
RJ Younger
FOX Sports activities Nationwide Faculty Soccer Analyst
Spring soccer has come and gone, the switch portal window has closed, and we have had some shifting and shaking as we get nearer to the 2024 school soccer season.
Twelve groups will make the Faculty Soccer Playoff this season, and it might not be stunning to see greater than half the groups in my rankings taking over 10, and even 11, of these playoff spots.
The Massive Ten and SEC will likely be well-represented, and understanding each are including powerhouse applications to their respective conferences makes this essentially the most anticipated school soccer season because the inception of the four-team CFP in 2014.
With that, listed below are my post-spring high 25 rankings.
1. Ohio State
The Buckeyes have three duties this 12 months: Beat Michigan. Win the Massive Ten Championship. Win the nationwide championship.
With the additions they made within the portal and to the teaching workers, the one remaining query is whether or not the offensive line improves from a 12 months in the past.
2. Texas
This 2024 Texas staff must resemble 2021 Georgia. The Longhorns have proven they’re able to not simply profitable at a excessive degree, however profitable championships and being one of many 4 finest groups within the nation.
With 4 years of the identical playcallers on each side of the ball and particular groups, an upperclassman at QB who may very well be the primary signal-caller off the board within the upcoming NFL Draft, and pace all around the area, Texas must be featured within the SEC title recreation. That is the bar for measuring success.
3. Georgia
The Bulldogs stay essentially the most bankable guess to make the Faculty Soccer Playoff. Kirby Good has constructed a machine at Georgia, because the Bulldogs have missed the CFP simply as soon as within the final three years and are 5-1 after they do make it.
4. Oregon
Dan Lanning has succeeded in not solely retaining his offensive and defensive coordinators, but additionally including prized portal pickups Dillon Gabriel, Dante Moore and Evan Stewart whereas retaining most of his roster.
5. Florida State
Mike Norvell’s program gained its first ACC title in 11 seasons final 12 months and changed Jordan Travis with a former five-star prospect in DJ Uiagalelei. After being snubbed by the CFP choice committee final season, the Noles are righteously aggrieved and can enter the 2024 marketing campaign trying to defend their ACC title.
6. Ole Miss
That is the one staff that wasn’t louder within the portal than Ohio State, and following its finest season in 100 years, no Nick Saban, and a beatable Georgia staff, it is time for Lane Kiffin’s ‘Sip to take a giant gulp.
7. LSU
Garrett Nussmeier proved he was able to assume the QB1 position in LSU’s win over Wisconsin on New Yr’s Day. With Blake Baker becoming a member of this system after serving to Missouri to its finest end in a decade, there’s motive to consider LSU can end among the many top-10 groups within the nation and make its technique to the 12-team playoff.
8. Michigan
The years of “Ain’t Performed No person” within the out-of-conference schedule have come to an finish in Ann Arbor. The Wolverines open with Fresno State and are available proper again with Texas in Week 2.
The questions at quarterback stay. And as a lot as nothing has modified in philosophy, the absence of Jim Harbaugh will likely be felt. Sherrone Moore does not have time to play at QB, and defending the Massive Ten title — not to mention the nationwide title — shouldn’t be a given.
Ohio State, Texas & Michigan in RJ Younger’s post-spring high 25

9. Utah
Will Cam Rising be the distinction as soon as once more? It is doubtless. With out Rising at QB — and a pig farmer changing him for a lot of the 12 months — Utah held its personal in a troublesome Pac-12 Convention. The Utes enter their first season of Massive 12 play believing they will win it.
10. Alabama
For Kalen DeBoer, the measure of success is making the SEC title recreation in Yr 1. And that will not be straightforward in a beefed-up SEC — not to mention following the best coach the game has ever seen.
11. Missouri
Standing on enterprise, Eli Drinkwitz’s Tigers introduced themselves with a win in opposition to Ohio State within the Cotton Bowl. Whereas they will lose All-American Cody Schrader, the Tigers must really feel they will make a push and win an SEC title for the primary time in class historical past.
12. Penn State
That is about the place the Nittany Lions usually find yourself within the James Franklin period. It is actually tough to place this staff within the high 10, but additionally actually onerous to place them exterior the highest 20.
