1 Word to Describe Every Top 25 College Football Team's Biggest Offseason Need

It's only mid-February, sure, but your favorite college football team's coaching staff is already racing against the clock.

After all, the 2025 season is only six-and-a-half months away.

Spring practice is already underway, believe it or not. Hawai'i has begun on-field workouts, for example, and Liberty will follow suit shortly. These early moments of the offseason are good for development, but they'll make it clear where a roster needs upgrades, too.

Soon enough, teams will be diving into the transfer portal once again to address those weaknesses.

While the choices are subjective based on my perception, the order is a direct reflection of the year-end AP Top 25.

25. Colorado: Stars

Colorado had a solid 2024 campaign because of more players than quarterback Shedeur Sanders and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter. Also, there's no question the Buffs leaned heavily on them. This offseason, CU needs to identify its cornerstone players for 2025.

24. Memphis: Production

Not only is four-year quarterback Seth Henigan gone, so are a heavy majority of Memphis' skill-position players. Running back Mario Anderson Jr. piled up 1,362 yards and 18 scores on the ground with 52 catches. Brandon Thomas added nine touchdowns. Roc Thomas had 66 receptions, while Demeer Blankumsee, Koby Drake and Anthony Landphere each reeled in 33-plus passes. They're all gone.

23. UNLV: Receivers

Star wideout Ricky White III is headed to the NFL, and Jacob De Jesus transferred to Cal. That leaves Jaden Bradley, who made nine catches for 173 yards and one touchdown, as UNLV's top returning receiver. This transfer-infused group simply must produce some reliable targets.

22. Missouri: Playmakers

Similar to Memphis, Mizzou is undergoing a huge makeover on offense. Penn State transfer Beau Pribula is expected to replace Brady Cook at quarterback, but there is little continuity in the supporting cast. Running backs Nate Noel and Marcus Carroll and receivers Luther Burden III, Theo Wease and Mookie Cooper all used up their eligibility or went pro.

21. Army: Pillars

Although the defense brings back a decent chunk of production, the offense is a different story. Bryson Daily brilliantly steered the option attack with 1,659 yards and 32 scores on the ground last season, and Kanye Udoh amassed 1,117 yards with 10 scores. Daily is out of eligibility, however, and Udoh transferred to Arizona State.

20. Syracuse: Playmakers

Fran Brown hardly could've asked for a better year, overseeing an impressive 10-win record in his first season at Syracuse. Once again, though, he's revamping the roster. Kyle McCord, the nation's top passer, is headed to the NFL with versatile running back LeQuint Allen and All-ACC pass-catchers Jackson Meeks and Oronde Gadsden II.

19. South Carolina: Disruptors

Edge-rusher Dylan Stewart lived up to the hype as a freshman, and Bryan Thomas Jr. will be back opposite him in 2025. Among the eight defenders who notched at least four tackles for loss, though, that's it. All-SEC rusher Kyle Kennard, defensive tackles T.J. Sanders and Tonka Hemingway and linebackers Bam Martin-Scott, Demetrius Knight Jr. and Debo Williams all exhausted their eligibility or went pro.

18. Miami: Receivers

Carson Beck settled the QB question, but who's he throwing to? Versatile tight end Elijah Lofton had 150 yards last season, and JoJo Trader's 91 yards are the best among returning wide receivers. While transfers CJ Daniels and Alex Bauman bring more production, it's safe to assume Miami is eyeing more pass-catching talent in the portal.

17. Alabama: Quarterback

The primary story of the offseason is about finding Jalen Milroe's successor. Barring a post-spring addition from the transfer portal, Bama's battle includes 2024 backup Ty Simpson, recent blue-chipper Austin Mack and 5-star newcomer Keelon Russell.

16. Illinois: Receivers

Pat Bryant made 54 catches for 984 yards and 10 touchdowns last season, and Zakhari Franklin had 55 receptions for 652 yards and four scores. They were the only wideouts to surpass 300 yards. But if the Illini fill their collective void—and they'll first be looking to West Virginia transfer Hudson Clement—this offense can be solid.

15. Iowa State: Receivers

Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins both collected at least 80 receptions for 1,183 yards and eight touchdowns last season. That is a monstrous amount of production to replace on the outside. Iowa State has a great of development at the position, and East Carolina transfer Chase Sowell is promising anyway. Still, continuing that trend is essential for the Cyclones next season and beyond.

