If there is one thing permanent about College Football (CFB,) it is CHANGE. There are rare exceptions, such as Tom Brady, a 6th-round draft pick out of Michigan in 2000, started at QB for the New England Patriots for 18 seasons, from 2001 through 2019. Almost two decades of not having to worry about the most critical position in football for the Patriots, and arguably, the most critical position across all sports.
Marcus Mariota won the Heisman Trophy in 2014, the 3rd and last season he started at QB for the Ducks. Marcus led his team to the first Four-Team Playoff championship game, but came up empty against Urban Meyer, and an Ohio State team loaded with NFL talent. Mr. FishDuck took a short break from his fun at Plinko Canada and betting UFC in Canada to discuss the change he and I expect in the CFB Playoffs this year.
Marcus played his college football before over-the-table payments for the use of a player’s Name, Image, and Likeness were allowed. A player red-shirting his freshman season, and starting for three or four seasons was the norm, and not the exception. Today, over 60% of starting quarterbacks in FBS football are transfers, which is nothing like the past…
2024-25 CFB Playoff teams Georgia and Texas from the SEC, Ohio State and Oregon from the B1G, and Independent Notre Dame have many quality players leaving their respective programs for the NFL Draft, and players with remaining eligibility transferring out for more playing time and/or, more NIL money.
Which of these five teams will do the best job of patching holes in their roster? Rosters turn over but for The Sporting News Preseason Composite Top-25 rankings, No. 1 Texas, No. 2 Ohio State, No. 4 Georgia, No. 5 Notre Dame, and No. 6 Oregon, to have so much turnover, much of it at the same critical positions, is unprecedented.
To give readers a benchmark for returning production in 2025, Clemson is No. 1 with 81% of its 2024 roster returning. No. 3 Illinois is first in the B1G with 76% of its 2024 roster returning, and both teams have experienced starting QBs. Not so for the above five teams ranked in the preseason top 6.
Arch Manning will lead the Texas Longhorns in 2025. (Photo Courtesy of Texas Football)
QUARTERBACK – Georgia, Ohio State, Oregon, Notre Dame, and Texas all Have New Starters at the Most Critical Position.
Texas is relying on Archie Manning, a guy from an all-time QB gene pool, a pool filled with blue-blood football royalty. In his 3rd season on The Forty Acres, Archie will start for No. 1 Texas in Columbus, Ohio in Week 1 versus No. 2 Ohio State. A rematch of the 2025 terrific Cotton Bowl game.
Many pundits have Archie winning the Heisman in 2025. Not So Fast! In the two games he started, Archie shined. But he started against woeful Mississippi State, and G5 UTSA. Ohio State will be a much tougher opponent.
In 2025, Texas has one starter on the O-line returning among the 45% returning production from 2024, 103rd in the nation. The Horns’ top two receivers in 2024 are expected to be 1st round draft picks. Three starters on defense return. The new starters for Texas have great potential, but potential is not always realized.
Georgia – Carson Beck, after leading the SEC in Passes-Completed-to-the-Opposing-Team in 2024, has shuffled off to Miami. Beck will be replaced by Gunner Stockton who played well against Texas in the 2nd Half of the SEC Champ game, and OK versus Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl. According to reports, Gunner is far more popular with his teammates than Beck.
By Kirby Smart standards, Georgia’s wide receivers and tight ends last season were awful, leading FBS in Hands-of-Teflon-Drops. And the Georgia run game was also not close to the standard Dawgs fans expect. With a brutal schedule in 2024, winning the SEC title may have been Smart’s best coaching job at Georgia.
Georgia will return 45% of its starting production from 2024. 105th out of 136 G6 and Power 4 teams. Like Texas, Georgia’s Blue Blood Roster is a Deep, Deep, Blue. But will it come through against the same schedule with only the game venues changed from 2024?
Notre Dame is a strong candidate to return to the Playoffs. (Photo Courtesy of Notre Dame Football)
Ohio State – The defending National Champion must replace Champion QB Will Howard. According to the Buckeyes Eleven Warriors website, Julian Sayin and Lincoln Kienholz are ‘neck-and-neck’ in the competition to replace Howard. Sayin was thought to be a certainty to start at QB, but he reportedly has suffered from accuracy issues in Spring practice.
Ohio State returns 46% of its 2024 production, 101st in the nation. However, starting WR Jeremiah Smith and D-Back Caleb Downs come in respectively as CFB’s best starters on O and on D.
Another B1G question for the Buckeyes, will OC Chip Kelly and DC Jim Knowles be seamlessly replaced? Jim Knowles, now at Penn State, coached the top CFB defense in 2024.
Notre Dame – says so long to QB Riley Leonard who came in from the ACC to replace ACC transfer Sam Hartman, and led The Irish to the title game. This is a similar situation to Oregon having to replace transfer Dillon Gabriel who replaced transfer Bo Nix, two players who were in the running for the Heisman Trophy.
The competition for the starting QB for the Domers is also close, coming down to a choice between Junior Steve Angeli and Redshirt Freshman CJ Carr, the grandson of former Michigan coach Lloyd Carr. (Almost as crazy as Kirk Herbstreit’s son committing to Michigan.)
In the 2025 Orange Bowl, Angeli replaced Leonard who was in concussion protocol, completing 6 of 7 passes for 44 yards that led to an Irish field goal, putting Notre Dame down 10-0, on the scoreboard just before halftime.
Notre Dame returns 57% of its 2024 production, 62nd in CFB. The Domers played four G5 opponents in 2024, going 3-1. The schedule is more difficult in 2025 with games at Miami and Arkansas, and home versus Texas A&M, and a perhaps improved USC squad.
Dante Moore had extended experience in 2023, and thus can help this year. (Screenshot from On3 Video)
The Mighty Oregon Ducks – Redshirt Sophomore Dante Moore who transferred to Oregon from UCLA in 2024, is expected to replace QB and Heisman contender Dillon Gabriel at QB. Gabriel replaced transfer and Heisman-contending QB Bo Nix.
Thrown into the fire as a true freshman at UCLA, Moore started nine games and threw for 1610 yards, 11 TDs, and nine interceptions. Showing maturity beyond his years, Moore transferred to Oregon intending to sit behind Dillon Gabriel and to learn from Dillon and OC Will Stein. Hopefully, Dante will take advantage of this learning curve.
Moore will be surrounded by a cast of new starters. Oregon returns only 41% of its 2024 production, 109th in the nation. Coach Dan Lanning is bringing in 10 quality transfers to replace starters off to the NFL or simply out of eligibility.
Oregon will be a heavy favorite in its first four games, hopefully giving new starters a chance to come together before going on the road in Week 5 to Penn State.
The five above-ranked teams have holes to fill, no doubt, but I believe that one of Georgia or Texas will win the SEC title, one of Ohio State or Oregon will win the B1G title, and all four along with Notre Dame, will return to the 2025-26 Playoffs.
Come On August 30th!
Jon Joseph
Aiken, South Carolina
Top Screenshot from NBC Sports Video
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Jon Joseph grew up in Boston, Massachusetts but has been blessed to have lived long enough in the west to have exorcised all east coast bias. He played football in college and has passionately followed the game for seven decades. A retired corporate attorney Jon has lectured across the country and published numerous articles on banking and gaming law. Now a resident of Aiken South Carolina, Jon follows college football across the nation with a focus on the Conference of Champions and the Ducks.