USC Trojans

With National Signing Day in the books, the focus for the 2019 college football season shifts to spring practices, quarterback battles, and upcoming offseason workouts. While most freshmen won’t arrive until the summer, a handful of incoming recruits already hit campus prior to spring ball. The quarterback position is a major focal point of interest throughout the offseason for all 130 programs, and there are a handful of freshmen who could play their way into snaps in 2019.

The 2019 college football season is still months away, but the start of spring practice is inching closer for all 130 teams (some have already begun), so it’s never too early to look ahead at the upcoming year and rank some of the top players returning to the gridiron. Quarterbacks take the top spot in the rankings for '19. Alabama's Tua Tagovailoa narrowly edges Clemson's Trevor Lawrence in the early top 50, with Texas' Sam Ehlinger, Oregon's Justin Herbert and Georgia's Jake Fromm all ranked in the top seven.

It’s never too early to think about next season, so with college football’s 2018 season officially in the books after Clemson's 44-16 win over Alabama, Athlon Sports is here with its way-too-early top 25 rankings for 2019. Alabama and Clemson have played four consecutive times in the CFB Playoff, and there's a good chance it happens again next season. The Tigers and Crimson Tide should begin 2019 as the favorites to win it all in New Orleans next January.