2025 College Football Playoff Predictions: Teams Capable of Making First Appearance

Right now, and perhaps for many decades to come, there is no better example of a fairytale, Cinderella-style run to the College Football Playoff than what Indiana accomplished last fall under first-year head coach Curt Cignetti.

Consider the circumstances surrounding Indiana’s program ahead of the 2024 campaign: The Hoosiers owned the most losses of any program in FBS history; they hadn’t won more than eight games in a season since before the Apollo 11 moon landing; they’d finished fourth place or worse in their own division — back when the Big Ten had such stratification — 12 times in the span of 13 years from 2011-23; they’d just hired a new coach in Cignetti, formerly of James Madison, who had never overseen a team in the power conferences; they bid farewell to more than three dozen players in the transfer portal; they were picked 16th in the preseason Big Ten poll.

And yet, on Dec. 8, following a breathtaking regular season that began with 10 consecutive wins and finished with a school-record 11 victories overall, there stood the upstart Hoosiers firmly clutching an at-large berth in the College Football Playoff. To anyone even vaguely familiar with the general trajectory of Indiana football — a team that always plays second fiddle to the school’s basketball program — everything about the preceding sentence would have seemed ludicrous until it inexplicably happened before our eyes.

The same 12-team format that facilitated Indiana’s inclusion last December now engenders similar flickers of hope among countless schools and fan bases entering a new campaign. Any team that retained key veterans or made shrew additions in the transfer portal — shoot, any team that brought in a new head coach — will begin to dream of matching the Hoosiers’ incredible success, even if that program has never dared to dream before.

So with that in mind, here are 10 teams capable of reaching the College Football Playoff for the first time in 2025:

* Recruiting rankings and historical data courtesy of 247Sports.com

Head coach: Mario Cristobal, fourth year (22-16 at Miami)Last season: 10-3 overall, 6-2 ACCReturning starters: 3 offense, 4 defenseRecruiting class: No. 14 overall, No. 1 ACCTransfer portal: No. 3 overall, No. 1 ACCStrength of schedule: 41st

So much about Miami’s viability as a legitimate College Football Playoff contender hinges on the health of quarterback Carson Beck, a splashy transfer from Georgia. Beck underwent elbow surgery in late December to repair the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) injury he suffered during the first half of last year’s SEC Championship game. Coupled with some uneven performances throughout the season — Beck’s interception total doubled from six in 2023 to 12 in 2024 — the injury prompted Beck to reconsider his NFL future and enter the transfer portal, where he was viewed as the highest-rated quarterback in the cycle until former Tennessee standout Nico Iamaleava joined earlier this spring. Beck reportedly accepted an NIL package from Miami worth north of $4 million for the upcoming season, a figure that has already elevated the expectations around him to stratospheric levels. He left Georgia with a 24-3 record as the Bulldogs’ starter over the last two seasons, one of which included a trip to the College Football Playoff, and his career statistics include nearly 8,000 passing yards alongside 58 touchdowns and 20 interceptions.

Beck represents the crown jewel of Cristobal’s effort to reload with one of the strongest transfer classes in the country after deflating late-season losses to Georgia Tech and Syracuse cost the Hurricanes, who started 9-0 in 2024, a spot in last year’s playoff. A rebuilt secondary includes four newcomers who were rated among the top 100 overall transfers in former Wisconsin cornerback Xavier Lucas (No. 20 transfer, No. 1 CB); former Jacksonville State safety Zechariah Poyser (No. 57 transfer, No. 2 S); former Washington State cornerback Ethan O’Connor (No. 81 transfer, No. 10 CB) and former Michigan State cornerback Charles Brantley (No. 96 transfer, No. 12 CB). Their primary goal will be helping first-year defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman, another expensive addition from Minnesota, solidify a unit that finished tied for 68th in scoring last season (25.3 points per game) and only held three conference opponents below 30 points. Back-to-back games against Florida (Sept. 20) and Florida State (Oct. 4) should help clarify the state’s balance of power in a year when all three programs will expect to contend for the College Football Playoff.