14. Clemson: Backfield

Thanks to quarterback Cade Klubnik and a stable of receivers, Clemson should have an excellent passing game in 2025. In the backfield, though, the Tigers need to replace 1,100-yard rusher Phil Mafah—and Jay Haynes, the expected answer, is recovering from an ACL tear. Running back is effectively the lone unknown piece of this offense.

13. BYU: Linemen

The linebacker corps should be among the Big 12's best. In front of them, however, the Cougars are reloading. Defensive tackle Tyler Nelson and ends Tyler Batty, Blake Mangelson and Isaiah Bagnah—who combined for 144 stops with 16.5 for loss—are out of eligibility.

12. SMU: Playmakers

While the good news is quarterback Kevin Jennings returns, the rest of the skill-position group is changing. Star running back Brashard Smith and receivers Roderick Daniels Jr., Key'Shawn Smith and Moochie Dixon played key roles in 2024 but were seniors.

11. Ole Miss: Production

This offense brings back 800-yard wideout Cayden Lee, tight end Dae'Quan Wright and little else at the skill positions. Ole Miss' transfer-infused unit—nothing new in Oxford—is tasked with replacing QB Jaxson Dart, running backs Henry Parrish Jr. and Ulysses Bentley IV and pass-catchers Tre Harris, Jordan Watkins, Antwane Wells Jr. and Caden Prieskorn.

10. Indiana: Linemen

And by that, I mean everyone except star rusher Mikail Kamara. He decided to stay for a final year, but Indiana otherwise has to revamp the defensive line. CJ West, Lanell Carr Jr. and James Carpenter each posted 37-plus tackles and exhausted their eligibility in 2024.

9. Tennessee: Playmakers

Tennessee will expect progress from quarterback Nico Iamaleava in his second year as the quarterback. However, he'll be working with a fresh unit after All-American running back Dylan Sampson went to the NFL, tight end Miles Kitselman and receivers Dont'e Thornton Jr. and Bru McCoy ran out of eligibility and wideout Squirrel White transferred to Florida State.

8. Boise State: Cornerstone

Running back Ashton Jeanty, the Heisman Trophy runner-up, was the Broncos' backbone in 2024. Which player—or which unit—will command that label next season? Given that Boise returns four starting linemen yet is retooling the receiving corps, it might still be a running back (presumably Sire Gaines) over quarterback Maddux Madsen.

7. Arizona State: Complements

Meanwhile, the Sun Devils have a terrific QB-WR combination with Sam Leavitt and Jordyn Tyson. The greater issue is that no single player can be expected to replace versatile back Cam Skattebo, who amassed 1,711 rushing and 605 receiving yards in 2024. Arizona State needs a deeper cast of contributors to help out Leavitt and Tyson.

6. Georgia: Blockers

Relative to program standards, Georgia had a disappointing offensive line in 2024. Four starters from the group, including All-American guard Dylan Fairchild, are moving on. Monroe Freeling, Earnest Greene and Micah Morris all logged substantial snaps last season, but this rebuild is a very important process for UGA.

5. Penn State: Targets

All-American tight end Tyler Warren is headed to the NFL, and top receiver Harrison Wallace III transferred to Ole Miss. Penn State will be a run-focused team yet needs a more threatening passing game against its best competition. The hope is portal additions Devonte Ross and Kyron Hudson reinforce the unit, but minor production from transfer receivers has been a staple for the Nittany Lions lately.

4. Texas: Tackles

While the edge group is stacked with experience, the middle of Texas' defensive line is set to feature new faces. The D-tackle rotation of Alfred Collins, Vernon Broughton, Jermayne Lole and Bill Norton all either declared for the draft or used up their eligibility.

3. Oregon: Coverage

In short, there are zero returning starters in the Oregon secondary. Although the Ducks landed a few impact starters in the portal—most notably Purdue safety Dillon Thieneman—and welcome Jahlil Florence back from injury, they are completely remaking the coverage unit.

2. Notre Dame: Quarterback

After utilizing the portal for a QB during the two last two offseasons, Notre Dame is looking internally for Riley Leonard's successor. The winner of the competition, which is expected to narrow to Steve Angeli and CJ Carr, will guide the Fighting Irish in a showdown at Miami to open 2025.

1. Ohio State: Linemen

On the offensive line, first-choice starters Josh Simmons, Donovan Jackson, Seth McLaughlin and Josh Fryar are gone. The defensive front of Jack Sawyer, Tyleik Williams, Ty Hamilton and J.T. Tuimoloau is headed to the NFL. Ohio State's string of injuries means the O-line brings back familiar faces, and the D-line always has a deep rotation. But there isn't another team in the country losing more talent in the trenches.