Intel Core Ultra processors, the XPS gives you the freedom to create without limits all day long. The Dell XPS proves there's no need to compromise. Style, power, and reliability come together in one expertly crafted machine. Check out the all-new Dell XPS at dell.com slash XPS. at number six. And I couldn't put them in the top five in good conscience after what happened this last year, because they were consensus number one last year, consensus Heisman front runner to begin the year. And Texas fell on their face. They did not play well. So Texas is going to come in at number six. They came in with so much hype. This is a little under that, right? Not even in the top five. And with all the parody, listen, all of these teams could be somewhat interchangeable. I think that this is about right as far as expectations. We know Steve Sarkeesian's going to have a good football team. We know they're going to be right there in terms of fighting for a spot in the SEC championship game, fighting for a spot in the college football playoffs. And if Miami didn't just prove, listen, Miami proved, if they proved anything to us, it's that if you right there and can get yourself into the tournament maybe you can go all the way because they were close They were awfully close to winning the national championship and there was a debate whether they should be even included in the playoffs We know Texas is going to be right there don we They went big game hunting in the portal, and I know, and I've talked with a few of them, the Texas folks down there. They feel like they've upgraded. I know that some of the star power from the recruiting classes left, but they feel like they're getting better right now through the transfer portal. Cam Coleman was a huge get from Auburn out at wide receivers. Hollywood Smothers is a really good player at running back. Relique Brown, he's been to a lot of places, USC, Arizona State, he comes in at running back. You got some good players out of the portal from the defensive side of the football, and they're going to have a change at defensive coordinator with Pete Kwiatkowski on the out and bringing in Will Muschamp, who's been at Texas before, but certainly been in the SEC for a long time. They still have Colin Simmons on the edge, one of the premier pass rushers in the sport there to solidify things. I like what I see from Texas. We're going to see Texas early in the season. They're going to welcome in Ohio State in that return matchup from the Buckeyes. They've got to travel to Tennessee. They get Oklahoma in the neutral site game, obviously. They've got Ole Miss on the schedule. They've got to go to Baton Rouge and play LSU. They've got to go to College Station and play Texas A&M. No, it's going to be manageable. And again, they'll be right there. They'll be right there. And as you know, this is a lot different than it used to be. These teams could be six. They could be 12 because of the parity in college football, which is what I think makes this so great. So Texas lands at number six. All right, now we get into the top five. Let's start at number five with Notre Dame. Year five for Marcus Freeman and South Bend after, you know, spurning some of that NFL interest. Good for Notre Dame. Good for college football. There's no better motivation, guys, than being totally furious with how the season ended and feeling like you got gypped and that's exactly what Notre Dame felt like they felt like they should have been in the playoff and let's face it the way that Miami went through the playoff who's to say Notre Dame couldn't have won the whole thing you know at times Notre Dame looked like one of the better teams in the country and so their offseason is going to be filled with with motivation and and vinegar if you will I think missing out on the playoff and watching Miami do what they did is going to be motivation for them well this year's well will next year's Notre Dame be more pass heavy? I think that they possibly could be. They're obviously going to lose their two running backs, Jeremiah Love and Jadarian Price, who were so good. And you're looking at this combination of wide receiver, quarterback, and then even wide receivers that they're bringing in out of the portal. CJ Carr is going to be in year two. His two top receivers are back. Faison and Great House missed most of the last season with a hamstring after his great playoff performances in 2024. They added two wide receivers from Ohio State out of the portal, Quincy Porter and Mylon Graham. Their offensive coordinator, Mike Denbrock, has shown that he can have an offense that's one of the better offenses in the country. He was the OC at LSU when Jaden Daniels had his breakout Heisman year. Could it be a more passing-oriented Notre Dame team? We'll see. The defense is still one of, if not the best defenses in the country. They're going to have really solid defensive backs. You know they're going to be tough up at the line of scrimmage. They get Miami to return to South Bend in that return game after going to Miami a year ago. So Notre Dame starts in my top five. I really love what Notre Dame brings back. They are number five in my way too early top 10. All right, number four. At the beginning of the transfer portal window, I was a bit alarmed, and I know a lot of these fans were, but the Buckeyes, there were a lot of exits and it's like, whoa, what's happening with Ohio State? But then as the dust settles, you start to realize Ohio State's going to be just fine. And so Ohio State is going to be number four. Obviously, this season didn't end the way that they wanted it to. They were undefeated, number one in the country, and they lose their last two games of the year in the Big Ten Championship game to Indiana and then the eventual runner-up, Miami, in that Cotton Bowl. It's been a strange offseason. Obviously, there's