ESPN's Bill Connelly released his updated post-spring SP+ power rankings earlier this week. The metric's update provides a valuable look at the sport's landscape after a busy offseason of transfer movement.

Each of these teams is aiming to prove college football fans wrong in the upcoming season. South Carolina is coming off its best year since 2017, and there is a great deal of optimism surrounding the Gamecocks. The team returns promising young players, including quarterback LaNorris Sellers and defensive end Dylan Stewart.

According to ESPN, only the USC Trojans have a better 2026 recruiting class than the Buckeyes. If Ohio State manages to receive commitments from another few top recruits, with the star receivers the program has already landed, then the Buckeyes could finish with the top-ranked class for next year.