Head coach: Shane Beamer, fifth year (29-22 at South Carolina)Last season: 9-4 overall, 5-3 SECReturning starters: 5 offense, 4 defenseRecruiting class: No. 18 overall, No. 11 SECTransfer portal: No. 15 overall, No. 8 SECStrength of schedule: 13th

There is a direct correlation between the surging optimism at South Carolina, a program that has finished better than third in the SEC East just once over the last decade, and the rapid emergence of quarterback LaNorris Sellers as one of the most exciting players in the country. At this time last summer, Sellers, then a largely unknown redshirt freshman, had only played 21 collegiate snaps and had yet to make his first start. He arrived at South Carolina as a modestly recruited four-star prospect — the Gamecocks were the only SEC program to offer him a scholarship — and it was difficult to predict how his dual-threat approach would translate after Sellers threw for 2,948 yards and 45 touchdowns while also rushing for 1,338 yards and 17 scores as a senior in high school. Few would have expected Sellers, a South Carolina native, to morph into the SEC’s Freshman of the Year by leading the Gamecocks to an impressive 9-4 record, including six straight wins to end the regular season. He completed 65.6% of his passes while throwing for 2,534 yards and 18 touchdowns, in addition to finishing as the team’s second-leading rusher with 166 carries for 674 yards and seven scores.

Fast-forward to the present and Sellers, a 6-foot-3, 240-pound wrecking ball, is being discussed as both a potential Heisman Trophy candidate and a possible first-round pick in next year’s draft ahead of the most anticipated South Carolina season in quite some time. He’s the unquestioned linchpin for a roster that continues to improve under Beamer, the son of legendary former Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer, thanks to the coaching staff’s tireless player acquisition efforts. The Gamecocks’ high school classes have improved from 80th nationally during Beamer’s first cycle to a string of four consecutive top-25 classes from 2022 through the present. And in the transfer portal, where South Carolina cracked the top 15 nationally for the first time in three years, Beamer added several potential plug-and-play starters in former Utah State tailback Rahsul Faison (No. 49 transfer, No. 2 RB), former NC State cornerback Brandon Cisse (No. 80 transfer, No. 9 CB) and former Texas A&M defensive tackle Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy (No. 165 transfer, No. 22 DL). But a brutal back half of the schedule includes games against LSU, Oklahoma, Alabama, Ole Miss, Texas A&M and Clemson in a seven-week stretch.

Head coach: Bret Bielema, fifth year (28-22 at Illinois)Last season: 10-3 overall, 6-3 Big TenReturning starters: 9 offense, 7 defenseRecruiting class: No. 46 overall, No. 13 Big TenTransfer portal: No. 42 overall, No. 13 Big TenStrength of schedule: 44th

Illinois will likely be among the trendiest picks to reach the College Football Playoff after head coach Bret Bielema guided the Illini to their first 10-win season since 2001 and retained 16 starters for another push this fall. A four-game winning streak to end the year — capped by an impressive victory over red-hot South Carolina in the Citrus Bowl — helped Illinois assemble its highest-rated transfer class of the portal era. The most important collection of newcomers is along the defensive front, where Illinois lost three starters from its 2024 roster. Bielema added three likely starters in former Wisconsin defensive lineman James Thompson Jr. (No. 87 transfer, No. 12 DL), former Florida State defensive lineman Tomiwa Durojaiye (No. 278 transfer, No. 38 DL) and former Wisconsin edge rusher Leon Lowery Jr. (No. 325 transfer, No. 36 edge) to solidify a unit that jumped from 96th in scoring (29.4 points per game) during defensive coordinator Aaron Henry’s debut season in 2023 to 31st in scoring last season (21.7 points per game). That Illinois returns all five starters in the secondary, plus standout edge rusher Gabe Jacas, a third-team All-Big Ten selection, means the defense should be formidable again this fall.

Still, much of the excitement surrounding Illinois is linked to a glut of key returners on offense. Atop that list is quarterback Luke Altmyer, the former Ole Miss transfer now entering his third year under offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr. and his third year as the Illini’s starter — a rarity in modern college football. The success Altmyer enjoyed last fall while throwing for 2,717 yards and 22 touchdowns with only six interceptions made him a popular name amid speculation about potential transfers, especially after Tennessee said goodbye to starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava. But Altmyer remained firm with Illinois and should be among the best quarterbacks in the Big Ten. He will be protected by an offensive line that returns all five starters and complemented by a running back tandem of Aidan Laughery and Kaden Feagin that combined for 895 yards and seven touchdowns in reserve roles behind starter Josh McCray (117 carries, 609 yards, 10 TDs), who subsequently transferred to Georgia. The concern is at wide receiver, where top targets Pat Bryant (984 yards, 10 TDs) and Zakhari Franklin (652 yards, four TDs) both departed for the NFL. The return of former Murray State tight end Cole Rusk, a highly coveted transfer who missed all of last season with a knee injury, should provide a lift.

