College football’s summer break is a time for coaches to host recruits in June before trying to solve pressing needs ahead of fall camp in August, once the media days charade subsides. For the teams inside CBS Sports’ post-spring top 25 rankings expected to be contenders in 2025, there remains specific areas that must be addressed to ensure success.
Some of these factors may not be handled until everything counts in September, but we’ve taken the task of scribbling out the summer agenda at each program in hopes of spotlighting the bullet points.
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Solve defensive line rotation: It’s paramount for the defending national champions to determine who’s going to make up their fierce pass rush given the personnel losses. Post-spring portal newcomer Beau Atkinson from North Carolina is a major addition. Expect defensive tackle Eddrick Houston to assume a starring role and junior Kayden McDonald to see the most action of his career.
Assess Arch Manning’s weaponry: With former five-star recruit Ryan Wingo as this offense’s new WR1, the Longhorns must figure out the other go-to targets in the passing game with Matthew Golden, Isaiah Bond and tight end Gunnar Helm out of the picture. Look for true freshman Kaliq Lockett and veteran DeAndre Moore to start at the Z and slot positions.
Gel at wide receiver: At times, it was ugly last fall for Drew Allar’s third-down options outside of All-American tight end Tyler Warren. The Nittany Lions did not have a single completion to a wideout during the semifinal loss to Notre Dame, which forced James Franklin’s hand to go after several transfers. Kyron Hudson (USC), Devonte Ross (Troy) and Trebor Pena (Syracuse) figure to be the new starters.
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Find comfort in run game: Tabbed by a few to be college football’s top team this fall, Clemson is loaded on both sides with perhaps its best roster since Dabo Swinney’s last national championship team. That said, the Tigers are inexperienced in the backfield with freshman Gideon Davidson, third-year sophomore Jay Haynes and redshirt freshman David Eziomume expected to share the load at running back after Phil Mafah’s departure. This will be a pass-happy team with Cade Klubnik, but offensive coordinator Garrett Riley needs to be able to breathe easy in short-yardage situations, too.
Fix uncertainty along offensive line: Replacing four starters up front is substantially easier as one of the elite programs in the sport, but even Kirby Smart has likely lost sleep over his potentially two-deep at the line of scrimmage. With a first-year starting quarterback and bevy of new additions offensively from the portal, it would help Georgia tremendously if play caller Mike Bobo can depend on Monroe Freeling and Earnest Greene to be stalwarts at the tackle spots.
Boost Dante Moore’s confidence: Dan Lanning did not name a starting quarterback at the end of spring, but perhaps he’s done so behind closed doors. Moore, the former UCLA transfer who backed up Dillon Gabriel last season, has now had two springs to master Will Stein’s offensive scheme. Given the production at the position the last several years for the Ducks, quarterback play must be elite for the reigning Big Ten champions to continue their march toward the program’s first national title.
7. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Pick a quarterback and go: There’s a reason the Fighting Irish didn’t go portal shopping this offseason for another body in their quarterback room after Steve Angeli departed for Syracuse in April. It’s clear Marcus Freeman is confident he can win with C.J. Carr or Kevin Minchey at the position, and said as much throughout spring, calling it a “true competition” for the QB1 role. Notre Dame opens the season at nationally-ranked Miami on Aug. 31, so its starter needs to be identified early during camp.
Avoid press clippings: For a program that hasn’t reached the playoff since winning it all in 2019 and has suffered five consecutive season-opening losses, it’s best for LSU to not allow the preseason hype to marinate this summer. Brian Kelly knows how important this campaign is for his tenure in Baton Rouge and the Tigers have exhausted all resources in recruiting this offseason to ensure an elite finish. Be careful.
Generate a pass rush: Make no mistake — this should be a stout defense for the Crimson Tide, especially considering cornerbacks tandem Zabien Brown and Domani Jackson are being discussed as one of the best in the conference. But if there’s one area of concern, it’s the ability to produce havoc numbers on the interior and edge since Alabama’s inexperienced beyond James Smith and nose tackle Tim Keenan III. The Crimson Tide need a difference-making campaign out of LT Overton, who has best-in-the-conference type of potential.
Establish secondary depth: Billy Napier’s defense should be strong in the front seven given returning talent at multiple positions, but the Gators will likely rely on several true freshmen at the back end, behind returning junior starters Jordan Castell and Bryce Thornton at safety. Fall camp is going to give new co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach Vinnie Sunseri plenty of film to consider when figuring out a rotation.
11. Miami Hurricanes
Maintain offensive approach: There’s not a team inside the top 15 that replaces more production offensively than the Hurricanes with No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward and a plethora of his top wide receivers from last season gone. However, it’s imperative that play caller Shannon Dawson continue to press the issue in the ACC with Carson Beck in tow along with several offseason additions in the play-making department. CJ Daniels will hold one of the outside receiver spots, but there’s competition in the slot and on the other side.
Have confidence in the rushing attack: Running backs coach Thad Ward has to be holding his breath approaching the new campaign given the injury history at his position group, the expectations surrounding the Illini and the fact his top returning rusher, Josh McCray, transferred to Georgia. Aidan Laughery, Kaden Feagin and Ca’Lil Valentine will get the bulk of the carries in an effort to take some of the pressure off of quarterback Luke Altmyer.
