Yahoo Sports Unveils 2026 Preseason Top 25 Teams 13-25 as LSU Lands at No. 13

3 articles · Updated · Yahoo Sports · Aug 5

Yahoo Sports opened its 2026 preseason college football Top 25 by ranking teams No. 13 through No. 25, with LSU at No. 13 and Virginia Tech at No. 25 ahead of Week Zero on Aug. 29.
LSU, SMU, BYU and Michigan headline the upper half of that tier, with the Tigers boosted by Lane Kiffin’s transfer-heavy rebuild and an early September stretch against Clemson, Ole Miss and Texas A&M.
USC at No. 17, Penn State at No. 18 and Utah at No. 19 sit in a crowded middle, where quarterback development, coaching changes and difficult conference schedules shape playoff and title-game hopes.
Clemson at No. 20 and Tennessee at No. 23 face major quarterback questions, while Houston at No. 22, Louisville at No. 21, Washington at No. 24 and Virginia Tech at No. 25 are framed as teams with favorable paths to exceed expectations.
The release sets up Yahoo Sports’ remaining preseason reveal of the top 12 teams, offering an early map of contenders, rebound candidates and dark horses entering the 2026 season.