College football rankings: Phil Steele reveals top 25 power poll – 247Sports

College football rankings are coming out in rapid succession this summer ahead of the 2024 season, the latest coming from one of the veterans in the business. Magazine guru Phil Steele revealed his top 25 power poll recently with a few surprises, including one SEC program left out of the rankings that we included in our top 15.
The expanded College Football Playoff widens the margin of error for elite programs and gives several just outside of the national conversation a chance to compete for a postseason title with a strong finish. The newly-expanded SEC and Big Ten have dominated most preseason rankings, along with a couple ACC powerhouses and Notre Dame. The upcoming season offers a ton of intrigue included major players changing schools via the transfer portal.
Preseason rankings don’t amount to much if programs crumble under the pressure of being seen and like we’ve witnessed in recent years, there are currently unranked teams who could ascend this fall with a similar path to greatness taken by TCU and Washington the last couple seasons.
RELATED: 50 thoughts on college football’s 2024 season: Predictions and analysis
Here is Steele’s preseason power top 25 rankings and where his picks compared to our own coming out of spring:
247Sports post-spring ranking: No. 2
There is plenty of ammunition left for the Bulldogs despite Georgia seeing its school-record 29-game winning streak snapped in last year’s SEC Championship Game by Alabama. That was the only blemish during another otherwise flawless season at a program with two national titles over the last three seasons. Where are the weaknesses for Georgia in 2024? One would be hard-pressed to find any. After signing another top-ranked recruiting class and convincing quarterback Carson Beck to return, the Bulldogs are one of the favorites to win another title. The schedule is arduous, but this team has enough talent to overcome it.
247Sports post-spring ranking: No. 1
No elite program made more power moves in terms of talent accumulation this spring than the Buckeyes. Ohio State went from College Football Playoff threat to one of the national title favorites given the roster and coaching staff additions accomplished by Ryan Day. On top of securing one of the nation’s top transfer classes with Alabama All-American safety Caleb Down, Ole Miss standout ballcarrier Quinshon Judkins and multi-year Kansas State starting quarterback Will Howard, the Buckeyes also quickly replaced newly-hired offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien with UCLA head coach Chip Kelly.
247Sports post-spring ranking: No. 4
Most expect Dan Lanning to make his first playoff appearance at Oregon this season. Anything less than that, given this program’s rise, resources and offseason work in the portal, would underwhelm. Not only did Oregon button up its quarterback room with portal additions Dillon Gabriel and Dante Moore, but the Ducks are being built on the defensive side of the football similar to Georgia in terms of depth, skill and ferocity — from the trenches out is the motto for Lanning. Former Texas A&M wideout Evan Stewart will be a star.
247Sports post-spring ranking: No. 3
Equipped with the best quarterback duo in the country, several difference-makers on defense and an offensive line that has a chance to be the SEC’s best, Steve Sarkisian’s national championship window at Texas is open right now. The Longhorns’ 2024 two-deep might be even better than last season when Texas finished one win short of a title-game appearance. Texas is a recruiting powerhouse and Sarkisian’s calculated moves in the transfer portal should pay immediate dividends in the big-play department.
247Sports post-spring ranking: No. 9
The proof of offensive improvement should come in September when the Nittany Lions take the field with a new play-caller and the promise of explosive plays for the first time in several years. That’s what it will take to be an expected force in the Big Ten alongside other elites. James Franklin made changes to a 10-win team he felt were necessary to get over the hump and into the expanded playoff.
247Sports post-spring ranking: No. 5
How much trust do you have in Kalen DeBoer during his first go-around in the SEC? Will Jalen Milroe duplicate last season’s success as a now seasoned vet? Can Alabama’s secondary, littered with new faces, still produce at an elite level? There’s a few questions facing the Crimson Tide in the post-Nick Saban answer we don’t know the answers to yet, but given this program’s level of prestige and overall talent level sans a few notable portal departures, Alabama gets the benefit of the doubt after spring. 
247Sports post-spring ranking: No. 15
Is Oklahoma flying under the radar a bit this summer? We’ll hear what Brent Venables has to say next week at media days, but Steele has the Sooners inside the top 10. Deion Burks is a baller. The Purdue transfer at the wideout spot was one of the spring MVPs for the Sooners, who found their new go-to playmaker in the passing game. Jackson Arnold looked in full control of Oklahoma’s offense heading into his first campaign as the starter as Venables and his team heads into the SEC. 