Head coach: Billy Napier, 4th year (19-19 at Florida)Last season: 8-5 overall, 4-4 SECReturning starters: 6 offense, 7 defenseRecruiting class: No. 7 overall, No. 4 SECTransfer portal: No. 116 overall, No. 16 SECStrength of schedule: 1st

What a difference half a year can make. An overtime defeat to then-No. 8 Tennessee last October changed the trajectory of Florida’s program under embattled head coach Billy Napier, who, at that point, had lost more games than he’d won across three-plus seasons. Having slumped to a 3-3 record to begin the 2024 campaign, including a blowout loss to rival Miami, it was widely assumed that Napier would be fired less than halfway through his seven-year contract. But a season-ending knee injury to starting quarterback Graham Mertz prompted Napier to insert five-star freshman DJ Lagway, the No. 2 signal-caller in the cycle and the second-best quarterback recruit in program history behind Brock Berlin in 2000. The canon-armed Lagway helped catalyze an impressive second half in which Florida won five of its final seven games, headlined by a pair of ranked victories over then-No. 22 LSU and then-No. 9 Ole Miss, and stormed into the offseason on an emotional high, preserving Napier’s job for at least one more year. Lagway, who completed 115 of 192 passes (59.9%) for 1,915 yards with 12 touchdowns and nine interceptions, earned Freshman All-American honors from a host of media outlets to ignite conversation about the heights he might reach in 2025.

The Gators’ late-season revitalization aided Napier in assembling the No. 7 recruiting class in the country, which was Florida’s highest finish since it ranked third under former coach Will Muschamp in 2013. Napier’s group included four of the state’s top nine prospects in wide receiver Vernell Brown III (No. 30 overall, No. 6 WR), wide receiver Dallas Wilson (No. 35 overall, No. 8 WR), safety Drake Stubbs (No. 54 overall, No. 4 S) and cornerback Ben Hanks III (No. 59 overall, No. 8 CB) to anchor a class featuring nine top-150 recruits overall. Those newcomers should blend nicely with an existing depth chart that returns four starters along the offensive line and four starters in the secondary. The problem, however, is an exceedingly brutal schedule that might be too difficult for Lagway & Co. to handle, even if they build on last year’s success. An SEC slate that includes games against LSU (away), Texas (home), Texas A&M (away), Georgia (neutral), Ole Miss (away) and Tennessee (home) is supplemented by traditional rivalry games against Miami (away) and Florida State (home) that will both be tricky. It’s hard to say if the Gators are more likely to reach the College Football Playoff or hover around .500 in the rugged SEC.

Head coach: Matt Campbell, 10th year (64-51 at Iowa State)Last season: 11-3 overall, 7-2 Big 12Returning starters: 6 offense, 4 defenseRecruiting class: No. 55 overall, No. 13 Big 12Transfer portal: No. 61 overall, No. 15 Big 12Strength of schedule: 59th

Despite an unsightly performance in last year’s Big 12 Championship game — Iowa State was pummeled, 45-19, by Arizona State — the Cyclones still enjoyed what was arguably the best campaign in program history. Never before had an Iowa State team reached double-digit victories, which head coach Matt Campbell’s group accomplished before November expired. The Cyclones were included in the final AP Poll, checking in at No. 15, for just the third time since 1976. And when four Iowa State players were selected in this spring’s NFL Draft, including three in the first three rounds, that matched a number the Cyclones have equaled on several occasions but haven’t exceeded since 1975. Given that Campbell and both coordinators, Taylor Mouser (offense) and Jon Heacock (defense), are returning for another run this fall, the excitement over another potential Big 12 title chase is real. The last time Iowa State won a conference championship of any kind was in 1912, when the Cyclones finished as co-champions of the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association.

