College Football Rankings: Post-spring 2017 Top 25

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Apr 22, 2017; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (4) is hit by Alabama Crimson Tide defensive back Hootie Jones (6) as he scores during the A-day game at Bryant Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports /

Which teams stood out during spring ball and should be ranked near the top of college football when the 2017 season begins?

Spring football is finally in the books and there’s reason to be excited. Why should we be excited if we have to wait about three and a half months for college football to start back up? Well, the only thing that stands between fans and college football is a relaxing summer.

Questions have been answered by many programs while others have raised even more with spring performances. Some teams are due for a big bounce-back season while others might just continue to dwindle.

Let’s take a look at our complete post-spring Top 25 college football rankings.

Apr 22, 2017; Notre Dame, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Brian Kelly watches warmups before the Blue-Gold Game at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports /

Not often can a team finish a season 4-8 and still have high expectations for the following year. Notre Dame will always be expected to have an 8-9 win season, no matter the previous campaign’s result. The Fighting Irish are losing DeShone Kizer, but bring in talented junior quarterback Brandon Wimbush who many expect to be a stud. If he can play well in 2017 with an improved defense, the Fighting Irish could be looking at a nice season.

Hiring Charlie Strong may not seem like the best move for a team looking to sneak into the Top 25, but you have to remember he led Louisville to 23 wins in his final two seasons. His tenure as the Texas Longhorns’ head coach never really stood a chance since he was handed a program in dismay. Could he prove the doubters wrong by taking over a South Florida team chocked full of talent, including dual-threat star Quinton Flowers? It seems likely.

The 2016 season was supposed to be Tennessee’s to shine in the SEC. The Volunteers were expected to challenge teams like Alabama for the conference title, but Joshua Dobbs and Co. didn’t quite live up to the hype. Following the spring game, it’s clear that this team could be even better in 2017, especially if Quinten Dormady plays like he did — 10-for-10 with two touchdowns.

Tom Herman is a magician. He turned Houston into one of the powers of the AAC and now he’s headed to Texas to turn the Longhorns around. If any program needed a change, it was Texas despite Charlie Strong being a solid coach in a bad situation. The culture will no longer be geared toward mediocrity and with talented QB Shane Buechele entering his second season, this team has an even higher ceiling.

Skyler Howard isn’t an easy guy to replace under center, but luckily for the Mountaineers, they have Florida transfer Will Grier, who led the Gators to 6-0 record a couple of years ago before testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs and getting suspended. He looked solid in the spring game and will have plenty of weapons surrounding him — although many are unproven.

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