UDD’s Preseason FCS Top 25
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June is here and that means that college football is less than three months out. In other words, it is the preseason and thus it’s time for some preseason rankings. The FCS, as it always seems to, has the usual suspects hovering at the top. Outside of the top three, though, it’s a real puzzle trying to figure out who fits where as we approach the 2026 season. After weeks of compiling, looking back (and ahead) and switching around, we have finally landed on our preseason Top 25 in the subdivision. Here’s what we came up with:
#1 Montana State
2025 Finish: 14-2, National Champion
The undisputed top team in the country is the defending champions. Montana State enters this year as the heavy favorite to repeat and rightfully so. The Bobcats return most of their star talent including the likes of quarterback Justin Lamson, receiver Taco Dowler, running back Adam Jones and Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year safety Caden Dowler just to name a few. The one real spot of uncertainty MSU has is the secondary and that was also recently addressed with the addition of ex-Penn defensive back Alec Wills. Head coach Brent Vigen is also back for year six running the program he’s built into a powerhouse. Throw in the fact that this season’s schedule lines up a lot more nicely than last year’s and what you’ve got is a real repeat threat over in Bozeman. MSU can’t be coronated just yet, of course, because there is certainly some retooling that will need to be done on the offensive and defensive lines. Pound for pound, though, Montana State is the one beat.
#2 South Dakota State
2025 Finish: 9-5, 2nd Round
Right there at the top is also South Dakota State and last year, when healthy, the Jacks proved they have what it takes to be the top team. SDSU was the only FCS team to actually beat Montana State but injuries ended up derailing what could have been a special season. Quarterback Chase Mason makes a big difference for this squad and when he couldn’t play last year, the Jackrabbits went into a freefall. Mason is back and if he can stay upright, they’ll have a chance to be right there at the end. Receiver Lofton O’Groske is a budding star and the defense should be as stiff as ever. As Dan Jackson enters his second season, all that really needed to be done was a few slight tweaks. It’s not a stretch to imagine South Dakota State running the Missouri Valley now that rival NDSU is gone and if they don’t get decimated by injuries again, there is a real shot the Jacks will be in Nashville come January.
#3 Montana
2025 Finish: 13-2, Semifinals
The Bobby Kennedy era has begun at Montana and, although there are a lot of uncertainties surrounding it as of right now, the Griz are a Top 5 team until they are proven otherwise. Longtime head coach Bobby Hauck did things a certain way for so long at UM that the changing of the guard might mean some notable shifts are in store from top to bottom for this program. What won’t change, though, is the fact that All-Americans like Eli Gillman and Keali’i Ah Yat will still pace the offense and that alone makes them one of the best out there. Ah Yat led the FCS in passing last year with 4,070 passing yards and Gillman rumbled for 1,540 on the ground. That duo might be the best QB-RB combo in the country. A lot of starters left on the other side of the ball, though, and that’s where the real progress will need to be made. Linebackers Peyton Wing and Solomon Tuliaupupu will be the leaders of that unit in 2026 but they alone can’t do it all. The Grizzlies have a sour taste in their mouth after the way last year ended and no team will be out for blood quite like this one.
#4 Rhode Island
2025 Finish: 11-3, 2nd Round
Rhode Island has been among the playoff fray for a couple of seasons now but this year the Rams could be really, really good if it all comes together. URI was able to hang onto a lot of its top-end playmakers during the last portal cycle and, in a CAA that continues to lose its heavy-hitters, Rhody pretty much stands by itself as the top dog in that conference. Pass catcher Marquis Buchanan is arguably the best receiver in the FCS and after turning in back to back 1,000 yard seasons, he seems primed for another stellar campaign. Devin Farrell will still be throwing him the ball and that should help. Farrell has been Rhode Island’s starter for two seasons and, in that time, has thrown for over 5,000 yards and 35 touchdowns. The O line, too, should be solid. The defense will be a big question too mainly because stud linebacker A.J. Pena is now gone as is defensive back Ayinde Johnson. Moses Meus and Rohan Davy should be able to pick up the slack over the middle, though, and Drew Cormier came in from Bucknell to help shore up the back end. #4 is a lofty spot this early no doubt but this Rams team hast he pieces in place to back it up.