Any chance of replicating or exceeding last year’s success likely hinges on the performance of veteran quarterback Rocco Becht, who is entering his third season as the Cyclones’ starter. Becht was named Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year in 2023 after completing 62.9% of his passes and throwing for 3,120 yards with 23 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He bettered those numbers last fall by throwing for 3,505 yards and 25 touchdowns while also chipping in 318 rushing yards and eight scores, ultimately earning honorable mention All-Big 12 recognition from the league’s coaches. The primary question surrounding Iowa State’s offense is whether the Cyclones can replace star wideouts Jaylin Noel (80 catches, 1,194 yards, eight TDs) and Jayden Higgins (87 catches, 1,183 yards, nine TDs), both of whom were drafted by the Houston Texans in the first three rounds. Iowa State added former East Carolina wideout Chase Sowell (No. 30 transfer, No. 7 WR) and former UCF wideout Xavier Townsend (No. 553 transfer, No. 106 WR), but neither player has come close to reaching 1,000 yards in a single season. A tricky schedule by Big 12 standards will test the Cyclones immediately with a high-profile opener against Kansas State in Dublin, Ireland, and a rivalry game against Iowa two weeks later.

Head coach: Joey McGuire, 4th year (23-16 at Texas Tech)Last season: 8-5 overall, 6-3 Big 12Returning starters: 4 offense, 3 defenseRecruiting class: No. 48 overall, No. 8 Big 12Transfer portal: No. 2 overall, No. 1 Big 12Strength of schedule: 69th

No team swung for the fences quite like Texas Tech this past offseason. Fueled by billionaire donor Cody Campbell, an oil magnate who doubles as both the chairman of Texas Tech’s board of regents and the founder of its NIL collective, The Matador Club, the Red Raiders spent more than $10 million upgrading their roster via the transfer portal in hopes of forcing their way into college football’s elite tier. The end result was a 21-player haul that included 13 four-star prospects — more than any other school in the country — and the No. 2 overall portal class behind LSU. The group includes seven players rated among the top 65 available transfers in former Stanford edge rusher David Bailey (No. 12 transfer, No. 3 edge), former North Carolina offensive tackle Howard Sampson (No. 14 transfer, No. 3 OT), former Georgia Tech edge rusher Romello Height (No. 27 transfer, No. 5 edge), former Illinois State offensive tackle Hunter Zambrano (No. 39 transfer, No. 5 IOL), former Miami (Ohio) offensive tackle Will Jados (No. 53 transfer, No. 7 OT), former UCF defensive tackle Lee Hunter (No. 62 transfer, No. 9 DL) and former Texas A&M wide receiver Micah Hudson (No. 64 transfer, No. 15 WR), who began his career at Texas Tech and has now rejoined the program. The Red Raiders also just opened the new Womble Football Center, which cost more than $240 million to build, a state-of-the-art practice facility on par with any other in the country.

Texas Tech’s overhaul expanded to the coaching staff as well. Offensive coordinator Zach Kittley left to become the head coach at Florida Atlantic, while defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter was fired in early December. They’ve been replaced by former Texas State offensive coordinator Mark Leftwich and former Houston defensive coordinator Shiel Wood, respectively, with three new position coaches also joining the fray. And while there will be droves of new faces on both sides of the ball — among coaches and players alike — the biggest need for improvement is on defense, where Texas Tech finished 127th overall (460.2 yards per game) and 122nd in scoring (34.8 points per game) last fall. The only Big 12 team below them in both categories was Oklahoma State, which failed to win a single conference game. This year’s defense is expected to include at least a half-dozen transfer starters, though it will still be anchored by veteran linebacker Jacob Rodriguez, the team’s only first-team All-Big 12 selection from 2024. The first real test for the new-look Red Raiders comes Sept. 20 at Utah.

Head coach: Jeff Brohm, 3rd year (19-8 at Louisville)Last season: 9-4 overall, 5-3 ACCReturning starters: 4 offense, 3 defenseRecruiting class: No. 68 overall, No. 16 ACCTransfer portal: No. 31 overall, No. 5 ACCStrength of schedule: 36th

Before Jeff Brohm became the head coach at Louisville, his alma mater, ahead of the 2023 season, he did exemplary work in guiding Purdue to an appearance in the Big Ten Championship game, a feat that seems even more remarkable given what’s happened to the program since his departure. One reason for Brohm’s success was his development of quarterback Aidan O’Connell, a former walk-on with the Boilermakers, into a fourth-round pick by the Las Vegas Raiders. His unique ability to mentor quarterbacks followed Brohm to Louisville, where he transformed journeyman Jack Plummer, whose career actually began at Purdue, into a viable undrafted free agent with the Carolina Panthers. Brohm did the same with former Oregon and Texas Tech transfer Tyler Shough, who seemed to emerge from nowhere and throw for 3,195 yards with 23 touchdowns and six interceptions during his only season at Louisville. Such production was enough to convince the New Orleans Saints that Shough was worth a second-round pick in this year’s draft, enhancing Brohm’s reputation even further.

