RJ Young Picks 4 Power-Conference Sleeper Teams for 2026 College Football

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 28

Four Power 4 programs — Virginia Tech, Houston, Washington and Mississippi State — were RJ Young’s top sleeper picks for a 2026 season he framed as unusually wide open.
Virginia Tech got the ACC nod because James Franklin inherits a roster Young says ranks top-five nationally in returning production, plus quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer and a manageable early schedule.
Houston and Washington were his strongest Big 12 and Big Ten dark horses: Houston comes off a 10-win, top-25 season with Texas Tech looming early, while Washington returns Demond Williams Jr. and avoids Michigan and Ohio State.
Mississippi State rounded out the list as Young’s SEC sleeper, with Jeff Lebby’s third team backed by a top-20 247Sports talent ranking and close 2025 losses that he argued masked its upside.
The picks fit Young’s broader view that 2026 could be the most competitive college football season yet, with under-the-radar teams positioned to disrupt preseason favorites.