College Football News Preview 2022 preseason college football rankings with top players, early games, and predicted finishes for all 131 teams.
Here we go with 2022 college football rankings for all 131 teams. Call this the jumping off point.
As always, the preseason rankings are about how good the teams appear to be going into fall camp, and then they’ll change drastically once the season starts and the results come in.
Teams are never ranked based on the projected finish, but the season prediction is added along with everyone’s season opening matchup and a player you need to know.
The teams at the very, very top are relatively obvious, but it gets interesting fast with the hype jacked for a whole slew of programs that pushed through into the elite. Of course, the fun comes when the lower-ranked teams show us just how wrong the early thoughts were.
What are the expectations for each team? How do they compare and contrast with everyone else? The 2022 college football season is about to get rolling.
Contact @ColFootballNews
CFN Preview 2022 Preseason College Football Rankings
2022 CFN Predictions For Every Game
ACC | Big Ten | Big 12 | Pac-12 | SEC
AAC | C-USA | Ind | MAC | M-West | Sun Belt
Preseason Predictions AP Poll | Coaches
CFN 2022 Preview of All 131 Teams
CFN Preview 2022 Rankings
76-100 | 51-75 | 26-50 | 11-25 | Top 10
131 UConn
Player You Need to Know: Jackson Mitchell, LB Soph.
Season Opener: at Utah State
2022 Preseason Prediction: 2-10
2021 Record: 1-11 2021 CFN Prediction: 3-9
2021 CFN Preseason Rank: 129 2021 CFN Final Rank: 128
CFN Final Rankings 2020 NR 2019 126 2018 129
Preview | Top 10 Players | Schedule
130 UMass
Player You Need to Know: Ellis Merriweather, RB Sr.
Season Opener: at Tulane
2022 Preseason Prediction: 1-11
2021 Record: 1-11 2021 CFN Prediction: 2-10
2021 CFN Preseason Rank: 130 2021 CFN Final Rank: 129
CFN Final Rankings 2020 127 2019 130 2018 104
Preview | Top 10 Players | Schedule
129 New Mexico State
Player You Need to Know: Chris Ojoh, LB Sr.
Season Opener: Nevada
2022 Preseason Prediction: 2-10
2021 Record: 2-10 2021 CFN Prediction: 2-10
2021 CFN Preseason Rank: 126 2021 CFN Final Rank: 126
CFN Final Rankings 2020 NR 2019 127 2018 124
Preview | Top 10 Players | Schedule
128 Akron
Player You Need to Know: Jeslord Boateng, LB Jr.
Season Opener: Saint Francis
2022 Preseason Prediction: 1-11
2021 Record: 2-10 2021 CFN Prediction: 2-10
2021 CFN Preseason Rank: 125 2021 CFN Final Rank: 127
CFN Final Rankings 2020 123 2019 129 2018 102
Preview | Top 10 Players | Schedule
127 FIU
Player You Need to Know: Davon Strickland, DT Jr.
Season Opener: Bryant
2022 Preseason Prediction: 2-10
2021 Record: 1-11 2021 CFN Prediction: 5-7
2021 CFN Preseason Rank: 115 2021 CFN Final Rank: 130
CFN Final Rankings 2020 125 2019 85 2018 43
Preview | Top 10 Players | Schedule
126 ULM
Player You Need to Know: Boogie Knight, WR Sr.
Season Opener: at Texas
2022 Preseason Prediction: 2-10
2021 Record: 4-8 2021 CFN Prediction: 1-11
2021 CFN Preseason Rank: 124 2021 CFN Final Rank: 124
CFN Final Rankings 2020 124 2019 100 2018 89
Preview | Top 10 Players | Schedule
125 Ball State
Player You Need to Know: Brandon Martin, LB Sr.
Season Opener: at Tennessee
2022 Preseason Prediction: 4-8
2021 Record: 6-7 2021 CFN Prediction: 7-5
2021 CFN Preseason Rank: 90 2021 CFN Final Rank: 98
CFN Final Rankings 2020 46 2019 83 2018 106
Preview | Top 10 Players | Schedule
124 Bowling Green
Player You Need to Know: Darren Anders, LB Sr.
Season Opener: at UCLA
2022 Preseason Prediction: 4-8
2021 Record: 4-8 2021 CFN Prediction: 2-10
2021 CFN Preseason Rank: 127 2021 CFN Final Rank: 108
CFN Final Rankings 2020 126 2019 124 2018 118
Preview | Top 10 Players | Schedule
123 Buffalo
Player You Need to Know: James Patterson, LB Sr.
