Spring football is in the books, and while some questions got answered over the last few months, every single team is still staring down at least one lingering concern as they shift focus toward fall camp.
Whether it's replacing key starters, breaking in a new quarterback, or patching holes exposed by the portal, every team in the Top 25 has at least one storyline that will define its 2025 season.
Here’s a team-by-team look at the biggest questions facing every contender, starting with No. 25 and working our way up to the preseason No. 1, according to our post-spring Top-25 rankings.
The questions that will define the College Football Top 25
25. Iowa State Cyclones
Biggest Question: Is the wide receiver room still good enough?
Rocco Becht is back at quarterback, but he is going to need some help. Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel, who combined for 2,377 yards and 17 touchdowns, are both gone. Iowa State returns production nearly everywhere else, but losing your two biggest offensive weapons is a major deal.
24. Texas A&M Aggies
Biggest Question: How does Marcel Reed develop this season?
Texas A&M returns a solid amount of production and the Aggies have brought in some nice pieces from the portal. Mike Elko is a great coach and he's got that program set up to succeed, but they'll need Marcel Reed to take the next step for that to be the case. Texas A&M could be a contender in the SEC if Reed is closer to his ceiling. If he's closer to his floor, though, this could easily be another 8-4 — or worse — type season.
23. Ole Miss Rebels
Biggest Question: Can Lane Kiffin keep living by the portal?
Ole Miss lost a ton to the NFL Draft and while there are a few returners — like WR Cayden Lee and DB Chris Graves — the Rebels are largely relying on the portal and QB Austin Simmons to keep things rolling. There's a ton of production gone from Ole Miss and, honestly at some point, it feels like while you can live by the portal, you can also die by it.
22. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Biggest Question: What does the defense look like without Tyler Santucci?
Georgia Tech was a wreck defensively before Tyler Santucci took over and now he's gone. The Yellow Jackets have lost several stars, as well, and that makes for a big question on that side of the ball. Blake Gideon brings experience from Texas as a position coach, but getting comfortable in that coordinator role could take some time.
21. Kansas State Wildcats
Biggest Question: Can Avery Johnson stay healthy?
Kansas State has lost a few pieces — like its two starting cornerbacks and three starters from the offensive line — but the biggest question for the Wildcats is if Avery Johnson can stay healthy. If he's on the field, he's a difference-maker. He's got a new offensive coordinator in Matt Wells and there are a lot of reasons for optimism in Manhattan. But, only if he can stay healthy.
20. Arizona State Sun Devils
Biggest Question: How does life without Cam Skattebo look?
There's an argument to be made that Arizona State should be higher in our rankings. That being said, the Sun Devils have to prove that they can still be elite offensively without their top weapon. They've got a solid wide receiver room and Sam Leavitt is back. In addition, they kept their coaching staff intact. All of those are reasons to believe they could be very good in 2025, but not having Skattebo just can't be overlooked.
19. Texas Tech Red Raiders
Biggest Question: Can money buy a championship?
Much like Ole Miss — only even crazier — Texas Tech has gone "all in" on the portal. That might pay off in a big way for the Red Raiders, as on paper, they have talent and can compete in the Big 12. However, that doesn't mean that it couldn't completely blow up in their face, either.
18. Michigan Wolverines
Biggest Question: How far does Bryce Underwood take Michigan?
Michigan has talent on its defense and around the quarterback, but they need Bryce Underwood to make it happen. That's a lot to ask of a true-freshman, even if you put a pretty talented cast of supporting characters around him.
17. Oklahoma Sooners
Biggest Question: Is the schedule just too much to overcome?
There's no question, in my opinion, that Oklahoma is more talented coming into this season. They've addressed essentially every spot that was a need coming into the season and the Sooners have the make-up of a team — with a new offensive coordinator and QB combo — that could be very good. That being said, their schedule is one of the toughest in the country, and that might just be too much for them to overcome.
16. Louisville Cardinals
Biggest Question: Can the defense be average?
I have relatively little concern about Miller Moss stepping into Jeff Brohm's system. He'll have plenty of playmakers around him, but the bigger question is the defense. They've lost some key personnel — especially in the defensive backfield. If Louisville's defense can simply be average, they will win a lot of games. They don't have the easiest draw in the ACC, but there's no reason to believe they couldn't get back to 9-3.
15. Florida Gators
Biggest Question: Is DJ Lagway actually healthy once the season starts?
DJ Lagway has the ability to be a Heisman contender, but he has to be healthy. Not being able to throw all spring isn't something to just gloss over. Florida goes as Lagway goes, and they need him fully healthy to have any chance at a good season.
14. Illinois Fighting Illini
Biggest Question: Can Illinois still produce at wide receiver?
You've got Luke Altmyer back at quarterback, but who is he going to throw to? Pat Bryant and Zakhari Franklin are gone at wide receiver, and that leaves big shoes to fill. Illinois has experience just about everywhere else, but wide receiver is a big question mark.
