We are just under a month to the release of College Football 26. Let’s highlight the top 10 teams that should be fun to use—and tough to stop—on the virtual gridiron.
1. Texas Longhorns
It’ll be interesting to see what rating EA Sports gives new starting quarterback and Heisman Trophy favorite Arch Manning. The highly touted dual threat benefits from Steve Sarkisian’s offense, which—in the game—makes things easier for you with easy completions to get into a rhythm. And the Longhorns defense has a case to be the best in the nation entering the season and might be rated as such in College Football 26.
2. Penn State Nittany Lions
As in real life, quarterback is important to have success in College Football 26, so that’ll be a theme for the top teams to utilize out of the box. Drew Allar is back after foregoing the NFL to return to Happy Valley and push for a national championship. Also back are running backs Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen—a one-two punch that was already awesome to use in last year’s game and should be even better entering their senior seasons. The talent of Penn State is not a question, and they’ll be a potent squad to use.
3. Ohio State Buckeyes
Uncertainty at quarterback—with Julian Sayin as the favorite to start but Lincoln Kienholz also in the mix—in terms of player ratings is part of what has the defending champions at No. 3 instead of No. 1 or No. 2. But the receiving group headlined by Jeremiah Smith along with Carnell Tate and Brandon Inniss will be tough for opponents to contain. And the Ohio State defense led by safety Caleb Downs might be scarier in 2025.
4. Clemson Tigers
Cade Klubnik is one of those quarterbacks boosting Clemson among the top teams to use in College Football 26. He’s entering his third full season as a starter and should be one of the highest-rated signal-callers in the game after a breakout junior campaign. Plus, the offensive line in front of him is a veteran group that’s one of the best in the country.
5. Georgia Bulldogs
It starts on defense for the Bulldogs—with their creative playbook helping users push the opposition behind the sticks and get off the field in third down situations. Offensively, the exceptional speed of USC transfer Zachariah Branch at wide receiver helps spread the field to open things up for everyone, and senior tight end Oscar Delp is a reliable target for quarterback Gunner Stockton.
6. Oregon Ducks
We’ll see what the ratings and skills of new Ducks quarterback Dante Moore are, but the talent of the former top high school recruit could make him a force in College Football 26. Three senior transfers on the offensive line—Isaiah World, Emmanuel Pregnon, and Alex Harkey—should help Oregon be able to protect and give you time to scan the field with Moore.
7. Alabama Crimson Tide
Alabama’s young sophomore receiver Ryan Williams alone is enough to put the Crimson Tide in the top 10, as he’s one of the two primary cover stars and should be an unstoppable weapon on the outside. The offensive playbook for Bama could get a boost with Ryan Grubb as the offensive coordinator. On defense, the guys up front including LT Overton should be able to put pressure on the quarterback.
8. South Carolina Gamecocks
South Carolina profiles as arguably the most underrated team that might not have top 10 offense, defense, and overall ratings but will perform better than that if used the right way. (Arizona was one of those teams at launch last year, despite a lack of real-life success when the season got underway.) Star quarterback LaNorris Sellers is throwing to Nyck Harbor, Jared Brown, and Mazeo Bennett Jr., while the defense added a plethora of transfers to give that group a boost.
9. Arizona State Sun Devils
Gone is workhorse running back Cam Skattebo, but Kenny Dillingham’s playbook is one of the best to use in the game and has quarterback Sam Leavitt returning and likely to get a strong rating. Senior wide receiver Jordyn Tyson is back as a top target to utilize after posting a 75/1,101/10 campaign in 2024.
10. Texas A&M Aggies
LSU, Miami, and Nebraska are among the other options that could have easily made the top 10. But Texas A&M has plenty of talent across the board, paired with an exciting dual threat quarterback in Marcel Reed, who is surrounded with new weapons including transfer tight end Amari Niblack. The defense might hold the Aggies back some, but the offense and homefield advantage at College Station help make them a strong choice for play now games.