COLUMBIA, Mo. — On Monday, The Associated Press will release its preseason Top 25 college football poll and there’s no mystery about which teams will crowd the top. The sport’s upper class doesn’t change much from year to year. They’re the programs that repopulate their roster of departed NFL draft picks with their latest collection of five-star talents.
With some noted exceptions, you have Alabama, Ohio State, Georgia, Clemson, and to lesser degrees but still in that upper recruiting tier Louisiana State, Notre Dame and Oklahoma. Sometimes Michigan, Oregon and Texas A&M, too. Southern California hopes to rejoin the upper echelon.