Georgia’s place in the preseason 2026 college football pecking order is a little lower than some would expect.
Kirby Smart has turned the Bulldogs into a machine over the last decade, and the resume is loaded. Georgia finally snapped a national championship drought that had stretched across four decades in Smart’s sixth season, then followed it with a perfect 2022 run capped by a 65-7 title game win. That made Georgia the first repeat champion since Alabama went back-to-back in 2011 and 2012.
Even with College Football Playoff exits in each of the past two seasons, the Bulldogs have stayed on top of the SEC by winning the conference championship game. And with 14 starters back from the 2025 roster, Georgia looks built for another jump in 2026.
Still, former Oregon tight end George Wrighster III left the Bulldogs outside his top five when he revealed his preseason top 25 on a recent edition of "The Unafraid Show." Georgia landed at No. 7.
"Kirby Smart has NFL defensive backs, linemen, and NFL bodies all over this roster. But Georgia, they don't feel quite as overwhelming as the peak Georgia teams, and a lot of that has to do with their quarterback, Gunner Stockton," Wrighster said.
"Last year, this offense looked like it was built to protect him and use him as a battering ram instead of having an offense that's opened up. If he's able to take the next step in Mike Bobo's offense and be a high-end passer and add to his mobility and running style as well, this will make them a playoff team, and not just a playoff team, but a playoff threat."
Texas was the lone SEC team ahead of Georgia, checking in at No. 5.
On paper, the two teams are close in talent, but coaching matters, and Georgia has owned the series since Texas joined the league. The Bulldogs have won all three matchups, and the two regular-season meetings were not close.
Wrighster also slotted three Big Ten teams ahead of Georgia: Oregon at No. 1, Ohio State at No. 3 and Indiana at No.
- Oregon matches Georgia well in returning talent, though Dan Lanning still hasn’t delivered the program’s first national championship.
Ohio State and Indiana each have claimed national titles more recently under their current head coaches than Georgia. The Buckeyes remain the Big Ten’s annual title threat, while Curt Cignetti’s turnaround of Indiana from a losing program to national champions stands as one of the most striking coaching jobs in college football history.
Notre Dame at No. 2 and Miami at No. 4 rounded out the teams ranked ahead of Georgia. The Fighting Irish are among the Power Four programs bringing back 14 starters from 2025, and they are the only team in Wrighster’s top six with a head-to-head win over Georgia since Smart’s first national title.
Miami’s 2026 College Football Playoff run has already given the Hurricanes momentum entering the season. The addition of Darian Mensah at quarterback gives them an upgrade under center, and a manageable schedule could set them up for another playoff push.
In Other News...
Oregon Just Got An Early Recruiting Signal At A Crucial Position
Oregon got an encouraging early read on one of the class of 2028s more coveted pass rushers when George Parkinson IV trimmed his list to six schools, putting the Ducks alongside Tennessee, LSU, Penn State, Ohio State and Texas A&M. The four-star EDGE from Pennsylvania is already drawing national attention, and Oregons presence in that group matters because the Ducks are clearly looking ahead at a position that will need fresh talent before long.
The interest is easy to understand from Oregons side. The Ducks are projecting real turnover at EDGE after 2026, with Teitum Tuioti and Matayo Uiagalelei both expected to move on, and the portal could create even more uncertainty on top of that. Parkinson IV has not set a commitment date, so this one figures to stay on the radar for a while, but getting into the final six this early is a useful signal for a program trying to stay ahead of the curve. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Just Pulled A Proven Bat From A Team Ducks Fans Love Beating
USCs roster turnover keeps rolling after the 2026 season, and the latest hit comes from a familiar place for Oregon fans. Infielder Adrian Lopez is out after a productive year in Los Angeles, joining a Trojans exodus that has already been fueled by both the MLB Draft and the transfer portal. For a Ducks program that has spent plenty of time trying to stay ahead of USC in the Big Ten, it is the kind of addition that immediately stands out.
Lopez brings the sort of bat Oregon has been looking to add, coming off a season in which he was one of USCs more reliable run producers and also gave the Trojans a lift in the postseason. The move also lands against the backdrop of a USC roster that has thinned dramatically since the season ended, with the portal and the draft taking a heavy toll as July 11 approached. For Oregon, the appeal is obvious, even if the full impact of the move will have to wait until the next round of roster movement settles in. [Read more 🡒]
Bear Alexander Is Suddenly Getting The Kind Of Hype Georgia Fans Notice
Bear Alexanders name is getting a fresh round of attention this summer, and not just because Oregon enters EA Sports College Football 27 as the games highest-rated team at 91 overall. The veteran defensive lineman comes in at 90 himself, a reflection of the kind of impact he made after settling in with the Ducks and turning in a strong 2025 season that earned him Second-team All-Big Ten honors.
For Oregon, the intrigue is obvious: Alexander is entering his redshirt senior year in 2026 with the sort of profile that makes a defense look deeper and more dangerous on paper. For Georgia fans, the recognition is familiar in a different way, since he has already worn the colors of both Georgia and USC before landing in Eugene, and the latest ratings suggest he has become exactly the kind of interior force that tends to draw notice wherever he goes. [Read more 🡒]