Season Opener: at Maryland
2022 Preseason Prediction: 5-7
2021 Record: 4-8 2021 CFN Prediction: 6-6
2021 CFN Preseason Rank: 99 2021 CFN Final Rank: 109
CFN Final Rankings 2020 63 2019 39 2018 34
Preview | Top 10 Players | Schedule
122 New Mexico
Player You Need to Know: Jerrick Reed, S Sr.
Season Opener: Maine
2022 Preseason Prediction: 3-9
2021 Record: 3-9 2021 CFN Prediction: 5-7
2021 CFN Preseason Rank: 106 2021 CFN Final Rank: 125
CFN Final Rankings 2020 95 2019 120 2018 110
Preview | Top 10 Players | Schedule
121 Arkansas State
Player You Need to Know: Kivon Bennett, LB/DE Sr.
Season Opener: Grambling State
2022 Preseason Prediction: 6-6
2021 Record: 2-10 2021 CFN Prediction: 6-6
2021 CFN Preseason Rank: 97 2021 CFN Final Rank: 123
CFN Final Rankings 2020 112 2019 67 2018 72
Preview | Top 10 Players | Schedule
120 Rice
Player You Need to Know: Gabe Taylor, S Soph.
Season Opener: at USC
2022 Preseason Prediction: 3-9
2021 Record: 4-8 2021 CFN Prediction: 6-6
2021 CFN Preseason Rank: 120 2021 CFN Final Rank: 116
CFN Final Rankings 2020 106 2019 115 2018 127
Preview | Top 10 Players | Schedule
119 Charlotte
Player You Need to Know: WR Grant DuBose, Jr.
Season Opener: at Florida Atlantic
2022 Preseason Prediction: 4-8
2021 Record: 5-7 2021 CFN Prediction: 3-9
2021 CFN Preseason Rank: 119 2021 CFN Final Rank: 115
CFN Final Rankings 2020 116 2019 72 2018 93
Preview | Top 10 Players | Schedule
118 Texas State
Player You Need to Know: Marcell Barbee, WR Sr.
Season Opener: at Nevada
2022 Preseason Prediction: 3-9
2021 Record: 4-8 2021 CFN Prediction: 3-9
2021 CFN Preseason Rank: 114 2021 CFN Final Rank: 122
CFN Final Rankings 2020 111 2019 114 2018 123
Preview | Top 10 Players | Schedule
117 UTEP
Player You Need to Know: Praise Amaewhule, DE Jr.
Season Opener: North Texas
2022 Preseason Prediction: 3-9
2021 Record: 7-6 2021 CFN Prediction: 3-9
2021 CFN Preseason Rank: 123 2021 CFN Final Rank: 106
CFN Final Rankings 2020 121 2019 128 2018 130
Preview | Top 10 Players | Schedule
116 Georgia Southern
Player You Need to Know: Derrick Canteen, CB Jr.
Season Opener: Morgan State
2022 Preseason Prediction: 5-7
2021 Record: 3-9 2021 CFN Prediction: 6-6
2021 CFN Preseason Rank: 87 2021 CFN Final Rank: 121
CFN Final Rankings 2020 78 2019 55 2018 28
Preview | Top 10 Players | Schedule
115 Ohio
Player You Need to Know: Kurtis Rourke, QB Jr.
Season Opener: Florida Atlantic
2022 Preseason Prediction: 5-7
2021 Record: 3-9 2021 CFN Prediction: 6-6
2021 CFN Preseason Rank: 111 2021 CFN Final Rank: 112
CFN Final Rankings 2020 109 2019 51 2018 30
Preview | Top 10 Players | Schedule
114 Eastern Michigan
Player You Need to Know: Sidy Sow, OG Sr.
Season Opener: Eastern Kentucky
2022 Preseason Prediction: 6-6
2021 Record: 7-6 2021 CFN Prediction: 5-7
2021 CFN Preseason Rank: 117 2021 CFN Final Rank: 100
CFN Final Rankings 2020 107 2019 80 2018 71
Preview | Top 10 Players | Schedule
113 Kent State
Player You Need to Know: Dante Cephas, WR, Jr.
Season Opener: at Washington
2022 Preseason Prediction: 6-6
2021 Record: 7-7 2021 CFN Prediction: 6-6
2021 CFN Preseason Rank: 107 2021 CFN Final Rank: 90
CFN Final Rankings 2020 89 2019 66 2018 114
Preview | Top 10 Players | Schedule
112 James Madison
Player You Need to Know: Kris Thornton, WR Sr.
Season Opener: Middle Tennessee
2022 Preseason Prediction: 5-7
2021 Record: 12-2 2021 CFN Prediction:
2021 CFN Preseason Rank: NR 2021 CFN Final Rank: NR
Preview | Top 10 Players | Schedule
111 South Alabama
Player You Need to Know: Darrell Luter, CB Sr.
