(Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)In the days following Clemson’s dominant performance against Alabama in the national title game, ESPN ranked the top-25 teams headed into the 2019 college football season. Unsurprisingly, the Clemson Tigers sat on top of the rankings with Alabama close behind.
The Worldwide Leader re-upped the top-25 this week after the 2019 recruiting classes were signed. While Clemson and Alabama still hold down the top-two spots, there’s a new No. 3 team in the nation headed into the next college football season.
Georgia sat at No. 3 in January, but a star transfer quarterback vaulted the Oklahoma Sooners to the No. 3 spot this time around. Former Alabama star Jalen Hurts transferred to Oklahoma and will play an immediate role for the team this season.
As a result, Oklahoma was ESPN’s “biggest mover” in its new top-25.
Here’s what college football analyst Mark Schlabach had to say about the new addition.
OU coach Lincoln Riley might have found a more-than-capable stopgap in Alabama graduate transfer Jalen Hurts, who went 26-2 as a starter and came off the bench to help the Tide beat Georgia 35-28 in the SEC championship game.
Hurts is more than capable of carrying the load for the Sooners this season. Now we’ll just have to wait and see if Lincoln Riley can bring home a third-straight Heisman Trophy with his new quarterback.
Oklahoma opens the 2019 season with a non-conference bout against former West Virginia head coach Dana Holgorsen and the Houston Cougars.
