Areas of concern: What could trip up each of our top 25 teams

While optimism runs precocious astatine astir each assemblage shot programme this clip of year, adjacent the rosiest representation has immoderate lurking shadows.

That is existent adjacent for the 25 teams successful our post-spring Power Rankings. No substance however heavy the rosters seem, everyone has immoderate question marks oregon imaginable anemic spots.

Our assemblage shot reporters instrumentality a look astatine the biggest areas of interest for each of the apical teams, the imaginable Achilles' bottommost that could support them from reaching their goals for the season.

1. Penn State Nittany Lions

Area of concern: Wide receiver

The Nittany Lions addressed the wide receiver spot successful the portal with Syracuse's Trebor Pena and others, but until they really elevate their production, questions volition linger. Penn State has had lone 1 wide receiver fertile among the apical 10 successful the Big Ten successful receiving successful the past 3 seasons (Tyler Warren played choky end). Both Warren and apical receiver Harrison Wallace III are gone, and Penn State needs its portal haul -- Pena, a second-team All-ACC wideout successful 2024, arsenic good arsenic Devonte Ross (Troy) and Kyron Hudson (USC) -- to springiness backmost Drew Allar capable susceptible targets this fall. Although Allar's big-game struggles are besides concerning, helium hasn't had a large radical of receivers astatine his disposal during his Penn State career. -- Adam Rittenberg

2. Clemson Tigers

Area of concern: Running back

The presumption radical that has been discussed much than immoderate different since the outpouring astatine Clemson is moving backmost -- the lone presumption connected discourtesy that loses the bulk of its accumulation with Phil Mafah disconnected to the NFL. But the Tigers person plentifulness of extent astatine moving back, and that should assistance easiness immoderate concerns arsenic they determination into autumn camp. Particularly due to the fact that moving backmost traditionally has been an country wherever Clemson has excelled, adjacent erstwhile different groups connected discourtesy took a measurement back. (Clemson has had a 1,000-yard rusher 11 of the past 16 years, and that does not see 2023, erstwhile Mafah and Will Shipley divided the carries astir evenly and combined for much than 1,700 yards.) It is casual to spot existent freshman Gideon Davidson arsenic a breakout player, considering the occurrence Clemson has had with existent freshman backs since Dabo Swinney arrived. Clemson besides has receiver Adam Randall taking reps astatine moving backmost to assistance circular retired the extent successful a country that besides features Keith Adams Jr. and David Eziomume. Jay Haynes continues to rehab a genu injury. -- Andrea Adelson

3. Texas Longhorns

Area of concern: Offensive line

The Longhorns mislaid 4 starters connected the O-line to the NFL draught and are breaking successful a caller quarterback, though Arch Manning made 2 starts past season, arsenic good arsenic respective cardinal receivers with the losses of Matthew Golden, Isaiah Bond and choky extremity Gunnar Helm. They mislaid tackle Kelvin Banks Jr., the 2025 No. 9 draught pick, but Trevor Goosby got immoderate cardinal playing clip past twelvemonth astatine the presumption erstwhile Banks was injured. The Longhorns besides mislaid 56-game starter Jake Majors astatine halfway and look Ohio State successful Week 1, posing a speedy learning curve for an astir wholly caller violative enactment group. -- Dave Wilson

4. Georgia Bulldogs

Area of concern: Pass rush

The Bulldogs mislaid six seasoned contributors connected their beforehand 7 connected defense, nary much important than borderline rushers Jalon Walker, Mykel Williams and Chaz Chambliss. Walker and Williams were first-round picks successful the NFL draft, and Chambliss was an unheralded contributor implicit 4 seasons. They combined for 18 sacks and 28.5 tackles for nonaccomplishment successful 2024. Making matters worse, Damon Wilson, a projected replacement connected the edge, transferred to Missouri. Georgia feels bully astir Gabe Harris Jr., and it added Army transportation Elo Modozie, who had 6.5 sacks for the Black Knights past season. -- Mark Schlabach

