One Word for Every College Football Top 25 Team's 2024 Offseason

College football teams have a long seven-month offseason full of similar activities, but their tasks and perceptions always vary wildly.

And that—not hyperbolically—is truer than ever in 2024.

The powerful wave of conference realignment is sending 12 power-conference programs to new leagues, and SMU is gaining that coveted title. Six of those 13 finished the 2023 season as a top-25 team, too.

Using that postseason ranking as a guide, each program has been assigned a single word to describe the main priority or change—or combination of both—during the winter and spring.

The ranking is a reflection of the final AP Top 25.

25. Liberty Flames: Relieving

Shortly after Liberty closed its outstanding season, star quarterback Kaidon Salter entered the transfer portal. That decision, while understandable, seemed to provide yet another story of a non-power team becoming a victim of its own success. However, he withdrew from the portal and will be back in 2024. Salter is not the entire team. His return, nevertheless, keeps the Flames in the CFP conversation.

24. Iowa Hawkeyes: Impactful

The future of the offense is still unknown. Iowa is moving on from Brian Ferentz—the son of coach Kirk Ferentz—following three straight years of ranking no better than 99th nationally in points per game. Will the Hawkeyes' new coordinator stick to the program's traditional approach or attempt to modernize the unit in hopes of more explosive plays?

23. Kansas Jayhawks: Positive

I'm only half-kidding when I say Lance Leipold is on the verge of earning a statue at Kansas. Prior to his arrival in 2021, the Jayhawks had maxed out at three victories during the previous decade. Kansas went 2-10 in his debut year before climbing to 6-7 in 2022 and 9-4 last season—and the latter basically happened without dual-threat quarterback Jalon Daniels, who hopefully will be healthy in 2024.

22. SMU Mustangs: Progressing

Rhett Lashlee inherited a solid program, but he's also elevated the Mustangs at the perfect moment. SMU won a conference title during its final season in the AAC and is set to join the ACC for 2024. Expectations are reasonably high for the Mustangs in their power-conference debut thanks to the return of quarterback Preston Stone, too.

21. North Carolina State Wolfpack: Optimistic

The expansion of the College Football Playoff is ideal for a program like North Carolina State. In six of the past seven seasons, the Wolfpack have notched eight-plus regular-season wins. If they can edge up to 10, they'll be in the CFP discussion. The arrival of Coastal Carolina quarterback Grayson McCall is reason for extra excitement in 2024.

20. Clemson Tigers: Curious

On one hand, there's the 4-4 start that resulted in the program's worst season since 2010. On the other, the Tigers ended the campaign on a five-game winning streak. There is cause for concern around the program—which continues to basically ignore the transfer portal—yet Clemson will probably enter 2024 as the ACC favorite.

19. Louisville Cardinals: Meaningful

Conversely, few programs are as active in the portal as Louisville. Jeff Brohm brought in 25 players in advance of his debut season, which resulted in a 10-4 record with a trip to the ACC Championship Game. To date, the Cardinals have 25 incoming transfers as they attempt to build on their best season since 2013 and become a top ACC team annually.

18. Kansas State Wildcats: Appealing

Oklahoma and Texas will be wealthier schools in the SEC, but their departures create a major opportunity for Kansas State. Though their ceiling is a fair question, the Wildcats are routinely at eight or nine wins. Meanwhile, the offense will shift to promising dual-threat Avery Johnson. He threw for 479 yards, rushed for 296 and totaled 12 scores with one turnover largely in a package role as a true freshman.

17. Tennessee Volunteers: Flashy

Are you ready for a 5-star? If you're a fan of the Volunteers, that's a silly question. Nico Iamaleava, the No. 3 prospect in the 2023 cycle, led UT to a Citrus Bowl victory to close the season and is the conductor of the hype train for 2024. One important storyline is how the Vols rebuild their defense, especially in the secondary.

16. Oklahoma State Cowboys: Upbeat

Back in September, it seemed like 2023 could be a disastrous year for Oklahoma State. Fast-forward a few months, and the Pokes finished off a 10-4 season with a victory over Oklahoma—in the final Bedlam showdown for a while—a Big 12 Championship Game appearance and an All-American breakout star in running back Ollie Gordon II. While a pair of Pac-12 newcomers will be strong contenders in the Big 12 next season, OSU should be right there with K-State, too.

15. Oklahoma Sooners: Fresh

The impact of Dillon Gabriel's transfer should not be underestimated solely because OU has recent 5-star Jackson Arnold ready to take over. Still, the excitement of turning to a highly recruited QB is entirely fair. Arnold will assume control of a program that is headed for its debut season in the SEC.

14. Notre Dame Fighting Irish: Intriguing

Between the arrival of Duke quarterback Riley Leonard and return of several key veteran defenders, Notre Dame is destined to receive some College Football Playoff projections in 2024. Once again, that outcome may hinge on whether the Fighting Irish have enough skill-position talent on offense to elevate the team. But what looks like a favorable schedule may be helpful to ND, as well.