#5 Illinois State
2025 Finish: 12-5, National Runner-Up
After a remarkable run to the national championship game last year (a game they came tantalizingly close to winning), Illinois State deservedly finds itself in the Top 5 to start this season. The Redbirds were one of the best stories in college football last year and, outside of the quarterback spot, really aren’t losing a whole lot. Their defense should be particularly good again with the return of the Niekamp brothers at linebacker. Ty, specifically, was excellent in 2025, registering an FCS-high 160 tackles. Mason Kaplan and Doreon Dubose are also back for the defense and former Indiana defensive end Aden Cannon joined as well. That unit should be alright. Offensively the big concern is who will step up at QB following Tommy Rittenhouse’s departure. It will likely be Gage Roy who comes in from USC where he did not see the field a whole lot. The good news, though, is that Roy will have the talents and experience of receiver Dylan Lord and running back Victor Dawson to lean on. ISU proved last year it has a place among the top tier of the subdivision and now they’ll need to prove they can keep it.
#6 Tarleton State
2025 Finish: 12-2, Quarterfinals
Last December felt like it was a big missed opportunity for Tarleton State. After an 11-1 regular season (which included an impressive FBS win over Army), the Texans had homefield advantage throughout on their side of the bracket after NDSU faltered. None of that mattered, though, as Villanova came in and knocked them out in the quarterfinals. Nonetheless the expectations remain high for TSU. Todd Whitten’s team was extremely active in the portal this offseason, bringing aboard 26 new transfers. It was needed, too, after the team said farewell to a lot of its top players. Quarterback Victor Gabalis graduated, leading rusher Tre Page III left for Oklahoma State and defensive standouts like Angelo Anderson and A.J. Owens are also gone. Even with a quarterback battle to iron out and a whole lot of new faces to adapt into the system, however, Tarleton State lines up to be a competitive bunch this year.
#7 Youngstown State
2025 Finish: 8-5, 1st Round
The 2025 season ended in a way that was unacceptable in the minds of many Youngstown State fans after blowing a large lead to Yale in the opening round of the playoffs but with the defending Walter Payton Award winner coming back under center, there’s plenty of reason to buy stock in Youngstown State heading into this season. The Penguins had one of the most prolific offenses in the country last year thanks in large part to quarterback Beau Brungard. Brungard can do almost everything as was evident by his monster numbers a season ago. He finished sixth in the nation with 1,468 rushing yards and came in seventh in passing yards with 3,234. It cannot simply be the Brungard show, though. The YSU defense needs to improve but it should be able to with the additions of several upperclassmen defensive transfers. The Penguins have the talent to make a deep run this year and having the fuel of an early and unsightly playoff exit last season ought to help.
#8 UC Davis
2025 Finish: 9-4, Quarterfinals
UC Davis’ defense got some big news back in April that brothers Rex and Porter Connors were granted another season of eligibility by the NCAA. That should come as music to the ears of every Aggies fan out there as both are All-Conference caliber players at safety and linebacker respectively. After bowing out in the quarterfinals last year largely because the defense was unable to contain high-flying Illinois State, having those two back will be a massive get. The most pressing issue Tim Plough’s group faces right now is who its quarterback will be after phenom Caden Pinnick transferred to Washington State. Redshirt freshman Jackson Collock came over from Minnesota to try and help answer that question. With running back Jordan Fisher and receiver Samuel Gbatu Jr. still around, the rest of the offense should be alright. UC Davis is Top 10 squad but, as is always the case in the Big Sky, there isn’t room for much error.
#9 Austin Peay
2025 Finish: 7-5
Of all the teams that didn’t qualify for the postseason in 2025, none probably have more hype surrounding them this fall than Austin Peay. The Governors bring back one of the top quarterbacks in the FCS with redshirt junior Chris Parson. Parson was a first-team All-United Athletic Conference selection a season ago in his first year after transferring in from Mississippi State, throwing for over 3,000 yards and rushing for another 743. Having him back makes the Govs a contender in the UAC but they’ll need to get better in games they’re favored to win. Losses against the likes of EKU and Southern Utah doomed their playoff chances a year ago and this year getting out of their league looks like it’ll be as difficult as ever. Notable newcomers like former Yale receiver Mason Shipp and ex-Youngstown State defensive back Justin Wimpye will certainly help. The Top 10 is a high preseason spot for this unit and they’ll need to prove they come by it honestly.