247Sports post-spring ranking: No. 10
The Fighting Irish have been good — but not great — in Marcus Freeman’s early tenure in South Bend. Hiring Mike Denbrock from LSU was a power move by Notre Dame, which expects to be much better offensively from a well-rounded standpoints. The Fighting Irish will be difficult to contain on that side of the football in 2024 if Clemson transfer Beaux Collins and others are the immediate stars they were recruited to be. Much of Notre Dame’s success will hinge on the shoulders of Duke transfer quarterback Riley Leonard, who missed the spring after recovering from surgery.
247Sports post-spring ranking: No. 6
This is the most-talented roster ever assembled in Oxford — on paper. Ole Miss grabbed a couple high-end defensive starters out of the portal, coaxed South Carolina’s top returning playmaker Juice Wells to switch teams and feels good about their backfield despite the loss of Quinshon Judkins moving over to Ohio State. The Rebels are one of the offseason’s poster boys for “teams to watch” and have an impressive trajectory based on what Lane Kiffin’s group accomplished in 2023 with 11 wins. If quarterback Jaxson Dart has another banner season, Ole Miss will be one of the SEC’s multiple playoff teams with a chance to win it all.
247Sports post-spring ranking: No. 14
Mario Cristobal continues to bolster what is shaping up to be Miami’s best-looking depth chart in years. The addition of several vital pieces up front and at the skill spots, including Washington State quarterback Cam Ward, makes the Hurricanes one of the headliners in the ACC this offseason. There’s no excuse why Miami shouldn’t be challenging for a spot inside the top 15 entering November. Still have to prove it, however.
247Sports post-spring ranking: No. 12
Cameron Rising is the veteran leader on offense, but he’s not the only playmaker the Utes have ahead of their first season in the Big 12. Most have slotted Utah just outside the top 10 this summer, just as Steele has done here, given the respect level media members have for Kyle Whittingham. He’s won multiple conferences titles previously and will try and scale the Big 12 mountain this time around as a possible playoff team.
247Sports post-spring ranking: No. 7
Buying low on Michigan at No. 12 here in Steele’s rankings is a smart bet, though many parts of this year’s team are still a mystery. The quarterback situation remains undecided, but everyone knows the other side of the football will be championship-caliber based on what’s coming back. Can Sherrone Moore keep it going at Michigan and have his team playing with an elite edge? Pounding the football with Donovan Edwards and others might be a winning recipe for a team on the nation’s longest winning streak.
247Sports post-spring ranking: No. 16
Coming out of spring, the hype seems to simmer on Clemson — just the way Dabo Swinney likes it. Clemson gets Phil Mafah back, but it’s going to have to manufacture production elsewhere in the run game to take some of the pressure off Cade Klubnik, who’s back for his second season as the Tigers’ QB1. Clemson’s defense should be one of the nation’s best with Peter Woods and a number of other important returning starters.
247Sports post-spring ranking: No. 11
Mike Norvell is a transfer portal guru and again ensured the Seminoles have one of the ACC’s top-tier rosters. Equipped with an elite signing class to pair with his portal additions, Norvell showcased his offseason expertise with another talent reload and should be one of the coaches who significantly benefits from playoff expansion. Former Oregon State and Clemson quarterback DJ Uiagalelei learned the offense quickly and has a variety of weapons around him. FSU’s defensive back seven are extremely athletic, too.
247Sports post-spring ranking: No. 19
It feels like the Aggies are one year away under a new staff from rightfully garnering expanded playoff buzz. Now, part of that hope is that quarterback Conner Weigman returns for another year in 2025 since he’ll be draft-eligible after this season. He was one of the SEC’s hottest signal-callers the first month of the 2023 season before an injury put him on the shelf for the remainder of Jimbo Fisher’s ill-fated last hurrah. Elko hit the portal hard this cycle and if that’s a sign of things to come, Texas A&M should be able to find success in the new-look SEC as one of college football’s best jobs. But for now, in 2024, the Aggies are a pretender.