13. SMU Mustangs
Biggest Question: Can SMU replace that veteran leadership from last season?
Kevin Jennings is back at quarterback and there's talent in Dallas. I don't have questions about that. The biggest question, though, is if they can replace the leadership from last year's team. That was a veteran-loaded team with a ton of seniors. They're all gone. How does Rhett Lashlee replace them?
12. South Carolina Gamecocks
Biggest Question: Can the Gamecocks replace all that defensive talent they just lost?
South Carolina made an incredible run last year because of the defense. That defense was one of the best in the conference, but the key pieces — outside of Dylan Stewart — are gone. You don't just lose Nick Emmanwori, Demetrius Knight, Kyle Kennard, and Tonka Hemingway and come away unscathed. The offense with LaNorris Sellers projects to take a step forward, but that will be a moot point if the defense falls.
11. Alabama Crimson Tide
Biggest Question: Who's the quarterback?
Alabama has a defense that projects to be one of the best in the country. They've also got one of the best wide receivers rooms in the nation. But, who's throwing them the ball? Ty Simpson will get the first crack, but is he really going to be the guy? Are they going to have to rely on Austin Mack or Keelon Russell? The talent is there to make a run, but you've got to have a quarterback.
10. Miami Hurricanes
Biggest Question: Can the defense be above average?
Much like Louisville, I'm not really all that concerned about Miami offensively. They'll most definitely take a step back compared to that Cam Ward-led team from a year ago, but Carson Beck will be serviceable enough. The big question for Miami is if they can fix that monstrosity that was their defense last season.
9. BYU Cougars
Biggest Question: Can BYU finally break through at the top?
BYU has been a consistent program for years, and they have a lot of answers across the board. They've addressed needs on offense and have a ton of players returning on both sides of the ball, led by QB Jake Retzlaff. In my opinion, they're the favorite to win the Big 12, but it still feels like they have to break through a ceiling to get to the next level. They won 11 games last season, and that still wasn't enough to win the conference. This year, they've got to find a way to get that done.
8. Oregon Ducks
Biggest Question: How does Oregon replace its offensive line?
You can try to cover it up if you want, but losing four starters off your offensive line is a big deal. Oregon still has plenty of talent, but breaking in a new offensive line with a new quarterback — presumably Dante Moore — isn't ideal for making a run through the Big Ten.
7. Georgia Bulldogs
Biggest Question: Can Georgia find an elite rushing attack again?
Georgia ranked next-to-last in the SEC in rushing yards per game last season. That's not a hallmark of Kirby Smart. They've got talent in the running back room — led by Nate Frazier — but they have to take a step forward in 2025. Gunner Stockton will be serviceable, but for Georgia to get back to competing for a national championship, they need an elite — not just good — running game.
6. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Biggest Question: Who's the starting quarterback?
Notre Dame has a few major answers on the offense — led by Jeremiyah Love — but they have to find their quarterback. Are they really going to rely on a freshman in CJ Carr? If so, it will be interesting to see how that plays out.
5. LSU Tigers
Biggest Question: How quickly can all those pieces mesh?
Garrett Nussmeier is back and he's got some new weapons around him. LSU has one of the top portal classes in the country, and there is talent all over this team. By the end of the year, I truly believe that LSU could be one of the best — if not the best — team in the SEC. But, how long does it take to get the ball rolling? That's the big question here.
4. Ohio State Buckeyes
Biggest Question: How do you deal with all the turnover?
Ohio State didn't just lose a massive amount of production to the NFL. They also lost their offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator. There's still talent in Columbus and that's why I have them ranked at No. 4, but you can't lose all that talent, coupled with new faces taking over both sides of the ball, and think that there won't be some dropoff, at least at the onset.
3. Clemson Tigers
Biggest Question: Does Tom Allen make the defense elite again?
Look, there may be questions about who plays running back in Clemson's offense this season, but honestly, the biggest question for the Tigers is if the defense can gel. There's NFL talent all over that unit — Peter Woods, TJ Parker, Aveion Terrell, Khalil Barnes, Sammy Brown, and more — and they've now got an elite defensive coordinator in Tom Allen. If Allen can turn Clemson's defense back into a Top-15 type unit, they could easily be one of the favorites to compete for a national championship.
2. Penn State Nittany Lions
Biggest Question: Can Penn State get its passing game going?
Drew Allar is back and Penn State has snagged a couple of weapons for him in the portal. They've got Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen in the backfield, but the Nittany Lions need a legit passing threat to be a national championship contender.
1. Texas Longhorns
Biggest Question: Can they rebuild the trenches?
You lost some big talent up-front on both sides of the ball. Texas has recruited well and they've backfilled through the portal, but you need a legitimate offensive line to be elite, especially with a new quarterback in Arch Manning taking over. I'm not actually all that worried about Manning, but I do want to see Texas's defensive line and offensive lines and see if they still have the physicality and edge that they played with last season.