Fox Sports college football analyst Joel Klatt has ranked his top 10 college football teams following spring practice. Now, more than ever, the landscape of college football can change quickly in one offseason.
The 2023 college football season is expected to see many of the usual contenders. However, it should be noted that nobody was predicting TCU to make the College Football Playoff last offseason.
Here’s how Joel Klatt ranks the top 10 college football teams after spring:
10
Tennessee Volunteers
Klatt thinks Tennessee has a lot of potential, but the Volunteers are replacing starting quarterback Hendon Hooker and wide receivers Jalin Hyatt and Cedric Tillman. Tennessee has not been consistent in recent years, so Klatt is not totally sold on the Volunteers yet. Quarterback Joe Milton has a strong arm and is an exciting talent.
9
Washington Huskies
Klatt views the Huskies as one of the more underrated teams entering the 2023 college football season. He is very high on Washington quarterback Michael Penix.
Penix threw 31 touchdowns and eight interceptions last season. The Huskies finished 2022 with an impressive 11-2 record.
8
Florida State Seminoles
Florida State, like Tennessee, is a college football program that Joel Klatt does not fully trust yet. The Seminoles return a lot of talent, but have not strung together consecutive great seasons in a long time. We will know a lot more about the Seminoles after they face LSU on Sept. 3.
7
LSU Tigers
One big reason why Joel Klatt likes LSU is quarterback Jayden Daniels. Daniels scored 28 total touchdowns last season and had just three interceptions. He played a big factor in LSU’s upset win over Alabama last year.
LSU head coach Brian Kelly is one of the better coaches in college football and has a lot of talent on his roster. Can the Tigers win the SEC West again?
6
USC Trojans
Joel Klatt loves USC Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams. And why not? Williams just won a Heisman and is projected to be the top selection in the 2024 NFL draft.
Klatt likes USC’s defensive acquisitions in the transfer portal, including former Georgia defender Bear Alexander, but ultimately thinks the Trojans’ defense is not enough to put them in his top five. Klatt states there is a significant gap between his top five and the rest of his top teams.
5
Penn State Nittany Lions
Penn State returns running back Nick Singleton and offensive tackle Olu Fashanu give the Nittany Lions a couple of excellent pieces on offense. Klatt likes the Penn State defense and thinks this is one of James Franklin’s most talented teams at Penn State.
4
Alabama Crimson Tide
Nick Saban and Alabama are loaded with talent as usual. The Crimson Tide have a big question mark at quarterback. Alabama transferred in former Notre Dame quarterback Tyler Buchner this offseason in a sign that they may not be totally comfortable with their quarterback room.
The Crimson Tide have as much talent as any other team in college football, but face Texas, LSU, Texas A&M, Tennessee, and more top teams in what is a challenging schedule.
3
Ohio State Buckeyes
Joel Klatt and a lot of other experts believe the Ohio State Buckeyes may have the most high-end 2024 NFL draft talent of any college football team. Ohio State is replacing quarterback C.J. Stroud and that combined with their previous performances is why Klatt has them behind Michigan.
2
Michigan Wolverines
Why is Michigan ranked second, per Joel Klatt? Klatt really likes that the Wolverines return starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy and superstar running back Blake Corum. The Wolverines have made consecutive CFP appearances and have an advantage over other teams in Klatt’s top five because they return their starting quarterback.
1
Georgia Bulldogs
Joel Klatt considers Georgia to be his top team. He likes the talent Georgia returns and thinks the Bulldogs have a realistic chance at winning a third consecutive national championship.
Georgia has some uncertainty at the quarterback position, but has a manageable schedule and should be able to return to the SEC championship game.
Listen to Joel Klatt’s podcast to hear his full top 25 college football teams:
My Post-Spring Top 25 is here @JoelKlattShow
1) @GeorgiaFootball
2) @UMichFootball
3) @OhioStateFB
4) @AlabamaFTBL
5) @PennStateFball
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Where did your team land?https://t.co/qA8S08Vy2I— Joel Klatt (@joelklatt) May 15, 2023