#10 North Dakota
2025 Finish: 8-6, 2nd Round
The Hawks will be an intriguing team to watch in 2026 for both their roster makeup and how the schedule lays out. The first half of the season (save for a mid-September trip to Nebraska) should be pretty smooth sailing but the second half is absolutely backloaded with all the Missouri Valley contenders. UND should be among them and, if the talent on this team plays to its potential, then the ceiling is pretty high. Signal caller Jerry Kaminski is back after throwing for 2,570 yards and 26 scores last year. Receivers Deng Deng and Korey Tai return as well following a campaign in which they combined for 39 catches and seven touchdowns. Losing B.J. Fleming in that room will hurt, though. Defensively North Dakota will boast one of the country’s best players in edge rusher Lance Rucker. The pieces are in place to be among the top teams but the biggest thing this bunch needs to show is that it can win when the lights are brightest.
#11 Stephen F. Austin
2025 Finish: 11-3, Quarterfinals
The Southland continues its steady improvement as a league and last year’s champion Stephen F. Austin ought to be right in the mix again. The Lumberjacks won 11 games for the first time this century last fall and, although they have a healthy amount to replace, they are still a Top 15 team entering 2026. Standout quarterback Sam Vidlak is done and star defensive back Charles Demmings in the NFL but there’s still plenty to like about this squad. They brought in a ton of transfers, especially on defense, that they expect to make some noise right away. Larry Jones III and Lamarian Hatcher are a couple of newbies that look like they can make a splash on the defensive line. Signal caller Gavin Rutherford seems to be the next in line to receive the QB torch and he’s just a sophomore. If it all clicks for the Lumberjacks like it did last year, then SFA again will be pushing its way well into the postseason.
#12 Abilene Christian
2025 Finish: 9-5, 2nd Round
A playoff team two times over now with at least a share of the UAC twice in a row, Abilene Christian has firmly established itself as a team to beat in the conference. They are, however, plenty of unknowns right now. Stone Earle graduated and the starting QB job is up for grabs. Linebacker Rashon Myles is headed to Georgia Southern and star Will Shaffer is done meaning that both guys that had over 100 tackles for the defense are gone. Keith Patterson has utilized the portal heavily, though, and has brought in a ton of talent on both sides of the ball to fill to those holes. As is the case with many units heading into 2026, it will all come down to how well those transfers hit and if/when they find their chemistry together. The Wildcats’ schedule will not be an easy one this year with four contests against playoff teams from last season and one with Texas Tech thrown in there.
#13 Villanova
2025 Finish: 12-3, Semifinals
Villanova is in a bit of a limbo right now as it waits to hear back on quarterback Pat McQuaide’s appeal for one more season of eligibility. The NCAA’s answer there might determine just where the Wildcats’ ceiling actually is this year but it still can’t be discounted what this bunch did last season. Reaching the semifinals for the first time since 2010 was very impressive, especially considering they had to win two straight road games in the playoffs to do so. Even if McQuaide can’t come back, there’s big names that for sure will return including running back Ja’briel Mace who was just 15 yards shy of 1,000 in 2025. As is typically the case with Mark Ferrante-coached teams, ‘Nova has barely touched the portal this offseason. The lone newcomer (so far) is ex-Southern Utah DB Mikey Allen. Allen registered seven pass breakups and 36 tackles last season with the Thunberbirds and should help a defense that lost some notable secondary pieces including Zahmir Dawud and Anthony Hawkins. The new digs in the Patriot League will make things interesting, too, but Villanova is still likely going to have a playoff spot when the dust settles.
#14 Southern Illinois
2025 Finish: 7-5
This is going to be a real “prove it” year for Southern Illinois. D.J. Williams is back under center and he’s arguably the most dynamic dual-threat QB the FCS has to offer right now. Williams was hampered by injuries in 2024 that’s a big reason why the Salukis missed out on the playoffs that year. SIU cannot be a one-man team though and even with a healthy Williams they couldn’t sneak into the field last fall either. Now that he’s a fifth-year senior and North Dakota State is out of picture, there has to be a real sense of urgency in Carbondale. On paper this is a really talented team but it needs to come together better than it has as of late. FBS receiver acquisitions in the form of Allen Middleton (Bowling Green) and Traivon Dyson (UNLV) will help and so will the retention of guys safety Vinny Pierre Jr. on the other side. The real question is whether or not it will all gel in a timely enough fashion.
