Progress is not always linear in college football, but any time a program can produce a significant win-total increase from one year to the next, those results are the best indicators that things are on the right track. A healthy handful of teams figure to do just that during the 2024 campaign with squads such as Nebraska and Miami poised to climb closer to Playoff contention.
Coaching changes, impressive recruiting classes and the additions of immediate-impact transfers are the most influential ingredients in taking a program to the next level, but sometimes teams make their biggest leaps in the middle of coaching tenures as their rosters mature and staffs further develop their systems and cultures.
The next wave of conference title contenders will throw wrenches into their respective leagues this season, and some are sleeping giants on the verge of waking up and re-emerging as perennial powers. They could soon strike fear into the established forces atop the national rankings.
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Below are 12 of the most improved teams in college football ahead of the 2024 season.