It’s not uncommon for college football rankings to undergo some rearranging during the transition from preseason speculation to actual games.
But we’ve had to practically overhaul our NC college football Fabulous 15 statewide rankings following the aftermath of Week 1 action across the Old North State.
Our top three teams from the preseason all lost, with one getting embarrassed while the whole college football world watched (ouch). Five of our top six and nine of the 15 all went down to defeat. Yikes.
Unlike AP and Coaches’ poll voters, we’re going for a complete reset here.
Remember the Fabulous 15 isn’t a traditional power ranking, per se. We’re putting all 33 of North Carolina’s college football programs into one pot and evaluating them based mostly on these unique metrics: who’s having the most special season, who’s generating the most buzz (for the right reasons) and who’s excelling within their own division of play.
Let’s get to the new numbers:
Bold Takes from The NC Sports Network
The North Carolina Sports Network played an instrumental role in sponsoring our Fabulous 15 in 2024. The NCSN is back as a presenting sponsor in 2025 with plenty of great football content for the upcoming season, including The David Glenn Show and the new Bold North State Football Weekly podcast.
Check out the latest North Carolina Sports Network content HERE (to read) and HERE (to watch).
🚨🏈CFB: DG's Fun Facts & Shout-Outs🏈🚨
✅ ACC Football (2⃣ top-10 triumphs)
✅ Miami & Florida State
✅ Dave Doeren & NC State
✅ Dowell Loggains & App State
✅ Cris Reisert & Gardner-Webb
✅ D3 action!
(👇Please Watch & Click "Subscribe"/It's FREE!👇)https://t.co/Ki67bxr0T5 pic.twitter.com/ZLqz8Qn59H — David Glenn Show (@DavidGlennShow) September 3, 2025
Fabulous 15 North Carolina College Football Rankings
After Week 1 Results
1. Gardner-Webb (1-0)
If it’s special you want, you can’t get better right now in North Carolina than the Runnin’ Bulldogs coached by Cris Reisert. From down 35-7 to a 52-45 road win at No. 18 Western Carolina. Largest comeback in school history, national and conference awards for new quarterback Nate Hampton, linebacker Jamari Young and OC Tyler Johnson. The only North Carolina FCS team to win this weekend. Can they beat Georgia Tech this weekend?
🏈 Read More about the Runnin’ Bulldogs: Game recaps from FCS football and GWU as our statewide Team of the Week.
2. Appalachian State (1-0)
New coach Dowell Loggains opens with a 34-11 statement over Charlotte in the Duke’s Mayo Classic. QB AJ Swann was sharp, RB Rashod Dubinion ran hard, the defense smothered and the fanbase showed out at Bank of America Stadium. A confident start. Expect Kidd Brewer to be rocking like old times for the home opener Saturday.
🏈 Who were the “Stat Champions” of week 1 in NC college football? Check out the box-score busters from around the state.
3. Johnson C. Smith (1-0)
Golden Bulls lit up Harvard’s field in a 45-9 rout of Morehouse in an HBCU showcase game. Momentum builder before D2 power Valdosta State comes to Charlotte. This program has juice right now and appears ready to bounce back from its 2024 season-ending slide.
4. Duke (1-0)
Shaky early but turned on the jets late with 3 fourth-quarter TDs to dispatch Elon 45-17. QB Darian Mensah put up big numbers, WR Cooper Barkate flashed, Que’Sean Brown took a punt 78 yards to the house. Blue Devils continue to look like the class of our state’s ACC contingent.
5. Wingate (1-0)
Businesslike 30-21 win over UNC Pembroke, fueled by Caleb Bonesteel’s three long field goals. Bulldogs have now won 13 straight season openers — consistency is their calling card.
6. Catawba (1-0)
Welcomed Ferrum to D2 football with a 45-13 rout. New RB Kevin Lalin rushed for 132 yards, DL Evan Simons earned SAC Defensive Player of the Week. Early signs of a turnaround after a three-win 2024.
7. NC State (1-0)
Handled ECU 24-17 behind solid play from QB CJ Bailey and breakout WR Wesley Grimes (117 yards). Nothing too flashy, maybe Dave Doeren took his foot off the gas a little early, but the Wolfpack start 1-0 and erase bad Military Bowl vibes.
8. Wake Forest (1-0)
New head coach Jake Dickert got a winning debut as the Deacs knocked off Kennesaw State. Not the toughest opponent, but as Week 1 proved, no win should be taken for granted.
9. Chowan (1-0)
Hawks program has weathered turbulence since the 2022 CIAA title game with multiple conference moves and coaching changes, but Paul Johnson’s bunch opened with a 28-14 win over rival ECSU. QB Maurice Smith and DB Isaiah Fulton earned Conference Carolinas honors. A fresh start.
10. North Carolina Central (1-1)
Looked dominant in Week 0 against Southern, but fell 27-10 to New Hampshire. Still clearly among the state’s top FCS squads, but no longer unbeaten. Chris Mosley went for 100+ rushing in back-to-back weeks.
11. Brevard (0-0)
Our D3 schools haven’t played yet, but the Tornados were picked third in the USA South and return defensive star Robert Dorsey. Hard to leave them out with so many 0-1 teams.
12. Western Carolina (0-1)
Yes, it’s a crushing loss after leading 35-7, but the Catamounts still scored 45 points and showed the offensive firepower that made them our preseason No. 1. They drop, but don’t vanish. Big chance to recoup lost mojo with an upset at Wake Forest on Saturday.
13. Elon (0-1)
Hung tough with Duke for three quarters. Tied at halftime, within striking distance until the Blue Devils’ depth took over. Enough good vibes for Tony Trisciani’s team to keep them in the mix.
14. Campbell (0-1)
Went toe-to-toe with No. 9 Rhode Island before falling late, 31-20. The Camels looked the part against an FCS playoff contender, which makes them Fab 15 worthy.
15. North Carolina A&T (0-1)
After a pair of one-win seasons, the Aggies showed real progress in Shawn Gibbs’ debut. Nearly knocked off Tennessee State (24-21), with LB Joshua Iseah earning CAA Defensive Player of the Week. They deserve credit for the fight. HBCU and NC college football need A&T to be good again.
Bubble Watch
Lenoir-Rhyne (0-1): Still nationally ranked in D2 despite taking it on the chin at West Florida.
Mars Hill (0-0): New coach Kevin Barnette takes over a steady SAC program.
Winston-Salem State (0-1): Can still make noise in the CIAA if they can figure things out after uneven first game
Louisburg (0-1): Went toe-to-toe with a Central Georgia Tech team, which won 10 games a year ago and competes at a higher level of JUCO football.
Our preseason Fabulous 15 rankings
(Ouch – nine of these teams lost in week 1)
