As College football season approaches, so does the release of the polls from some of the most prominent insiders in the sport.
Notably, one of them is not only a former Alabama quarterback, but also an SEC Network analyst and radio host on Birmingham’s WJOX.
Greg McElroy made some major headlines at SEC Media Days when he revealed that he had heard about potential interest from Nick Saban in returning to coaching. Still, now he’s created another headline with the dropping of his preseason top ten teams in the country.
RELATED: Alabama lands at No. 8 in preseason coaches poll – Texas takes top spot
His rankings included a very surprising team in the top slot:
NEW: Greg McElroy’s Preseason College Football Top 10👀
(via @AlwaysCFB) https://t.co/D55SNBjZWg pic.twitter.com/PlUoWARONp
— On3 (@On3sports) August 7, 2025
The Clemson Tigers and head coach Dabo Swinney, who have been gaining national attention, are featured first by McElroy.
Interestingly, there is no SEC team in the top three. Clemson, Penn State, and Notre Dame claim the top spots followed by Texas and Alabama to round out the top five.
After the Longhorns and Crimson Tide, McElroy’s picked Georgia at No. 6, LSU at No. 7, Ohio State at No. 8, Oregon at No. 9, and Miami at No. 10.
With Cade Klubnik, one of the nation’s top quarterbacks, at the helm and a defensive line reminiscent of the dominant units from Swinney’s championship runs, Clemson is absolutely a force to be reckoned with.
Ranking them No. 1 though is a whole new ballgame as they try to get back on track.
Regardless, seeing these rankings is just another indicator of how much closer we are to kickoff.
Michael Brauner is a Senior Sports Analyst and Contributing Writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @MBraunerWNSP and hear him every weekday morning from 6 to 9 a.m. on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5, available free online.