going to be more turnover than most are used to in Columbus. But, but, even though they're going to have 44 new incoming players, guys, you still have Julian Sane and Jeremiah Smith. That's a lot. And then look at some of the other players that they've got coming back on offense. Bo Jackson was a thousand yard true freshman back. They're going to have three or four offensive linemen back. They chose not to go into the portal and invest in offensive line out of the portal, but reinvest in guys that they believe can develop into quality players like Austin Cerevelde. They get a big bump when Kenyatta Jackson doesn't go to the NFL, and he's going to come back. So he'll be on the edge of that defense. And then they went out in the portal, and they signed a lot of players, and they're going to need a lot of players on the defense. They're going to lose eight starters. Four of them are going to be first-round draft picks, a lot of talent leaving that defense. And then there'll be some question, at least moving forward, if they can retain Matt Patricia, because certainly there's going to be some NFL interest from everybody, really, anybody with an opening in terms of Matt Patricia and where he'll end up. Does he stay in Columbus? They hit the portal to reinforce the defensive line. They got two Alabama transfers on the defensive line, a couple of veteran safeties. And then the schedule is going to be tough for them. They've got to go on the road to Texas. They've got to go on the road to Indiana. They've got to go on the road to USC, on the road to Iowa, and they've got to host Oregon and Michigan. So we're going to know everything about Ohio State next year. They're going to be well-tested when they get to the end of the year. But again, veteran quarterback, Jeremiah Smith, better offensive line. I think that this could be a really good team, so they're going to be number four. At number three, I, to be fair, had a debate with these next three teams at number one. this team is going to be number three. And listen, this is meant to be praise. Indiana is going to be right back at the top of college football again. And I couldn't put them at one, largely because they don't have their own returning starting quarterback. And I know that they didn't have a returning starting quarterback this last year, and they went on to win the national championship. I get it. I really do. and I know that Josh Hoover coming in out of the transfer portal is going to fit Kurt Signetti in this offense perfectly and I know Nick Marsh from Michigan State is going to be a perfect addition on the outside to pair with guys like Charlie Becker and we'll see what happens with Cooper. I know Joe Brunner coming in from Wisconsin is going to solidify the offensive line. I know that they're going to get players on the defense and they're going to play well. One of the reasons that I know all of those things is because they retain their staff. the biggest additions, if you want to say, or the biggest, yeah, I guess additions, the signings that Indiana had weren't actually on the field. They were in the coach's box when they were able to retain Mike Shanahan, the offensive coordinator, retain Brian Haynes, the defensive coordinator. That continuity cannot go overlooked. That continuity, I think, is the reason that they won the national championship. Now, what's going to be difficult for them is to replace some of those real core JMU transfer guys that have been there throughout this entirety of the run, the 27 and two over two years and now a national championship. I'm talking about guys like D'Angelo Ponce. He's going to have to make a decision. I'm talking about guys like Aiden Fisher, the linebacker Elijah Surratt on the outside Mikhail Kamara These guys are going to be hard to replace There no doubt I do trust that they can because these are great coaches and this is a continuity of schematics that this staff has that not many other people have. They prioritize production over potential. We have to trust what they've got going on. So Indiana is going to start at number three. I really like what we've got going on with Indiana. They're going to be right back there. Could be a favorite in the Big Ten to start the year. At number two, I just trust this coach. I trust the way that he's built both now through the portal and high school recruiting, maybe more so in high school recruiting. Georgia has won two straight SEC titles in three of the last four, but it feels like times are a bit tough in Athens because they haven't been to even the semifinal in the last three years. So you know that you're about to get the best from Kirby Smart, I think at least. I really do. And they've been knocking on the doorstep and now they're going to have a veteran quarterback. I think Gunnar Stockton can take a next step. We've seen him play really big and crucial moments in late in ballgames when he's needed to. Their high school recruiting has been excellent. Sixth, second, first, and second over the last few years. Stockton is back year two in that. They're going to have Nate Frazier, Chauncey Bowens. They'll need to, I think, find some playmakers to replace Zachariah Branch, who got the ball a lot late in the season. Oscar dealt, but they still have, was it Lucky, the tight end in there? I think he's a really good player. Drew Bobo is coming back at center. Ellis Robinson, KJ Bolden. Again, this is going to be a good team. Georgia's not going anywhere. And you've got to assume that if they get veteran in the right spots, like quarterback, that they're going to be able to answer the bell and push forward into the semifinal and potentially the national championship. So Georgia is going to be number two. That leaves one last team at number one, and now you know exactly who it's going to be. Oregon is going to be the number one