#15 Lehigh
2025 Finish: 12-1, 2nd Round
Lehigh made tremendous strides last year as it secured the program’s first-ever top eight seed after an undefeated regular season. Getting bounced immediately in the playoffs, though, was not the ending the Mountain Hawks had in mind and the expectation is to right that wrong this year. Running back Luke Yoder is one of the best backs in the country and he’s seeking his third straight 1,000-yard season. Hayden Johnson returns at QB following a career year that saw him throw for 2,510 yards and 18 scores. The Patriot League gets a little tougher now with the additions of William & Mary and the team that knocked them from the bracket last year, Villanova. Former defensive coordinator Rich Nagy has assumed head coaching duties after Kevin Cahill left for Yale and that was a nice promotion from within for the squad and they really shouldn’t miss much of a beat.
#16 Tennessee Tech
2025 Finish: 11-2, 1st Round
Everyone wants to know if 2025’s Tennessee Tech squad was just a flash in the pan or the start of something real over in Cookeville. The Golden Eagles reached the playoffs for just the second time in program history last fall after an impressive regular season. They led the country in total sacks with 46 behind a nasty defensive line and the offense averaged over 400 yards per game led by signal caller Kekoa Visperas. As great as that was, it all came crashing down in their opening postseason game and now with the move to the SoCon the challenge to get back will be different than it was in the Big South-OVC. Despite losing a healthy portion of last year’s team, TTU still has the makings of a playoff team and they are a bunch that has improved mightily since head man Bobby Wilder took over. Most, if not all, preseason polls should have them squarely inside the Top 20.
#17 Yale
2025 Finish: 9-3, 2nd Round
Yale was the class the of the Ivy League in 2025 and proved its place at the top with an impressive playoff run that saw it beat Youngstown State with a miraculous comeback and then give eventual-champion Montana State a heck of a game in the second round. There have been some notable changes in New Haven, though, most notably at head coach. Tony Reno stepped away from coaching and now last year’s Eddie Robinson Award winner Kevin Cahill is running things. Star running back Josh Pitsenburger is also graduated now after an incredible career. Despite that, however, the Bulldogs are expected to be right there at or near the top again. Dante Reno will be entering his junior season at quarterback and the defense will be spearheaded by one of the best defensive backs in the nation in Abu Kamara. Front to back the best roster in the Ivies is still Yale’s and the Bulldogs should well inside the Top 20 when the season starts.
#18 South Dakota
2025 Finish: 10-5, Quarterfinals
The Coyotes have proven several times over that they know how to reload with the best of them. This year’s task, though, is bigger than it has been in Vermillion in a while. After getting run out of the building by Montana in the quarterfinals last year, USD saw Travis Johansen leave for the Rutgers DC job after just one year of being head coach. Aidan Bouman and L.J. Phillips Jr. are both gone as well and the only known quantity the offense has to hang its hat on right now is Charles Pierre Jr. If he can stay healthy and return to his form from two years ago, Pierre can carry the Coyotes a long way still. Jackson Proctor looks to be the next QB but he’ll need to show he can put the team on his shoulders the same way Bouman did for several years. There’s only one FCS team out there that has reached three straight quarterfinals and it’s this one. Getting to a fourth, however, will be no easy feat.
#19 Mercer
2025 Finish: 9-3, 2nd Round
Mercer is a bit of an enigma. Winning three straight SoCon championships earns them the respect to be in the rankings for sure but the way last year ended was also really, really bad. The Bears were essentially a no-show in their lone playoff game and got completely dismembered leaving a bad taste about the whole season. Following that Jerry Rice Award winning quarterback Braden Atkinson hit the portal and is now at Oregon State. He was not the only one to leave either. In fact, 15 players are now on rosters elsewhere. What does that mean for this year’s team? It’s difficult to really peg down because they have been fairly active in the portal but not a lot of those guys have significant experience. Both sides of the ball have to replace some major pieces and it will all have to be done with a new head coach in Joel Taylor. Taylor is a proven winner having ascended West Georgia so that should bring Mercer fans some hope that the string of success will continue in Macon.
#20 Lamar
2025 Finish: 8-5, 1st Round
Lamar is usually an afterthought in the rankings but really shouldn’t be. Last year the Cardinals had a landmark season, reaching the playoffs behind a really stout and disciplined defense. As a team they authored 88 total tackles for loss and 30 sacks. A large number of those came from guys like Andrew Huff and C.J. Miller who are both back this year. That side of the ball really isn’t much of a worry. The offense, though, needs to improve if Lamar is going to be anything other than a first round team again in 2026. Keeping Aiden McCown at QB is big but last year no Cardinal runner went for more than 600 yards and no receiver had more than 450. As of now they’ll still be ranked but that is largely because of the defense. If the offense can improve enough to really compliment said defense, this unit has a chance to be really good.
