The Oklahoma Sooners have taken a step back in ESPN's Preseason Top 25 College Football rankings by Mark Schlabach
As spring practices are continuing for some teams, ESPN has updated its top 25 early rankings with the Oklahoma Sooners ranked No. 13. The first way-too-early-rankings for 2026 were released on the night of January 19 at the conclusion of Indiana's national championship win over Miami.
The Sooners ranking at No. 13 puts them one spot back from where they were in the first early ranking at No. 12. The ranking announcement also comes as the Sooners are in their final week of spring practice. Oklahoma is looking outside of the top 10 with Texas A&M remaining at No. 10, LSU jumping from No. 15 to No. 11, and BYU dropping from No. 11 to No. 12.
Mark Schlabach of ESPN revealed the top 25 and was very high on the Sooners. He mentions the returning production on the offensive line including sophomore Michael Fasusi, sophomore Ryan Fodje, and redshirt sophomore Eddy Pierre-Louis.
Schlabach also gave a big shout out to junior transfer linebacker Cole Sullivan. Sullivan transfers in from a Michigan team that finished 9-4 (7-2 Big Ten) last season. Not only did Sullivan start in three of his 11 appearances last season, but it was in each of the final three games where he made the starting lineup. Sullivan should make an immediate impact in the linebacker room especially after Oklahoma losing Kendal Daniels to the NFL Draft and Sammy Omosigho to UCLA via the transfer portal.
Penn State and Utah were the teams that made the biggest jumps in the updated early rankings, with Penn State moving from No. 22 to No. 15 and Utah rising from No. 25 to No. 18.
Here is the full updated ESPN's way-too-early top 25 including where each team was ranked in the first early top 25:
- Ohio State (from No. 6)
- Oregon (from No. 5)
- Georgia (from No. 4)
- Notre Dame (from No. 3)
- Texas (from No. 2)
- Indiana (from No. 1)
- Miami (from No. 8)
- Texas Tech (from No. 7)
- Ole Miss
- Texas A&M
- LSU (from No. 15)
- BYU (from No. 11)
- Oklahoma (from No. 12)
- Michigan (from No. 18)
- Penn State (from No. 22)
- Alabama (from No. 21)
- Washington (from No. 19)
- Utah (from No. 25)
- Iowa (from No. 16)
- USC (from No. 13)
- Louisville (from No. 14)
- SMU (from No. 17)
- TCU (from No. 20)
- Houston (previously NR)
- Tennessee (from No. 24)
With the spring practice commencing, the 2026 Spring Game is set to kickoff at Gaylord Family- Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on Saturday, April 18 at noon CT.