College Football rankings: Josh Pate reveals post-spring 'Commissioners Poll' Top 25

College football analyst Josh Pate revealed his post-spring Top 25 rankings, or “The Commissioner’s Poll,” on Monday. Remember, these are ratings, not rankings. Or something like that. Well, these are actually AP-type rankings if Pate were on that particular committee.

Anyway, Pate has a particular method when it comes to stacking up college football’s best against each other. But don’t forget, we are still months away from actual games occurring.

So, let’s break down Pate’s top 25, the post-spring edition anyway. Remember, he said, “For teams ranked low, prove me wrong. For teams ranked high, don’t embarrass me.”

1. Notre Dame

The Fighting Irish are atop Pate’s poll post-spring practice. Notre Dame brings back QB CJ Carr but has to replace two elite running backs in Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price. Aneyas Williams is set to take the mantle. 

Still, this team rallied to go 10-2 last year, just missing the CFP. We all know the noise around that. Leonard Moore returns as arguably the top defensive back in college football.

2. Texas

Texas is running it back with Arch Manning, that’s the headline all offseason, of course. Manning stepped up in the latter half of 2025 and was putting up Heisman-type performances.

If he and the Longhorns can do that all season, this is a national title contender. Post-spring, it’s still one of the best teams in college football. It helps that they landed Auburn WR Cam Colean in the transfer portal as well.

3. Oregon

That’s right, the top Big Ten team in these college football rankings is Oregon. The Ducks have already won the conference under Dan Lanning and made the CFP semifinal last year.

Dante Moore returns at QB and could be the No. 1 overall pick. Don’t forget, WR Evan Stewart is back from injury and the Ducks have an elite defensive front. Oregon could very well finish at the top of college football by January, but the biggest question is the adjustment to losing both coordinators.

4. Ohio State

The Buckeyes are up next and return a lot on offense. They might have the best offense in college football with QB Julian Sayin, WR Jeremiah Smith and RB Bo Jackson.

Ohio State has to replace a lot on defense, considering all of the first round picks that heard their names called in April. Riley Pettijohn has a lot of hype at linebacker and Alabama transfer Qua Russaw is an intriguing pass rusher as well.

5. Miami

Miami traded in Carson Beck for Darian Mensah. This is college football’s best team from the ACC, but the expectations are sky high after falling short in last year’s national title game.

As Pate put it, the Hurricanes should be equal to or better than last year. Malachi Toney is now a sophomore at WR. They added two portal guys and the offensive line could be one of the best. The defense, led by linebacker Mohamed Toure, has a lot of veterans too.

6. Indiana

The reigning national champions of college football aren’t even in the top five? To be fair, Curt Cignetti could use this as motivation and go undefeated again.

Josh Hoover transferred in and will replace Heisman QB, Fernando Mendoza. Cignetti has to retool this roster compared to how he built up a stronger version of JMU the last two years, coupled with elite transfers. He certainly did the latter again, so this team should contend again.

7. Georgia

Georgia brings back an experienced quarterback in Gunner Stockton as it looks to return to the top of college football. Make no mistake, No.  7 is nothing to scoff at.

This isn’t Kirby Smart’s team of a few years ago when they won back-to-back titles. But if they put it all together down the stretch in 2026, would anyone be truly surprised?

8. Ole Miss

Pete Golding ran with his opportunity as head coach last year and nearly got the Rebels to the national title game after Lane Kiffin’s departure. Now, this is fully his operation.

What helps is that Ole Miss has one of the better QBs in college football in Trinidad Chambliss. He managed to get a sixth year and the team ended up in Pate’s top 10 after spring practice.

9. Oklahoma

If John Mateer is healthy, can’t Oklahoma be one of the better teams in college football? A lot hinges on the QB position and that is the case with the Sooners in 2026.

The good news is, there are a lot of returner starters on defense as well. Pate likes this entire program to start off on the right foot as Brent Venables tries to keep Oklahoma in the thick of the upper tier of the sport after making the CFP last year.

10. Texas A&M

Speaking of college football teams that made last year’s CFP, Texas A&M rounds out the top 10 of Pate’s Commissioner Poll. Marcel Reed is back at QB, which is good news!

The biggest question is how the offensive line gels together this year. Four of the projected five starters are transfers. But Mike Elko has certainly established his culture and it could be here to stay.

Josh Pate reveals post-spring Commissioner’s Poll (College Football rankings)

11. USC
12. LSU
13. Alabama
14. BYU
15. Michigan
16. Texas Tech
17. Penn State
18. Houston
19. Utah
20. SMU
21. Florida
22. Iowa
23. Missouri
24. Washington
25. Louisville