Way-too-early Softball America Top 25 rankings

With fall ball underway and our team previews around the corner, we wanted to take an early look at what the first Top 25 college softball rankings might look like come January. Way-too-early Top 25 college softball rankings 1. Texas The two-time defending champs return most of their core from their 2026 roster, including Teagan Kavan and SEC Player of the Year Katie Stewart. While the Longhorns lost Reese Atwood and Leighann Goode to the professional ranks, the transfer additions of Isa Torres, the reigning ACC Player of the Year, and Samantha Swan should fill those voids. Texas needs an arm or two to rise up behind Kavan, but they have plenty of options, including freshman Madi Doty. 2026 Signing Class Breakdown: TexasTexas transfer trio strengthens three-peat aspirations 2. Alabama The Tide are in a similar position to the Longhorns, returning a lot from last season. Reigning SEC Pitcher of the Year Jocelyn Briski is back alongside Vic Moten and Kaitlyn Pallozzi. All-American Brooke Wells will headline the offense. We could see a bounce-back season from Audrey Vandagriff, or even Ambrey Taylor and Ana Roman building off strong freshman campaigns. Alabama will certainly miss the leadership of Marlie Giles and Alexis Pupillo, but newcomers Karlee Ford and Torynn Slaughter should help replace some of their offensive production. Karlee Ford Joins Alabama Softball: Everything to Know About the Transfer 3. Texas Tech The Red Raiders weren’t shy in the transfer portal once again, earning the top-ranked class this offseason. Mia Williams and Taylor Pannell will be joined by fellow All-Americans Jaysoni Beachum, Kasidi Pickering and Moriah Polar in a reshaped Texas Tech lineup. Kaitlyn Terry will lead the pitching staff while contributing at the plate as well. Transfer additions Jayden Heavener (as long as she’s healthy) and Hailey Maestretti will work with sophomore Mallie West behind Terry. How the new-look Texas Tech lineup comes togetherHow Jayden Heavener and Hailey Maestretti fit the Texas Tech pitching staff 4. Florida Despite missing the Women’s College World Series last season, the Gators are well equipped to return to Oklahoma City in 2027. Keagan Rothrock should have far more help in the circle with a healthy Ava Brown, Caroline Stanton ready to roll and Liliana Escobar arriving on campus. It won’t be easy to replace Jocelyn Erickson and Kenleigh Cahalan’s numbers, but Tori Edwards and a good crop of freshman bats should certainly bolster Tim Walton’s offense. 2026 Signing Class Breakdown: FloridaTori Edwards set for fresh start at Florida 5. Oklahoma A good portion of Oklahoma’s record-setting offense is back. How much more do Kendall Wells and Kai Minor have after great freshman seasons? Gabbie Garcia and Ella Parker remain stars. Oh yeah, the Sooners add top 2026 bats Goose Hutchens and Payton Westra to the lineup. The Sooners didn’t make an addition to the pitching staff via the transfer portal, instead banking on in-house development from Audrey Lowry, Miali Guachino and company, with Jen Rocha around for the entire fall leading up to the spring. 2026 Signing Class Breakdown: OklahomaMacie Harter Transfer Breakdown: How Oklahoma Softball’s Newest Addition Fits 6. Tennessee The Lady Vols lost Karlyn Pickens, a huge loss to the roster that can’t be overstated. That being said, aside from a transfer portal swap of Ella Dodge for Karley Shelton from South Carolina, Tennessee has a roster similar to last season’s. All-American Sage Mardjetko will take the ace role, with Erin Nuwer and Peyton Hardenburger projected to have large roles as well. Can the offensive pieces find more production under Ehren Earleywine? That’ll be the key question for Tennessee. 2026 Signing Class Breakdown: TennesseeWhat does Karley Shelton add to the Tennessee roster? 7. Georgia Georgia lost a handful of prominent bats, including Sarah Gordon, Jaydyn Goodwin, Keirstin Roose and Tyler Ellison. However, the Bulldogs have the makings of a strong pitching and defense team. Randi Roelling and Addisen Fisher will spearhead the staff once again, but we should see plenty of underclassmen, including Presley Harrison, Ada Little, Kate Brennan and Kynzee Anderson. Tony Baldwin also continues to churn out top-tier hitters, so we wouldn’t be worried about finding pieces to fit around returners Emily Digby, Bailey Lindemuth and Gabi Novickas. 2026 Signing Class Breakdown: GeorgiaHow Kylie Hammonds fills multiple voids for Georgia softball 8. Arkansas This is where it starts to get tougher to fit teams into spots. The Razorbacks finally reached Oklahoma City this past season, but they’ll look very different in 2027. Outside of Ella McDowell and Brinli Bain, the lineup is going to have an entirely new look. Arkansas did well in the portal, adding the bats of Kylie Doherty, Katie Wetteland, Kendall Yarnell and Ava Zachary in addition to a strong freshman class. Arkansas lands this high because, despite the graduation of Robyn Herron, Payton Burnham has proven to be a reliable arm, and Saylor Timmerman had enough high-level moments to believe they can be a dynamic duo. Inside the reshaped Arkansas lineup heading into 2027 9. Texas A&M The Aggies are an interesting team after a bit of a topsy-turvy season that saw them exit at the College Station regional once again. Nevertheless, Texas A&M should have a strong pitching staff, which bolsters its ranking. Sidne Peters and Sydney Lessentine worked well off one another, but dropping in Texas State transfer Maddy Azua makes their lives easier and gives the Aggies a different look. Mya Perez will lead the offense, but she needs a few of her friends to help protect her in the lineup. 2026 Signing Class Breakdown: Texas A&MMaddy Azua headlines Texas A&M transfer class 10. Florida State Florida State won’t have Isa Torres or Jaysoni Beachum, who transferred out this offseason. However, similar to the rest of the Top 10, Florida State can still pitch. Jazzy Francik seems primed to take the next step to stardom with Ashtyn Danley behind her. Bella Dimitrijevic, Marlee Gaskell or freshman Ava Lorenzatti will push for that third spot. Florida State’s offense will have plenty of pieces to make a good unit, as the Noles did pick up Ella Dodge and Nicole Edmiaston from the portal and five-star freshman McLaine Hudson will have an impact as well. The Noles will need their sophomore class to make quick progress to push for another Women’s College World Series appearance. Dodge, Edmiaston add veteran presence to Florida State lineup The rest of the way-too-early Top 25 college softball rankings Mississippi State Nebraska UCLA Virginia Tech LSU Oklahoma State UCF Grand Canyon Clemson Stanford Oregon Arizona Duke South Florida Washington Let us know your thoughts about the way-too-early Top 25 college softball rankings on social media and on our discussion board.