247Sports post-spring ranking: No. 24
Defensive end Antwaun Powell-Ryland deciding to return for his senior season is a mega-boost for Virginia Tech’s defense after he finished with a team-best 9.5 sacks last fall. Leading tackler Keli Lawson is back in the middle along with most of a star-studded secondary. This unit under Brent Pray should be one of the league’s best if they’re able to stay healthy. On offense, dual-threat quarterback Kyron Drones is back for another year along with the Hokies’ top running back, Bhayshul Tuten, who managed 863 yards and 10 scores as a junior.
247Sports post-spring ranking: No. 23
Doak Walker winner Ollie Gordon will not miss time for the Cowboys after his suspicion of DUI arrest this summer, which is great news for Oklahoma State and bad news for the rest of the schedule. He’s capable of a 2,000-yard season in the Big 12 if he stays healthy and is the headliner for an offense touting veteran leadership across the board. Oklahoma State reached the league final last season and brings back the bulk of its roster.
247Sports post-spring ranking: N/R
Steele is making sure the Hawkeyes aren’t flying under his radar, at least. Kirk Ferentz often surpasses outside expectations and for the most part, Iowa is not a nationally-ranked team — per media types — to begin the 2024 season. The quarterback situation is undecided after Iowa took a post-spring transfer, but Phil Parker’s defense remains this program’s calling card in the Big Ten.
247Sports post-spring ranking: N/R
Facing college football’s toughest schedule according to ESPN’s FPI and 247Sports’ metrics, all 12 opponents on Florida’s schedule are from power conferences this season. Regardless, Steele has the Gators inside of his top 20, easily the highest Florida has been ranked by any preseason prognosticator. Graham Mertz returns at quarterback as the leader of a squad in need of serious momentum in order to get the Gators program back to regular SEC contention.
247Sports post-spring ranking: No. 13
Brian Kelly swiped Missouri defensive coordinator Blake Baker to solve his program’s Achilles heel after a 10-win season. It’s hard to believe Jayden Daniels winning the Heisman almost played second fiddle to how bad the Tigers performed defensively, which cost LSU a shot at a second-consecutive SEC West title and trip to Atlanta. Garrett Nussmeier is the new starter at quarterback in 2024 and he flexed impressive tools in the spring game. He has a blossoming group of lesser-known wideouts to throw to following Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr.’s entry into the NFL.
247Sports post-spring ranking: N/R
Entering their first season in the ACC, quarterback Preston Stone and the Mustangs are considered one of the league’s dark horses behind frontrunners FSU and Clemson. Louisville and NC State have garnered love too, but this is the highest we’ve seen SMU debut in any midsummer top 25.
247Sports post-spring ranking: No. 8
The Tigers return a ton of production despite filling a void through the portal after losing Doak Walker finalist Cody Schrader in the backfield. Unexpectedly having to replace defensive coordinator Blake Baker, who departed for LSU, was a headache Eli Drinkwitz may not have been all that prepared for this spring. Missouri has two former five-stars on its roster in wideout Luther Burden and freshman Williams Nwaneri, a returning starter at quarterback in Brady Cook coming off a statistically-noteworthy season and filled several major needs with transfer market signings.
247Sports post-spring ranking: N0. 20
Jeff Brohm and the Cardinals signed more players from the transfer portal than any other in the ACC this offseason coming off an appearance in the league championship game last fall. The roster revamping of sorts should keep Louisville among the list of contenders along with Florida State, Miami and Clemson.
247Sports post-spring ranking: No. 21
After disappointing with seven wins during Lincoln Riley’s second season, USC enters the Big Ten with renewed optimism after making wide-scale changes defensively to its coaching staff and personnel. Not only do the Trojans bring back a handful of key starters, but they’ve added strength from the transfer portal and pulled UCLA’s top assistant for a philosophical change on defense. This is an important year for Riley, whose supernova-like rise in the coaching ranks began to dissipate a bit last fall.
247Sports post-spring ranking: N/R
Entering his second season as head coach of the Badgers, Luke Fickell is hoping his players execute at a higher rate this fall in the Big Ten.
Teams ranked in 247Sports’ post-spring poll, but not included in Steele’s rankings: Tennessee, NC State, Kansas
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