Top 25 NCAA Football Teams: Key Spring Questions and Insights for the Upcoming Season

1. Ohio State Buckeyes

Who will earn the starting quarterback position? Quarterback Will Howard exceeded all expectations when he transferred from Kansas State for his final season. In the College Football Playoff, Howard posted a QBR of 97.2 while completing 75.2% of his passes, as Ohio State won its first national championship in a decade. Freshman Julian Sayin enters the spring as the favorite to replace Howard. Sayin, who transferred to Ohio State from Alabama after coach Nick Saban's retirement, was a top 10 overall recruit last year. He has the talent -- and star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith to throw to -- to keep the Ohio State offense rolling. But Sayin will have to fend off another talented passer, true freshman Tavien St. Clair, who was a top 10 overall recruit in this class, to ultimately win the job. -- Jake Trotter

2. Texas Longhorns

Will the new defensive tackles be able to fill the shoes of former players at the position? For the past two years, Texas has had a luxury at defensive tackle, a rarity in the portal era. In the 2024 NFL draft, Byron Murphy II went No. 16 to the Seattle Seahawks and T'Vondre Sweat was picked No. 38 by the Tennessee Titans while Vernon Broughton (6-foot-4, 305 pounds) and Alfred Collins (6-5, 320 pounds) slid right into their places. But those two are gone, along with four other defensive linemen who departed via the portal. The Longhorns backfilled by adding 6-3, 333-pound Cole Brevard from Purdue, 6-5, 330-pound Travis Shaw from North Carolina and Ohio State transfer Hero Kanu, at 6-5, 305 pounds. They've also added one of the nation's best recruits in Justus Terry, the No. 2 defensive tackle in the 2025 ESPN 300 and No. 8 overall prospect. Texas has veteran edge rushers in breakout star Colin Simmons, Trey Moore and Ethan Burke, but the big D-tackles have made Texas one of the toughest teams to run against, and has allowed linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. to roam free as a playmaker. A restocked middle of the line will keep the Longhorns dangerous up front. -- Dave Wilson

3. Penn State Nittany Lions

How will new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles fare in his first season at Penn State? Penn State's defense has had good coordinator transitions under coach James Franklin, most recently from Brent Pry to Manny Diaz to Tom Allen. The switch from Allen to Jim Knowles, whom Penn State swiped from Big Ten rival and reigning national champion Ohio State, is expected to be just as smooth but remains a notable question entering the spring. Knowles showed at Ohio State that he could not only craft strong schemes, but can maximize the talents of elite players. He must do the same for a Penn State defense losing Abdul Carter, the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, and other standouts such as safety Jaylen Reed. But Penn State returns Dani Dennis-Sutton, linebacker Dominic DeLuca, safety Zakee Wheatley and others. If Knowles can maintain or elevate the defense's trajectory, Penn State should be a legitimate national title contender. -- Adam Rittenberg

4. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Who will start at quarterback for the Fighting Irish? In each of the past two seasons, Notre Dame has gone into the portal for a veteran QB. So far, the Irish look more than happy to ride with the players they have returning, which makes for a particularly intriguing storyline this spring. Steve Angeli is the veteran, with 80 pass attempts and one start under his belt, but he's hardly the clear-cut favorite. In fact, the name getting the most buzz is redshirt freshman CJ Carr, who has a world of talent and is seen as the option with the most upside. Then there's third-year QB Kenny Minchey and true freshman Blake Hebert, who'll at least get a shot to make an impression. In the past decade, Notre Dame has had a handful of seasons in which multiple QBs had playing time (2015, 2018) but 2022 was the last true spring QB competition without an incumbent on the roster. Perhaps not coincidentally, it was also the only year since 2017 in which the Irish didn't win 10 games. -- David Hale

5. Georgia Bulldogs

Can the new Bulldogs' pass catchers solve their dropped passes issue? From struggling to run the ball to games with multiple interceptions to failing on third-down conversions, Georgia's offense had myriad problems in 2024. But no issue received as much attention as dropped passes -- the Bulldogs had more than any other team in a Power 4 conference. It put Georgia behind the chains too many times and killed promising drives. The Bulldogs addressed the problem by adding two proven receivers from the transfer portal: USC's Zachariah Branch and Texas A&M's Noah Thomas. Thomas, 6-6 and 210 pounds, gives Georgia a red-zone target. Colbie Young, another big target, is expected to be available after pleading no contest to a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct on Jan. 29 to resolve a domestic violence case. The Bulldogs also need Dillon Bell to reach his full potential, and Nitro Tuggle and Sacovie White to continue to develop as reliable pass catchers. Freshman C.J. Wiley, a Georgia native, has also turned heads in his first couple of months on campus after enrolling in January. -- Mark Schlabach