13. Penn State Nittany Lions: Complicated, Part I

James Frankin has five 10-win seasons in his decadelong tenure, yet Penn State is 1-9 against Ohio State and 3-7 opposite Michigan. While expansion should help the Nittany Lions make the CFP, big games remain an issue. As if that's not enough, Penn State is replacing both coordinators for opposing reasons. Manny Diaz (defense) became Duke's head coach, while PSU fired Mike Yurcich (offense). Many programs would love this predicament. Still, it's exactly that.

12. LSU Tigers: Complicated, Part II

LSU boasted a powerful offense in 2023 behind Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels and All-American wideout Malik Nabers. They're both headed to the NFL with 17-touchdown receiver Brian Thomas Jr., though. As the scoring unit reloads, LSU is bringing in coordinator Blake Baker to turn around a disastrous defense—one that ranked 109th in yards allowed per play in 2023.

11. Arizona Wildcats: Adjusting

Ah, the business of college football. It's seen so plainly in both positive and negative senses at Arizona. While the Pac-12 crumbled, the program found a comfortable landing spot in the Big 12. However, the Cats—who just wrapped up a breakout 10-win year—saw head coach Jedd Fisch bolt for Washington. The bright side is Arizona returns quarterback Noah Fifita for the team's debut in a new league with first-year coach Brent Brennan.

10. Ohio State Buckeyes: Productive

We can talk about Ryan Day's hot-ish seat, but I'm not freaking out over a coach with a 53-8 record and two CFP trips in five years. Yes, making the Playoff is the baseline expectation in 2024 and beyond. Ending the skid to Michigan would be nice, too. Those goals would've been attainable anyway, but adding K-State quarterback Will Howard, Ole Miss running back Quinshon Judkins and Alabama safety Caleb Downs doesn't hurt, either. (Oh, and flipping 5-star QB Julian Sayin is nice, too.)

9. Ole Miss Rebels: Hype

It's a natural conclusion, right? Ole Miss set a program record with 11 wins in 2023, returns quarterback Jaxson Dart, brings in a top transfer class and appears to have a favorable slate next season. We'll find out whether the Rebels match the expectations in the fall, but be ready for plenty of positive Ole Miss attention in the offseason.

8. Missouri Tigers: Promising

The upcoming year is a prove-it campaign for Missouri, which managed only a 5-5 or 6-7 record in Eli Drinkwitz's first three seasons. The program's ascent is believable—a well-run NIL effort can be partially credited—but sustaining success is no easy task. Fortunately for Missouri, a very comfortable September slate is begging for a 4-0 start.

T-6. Florida State Seminoles: Motivated

On and off the field, the word applies. FSU watched its perfect season lead to a CFP snub despite its 13-0 resume. Call it what you want—revenge, redemption, etc.—but a new-look roster will be a galvanized group. Also, the school is searching for an exit strategy from the ACC. Whether FSU can break the conference's grant of rights will determine if another wave of realignment is on the immediate horizon.

T-6. Oregon Ducks: Encouraging

Although the offense must replace Bo Nix, the Ducks are turning to the productive left arm of Oklahoma transfer Dillon Gabriel in their Big Ten debut. Oregon returns much of its defensive production and filled in the gaps with a handful of experienced transfers, so that unit could be even stronger in 2024. There's a lot to like about the Ducks.

5. Alabama Crimson Tide: Hopeful

Nick Saban laid an iconic foundation. Have fun meeting that historic standard, Kalen DeBoer! On the bright side, the recent Washington coach has a reputation for high-scoring offenses and gets to work with Jalen Milroe—a top early Heisman Trophy contender—in 2024. DeBoer's ability to win on the recruiting trail in the most hotly contested areas of the country will no doubt be scrutinized this offseason.

4. Georgia Bulldogs: Typical

Look, you can't win a championship every year. But it's business as usual in Athens, where Kirby Smart has built a juggernaut that should open 2024 as a front-runner, if not the favorite, for the national title. The defense is likely to thrive again, and Carson Beck had an excellent first year as the starting QB. If Florida transfer Trevor Etienne sparks the running game, UGA will be terrific.

3. Texas Longhorns: Exciting

Fresh off a Big 12 title and CFP appearance, Texas is enjoying its most positive outlook in 15 years. Quinn Ewers is back to lead the offense, and the Longhorns picked up several high-quality transfers to reinforce the roster. Anything less than a return to the CFP would be a letdown, particularly since the SEC schedule is quite manageable.

2. Washington Huskies: New

New coach, quarterback, receivers, conference—need I go on? This offseason is loaded with transition for national runner-up Washington, which is turning to Jedd Fisch to begin its Big Ten era. Retooling a departure-filled roster will be Fisch's main priority this offseason.

1. Michigan Wolverines: Confident

After guiding his alma mater to a national championship, Jim Harbaugh is once again pursuing his Super Bowl dreams. While he takes over the Los Angeles Chargers, the Wolverines are still in a promising spot. Yes, there are many NFL-bound players to replace, but Michigan can lean on plenty of experience in 2024. The major question, beyond the next coach, is who will replace quarterback J.J. McCarthy to lead the encore.