Predicting the 2023 college football preseason AP Poll Top 25

20. Ole Miss

19. North Carolina

18. Kansas State

17. Oklahoma

16. Utah

Our next SEC team comes in the form of the Ole Miss Rebels. While last season ended near catastrophically (lost their final four games and five of their last six), Ole Miss will once again come into this season with a lot of hype. The Rebels are led by potentially the best player in the SEC in Quinshon Judkins, a talented QB (whoever gets the starting nod between Jaxson Dart, Spender Sanders, or Walker Howard), and another loaded transfer portal class.

Speaking of great QB play, next is North Carolina. The Tar Heels are led by one of the nation’s top QB’s and a preseason Heisman candidate in Drake Maye as UNC looks to improve off of last year’s 9-5 season. Can Kansas State replicate their 2022 Big 12 title? It’ll be tough for Kansas State as they have to replace Deuce Vaughn, but the Wildcats should still be a top team in the Big 12.

Another Big 12 team comes in at #17 in Oklahoma. It was a disappointing 2022 season for new HC Brent Venables (6-7), but the Sooners (led by Dillon Gabriel) have a good shot at returning to the top of the Big 12. #16 also feels kind of low for Utah who won the Pac-12 title game last year to help cap off a 10-4 season and return Cam Rising, but the voters did not love Utah last season???. We’ll learn a lot about the Utes early as Utah opens up with two tough tests in Florida and Baylor the first two weeks of the season.