#21 Harvard
2025 Finish: 9-2, 1st Round
In spite of the way it fizzled out at the end, 2025 was still a great year for Harvard. The Crimson were an at-large bid for the Ivy League in their first-ever playoff showing but it ended very quickly as Villanova hung 55 on them in a beatdown during the opening round. It was a solid building block but teams like Yale and Dartmouth aren’t going anywhere anytime soon so Harvard will need to keep pace. Doing so without some of their best players will be a challenge. Seniors like Jaden Craig and Alex DeGrieck have moved on to play their final seasons at different schools. Running back Xaviah Bascon returns, though, following a season in which he ran for 626 yards and seven touchdowns. Dante Torres is next in line to take over at quarterback but, at least right now, he isn’t what Craig was. Harvard is always right in the middle of the Ivy League chase and should be again. That being said, winning it seems like it will be even tougher this year.
#22 Southeastern Louisiana
2025 Finish: 9-4, 1st Round
Southeastern Louisiana was one of only three FCS schools from last year to see one of their stars get drafted into the NFL. Kaleb Proctor got that distinction off the defensive line and now the Lions are trying to move on without him. Defensive end Evan Aubrey hanging around makes that job a little easier as does the addition of ex-Nicholls linebacker Jake Dalmado. Quarterback Carson Camp also left, though, and now the burden falls on to redshirt junior Kyle Lowe. Lowe was Camp’s backup last year, appearing in all 13 games and throwing for eight scores. The Lions probably shouldn’t be the favorite in the Southland but they should absolutely be able to give either SFA or Lamar a run when it comes right down to it.
#23 UT Martin
2025 Finish: 6-6
UT Martin is looking to make its return to the postseason after missing out in 2025. Jason Simpson always seems to have the Skyhawks at least in the hunt and now with Tennessee Tech moving out, the Big South-OVC is ripe for the taking. Quarterback Aidan Glover looks to revitalize last year’s ho hum offense as he comes in from Northwest Mississippi Community College. He and ex-Ole Miss backup Justin Kowalak should compete for the starting job. Running back Tommy Ansley is back in the wake of a 565-yard season as well. Defensively the Skyhawks have said farewell to a bunch of their playmakers including corner JaMichael McGoy Jr. and linebacker Keyshawn Johnson. The ability to replace the production on both the front and back ends from those departures will be key.
#24 Prairie View A&M
2025 Finish: 10-4, Celebration Bowl Runner-Up
The Tremaine Jackson experiment has paid off in a big way so far for Prairie View A&M. The Panthers came incredibly close to winning their first HBCU national title in 16 years last fall, falling in four overtimes in the Celebration Bowl. Jackson in just his first season has completely turned the program around and dispatching mighty Jackson State in the SWAC championship feels like it was just the beginning. As is typically the case with a run like that, Prairie View has seen a handful of its big names leave including star receiver Jyzaiah Rockwell and quarterback Cameron Peters. But there’s still plenty of talent to work with and Jackson has proven himself emphatically so far. That Week 0 showdown with Tarleton State will show just exactly what this squad is made of and a good showing there might have them skyrocket up the rankings in September.
#25 Idaho State
2025 Finish: 6-6
Idaho State has all the makings of a dark horse heading into 2026. Quarterback Jordan Cooke threw for over 3,000 yards last year and accounted for 20 touchdowns. The Bengals have used this offseason to build the receiving corps around Cooke, bringing back Chedon James from his stints at Fresno State and UIW while also adding former Coastal Carolina pass catcher Eli Aragon. James was a sensation for ISU the first go around, leading the FCS in catches and going for 1,045 yards in 2023. The offense should be among the most explosive in the country this year. It’s the defense that has some big question marks after losing stud lineman Cam’ron Willis and DB Rylan Leathers. Youngsters like TreShawn Shorty will need to step up on that side of the ball. The Big Sky is a tough league to get out of unscathed but Idaho State did make a little noise last year. This team almost upset Montana and did take down UC Davis in 2025 so it shouldn’t be a complete shock if they find themselves in the playoffs by season’s end.
Five Others to Watch: Jackson State (9-3), New Hampshire (8-5), Northern Arizona (7-5), Western Carolina (7-5), UTRGV (9-3)
Rankings by Conference: Missouri Valley (6), Big Sky (4), Southland (3), UAC (3), Ivy League (2), Patriot League (2), SoCon (2), Big South-OVC (1), CAA (1), SWAC (1)
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