5. Ohio State Buckeyes

Area of concern: Quarterback

Quarterback Will Howard was everything the Buckeyes could person hoped for past twelvemonth successful his lone play astatine Ohio State. He was spectacular during the College Football Playoff, posting a QBR of 97.2 implicit 4 games during the Buckeyes' march to the nationalist championship. With Howard present successful the NFL, the Buckeyes volition beryllium turning to either erstwhile five-star freshman Julian Sayin oregon Lincoln Kienholz this season, pending who wins the occupation during camp. Throwing to all-world wideout Jeremiah Smith volition bolster whomever the starting backmost winds up being. But adjacent with Smith and All-American information Caleb Downs anchoring each broadside of the ball, it's hard envisioning the Buckeyes genuinely contending again unless Ohio State gets good-to-great backmost play similar it did past season. -- Jake Trotter

6. LSU Tigers

Area of concern: Offensive line

I don't cognize that LSU has to needfully interest astir the violative enactment due to the fact that of moves made this offseason, but it has to beryllium thing to support an oculus connected conscionable due to the fact that of the magnitude of the losses. The Tigers had 1 of the champion tackle duos successful each of assemblage shot past play successful Will Campbell and Emery Jones, who were first- and third-round NFL draught picks. They mislaid 4 starters crossed the enactment successful total. DJ Chester and Tyree Adams are backmost successful antithetic spots, portion Brian Kelly added Braelin Moore from Virginia Tech. -- Harry Lyles Jr.

7. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Area of concern: Tight end

Since 2011, the Fighting Irish person had a whopping 10 choky ends selected successful the NFL draft, including past season's starring receiver, Mitchell Evans, who had 43 catches for 421 yards with 3 touchdowns. While the Irish consciousness they've upgraded their wide receiver radical with the additions of Virginia transportation Malachi Fields and Wisconsin's Will Pauling, choky extremity remains a spot of a question people heading into preseason camp. Senior Eli Raridon has the size (6-foot-7) and hands to excel astatine the position, but helium was plagued by injuries during his archetypal mates of assemblage seasons, aft tearing an ACL arsenic a freshman. He had 11 catches for 90 yards with 2 touchdowns successful 2024. The presumption of different choky end, Cooper Flanagan, who tore his near Achilles tendon successful the Sugar Bowl, is successful question. -- Mark Schlabach

8. Oregon Ducks

Area of concern: Defensive line

It's hard to accidental whether this is an country of interest conscionable yet, but determination are question marks with Oregon's antiaircraft enactment arsenic the Ducks mislaid some Derrick Harmon and Jordan Burch from past twelvemonth (as good arsenic Jamaree Caldwell). Defensive extremity is simply a spot with Matayo Uiagalelei holding down the edge, but the remainder of the enactment volition necessitate immoderate newcomers to measurement up, specified arsenic USC transportation Bear Alexander and rising lineman Aydin Breland, who could beryllium successful enactment for a breakout season. A'mauri Washington, 1 of the fewer returning players, volition apt beryllium a fixture of the new-look enactment arsenic well. -- Paolo Uggetti

9. Alabama Crimson Tide

Area of concern: Pass rush

Alabama finished 13th successful the SEC past play successful backmost sacks, and portion sacks aren't the end-all erstwhile it comes to rushing the passer, the Crimson Tide request to beryllium much accordant successful getting to the opposing quarterback. There's not a axenic borderline walk rusher successful the mold of Will Anderson Jr. oregon Dallas Turner connected this roster, meaning Alabama volition request to get much unit from its interior linemen and possibly a breakout play from redshirt sophomore extracurricular linebacker Qua Russaw. -- Chris Low

10. BYU Cougars

Area of concern: Quarterback

When the play ended, backmost figured to beryllium an evident spot for BYU considering Jake Retzlaff was acceptable to return. But with him expected to transfer arsenic of precocious June, the Cougars are near without an established starter. McCae Hillstead showed flashes astatine Utah State successful 2023, Treyson Bourguet started 8 games successful 2 years for Western Michigan and existent freshman Bear Bachmeier was a big-time enlistee who enrolled concisely astatine Stanford earlier this offseason earlier leaving for Provo. The anticipation is that each 3 volition person a accidental to gain the starting occupation successful autumn camp, without a clear-cut front-runner. -- Kyle Bonagura

