Best Teams For College Football 26 Dynasty Mode

College Football 26 is coming out soon. The most coveted mode is dynasty mode, where players can choose programs to dominate with or rebuild. Team selection can be tricky so here are the best teams for College Football 26 dynasty mode.

There are different types of dynasties to try, so teams will be divided up to fit different categories.

Fun Right Away

Ohio State Buckeyes

Ohio State has the two highest-rated players in the game: wide receiver Jeremiah Smith and safety Caleb Downs. While they lost a lot from their national championship-winning team, they still have the third-best-rated team in the game. With enough good players returning on both sides of the ball, Ohio State can compete right away in CFB 26.

LSU Tigers  

LSU has one of the best returning quarterbacks in Garrett Nussmeier, a young running back in Caden Durham and an explosive receiving core that includes Chris Hilton, Barion Brown, Nic Anderson and Aaron Anderson. Brown was a cheat code in the game last year and is the second-fastest player in the game. The Tigers have a lot of defensive talent as well and the scheme was more of the problem in real life last season. 

Penn State Nittany Lions  

Quarterback Drew Allar, running backs Nicholas Singleton and Kayton Allen all decided to return for another season rather than go to the NFL Draft. Penn State also added Trebor Pena and Kyron Hudson to their receiving room, which was a liability last season. With Dani Dennis-Sutton on the edge for the defense, they also have some talent. 

Clemson Tigers  

Cade Klubnik is the highest-rated quarterback in the game and will have some talented receivers to throw to. Defensively, they have impact players, specifically on the defensive line in Peter Woods and T.J. Parker. The Tigers have a balanced team that can stack up with some of the best in the game. 

Alabama Crimson Tide  

Alabama is the highest-ranked team in the game. Ryan Williams and Germie Bernard will be breaking in a new quarterback this season, but the options for that position have talent. Deontae Lawson returns at linebacker after considering the NFL Draft, but there is also real talent in the secondary to help shut down opponents. 

Texas Longhorns  

Texas is the second-highest rated team in the game. Arch Manning is taking over at quarterback and should be fun to play with, given his dual-threat. He’ll have one of the better receivers in the game to throw to in Ryan Wingo. Linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. is a great defensive player and so too is cornerback Malik Muhammad.  

Notre Dame Fighting Irish  

Interested in having great offensive line play? Notre Dame can provide that. They had so many talented offensive linemen that some had to transfer out this offseason. While a new quarterback will have to be broken in, having the best running back in college football, Jeremiyah Love, and an improved receiving core should help. The defense doesn’t have a ton of returning talent, but does bring back some good players in the secondary.

Georgia Bulldogs  

Georgia is ranked sixth overall in CFB 26. Gunnar Stockton takes over at quarterback after getting some experience down the stretch. Their defense can fuel their team with some talent on all three levels. With running back Nate Frazier and an improved receiving that includes transfers Noah Thomas and Zachariah Branch, the offense has some potential after dipping last season. 

Big Conference Schools With Young Talent

Oregon Ducks

Oregon very easily could be in the teams fun to play with now, but it is worth mentioning that they have plenty of talent that will be eligible for a while. Dante Moore got some experience two years ago at UCLA, but now takes over the offense at quarterback as a redshirt sophomore. Pair him with freshman receiver Dakorien Moore and Oregon has a bright future for dynasties along with being able to compete right now. 

Nebraska Cornhuskers

Dylan Raiola is just a sophomore quarterback who can play a few more seasons. Although Dane Key is a senior, Nebraska has some young receivers that can play a few years with Raiola in a dynasty. The whole roster is littered with sophomores who will get playing time. They may not have a roster that can win it all (unless the user controlling them is great), but they have plenty of room to grow. 

NC State Wolfpack   

Although he may not be rated very highly in the game, quarterback C.J. Bailey had some success as a freshman last season. He can grow with a team that has some other young skill-position players as well. Running Back Hollywood Smothers is just a sophomore and so too is wide receiver Noah Rogers. Those three could make a good trio for two or three years in a dynasty. 

Arizona State Sun Devils

Arizona State being on this list is solely because Sam Leavitt is a sophomore. The quarterback had a great season as a redshirt freshman and is now rated a 91. While there aren’t many other young players who can make an impact Jordyn Tyson is a junior receiver that is one of the best in the game. 