Ensure Avery Johnson is ready to roll: Kansas State’s dual-threat quarterback was fine last fall during his first season as a starter with 25 touchdown passes and more than 3,000 yards of total offense. But a couple of multi-interception outings in November took the Wildcats out of Big 12 contention. After generating some offseason transfer buzz, Johnson stuck around and enters the 2025 campaign as one of the conference’s most important players.
Ride Chase Roberts and Jojo Phillips: After losing Keelan Marion to Miami in the portal, two of the Cougars’ three top pass-catchers must be replaced. Roberts is the alpha in the wideout room, but it’s time for Phillips to ascend to an integral role. He averaged 21.1 yards per catch last season and scored two touchdowns while seeing the field only a handful of snaps per game. At 6-foot-5, he’s a weapon poised to create mismatches this fall.
Continue to push physicality: Despite being ranked inside our preseason top 15, TCU hasn’t received the notoriety this offseason like other Big 12 frontrunners, namely Arizona State and Iowa State. Part of proving doubters wrong will be the Horned Frogs’ ability to remain in the top-half of the league in total defense and pound the opposition into submission at the line of scrimmage.
Take the training wheels off Bryce Underwood: It’s abundantly clear the Wolverines’ five-star freshman quarterback is the future of the program under Sherrone Moore, so why not rip the Band-Aid off by crowning him the Day 1 starter? Fresno State transfer Mikey Keene is the insurance policy for Underwood in case fall camp goes awry, but from all accounts, Underwood is already a team leader and showed his worth during the spring.
17. Arizona State Sun Devils
Keep Kanye Udoh healthy: Go ahead and put the Army transfer in a non-contact jersey during fall camp. Considering this offense welcomes back Heisman candidate Sam Leavitt at quarterback and all-everything wideout Jordyn Tyson, it is crucial for Kenny Dillingham to find a replacement for Cam Skattebo. The Sun Devils can’t afford for Udoh to miss time. Udoh rushed for 1,117 yards and 10 touchdowns with the Black Knights last season and should be a major splash in the Big 12.
Get out of Brent Venables’ way defensively: The fourth-year Oklahoma coach has a new play caller in former Washington State offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle, who brought star quarterback John Mateer with him. Now, Venables is getting back to business on defense and says he’ll lead that unit in addition to his CEO role on the sideline. He was one of the nation’s brightest defensive minds at Clemson and hasn’t forgotten how to coach, but the pressure is on to succeed after a losing campaign.
19. Iowa State Cyclones
Get creative defensively: Matt Campbell’s defense will look different at all levels this fall, but especially at the point of attack where the Cyclones replace three of four defensive line starters. Somehow, Iowa State was able to retain Domonique Orange after he passed on an NFL opportunity and NIL offers elsewhere. Iowa State took three lower-end transfers to bolster its depth and signed a trio of freshmen who could see time.
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Use motivational fuel: In the aftermath of Nico Iamaleava’s transfer to UCLA and Tennessee’s subsequent signing of Joey Aguilar as a plug-and-play starter, most have sold their stock on the Volunteers’ getting back to the playoff. And Josh Heupel knows it. He lost his two best offensive players from last year’s 10-win team and his top defender. He’s one of the only coaches nationally coming off a playoff berth that can legitimately use the “nobody respects us” narrative to his advantage this summer.
Fix the secondary: Bad angles, missed tackles and failed opportunities. Texas Tech had a little bit of everything to blame for last season’s struggles against the pass as the Red Raiders finished last in the Big 12 in that department. Six players are back from last season’s two-deep, but expect heavy competition during fall camp with seemingly no starting spots determined just yet given 2024’s struggles on the back end.
Prepare other ballcarriers just in case: The Gamecocks are still awaiting word from the NCAA on an eligibility ruling for former Utah State standout Rahsul Faison, one of this cycle’s top running back transfers. He was an active participant in spring practice as the team’s No. 1 option at the position, but if he’s not cleared, first-year OC Mike Shula will have to go with Oscar Adaway or Jawarn Howell.
Find the pieces, put them together: Jeff Brohm loves the transfer portal, making it crystal clear that he’s going to overhaul his roster with the Cardinals as often as needed in the ACC. After taking 30 transfers this cycle, including former USC starting quarterback Miller Moss, it’s vital that Louisville finds a way make all of these new pieces fit with puzzle-like precision.
Ditch last season’s success: One of the hardest things to do for the coach of a top 25 program is tempering expectations based on previous wins. The ACC was a walk in the park for the Mustangs in 2024, but this offense lost much of its production outside of star quarterback Kevin Jennings and there’s newcomers on defense, too. And the schedule, even by ACC standards, is considerably more difficult.
Keep it simple: Hugh Freeze has made a living pulling the right strings with play-call fluidity as a successful head coach at all levels. He needs to get back in his bag for the first time at Auburn. There’s no reason for Oklahoma transfer quarterback Jackson Arnold to struggle considering what the Tigers have around him with five-star pass-catcher Cam Coleman and ample high-end portal additions leading the way. The Deuce Knight noise needs to stop, for the time being — Freeze is in win-now mode and has no time to develop a freshman quarterback in 2025.
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