College football coaches, players and fans get their first whiff of the 2025 season during spring practices, which are underway or coming soon to campuses around the country.

Spring recruiting is about to heat up. Some teams have started great classes while some big programs have work ahead.

A big measure of what makes a college football team good any given year is returning experience. While not all teams are created equal and not all experience is good experience, more often than not, players get better at football by playing football.

Where things stand in the ESPN top 25 college football rankings as we look ahead to the start of spring practice for the 2025 season.