Texas lands within top 10 of ESPN’s 2023 college football SP+ Top 25
ESPN’s Bill Connelly released his initial SP+ Top 25 rankings this week.
Connelly bases the rankings off three primary factors: returning production, recent recruiting success and recent history. One-third of the recruiting projections formula now incorporates transfers, something Connelly chose to add this season.
The No. 1 team on Connelly’s SP+ Top 25 is a no-brainer. Georgia is coming off back-to-back national championships. Although the Bulldogs are losing quarterback Stetson Bennett, they’re bringing in another impressive recruiting class that sits at No. 2 in the country.
Texas lands ahead of USC, Florida State, Clemson, Utah and Oklahoma in the rankings. The Longhorns have landed consecutive top five recruiting classes and only lost one starter on the offensive side of the ball this offseason.
Here’s a look at the top 10 teams in Connelly’s initial SP+ Top 25:
Georgia
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
2022 record: 15-0, National Champions
2023 recruiting class rank: No. 2
Ohio State
Adam Cairns-USA TODAY Sports
2022 record: 11-2
2023 recruiting class rank: No. 5
Michigan
Bryon Houlgrave/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK
2022 record: 13-1
2023 recruiting class rank: No. 18
Alabama
Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports
2022 record: 11-2
2023 recruiting class rank: No. 1
Penn State
Mark Alberti-USA TODAY Sports
2022 record: 11-2
2023 recruiting class rank: No. 13
Tennessee
Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports
2022 record: 11-2
2023 recruiting class rank: No. 9
LSU
Patrick Dennis-USA TODAY Sports
2022 record: 10-4
2023 recruiting class rank: No. 6
Oregon
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
2022 record: 10-3
2023 recruiting class rank: No. 8
Texas
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
2022 record: 8-5
2023 recruiting class rank: No. 3
USC
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
2022 record: 11-3
2023 recruiting class rank: No. 12