Brohm’s next challenge is salvaging the career of former USC quarterback Miller Moss, the No. 142 overall transfer and No. 10 signal-caller in the portal. An in-state recruit, Moss waited his turn with the Trojans behind Heisman Trophy winner and eventual top overall pick Caleb Williams before finally winning the starting job last fall. He mixed brilliant moments with untimely interceptions in an uneven blend that prompted head coach Lincoln Riley to bench Moss late in the season, effectively preempting the transfer decision. Now, Moss will be the unquestioned No. 1 for a team that believes it can reach the College Football Playoff. He’ll be aided by an excellent running back duo in Isaac Brown (165 carries, 1,173 yards, 11 TDs) and Duke Watson (67 carries, 597 yards, seven TDs) that helped the Cardinals finish 33rd nationally and third in the ACC in rushing yards per game last season. There are legitimate concerns on defense, however, with Louisville needing to replace eight starters from a unit that ranked outside the top 50 in both scoring (24.1 points per game) and yards (368.7 yards per game), even with a pair of middle-round draft picks in edge rusher Ashton Gillotte (No. 66 overall) and cornerback Quincy Riley (No. 131 overall). Still, a friendly opening stretch on the schedule could see the Cardinals enjoy a 5-0 start entering their game at Miami on Oct. 17.

Head coach: Chris Klieman, 7th year (48-28 at Kansas State)Last season: 9-4 overall, 5-4 Big 12Returning starters: 6 offense, 5 defenseRecruiting class: No. 35 overall, No. 2 Big 12Transfer portal: No. 56 overall, No. 14 Big 12Strength of schedule: 64th

Many expected Kansas State to break through this barrier last fall when the Wildcats were picked to finish second in the Big 12 preseason poll — they fell one first-place vote short of Utah for the top spot — and rocketed toward a 7-1 start that saw them reach No. 16 in the AP Poll following a 45-18 pummeling of West Virginia. The Wildcats had one of the nation’s most exciting young quarterbacks in dual-threat sophomore Avery Johnson, who finished the year with more than 2,700 passing yards, more than 600 rushing yards and 32 total touchdowns. The team's rushing defense would rank among the best in the Big 12 at 118.7 yards per game, trailing only Arizona State, the league’s eventual College Football Playoff entrant. But Kansas State suffered three backbreaking defeats in the final month of the season to Houston (five points), Arizona State (10 points) and Iowa State (eight points) that dropped head coach Chris Klieman’s team from contention for both a spot in the Big 12 title game and the playoff as a whole. A crumbling ending to the once-promising season left the Wildcats to face unranked Rutgers in the Rate Bowl, a game they ultimately won.

The preseason outlook for Kansas State in 2025 should be similar to the hype it enjoyed last season, with this year’s version of the Wildcats mentioned alongside Arizona State, Texas Tech and BYU in the Big 12’s highest tier. Having lost leading rusher DJ Giddens to the NFL, where he was a fifth-round pick by the Indianapolis Colts, the Wildcats will turn to former Colorado running back Dylan Edwards as the primary runner alongside Johnson, whose ability to stay healthy might be the team’s biggest barometer for long-term success. Edwards averaged an eye-catching 7.4 yards per carry on 74 attempts last season to finish as Kansas State’s third-leading rusher and now steps into a larger role. The biggest question is at wide receiver, where veteran Jayce Brown (47 catches, 823 yards, five TDs) is the only returner with noteworthy production from 2024. Klieman added several new receivers via the transfer portal in former Boston College wideout Jerand Bradley (No. 619 transfer, No. 113 WR), former New Mexico wideout Caleb Medford (No. 756 transfer, No. 141 WR) and former Purdue wideout Jaron Tibbs (No. 1,038 transfer, No. 177 WR), but none of those players exceeded 400 yards last season. Kansas State’s schedule begins with a difficult opener against Iowa State in Dublin, Ireland, and includes another tricky non-conference game against Army on Sept. 6 before settling into Big 12 play.