Season Opener: Nicholls State
2022 Preseason Prediction: 6-6
2021 Record: 5-7 2021 CFN Prediction: 3-9
2021 CFN Preseason Rank: 122 2021 CFN Final Rank: 120
CFN Final Rankings 2020 108 2019 119 2018 109
Preview | Top 10 Players | Schedule
110 Southern Miss
Player You Need to Know: Hayes Maples, LB Jr.
Season Opener: Liberty
2022 Preseason Prediction: 6-6
2021 Record: 3-9 2021 CFN Prediction: 6-6
2021 CFN Preseason Rank: 116 2021 CFN Final Rank: 119
CFN Final Rankings 2020 117 2019 68 2018 75
Preview | Top 10 Players | Schedule
109 Old Dominion
Player You Need to Know: Zack Kuntz, TE Jr.
Season Opener: at Virginia Tech
2022 Preseason Prediction: 4-8
2021 Record: 6-7 2021 CFN Prediction: 2-10
2021 CFN Preseason Rank: 128 2021 CFN Final Rank: 94
CFN Final Rankings 2020 NR 2019 125 2018 105
Preview | Top 10 Players | Schedule
108 Middle Tennessee
Player You Need to Know: Jordan Ferguson, DE Sr.
Season Opener: at James Madison
2022 Preseason Prediction: 5-7
2021 Record: 7-6 2021 CFN Prediction: 5-7
2021 CFN Preseason Rank: 118 2021 CFN Final Rank: 95
CFN Final Rankings 2020 119 2019 107 2018 59
Preview | Top 10 Players | Schedule
107 Temple
Player You Need to Know: Isaac Moore, OT Sr.
Season Opener: Duke
2022 Preseason Prediction: 2-10
2021 Record: 3-9 2021 CFN Prediction: 5-7
2021 CFN Preseason Rank: 84 2021 CFN Final Rank: 118
CFN Final Rankings 2020 110 2019 54 2018 58
Preview | Top 10 Players | Schedule
106 UNLV
Player You Need to Know: Harrison Bailey, QB Soph.
Season Opener: Idaho State
2022 Preseason Prediction: 4-8
2021 Record: 2-10 2021 CFN Prediction: 3-9
2021 CFN Preseason Rank: 110 2021 CFN Final Rank: 113
CFN Final Rankings 2020 120 2019 106 2018 107
Preview | Top 10 Players | Schedule
105 Hawaii
Player You Need to Know: Ilm Manning, OT, Sr.
Season Opener: Vanderbilt
2022 Preseason Prediction: 6-7
2021 Record: 6-7 2021 CFN Prediction: 7-6
2021 CFN Preseason Rank: 74 2021 CFN Final Rank: 102
CFN Final Rankings 2020 74 2019 32 2018 73
Preview | Top 10 Players | Schedule
104 Florida Atlantic
Player You Need to Know: Teja Young, S Jr.
Season Opener: Charlotte
2022 Preseason Prediction: 6-6
2021 Record: 5-7 2021 CFN Prediction: 8-4
2021 CFN Preseason Rank: 101 2021 CFN Final Rank: 111
CFN Final Rankings 2020 101 2019 13 2018 91
Preview | Top 10 Players | Schedule
103 Central Michigan
Player You Need to Know: Lew Nichols, RB Soph.
Season Opener: at Oklahoma State
2022 Preseason Prediction: 7-5
2021 Record: 9-4 2021 CFN Prediction: 6-6
2021 CFN Preseason Rank: 108 2021 CFN Final Rank: 70
CFN Final Rankings 2020 105 2019 71 2018 128
Preview | Top 10 Players | Schedule
102 Louisiana Tech
Player You Need to Know: BeeJay Williamson, S Jr.
Season Opener: at Missouri
2022 Preseason Prediction: 6-6
2021 Record: 3-9 2021 CFN Prediction: 7-5
2021 CFN Preseason Rank: 100 2021 CFN Final Rank: 114
CFN Final Rankings 2020 103 2019 43 2018 77
Preview | Top 10 Players | Schedule
101 Miami University
Player You Need to Know: Brett Gabbert, QB Jr.
Season Opener: at Kentucky
2022 Preseason Prediction: 6-6
2021 Record: 7-6 2021 CFN Prediction: 6-6
2021 CFN Preseason Rank: 109 2021 CFN Final Rank: 96
CFN Final Rankings 2020 93 2019 47 2018 70
Preview | Top 10 Players | Schedule
CFN Preview 2022 Rankings
76-100 | 51-75 | 26-50 | 11-25 | Top 10