team in the country in my way too early top 10 for next season. Really tough ending to the season this year and last year in the playoff, getting blown out by Indiana this year, got blown out by Ohio State. But if you look at it, you look at the slow build for Dan Lanning and this Oregon Ducks team. Year one, 10 wins. Year two, 12 wins. They reached the Pac-12 title game. Year three, 13 wins. They win the Big Ten title game. Number one seed, go to the college football playoff quarterfinal. Year four, 13 wins. Win two playoff games and reach the CFP semifinal. Don't you see it here? One step further every single year. And now he's going to be bringing back his most veteran, most talented, and more specifically, best defensive line that he's had at Oregon. I'll go back to this premise that I was talking about before I started this top 10. If you've got a veteran quarterback who's talented with playmakers around him, you are solid on the offensive line, and you are great on the defensive line, then watch out. Look at the returning players for Oregon. Dante Moore at quarterback. DeCoreon Moore at wide receiver. Jeremiah McLennan at wide receiver. Jordan Davison at running back. Jamari Johnson at tight end. You've got Uyunga Lele on the edge, Amari Washington at tackle, Bear Alexander at tackle, Tatum Tuioti at edge, Brandon Finney at corner. They are loaded exactly where you need to be loaded. That defense is going to be excellent. They're going to have better quarterback play because of the veteran presence of Dante Moore. Him coming back makes them the number one team in the country in my way too early top 10. That boost, I don't think that you can win the national championship with a first-year starter anymore. I think that the game has progressed past that because of the veteran nature of some of these teams with guys not going to the National Football League, sticking around for NIL money, and becoming veteran players. And now I look up and it's like, man, they are going to be veteran at quarterback. They're going to be talented around that veteran quarterback. And the defense is going to be outstanding. I know that they have to replace two coordinators. They went internal with both replacements. That secondary is going to be one of the best secondaries in the country. Think about the portal, too. They got Coy Parrish out of the portal from Minnesota. No one knows about Coy Parrish. He's phenomenal. He's phenomenal. I think he's an upgrade over Dylan Thienemann, who was really good for them this last year. So watch out for that Oregon team. So they're number one in my way too early top 10. Here's some teams that I debated in that 9-10 slot. Ultimately, Michigan and Texas Tech won out in those arguments. But here's five teams that I very easily could have included into this top 10. Let me start with USC. With Mayava back and Wayman Jordan back, I think that there's a class, there's a case to be made that USC could be a top 10 team next year. Now, you know, losing Danton Lynn is ultimately why I kept them out of the top 10. And they're leaning heavily on a really great high school class. And that inexperience doesn't lend itself to modern college football. So maybe a year away, but certainly a team that I think could be very good. They got a tough schedule, but USC was in the mix just outside of my top 10. Texas A&M, Mike Elko building the team the right way. I thought about Texas A&M after a playoff push this last year. Now, granted, they kind of hit the schedule lottery within the SEC. So maybe it was inflated. I don't know. Maybe it wasn't. But I debated A&M in this position. Ole Miss, I thought about Ole Miss, but we've got to see about Trinidad Chambliss. That uncertainty doesn't allow me to put them in the top 10. If he's back, they're probably in the top 10. The fact that that's up in the air, I couldn't do it. BYU, a lot coming back for BYU. It just feels like right now there's just like this ceiling, this cap on BYU. I know BYU fans hate that I say that. Listen, I get it. I totally understand. I love BYU. I thought about them in the top 10. They're certainly a top 15 team, and they were right there. And then the other one that I debated was Oklahoma. John Mater coming back will be big for them. And if they can play defense like they played last year, then they certainly will be right back in the mix in the top 10. There's no doubt about it. they've just got to get better running the football, in particular with their running backs. That weakness was glaring last year and the reason that I couldn't put them inside of my top 10. So there you have it. There's my top 10 for next year, and you can debate it as long as this offseason is. Listen, this show is going to take a little bit of a break here and a well-deserved break for everybody behind the scenes. We've got an incredible staff at the Joel Class Show. They do an awesome job not only putting together these shows, but all of the content that you see on social media, our team does an incredible job. And I'm thankful for them. And so a well-deserved little break here for the crew of the Joel Klatch Show. It's been a six-month sprint here. This is, what, 65 episodes later since we started in August for this season. And we're going to take a little bit of a break so you can chew on this top 10 list. Our next show is going to be February 2nd. That's a Monday, February 2nd. Again, subscribe to the YouTube channel, hit that notification button, and you'll know when our content drops when we come back. But I just want to thank you for being a part of this show. Thank you for listening. Thank you for watching. College football is in such a great spot. You know it, and I know it, and I'm thankful to go along this journey with you. We'll be back on February 2nd. Until then, have a great end of the month of January, everybody.
