2023 Preseason College Football Outlook: Calm Before Storm

Reigning Heisman Trophy Winner Caleb Williams Among High-Profile Returning Players

This is a quiet time in the college football world. Enjoy it while you can because before long the chatter about 2023 preseason college football will start to pick up.

Most of the prominent players in the transfer portal have found homes by now and spring practices are in the rear-view mirror.

Student-athletes will be returning to campuses across the country next month and before long, the first games will begin in late August. It won’t be long before NCAAF teams return to the practice field as they prepare for the 2023 season.

The usual suspects lead the way in the championship odds. According to the NCAA football expert picks, Two-time defending champion Georgia is priced at -250 and Ohio State at -125 to make the College Football Playoff.

Here are some things to consider as practices will be here before you know it.

What’s Coming Up Next?

Unlike in the NFL or in college basketball, where there will be preseason contests for fans to get a look at their team before the games, that is not the case with the top-flight college football teams.

Ivy League teams are known to have preseason scrimmages, sometimes against fellow league teams. Don’t expect to see the game thing when it comes to Georgia, Ohio State, Alabama and Michigan, or other teams expected to be in the running for the national title. With the way college football coaches guard information, there won’t be much coming out regarding the 2023 preseason college football news.

Teams will hold their scrimmages, usually on a Saturday, to get acclimated to preparing for a game day. It may be starters vs starters of the second team going up against the starting squad.

Tracking the Landing Spots

The transfer portal has forever changed the college football landscape. Things have been taken to a new level in 2023, thanks to Deion Sanders’ arrival at the University of Colorado.

More than 50 players have transferred into Colorado, with almost that many leaving Colorado since January 1.

The top-rated transfer is cornerback Travis Hunter, who followed Sanders from Jackson State to Colorado.

Florida State has two of the top 12 incoming transfers, with cornerback Fentrell Cypress coming in from Virginia and tight end Jaheim Bell transferring in from South Carolina.

Cornerback Denver Harris (Texas A&M to LSU), receiver Adonai Mitchell (Georgia to Texas), linebacker Ernest Hausmann (Nebraska to Michigan), receiver Devontez Walker (Kent State to North Carolina), quarterback Sam Hartman (Wake Forest to Notre Dame), quarterback Devin Leary (North Carolina State to Kentucky), receiver Dominic Lovett (Missouri to Georgia) and offensive lineman Javion Cohen (Alabama to Miami) are the top transfers, according to the 247sports.com database.

Ten of the top 15 transfers either left or came into the SEC. As far as the team rankings, Colorado is followed by LSU, Auburn, Southern California, Ole Miss, Florida State, Miami, Oklahoma, Oregon and Louisville.

Alabama has three of the top eight incoming freshmen with edge rusher Keon Keeley leading the way. Texas landed the top prospect, quarterback Arch Manning, the nephew of former Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks Eli and Peyton Manning.

Looking At the Opening Weekend

When looking at the NCAA football schedule, the first games will be played on Aug. 26. The most competitive of the games could be Jacksonville State, currently favored by 1.5 points against UTEP and San Diego State, a 3.5-point favorite against Ohio.

Title contenders USC and Notre Dame are favored by 30 and 20 points.

The Notre Dame-Navy game will be played in Dublin, Ireland as the Fighting Irish nickname for Notre Dame takes on a life of its own.

Too Early For Heisman Hype?

Yes, it is still more than two months before the first snap of the college football season will be taken. However, the Heisman Trophy hype is already underway and is will only intensify as the 2023 preseason college football mania draws near.

Southern California quarterback Caleb Williams is priced at +500 to join former Ohio State running back Archie Griffin as the only player to win back-to-back Heisman Trophies.

He is followed by Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis at +1100, Washington QB Michael Penix and Oregon quarterback Bo Nix are priced at +1200.

The top non-quarterback is Ohio State receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. with +2500 odds.

Can’t get enough? Here’s more!

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• National Championship Game: Can Georgia Three-Peat? Oddsmakers Seem to Think So.
• Sun Belt Regular Season Win Totals: Troy Vying for Repeat