College Football 2019 Way-Too-Early Top 10
By Jason McIntyre
1. Clemson (15-0, won National title)
QB Trevor Lawrence is back – for two more years! So is his #1 WR, Justyn Ross, the 6-foot-4 star who dominated Notre Dame (6-148-2) and Alabama (6-153-1). And so is 1,500-yard rusher Travis Etienne (22 TDs). Not to scare anyone, but receivers Tee Higgins and Amari Rodgers are back, too. The defense will lose five of its front seven, but there are 5-star recruits waiting in the wings.
2. Alabama (14-1, lost National title)
Like Clemson, many of their stars are back, from QB Tua Tagovailoa to RB Najee Harris to WRs Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs and Devonta Smith. And like Clemson, they’ll lose at least five players from the front seven. Star safety Deionte Thompson is a 1st round pick.
3. Georgia (11-3)
Star QB Jake Fromm is back, and so is leading rusher D’Andre Swift. The defense should return eight starters. This is a Bulldogs team that outplayed Alabama for much of the SEC title game and gets its two most difficult regular season games – Notre Dame and Texas A&M – at home.
4. Texas (10-4)
The Longhorns beat the Sooners in the regular season, and lost a close game to them in the Big 12 title game. Well, Texas returns its QB (Sam Ehlinger) and he’s also getting back WR Collin Johnson. The defense will lose at least eight seniors,
5. Oklahoma (12-2)
Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray is set to end his college football career, but that won’t be a death knell for the Sooners. Austin Kendall is likely to replace him and all he’s yet another excellent quarterback prospect for head coach Lincoln Riley to mold.
The Sooners have won four straight Big 12 titles and should get a solid challenge from Texas again in 2018. The key to success for Oklahoma will be improving the nation’s 114th-ranked defense. To that end, Riley went out and hired defensive coordinator Alex Grinch from Ohio State.
If Grinch can shore up some of Oklahoma’s holes on defense, the Sooners will again be a national contender.
6. Ohio State (13-1)
Ryan Day has replaced Urban Meyer and his first order of business will be replacing Heisman Trophy finalist Dwayne Haskins.
Tate Martell, Matthew Baldwin and transfer Justin Fields (if he’s immediately eligible) will battle it out to be the starting quarterback. Whoever wins the job will have a ton of talent around him. Chris Olave, Austin Mack and incoming five-star Garrett Wilson should give the Buckeyes a top-tier receiving corps.
Defensively, Ohio State loses Dre'Mont Jones to the NFL and Nick Bosa already bolted, but the entire unit is young and loaded with talent. In order to improve things, the Buckeyes dumped Greg Schiano and brought in Greg Mattison from Michigan.
Ohio State should clearly be the class of the Big Ten again in 2019.
7. LSU (10-3)
Joe Burrow returns for his senior year and will likely take another step forward. Couple competent offense — something newish in Baton Rouge — with a stifling defense and, pow, one has a winning formula. Wideouts Ja’Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson, and Terrace Marshall will have more seasoning.
Four offensive lineman return, plus the Tigers bring in Kardell Thomas, one of the top guard recruits in the country. Eight Fiesta Bowl starters come back on defense.
Is there a chance LSU could sneak up and grab Alabama in Tuscaloosa? They’ll have the talent to do so, which is half the battle.
8. Florida (10-3)
The Gators destroyed Michigan in the Peach Bowl to earn a Top-10 ranking. Feleipe Franks, Lamical Perine, and Van Jefferson all return. Dan Mullen quietly put together a first year that was better than both Urban Meyer and Steve Spurrier. Rebuilding the offensive line will be a challenge, but a favorable schedule that stays in the Sunshine State could grease the skids for another 10-win campaign.
9. Notre Dame (12-1)
Yes, everyone had their fun beating up on Notre Dame after Clemson crushed them for their first loss of the season in the CFB Playoff. But here’s the simple truth: they’ve been a Top 10 caliber team each of the last two years. They’ve collectively gone 22-4 over the last two years with all the losses coming against other ranked teams. Ian Book should be back at quarterback. Khalid Kareem and Julian Okwara both announced they were returning, giving the front four a boost.The schedule has two tough tests (at Georgia, at Michigan) but if they win one of those they will be squarely in the playoff hunt again.
10. Texas A&M (9-4)
Jimbo Fisher did work during his first year in College Station. He got the Aggies to nine wins for the first time since 2013 and got them their first bowl win since 2014. They also finished the season on a four-game win streak that included wins over LSU and NC State.
In 2019, Fisher will have Kellen Mond returning at quarterback. Mond is coming off a solid sophomore season in which he threw for 3,107 yards, with 31 total touchdowns and just nine interceptions. The Aggies will have to replace running back Trayveon Williams (1,760 yards, 18 touchdowns) and tight end Jace Sternberger (48 catches, 832 yards, 10 touchdowns).
Defensively, Texas A&M will lose five of the team’s front seven, but also welcomes a loaded recruiting class. Given Fisher’s track record it’s hard to see the Aggies taking a step back.