11. Illinois Fighting Illini

Area of concern: Offensive explosiveness

The Illini had a bully and businesslike discourtesy successful 2024, but they weren't peculiarly explosive, tying for 64th nationally successful plays of 10 yards oregon longer and tying for 66th successful plays of 20 yards oregon longer. Although backmost Luke Altmyer and a seasoned violative enactment return, Illinois needs to regenerate its apical 2 receivers successful Pat Bryant and Zakhari Franklin, who are disconnected to the NFL, and starring rusher Josh McCray, who transferred to Georgia. Offensive coordinator Barry Lunney thinks Collin Dixon, who averaged 14.7 yards per drawback successful constricted enactment past fall, and incoming freshman Brayden Trimble tin spark the offense. "Overall, we're going to person a small spot much vertical velocity successful what we're doing to agelong the defence than what we did," Lunney told me. "That's nary flimsy connected Zakhari oregon Pat astatine all. Those were conscionable benignant of bigger, stronger guys." -- Rittenberg

12. Arizona State Sun Devils

Area of concern: Pass rush

ASU's late-season surge, from a decent squad to 1 susceptible of coming wrong 1 play of the CFP semifinals, took spot chiefly acknowledgment to players who are returning successful 2025. Obviously losing prima moving backmost Cam Skattebo hurts, but the Sun Devils person immoderate of the champion wide returning accumulation numbers successful the country. We don't cognize that they person a walk rush, though. It was an contented past play -- ASU ranked conscionable 110th successful sacks per dropback -- and portion some of their sacks leaders (Clayton Smith and Elijah O'Neal) return, that duo combined for conscionable 8.5 sacks betwixt them. Kenny Dillingham evidently thought helium had the answers successful house, arsenic helium didn't adhd a azygous borderline rusher successful the transportation portal, but portion the secondary is dependable and experienced, giving QBs excessively overmuch clip to find receivers tin bring down adjacent the astir seasoned defense. -- Bill Connelly

13. South Carolina Gamecocks

Area of concern: Defensive front

What was possibly South Carolina's biggest spot past play could beryllium its biggest interest going into 2025. Gone up beforehand are stalwarts Kyle Kennard, Bam Martin-Scott, Demetrius Knight and TJ Sanders, among others. That near a batch of holes to fill, and the Gamecocks mostly addressed them by hitting the portal hard. Rising prima Dylan Stewart volition beryllium the flashiest subordinate and Bryan Thomas is the lone established senior, with transfers Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy, Davonte Miles and Justin Okoronkwo filling a large void. But possibly the biggest sanction to cognize is sophomore Fred "JayR" Johnson, a rangy linebacker with lauded enactment skills who South Carolina hopes volition blossom into the centerpiece of the defence aft playing a tiny relation arsenic a freshman successful 2024. -- David Hale

14. Iowa State Cyclones

Area of concern: Wide receiver

With receivers Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins some disconnected to the NFL -- having been drafted by the Houston Texans successful back-to-back rounds -- receiver is simply a bully spot to start. Noel and Higgins combined for astir 2,400 receiving yards past play and that benignant of accumulation volition request to beryllium replaced by much than conscionable 2 players. But adjacent with those holes to fill, the deficiency of a walk unreserved past play remains a glaring question mark. If the Cyclones can't amended upon their conference-worst sack total, it's hard to spot however they tin marque a tally astatine the Big 12 title, particularly fixed the unknowns astatine receiver. -- Bonagura

15. SMU Mustangs

Area of concern: Defensive line

One of the astir underappreciated keys to SMU's playoff tally past play was the seasoned endowment up beforehand connected defense. Elijah Roberts, Jared Harrison-Hunte and Jahfari Harvey each came from Miami and had aggregate years arsenic a starter nether their belts successful 2024. There won't beryllium astir truthful overmuch acquisition this year. Add successful the departures of Ahmad Walker and Kobe Wilson astatine linebacker, and there's a vacuum waiting to beryllium filled successful presumption of leadership. SMU does instrumentality information Isaiah Nwokobia, who was an All-ACC performer past season, and there's buzz surrounding East Carolina transportation Zakye Barker astatine linebacker, but establishing immoderate cardinal voices -- and performers -- connected the D-line remains a question. -- Hale

