Way-too-early 2023 Ultimate HBCU Sports Division I Top 10 football rankings

While the start of the 2023 college football season is seven months away, it is never too early to look ahead to what could be.

Current HBCU national champion North Carolina Central will be in a good position to defend its title as the program brings back a host of talent, including Celebration Bowl Offensive MVP quarterback Davius Richard.

Runner-up Jackson State is going through significant changes with T.C. Taylor replacing Deion Sanders as head coach. Not only that, JSU lost quarterback Shedeur Sanders and two-way stud Travis Hunter to the transfer portal. Its defensive rock, Aubrey Miller, will be lost to the NFL Draft.  Can JSU make it a three-peat with transfer portal and National Signing Day additions? Or will the Tigers take a step back in 2023?

Florida A&M, which ended 2022 on a 9-game winning streak and narrowly missed the FCS playoffs, won’t have Isaiah Land and Xavier Smith. But the Rattlers will once again be a contender in the SWAC East.

North Carolina A&T also nearly qualified for the playoffs in its final season in the Big South. The Aggies are currently without a head coach after longtime coach Sam Washington was let go. Then its offense took a blow with All-Big South running back Bhayshul Tuten and several others going into the transfer portal. There is a lot of uncertainty surrounding the program as it heads into a competitive CAA next season.

Across the rest of the Division I HBCU landscape, can schools such as Alcorn State, Grambling State, Alabama State and even Howard take the next step to make a run at conference championships and even the Celebration Bowl?

Here is our look at our 2023 Ultimate HBCU Sports Division I Top 10 football rankings.