13. Tennessee
Josh Heupel has returned Tennessee to nationwide prominence and hopes to usher in a convention championship-caliber staff led by sophomore sensation Nico Iamaleava. The Volunteers will look to put down a marker with a schedule that options North Carolina State and Oklahoma within the first 4 weeks of the season.
14. Oklahoma
OU has been aching to play within the SEC since Texas rattling close to joined the Pac-12 behind its again. Now, the Longhorns get every part they need — from afternoon kickoffs in opposition to Bama, Tennessee, LSU, Ole Miss and Stand on Enterprise Missouri.
The coaching wheels are off for Jackson Arnold, and he now has a brand new playcaller and a brand new No. 1 goal at extensive out. However he’ll have Billy Bowman, Danny Stutsman and Ethan Downs to choose up an offense which may sputter earlier than discovering its rhythm within the midst of a stout SEC schedule — with a brand new defensive coordinator in Zac Alley.
15. Notre Dame
Riley Leonard and Mike Denbrock joined Marcus Freeman to assist carry an offense that did not seem like the one we have been promised with the ACC’s most prolific passer in South Bend, Indiana, final 12 months.
Notre Dame is not Penn State — having performed for a nationwide title this century — however with a gentle eating regimen of 10 wins or extra in six out of seven years, this rating is a model play. It is as much as Notre Dame to enhance it or lose it.
16. USC
That is the hardest staff within the nation to guage from its schedule — not a single FCS opponent — to its QB state of affairs — is Miller Moss a dude? — to what qualifies as a profitable season — making the Massive Ten title recreation in Yr 1?
This a lot is true: Lincoln Riley has three Heisman winners, three No. 1 total picks and never a single win within the CFP.
USC’s schedule options an opener in Vegas in opposition to LSU and 10 different groups that went bowling in 2023. The lone opponent who didn’t is Nebraska, and the Huskers appeared to do every part of their energy to keep away from bowling final season.
17. Kansas State
Avery Johnson, DJ Giddens and Dylan Edwards type a formidable backfield for brand new offensive coordinator Matt Wells. Kansas State is one in every of a handful of groups able to profitable a Massive 12 title and making their first look within the CFP this season.
18. Iowa
If Cade McNamara reveals the shape he did at Michigan and Kirk Ferentz permits a modernization of the offense beneath new coordinator Tim Lester, there’s nothing to cease Iowa from being a participant within the Massive Ten title race, particularly given how Phil Parker’s protection has carried out for the final three years.
19. Oklahoma State
It is the Ollie Gordon Present in Stillwater — or it must be. As soon as Mike Gundy found out his offense ought to run by means of Gordon, he grew to become the very best tailback within the nation. The Pokes will likely be pretty much as good as he’s.
20. Kansas
Now’s the time for the Jayhawks to take management of essentially the most extensive open race for the Massive 12 title since its inception 29 years in the past.
Jalon Daniels and Devin Neal every have the expertise to be the very best gamers on this convention and to guide KU to its finest season since 2007.
21. West Virginia
As I wrote in January, the Mountaineers misplaced only one recreation to an opponent who was by no means ranked in 2023 (Houston) and scored 34 or extra factors in every of their final 4 victories.
22. Texas A&M
Mike Elko poached former Kansas State offensive coordinator Collin Klein to run an offense that will likely be led by proficient QB Conner Wiegman. If Elko can construct a protection pretty much as good as these he had at Notre Dame and Duke, Ampersand U might discover itself attempting to find a top-10 rating by November.
23. Arizona
Brent Brennan succeeded in maintaining quarterback Noah Fifita and extensive receiver Tetairoa McMillan within the fold, which supplies him a good basis to enter Massive 12 competitors. These two have been a big a part of Arizona being the shock success of the 2023 season.
24. Clemson
It is time for the Garrett Riley-Cade Klubnik relationship to flourish. If they’ve success, so will Clemson in a top-heavy ACC.
25. Miami (Fla.)
Cam Ward is perhaps essentially the most proficient quarterback Mario Cristobal has ever had as a head coach, and that is perhaps sufficient to get the U again to prominence.
RJ Younger is a nationwide school soccer author and analyst for FOX Sports activities and the host of the podcast “The Quantity One Faculty Soccer Present.” Observe him at @RJ_Young and subscribe to “The RJ Younger Present” on YouTube.

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