16. Texas Tech Red Raiders

Area of concern: Defense

Does the antiaircraft makeover really work? The Red Raiders' D can't get overmuch worse than what it was successful 2024, and that's not hyperbole. Texas Tech finished 126th successful full defence successful 2024. The secondary was 132nd successful passing yards per game. Shiel Wood takes implicit arsenic antiaircraft coordinator, and determination person been tons of portal additions to this broadside of the ball. Players specified arsenic Stanford linebacker David Bailey and Georgia Tech extremity Romello Height basal out, on with 5 transportation antiaircraft backs. There's truly lone 1 mode for this radical to go, and it's up. -- Lyles Jr.

17. Indiana Hoosiers

Area of concern: Defense

Despite the information that talented antiaircraft extremity Mikail Kamara is returning, the transfer-heavy portion that allowed the fewest rushing yards per crippled successful the Big Ten past play mislaid immoderate cardinal contributors. Gone to the NFL are CJ West and James Carpenter, and portion Indiana did not hesitate to dip into the transportation portal to reload with players specified arsenic Hosea Wheeler (Western Kentucky), Stephen Daley (Kent State), Dominique Ratcliff (Texas State) and Kellan Wyatt (Maryland), 1 of the Hoosiers' strongest presumption groups past twelvemonth has a batch to beryllium and unrecorded up to successful 2025. -- Uggetti

18. Kansas State Wildcats

Area of concern: Stopping large plays

K-State's discourtesy was delightfully explosive past season, but the defence often gave up arsenic galore large plays arsenic the discourtesy created. The Wildcats blitzed a batch and harassed QBs well, but they ranked 110th successful Total QBR allowed and 107th successful completions of 10 oregon much yards allowed. That's a interest considering the defence mislaid some starring walk rusher Brendan Mott and 4 of past year's 5 starters successful the secondary. Defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman mightiness person to fiddle with the risk-reward equilibrium to get the astir retired of this defence and assistance the Wildcats contend successful the ultracompetitive Big 12. -- Connelly

19. Florida Gators

Area of concern: Wide receiver

One of the reasons Florida is expected to amended successful 2025 is due to the fact that of the endowment that backmost DJ Lagway brings. But the Gators' apical receivers from past season, Elijhah Badger and Chimere Dike, near for the NFL. Eugene Wilson III is back, but besides coming disconnected season-ending hep surgery. It volition beryllium up to Vernell Brown III, Dallas Wilson, Naeshaun Montgomery and J. Michael Sturdivant (UCLA transfer) to assistance found themselves. -- Lyles Jr.

20. Michigan Wolverines

Area of concern: Wide receiver

The Wolverines ranked 129th past play with conscionable 1,678 passing yards. Quarterback play was portion of the issue, arsenic Michigan cycled done 3 quarterbacks (Davis Warren, Jack Tuttle and Alex Orji) successful its archetypal play aft losing nationalist champion JJ McCarthy. But Michigan's receivers collectively didn't marque capable plays, arsenic nary wideout caught much than 27 passes oregon totaled much than 248 yards. The onus volition beryllium adjacent greater connected Michigan's receivers with choky extremity Colston Loveland -- the Wolverines' lone reliable people past twelvemonth -- present playing for the Chicago Bears. Instant interaction from transfers Anthony Simpson (UMass) and Donaven McCulley (Indiana), combined with interior betterment from the likes of Fredrick Moore and Semaj Morgan, volition beryllium paramount if Michigan is going to endanger opposing antiaircraft backfields successful 2025. -- Trotter

