2025 College Football Preview - Team Deep Dives
Follow: X - BettorClubhouse | IG - TheBettorClubhouse | Threads - TheBettorClubhouse
Enjoy the following deep dives into all of the teams that are 100/1 or shorter heading into the 2025 college football regular season + a handful of bonus teams. At least 4 teams in every power conference are covered, in addition to 2 Group of 5 teams.
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook as of Sunday, August 10th
Texas Longhorns +550
Sark returns
Kyle Flood (OC), Pete Kwiatkowski (DC) return
#1 recruiting class per 247, Top 25 transfer portal class
Only 40% returning production on the offense - ranks outside top 100
Arch Manning season
Replacing 4 starting OL
Replacing 3 top pass-catchers: Matthew Golden, Gunnar Helm, Isaiah Bond.
Ryan Wingo and DeAndre Moore Jr will lead the way after combining for 900+ yards and 9 touchdowns
Stanford transfer Emmett Mosley V will be in the mix after 525 yd and 6 TD last year
Keep an eye on freshmen 5* Kaliq Lockett and 4* Jamie French, who were 2 of the top 10 WR in the 25 class per 247
CAL transfer TE Jack Endries should be in line to start after 623 yards and 2 TD last year
RB will be a strength with Quintrevion Wisner and CJ Baxter (back from injury in 2024) splitting reps
DEF 62% returning production (top 35) - as many as 6 returning starters - will be a strength - specifically in the back 7
Arguably the best LB core in the country with Anthony Hill Jr, Liona Lefau, and Trey Moore (listed at WLB on depth chart for this season) returning, in addition to Brad Spence coming over from Arkansas after tallying 65 tackles, 6 TFL, 4.5 sacks
Secondary should be rock-solid once again with Jaylon Guildbeau, Malik Muhammed and Michael Taaffe back in the mix, in addition to 5* FR Jonah Williams and Kade Phillips
Biggest question is the DL, particularly inside DL
Texas lost Alfred Collins, Vernon Broughton and Bill Norton to the NFL
Purdue TR Cole Brevard, UNC TR Travis Shaw, and Syracuse TR Maraad Watson will be asked to fill the gaps in addition to SO Alex January, 5* FR Justus Terry, and a couple other less-experienced TR
Schedule
Top 10 SOS
True road game Week 1 at OSU
Bye week before @ Florida
Ensuing game is a neutral site: Red River Shootout at the Cotton Bowl vs Oklahoma
Back-to-back road games at Kentucky and Mississippi State following Oklahoma matchup
One of the easiest road B2B you can have in the SEC this year
@ Georgia after bye week mid-November
Conference home games are all in November: Vanderbilt, Arkansas, Texas A&M
Non-conference home games are all in September: San Jose St, UTEP, Sam Houston
Ohio State Buckeyes +650
Ryan Day remains by default, but he needs a win against Michigan for fans to fully trust in him
Both coordinators moved on
Brian Hartline OC, Matt Patricia DC
Significant downgrades at both spots
Hartline was OC in 2023 but did not call plays
Patricia most recently served as an advisor/assistant in the NFL; was not in football in 2024
NE defenses were strong, but tenure with Lions was not good, and he did not last long in PHI even as an assistant
4th in FR recruiting class; Top 25 in TR portal class
14 players from the title team last year drafted to the NFL, which is just 1 shy of the record. Outside top 90 in returning production - less than 50% on both sides of the ball
QB: Will Howard gone; Devin Brown transferred
SO Julian Sayin stepping in as starter and has only thrown 12 passes in college
Prototypical pocket passer but lacks elite size.
4 players last year had 1,000 total scrimmage yards and 3 of them are gone
Jeremiah Smith returns and should be squarely in Heisman talks, especially if Sayin is good
Carnell Tate should be a great 2nd receiver
Brandon Inniss and Mylan Graham will be expected to step into bigger roles, and 5* FR Quincy Porter will likely be called upon early for production
Wouldn’t surprise me to see 1 or 2 of the 3 4* FR WR step into regular playing time, but largely inexperienced group behind Smith and Tate
TR TE Max Klare from Purdue will have an instant impact on the offense after 685 yards and 4 TD last year.
OL is almost completely reshuffled
All of the best pieces on the OL are gone
Tegra Tshabola remains at RG but needs to take the next step
Carson Hinzman, Austin Siereveld, Luke Montgomery stepping into bigger roles, but the trio aren’t completely deft of experience as they combined for almost 1,000 snaps last year
Rice TR Ethan Onianwa expected to start at LT but RS FR Ian Moore and 4* FR Carter Lowe could push for playing time if he doesn’t succeed due to massive step up in class
Keep an eye on Minnesota TR Phillip Daniels at RT as well
RB room could take a step back without TreyVeon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins
James Peoples steps in as de facto starter, but only carried the ball 49 times last year
WV TR CJ Donaldson adds an experienced veteran to the mix after back-to-back 11 touchdown seasons
4* FR Bo Jackson adds some upside
A ton of turnover on the defensive side of the ball
Unit won’t have nearly as much experience as last year’s group, but the talent shouldn’t be questioned.
Caleb Downs, Sonny Styles and Davison Igbinosun will be the leaders on this side of the ball
Productive TR Beau Atkinson (UNC) and Logan George (Idaho State) will be in the mix, but expectation is that the reserves from last year step into bigger roles and produce right away - namely Kenyatta Jackson Jr., Kayden McDonald, Eddrick Houston, Arvell Reese, Jeremain Mathews Jr, Jaylen McClain, Lorenzo Styles Jr
Many of these guys had very solid PFF grades last year, but replacing some of the best defensive players in the game in Jack Sawyer, JT Tuimoloau, Cody Simon, Lathan Ransom
There are a handful of 4* FR that may get immediate playing time as well: Zion Grady, Riley Pettijohn, Devin Sanchez, Faheem Delane, TJ Alford
Schedule
Top 20 SOS
No road games until Week 5 (following bye)
Vs. Texas at home Week 1
Conference road games: Washington (following bye), Illinois, Wisconsin, Purdue, Michigan
Illinois, Wisconsin back-to-back true road games
Conference home games: Minnesota, Penn State (following bye), UCLA, Rutgers
Non-conference home games: Texas, Grambling, Ohio
Check out Sammy’s previews and preseason best bets on Pickswise
National Championship Preview and Best Bets
MAC and Conference USA Previews coming August 13 & 14
Games to Target and Bet Now article coming August 18
FOLLOW EACH MEMBER OF THE CLUBHOUSE CREW ON THEIR SOCIALS!
Champ - @Champs311
Sammy - @SammyAvBets
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to The Bettor Clubhouse to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.