Everyone has a favorite team inEA Sports College Football 26, but players who want a real challenge can choose to rebuild a struggling program instead of picking a top-rated school for their Dynasty run. The recruitment system is the star of Dynasty mode inCollege Football 26, and good coaches can recruit strong talent to raise a team’s rating and help them climb the conference rankings.
There are so many schools inCollege Football 26that it can be overwhelming to choose a starting place, though, especially if you’re looking for a low-rated team to rebuild instead of a top SEC school that everyone knows. Plus, some schools will take much more work to rebuild since they don’t have any specific attractions to draw in potential prospects. If you’re looking to rebuild a program inCollege Football 26, these are some of the best NCAA teams to start with.
Rice Owls
Riceis one of the best colleges in Texas, but it’s not one of Texas' best football schools. Texas is dominated by the likes of Texas A&M and UT, but you’re able to change that by rebuilding the Owls.
Rice has two unique advantages compared to other Texas schools. It hasan A rating for Academic Prestige, and a B- for Conference Prestige. Because of this unique combo, you’re able to attract prospects who want a strong academic life while also filtering out all the local Texas prospects who want to play in the SEC. Let UT and TAMU deal with those guys. Slip past the noise and sweet talk some high schoolAACfans into apromising college careerat Rice.
Duke Blue Devils
Dukeis in a similar position to Rice, making them another great candidate for a rebuild. Duke is one of the best schools in the country, but the Blue Devils don’t quite match the school’s academic reputation. Duke is one of the easiest rebuilds inCollege Football 26, though, and that’s for a few key reasons.
First, you can leverage Duke’sA+ Academic Prestige ratingto attract talent. Duke is one of only five schools with an A+ in this department, so you’ll have an advantage over other programs. There’s not much else to sway players with, but Duke already has some incredible talent to begin with.Chandler Rivers is a93 OVRCB that will help you make running plays.Brian Parker IIandTerry Mooreare two other 90+ players that’ll give you a boost during your initial season with the Blue Devils.
Hawaii Rainbow Warriors
Nobody really thinks aboutHawaiiwhen it comes to football, which is exactly why coaching theRainbow WarriorsinDynasty modecan be so rewarding. They really don’t have much going for them, so they’re basically a blank slate for you to work with. There are a few decent players on the starting roster, particularly their starting quarterback, but you’ll have to play your cards right during the recruiting season to secure some promising new talent for the team.
With enough planning and precision, you’re able to use the school’sA+ Campus Lifestyle gradeto sway some prospects to your side. You’ll struggle with some players who value Proximity to Home, but you’ll also be able to snag some interesting players from the clutches of other schools.
Vanderbilt Commodores
Vanderbiltisn’t a terrible football school, but theCommodorescould definitely use agood coachto help them win more games. Vanderbilt’s roster isn’t anything to write home about, so it’s yet another blank slate for you to work with.
Vanderbilt’s main advantage is that it’s a great school overall, so it boasts anA- rating for Academic Prestige. You’ll have to compete with some serious heavy hitters targeting the same pipelines, but you should be able to recruit some decent talent for the Commodores by leveraging Vanderbilt’s unique strengths.
Utah State Aggies
When people talk about theAggies, they’re usually not talking aboutUtah State. That can all change with you at the helm, though. Utah State doesn’t have much going for it, so the recruiting process will be tough.
TheMountain West Conferenceisn’t as competitive as something like the SEC, though, so you’re able to easily climb the ranks with the Aggies. Utah State has shown decent performance over the past few years, but with some of its top talent graduating and leaving the team behind, the Aggies are in desperate need of some new prospects. It’ll be hard to convince top players to come play for Utah State, but a good coach can find the diamonds in the rough and train them into success stories.
Delaware Blue Hens/Missouri State Bears
This spot on the list is a double whammy becauseDelawareandMissouri Stateare the only two new teams to join theCollege Football 26roster this year. Both of these teams are neck-and-neck with OVR ratings in the mid-60s, so you’ll have a tough time coaching either one of them.
If you want a real challenge, these are the teams to rebuild. Not only are their OVR ratings among the lowest in the game, but their school grades are miserable as well. Missouri State’s highest grades areC- in both Conference Prestige and Campus Lifestyle. Delaware has an easier time with aB- in Academic Prestige, but every other grade is just as bad as Missouri State. Good luck if you try either of these two. You’ll have toupgrade each playerand hope for the best.