21. Miami Hurricanes

Area of concern: Linebacker

The Hurricanes did different fantastic occupation shoring up positions crossed the roster successful the transportation portal, particularly considering however overmuch turnover they had from past season. But if determination is 1 presumption that inactive has immoderate questions, it is linebacker, chiefly due to the fact that extent whitethorn go an contented arsenic the play wears on. Miami returns 3 cardinal veterans successful Wesley Bissainthe, Jaylin Alderman and Popo Aguirre, and signed NC State transportation Kamal Bonner and Rutgers transportation Mo Toure. Miami often looked dilatory and retired of presumption astatine linebacker past season, but the caller strategy from antiaircraft coordinator Corey Hetherman should help. The subordinate to support an oculus connected present is Toure, whom Hetherman coached portion helium was astatine Rutgers. Toure is coming disconnected a genu wounded (his 2nd torn ACL successful 3 years), but his imaginable to acceptable into this defense, considering his past with Hetherman, is huge. -- Adelson

22. Louisville Cardinals

Area of concern: Defensive end

For the past 3 years, Louisville was capable to trust connected a genuine prima disconnected the borderline successful Ashton Gillotte, who racked up 21.5 sacks from 2022-24. Gillotte is disconnected to the NFL now, a third-round prime by the Chiefs. That leaves a large void astatine antiaircraft end. Louisville has a mates of transfers -- Wesley Bailey from Rutgers and Clev Lubin from Coastal Carolina -- hoping to capable the void, but the spot of the D-line volition surely beryllium connected the interior, wherever the Cards person overmuch much established depth. As Louisville works to remedy issues defending the pass, uncovering idiosyncratic -- or, ideally, a fewer guys -- who tin get aft the QB volition beryllium 1 of the astir captious jobs for the defence arsenic it prepares for 2025. -- Hale

23. Texas A&M Aggies

Area of concern: Wide receiver

Just similar past season, a large question for the Aggies' imaginable is however their wide receiver country volition shingle out. The Aggies mislaid Noah Thomas, a agleam spot successful an different spotty presumption for A&M and caller violative coordinator Collin Klein, to Georgia aft Thomas caught 39 passes for 574 yards and 8 touchdowns past year. No different subordinate caught much than 2 TDs oregon eclipsed 400 yards connected the play arsenic the Aggies fought done a QB alteration from Conner Weigman to Marcel Reed. This year, the Aggies are looking toward NC State transportation KC Concepcion (71 catches, 839 yards, 10 TDs successful 2023, 53-460-6 past year), Mississippi State transportation Mario Craver (17-368-3 arsenic a freshman), arsenic good arsenic returners Ashton Bethel-Roman, 6-2, 220-pound freshman four-star enlistee Jerome Myles and dynamic 2024 five-star enlistee Terry Bussey, who played thing of an all-purpose relation past year. As this radical goes, truthful volition Reed and the offense. -- Wilson

24. Ole Miss Rebels

Area of concern: Quarterback

Austin Simmons seems similar a talented idiosyncratic -- we're talking astir idiosyncratic who is athletically talented capable to play shot for Ole Miss arsenic well. But anytime you are replacing 1 of the amended quarterbacks successful your conference, successful this lawsuit Jaxson Dart, who was a first-round NFL draught pick, determination has to beryllium immoderate level of concern. But from what we've seen retired of Simmons, there's promise. His thrust against Georgia past season, wherever helium led a 10-play, 75-yard touchdown thrust to necktie the crippled portion Dart was injured, should springiness the Ole Miss faithful thing to beryllium excited about. -- Lyles Jr.

25. Oklahoma Sooners

Area of concern: Tight end

It's been a conflict astatine choky extremity for the Sooners, and there's again uncertainty astir the presumption heading into the 2025 season. Granted, determination was plentifulness of blasted to spell astir for Oklahoma's struggles connected discourtesy past season, but uncovering much consistency astatine choky extremity successful some the receiving and blocking categories would beryllium a large boost for an discourtesy that has tons of caller faces. There isn't a definitive starter astatine choky extremity entering preseason camp. Transfers Will Huggins (Kansas and Pittsburg State) and Carson Kent (Kennesaw State) are expected to conflict with converted linebacker Jaren Kanak for the job. -- Low