VSiN’s college football expert takes a look at his way-too-early Top 5 for 2022 (odds by BetMGM).

Nick Saban will begin his offseason with the projected No. 1 and No. 2 2023 NFL Draft prospects commanding his offense and defense. Having quarterback Bryce Young and linebacker Will Anderson Jr. back is enormous. Anderson might be one of the best defensive players the sport has seen in the past decade. Some top players, including linebacker Henry To’oTo’o and safety Jordan Battle, chose to stay, and with some new arrivals such as cornerback Eli Ricks and running back Jahmyr Gibbs, Alabama is poised to be improved come fall.

My only concern? Who will catch passes. The losses of John Metchie and Jameson Williams to the NFL are huge holes to fill, and the development of young wideouts will be something to watch over the coming months. Still, this team is loaded. In my eyes, Alabama is a clear-cut choice for No. 1 and a deserving favorite.

It gets interesting here. While I went back and forth with this pick, I landed on Ohio State. Quarterback C.J. Stroud is poised to be better, and the end result could be scary. And while the Buckeyes said goodbye to Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Julian Fleming could wind up being the best group of wideouts in America. The position is that loaded. Throw in TreVeyon Henderson, one of the best young running backs in America, and the offense is poised to lead the nation in scoring next year. On top of it all, Ohio State hired Jim Knowles from Oklahoma State to run its defense. With a wealth of talented young players, especially up front, I expect drastic improvements on that side of the ball.

Georgia loses a ton of talent, including likely first-round picks Nakobe Dean, Jordan Davis and Travon Walker. Still, the Bulldogs, who have recruited better than any team in college football over the past five years, return a ton. The biggest question, of course, is what will happen at quarterback. There are options there, and the roster is still ripe with four- and five-star players. But can Georgia reload the way Alabama has after an exodus? We are about to find out.

Both sides of the ball lose a bit, but the Aggies will have plenty of talent to replenish after signing the top recruiting class in the nation. I’m particularly intrigued to see what happens at quarterback as Haynes King, who began this year as starter before going down with injury, will battle LSU transfer Max Johnson and five-star freshman Conner Weigman. As for what it will amount to, it might be one year early for the Aggies. But the talent on the roster, and coming in, is robust.

There is competition for this spot from Clemson, Michigan and Notre Dame. But I really like Utah’s foundation, especially on offense. Quarterback Cameron Rising could blossom into a star, and running back Tavion Thomas morphed into a bruising, successful back in 2021 with 21 rushing touchdowns. The Utes lose production on defense, which is certainly a concern. And unlike some of the teams referenced above, there is no direct talent pipeline pumping five-stars directly into the depth chart. Still, this team has a lot to like. An opening game against Florida, while many, many months away, will be a fascinating measuring stick.