South Carolina Gamecocks

Quarterback LaNorris Sellers is a 91 overall and is just a sophomore. Along with him, edge rusher Dylan Stewart is one of the best at his position. There are a lot of sophomores who will make an impact for this team this season, giving them ample ability to grow. 

Florida Gators

Florida has a future star quarterback in D.J. Lagway, but they have other young players worth noting too. Wide receivers Eugene Wilson (sophomore), Dallas Wilson (freshman) and running back Jayden Baugh (sophomore) give the Gators so many impact players who are young.

Auburn Tigers

Wide receivers Cam Coleman and Malcolm Simmons are both sophomores and could be stars. Not only that, but the defense has plenty of sophomore starters, specifically in the secondary, to help the team get better after a year or two. 

Washington Huskies

Quarterback Demond Williams is just a sophomore and showed some flashes last season. While their top receiver, Denzel Boston, is a junior, Rashid Williams is a sophomore who is expected to take a big jump this season. With a few other young players sprinkled in on the roster, Demond Williams can be the key to a future powerhouse. 

Big Conference Rebuild

California Golden Bears

Cal won six games last season, but lost a ton to the transfer portal. Running back Jaydn Ott is now with Oklahoma, while tight end Jack Endries is with Texas. Only five starters return to the team. 

Purdue Boilermakers

The Boilermakers won just one game last season and saw a few impact players transfer out. Tight end Max Klare transferred to Ohio State and Will Heldt is now a Clemson Tiger. It will be a tough rebuild that could take some time. 

Oklahoma State Cowboys

Last season, Oklahoma State was expected to have a good year, but stumbled to three wins. There are a lot of young players expected to be in big roles, which could make the rebuild fun, whether Mike Gundy is the coach or a custom character. 

Mississippi State Bulldogs

The Bulldogs notched just two wins last season. They did not win a game in the SEC and rebuilding against the gauntlet of a schedule could be a fun projcect. 

Group of Five Fun Right Away

Navy Midshipmen

Playing with the triple option was a little tricky in last year’s game. Navy has a solid roster capable of winning the AAC with eight returning starters on offense. If the mechanics of the triple option are a little smoother, Navy can be fun to play with from the jump.

Sam Houston Bearkats

Last season was Sam Houston’s first season in the FBS and they have a solid roster that was mostly built through the transfer portal. Starting quarterback Hunter Watson is back and transfer Alton McCaskil can provide some good play at running back. 

Toledo Rockets

Toledo has been the most consistent program in the MAC for a while. They won eight games last season and have five starters returning on each side of the ball. 

Boise State Broncos

Ashton Jeanty might be gone, but Boise State still has talent. They have 13 starters returning, including quarterback Maddux Madsen. They are the favorites to be the group of five representatives in the College Football Playoff. 

San Jose State Spartans

The Spartans have a unique spread-and-shred offense that is fun to use, but they also have returning talent. Quarterback Walker Eget and running back Floyd Chalk IV had solid seasons and can build on that virtually. 

James Madison Dukes

James Madison continued their success since elevating to the FBS level by winning nine games last season. While there aren’t too many returning starters for JMU, they are projected to be one of, if not the best teams in the Sun Belt. 

Group of Five Rebuild

Tulsa Golden Hurricane

The Golden Hurricane won just three games and return two starters only from last year’s team. They are projected to be one of the worst teams in college football this season, making the rebuild take a lot of work. 

Missouri State Bears

The Bears are joining the FBS this season in the C-USA. They have 11 returning starters and may finish in the middle of the pack in conference, but it is always fun to play with new teams. 

Delaware Blue Hens

Delaware is also making the jump to the FBS level this season in the C-USA. They are projected to finish lower in the C-USA, making them a fun team to rebuild with. 

Kent State Golden Flashes

Kent State has had a tough time finding consistency over the last several years and won no games in 2025. They are the ultimate rebuild team for this year’s game. 

New Mexico Lobos

New Mexico won five games last season, but lost quarterback Devon Dampier and other key members of the team. The climb in the Mountain West will be tough, but fun. 

Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks  

The Warhawks won five games last season, but had plenty of players who left the program this offseason. Along with some cool helmets, ULM is a good rebuild opportunity. 

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