The spotlight in the college football world this time of year tends to be fixed on top programs such as Oregon, Texas, Ohio State and Indiana. However, a handful of other programs are being overlooked before a snap has been played.
From a first-year coach to a team that reached the College Football Playoff after the 2022 season, here are five teams that could exceed expectations in 2026.
1. South Carolina Gamecocks
Head coach Shane Beamer’s Gamecocks enter 2026 without much hype after a 4-8 record last season, but quarterback LaNorris Sellers and edge-rusher Dylan Stewart both return. Sellers passed for 2,437 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2025 despite a difficult season around him, and a bounce-back year from the SEC’s most talented dual threat could potentially reposition South Carolina as a good team in a loaded conference.
2. Houston Cougars
Houston head coach Wille Fritz has rebuilt the program quickly, and the Cougars return quarterback Conner Weigman, a Texas A&M transfer who found footing in his first season under Fritz. Wide receiver Amare Thomas had 966 receiving yards in 2025, and Oregon State transfer Trent Walker provides as another proven target. Running back Makhi Hughes gives Houston a complete offensive identity that not many outside the program are talking about.
3. TCU Horned Frogs
The Horned Frogs averaged 30.7 points a game in 2025, and although they lost quarterback Josh Hoover to the transfer portal, they brought in Harvard transfer quarterback Jaden Craig, who will play under new play-caller Gordon Sammis. TCU lost linebacker Kaleb Elarms-Orr and safety Bud Clark to the NFL, but this is a program that reached the national championship just three seasons ago. This team has a chance to win the Big 12 title game and earn a bid to the CFP.
4. USC Trojans
The Trojans return more starters, 15, than any team in the country, led by quarterback Jayden Maiava behind an offensive line that will be intact. USC had to replace receiver Makai Lemon, but the Trojans have sophomore Tanook Hines and transfer Terrell Anderson. These targets give Maiava a foundation. A team that returns this much of a roster rarely is labeled as an afterthought, yet USC has mainly stayed out of the sport’s big-name conversations this offseason.
5. UCLA Bruins
New head coach Bob Chesney takes in a Bruins team that has gone 8-16 since joining the Big Ten, but quarterback Nico Iamaleava, who showed flashes at Tennessee in 2024 before a rough transfer season, headlines six returning starters. A bounce-back season under Chesney’s staff could be the kind of surprise that reshapes UCLA’s trajectory long-term.
None of these five programs will draw preseason top-10 buzz. But between returning production, coaching continuity and quarterback upside, each has a path to surprising the college football world this fall.