Head coach: Kirk Ferentz, 27th year (204-124 at Iowa)Last season: 8-5 overall, 6-3 Big TenReturning starters: 5 offense, 5 defenseRecruiting class: No. 39 overall, No. 11 Big Ten Transfer portal: No. 60 overall, No. 17 Big Ten Strength of schedule: 32nd

For reasons that were partially cynical, Iowa’s offense spent a considerable chunk of last season beneath the national microscope following an embarrassing sequence of events that placed the program’s 2023 campaign among the most unforgettable in recent memory. It was during that year when former offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz, the son of head coach Kirk Ferentz, oversaw a truly heinous unit that finished 133rd out of 133 FBS teams in total offense (234.6 yards per game), 132nd in scoring offense (15.4 points per game) and 130th in passing (118.6 yards per game) ahead of Navy, Army and Air Force — three teams who intentionally limit their number of pass attempts. Brian Ferentz was unceremoniously informed by interim athletic director Beth Goetz of his impending firing a month before the season ended, though he was allowed to coach the remainder of the year. Kirk Ferentz eventually tabbed former Western Michigan head coach Tim Lester, who was previously the quarterbacks coach at Purdue and the offensive coordinator at Syracuse, as the replacement for 2024 and beyond. Year 1 under Lester saw the Hawkeyes improve to 72nd in scoring offense (27.7 points per game) and t-117th in total offense (328.8 yards per game) despite shoddy quarterback play from Cade McNamara and Brendan Sullivan, neither of whom are still with the program.

The second phase of Iowa’s attempted offensive revamp includes two noteworthy additions ahead of the 2025 campaign. First is quarterback Mark Gronowski, an accomplished transfer from South Dakota State and the No. 10 signal-caller in this year’s portal cycle. Gronowski tied the FCS record for wins by a quarterback with his 49-6 mark across four seasons. He won the Walter Payton Award given to the most outstanding offensive player at the FCS level in 2023 and guided South Dakota State to a pair of national championships. His dual-threat ability produced 93 career passing touchdowns and 37 career rushing scores with the Jackrabbits. The second key addition is senior offensive analyst Warren Ruggiero, who spent the last 11 years as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Wake Forest, a program that finished among the top 20 nationally in scoring for three straight seasons from 2020-22. Ruggiero, Lester and Gronowski will form the Hawkeyes’ offensive brain trust this fall. They’ll need to provide some ballast for an inexperienced defense that lost a handful of starters to graduation and the NFL.

Head coach: Brian Newberry, 3rd year (15-10 overall)Last season: 10-3 overall, 6-3 AACReturning starters: 8 offense, 3 defenseRecruiting class: No. 132 overall, No. 13 AACTransfer portal: N/AStrength of schedule: 87th

This list wouldn’t be complete without at least one team from beyond the power conferences, and Navy fits the bill given everything the Midshipmen are returning from a team that won 10 games for the first time since finishing 11-2 in 2019. The addition of first-year offensive coordinator Drew Cronic, who was previously the head coach at Mercer (2020-23) and Lenoir-Rhyne (2018-19), catalyzed an explosive unit that ranked 39th in scoring at 31.3 points per game and sixth in rushing at 247.5 yards per game. The only teams in the country to amass more 50-yard gains than Navy (13) — which matched Ohio State in that category — were Boise State (16) and the quartet of Louisville, Miami (Ohio), Ole Miss and UTSA (14 each). A triumphant 21-20 win over Oklahoma in the Armed Forces Bowl capped an exemplary campaign for second-year head coach Brian Newberry, who was previously the team’s defensive coordinator and safeties coach from 2019-22.

Eight starters from last season’s high-powered offense return in 2025, headlined by dual-threat quarterback Blake Horvath, now a senior. Horvath threw for 1,353 yards and 13 touchdowns last season while also finishing as the team’s leading rusher with 1,254 yards and 17 touchdowns on 176 carries. His primary backfield partners, Alex Tecza (124 carries, 568 yards, eight TDs), Eli Heidenreich (65 carries, 444 yards, three TDs; 39 catches, 671 yards, 6 TDs) and Brandon Chatman (48 carries, 250 yards, three TDs; 18 catches, 257 yards, 4 TDs) are also back for another campaign. It’s worth noting, however, that Navy’s exciting collection of skill players will be working behind a retooled offensive line that must replace both starting tackles and one starting guard. A soft strength of schedule in the American Athletic Conference remains arguably the biggest impediment to the Midshipmen’s hopes of reaching the College Football Playoff. The early November showdown at Notre Dame will likely be their only game against a ranked opponent, which makes Navy’s margin for error throughout the rest of the season exceedingly slim.

Michael Cohen covers college football and college basketball for FOX Sports. Follow him at @Michael_Cohen13.

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