AP Top 25: Texas ranked No. 1 to start college football season

Arch Manning and the Texas Longhorns sit atop the first Associated Press Top 25 preseason college football poll as the rankings were released on Monday.

Manning is entering his first season as the starting quarterback, taking over for Quinn Ewers, who elected to turn pro and enter the NFL Draft. It’s the first time the Longhorns were ranked No. 1 in the AP preseason poll.

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It’s far from an easy task to be voted as the No. 1 team in the nation and keep that undefeated record all the way through the College Football Playoff. 

For the Longhorns, it will be almost impossible right off the bat. Texas will start its season on Aug. 30 on the road against Ohio State. The Buckeyes were ranked No. 3 in the first poll and enter the 2025 season as the defending national champions. Texas also has Florida and Georgia on its SEC docket this season. The Bulldogs are No. 5 in the poll and the Gators are No. 15.

Penn State was ranked No. 2 in the nation. Drew Allar returns to lead the Nittany Lions under center. Nicholas Singleton will be in the backfield to provide some extra firepower on the ground. Defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton will lead the charge on the defense.

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Penn State head coach James Franklin leads his team onto the field against Rutgers, Nov.18, 2023, in State College, Pennsylvania. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger, File)

Ohio State will return Jeremiah Smith and Caleb Downs to its roster. The team will likely start with redshirt freshman Julian Sayin as the starting quarterback.

Clemson is the top-ranked ACC team in the AP poll. Dabo Swinney’s squad returns Cade Klubnik at the quarterback position. He could be one of the first players taken in next year’s NFL Draft. T.J. Parker and Peter Woods anchor the defensive line for the Tigers.

Georgia is always going to be a threat to win the national championship with Kirby Smart at the helm. The team suffered a rash of injuries late in the 2024 season, which likely cost them a chance at the title. The Bulldogs return with Gunner Stockton under center and wide receivers Noah Thomas and Zachariah Branch as wide receiving targets.

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day before the College Football Playoff national championship game against Notre Dame, Jan. 20, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman, File)

Read below for the rest of the AP top 25.

1. Texas
2. Penn State
3. Ohio State
4. Clemson
5. Georgia
6. Notre Dame
7. Oregon
8. Alabama
9. LSU
10. Miami (FL)
11. Arizona State
12. Illinois
13. South Carolina
14. Michigan
15. Florida
16. SMU
17. Kansas State
18. Oklahoma
19. Texas A&M
20. Indiana
21. Ole Miss
22. Iowa State
23. Texas Tech
24. Tennessee
25. Boise State

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