ESPN Release 2026 College Football Way-Too-Early Top 25: Spring Update

Eight teams from the SEC were included in ESPN's latest Way-Too-Early College Football Top 25: "Spring Update."

Georgia was the highest-ranked SEC team at No. 3, followed by No. 5 Texas.

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3. Georgia Bulldogs
2025 record: 12-2, 8-1 SEC

Previous ranking: 4

Key players lost: WR Zachariah Branch, OT Monroe Freeling, LB CJ Allen, DT Christen Miller, CB Daylen Everette

Key additions: WR Isiah Canion (Georgia Tech), S Ja'Marley Riddle (East Carolina), CB Gentry Williams (Oklahoma), DE Amaris Williams (Auburn), S Khalil Barnes (Clemson)

2026 outlook: The Bulldogs were the second-youngest team in the SEC in 2025, but coach Kirby Smart still managed to win the program's second straight SEC title and reach the CFP again. Georgia went back to its bread and butter under Smart -- running the ball and stopping the run. Quarterback Gunner Stockton is back after a solid first season as the starter, and persuading tailback Nate Frazier to stay was big. The defense should again be stingy, and Smart retooled the secondary with experienced transfers. The Bulldogs will play only four games outside the state of Georgia in 2026: at Arkansas, Alabama, Ole Miss and South Carolina.

5. Texas Longhorns
2025 record: 10-3, 6-2 SEC

Previous ranking: 2

Key players lost: WR DeAndre Moore Jr., S Michael Taaffe, LB Anthony Hill Jr., DE Trey Moore, CB Malik Muhammad, CB Jaylon Guilbeau, RB Quintrevion Wisner

Key additions: WR Cam Coleman (Auburn), RB Hollywood Smothers (NC State), RB Raleek Brown (NC State), LB Rasheem Biles (Pittsburgh), CB Bo Mascoe (Rutgers), OT Melvin Siani (Wake Forest), DE Richard Wesley (high school)

2026 outlook: After missing the CFP, the Longhorns are going all-in for 2026, which might be quarterback Arch Manning's final college season. The Longhorns added Coleman, the No. 1 receiver in the portal, to start opposite Ryan Wingo. After ranking 90th in the FBS in rushing in 2025, the Longhorns have to become more physical on offense. Getting star tackle Trevor Goosby back will help, while Brown and Smothers might be upgrades in the backfield. Texas coach Steve Sarkisian fired defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski and brought in former UT coach-in-waiting Will Muschamp, who was instrumental in helping Georgia win back-to-back CFP national titles in 2021 and '22.

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Here's the complete rankings:

Way-Too-Early Top 25:
1. Ohio State
2. Oregon
3. Georgia
4. Notre Dame
5. Texas
6. Indiana
7. Miami
8. Texas Tech
9. Ole Miss
10. Texas A&M
11. LSU
12. BYU
13. Oklahoma
14. Michigan
15. Penn State
16. Alabama
17. Washington
18. Utah
19. Iowa
20. USC
21. Louisville
22. SMU
23. TCU
24. Houston
25. Tennessee