The Associated Press released their Preseason Top 25 rankings for college football.
The LSU Tigers came in at number 13.
Last year, Brian Kelly’s team went 10-3, finishing 12th in the final AP Top 25 rankings. They had the Heisman Trophy winner in quarterback Jaylen Daniels, who was ultimately drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft by the Washington Commanders.
This year, LSU opens the season in Las Vegas against the USC Trojans. They will play a slate that includes seven home games inside Tiger Stadium.
The AP Top 25 has Georgia ranked at number one. Nine SEC teams are included in the initial rankings, and defending champion Michigan comes in at number nine.
The full Preseason Top 25 is as follows:
| Rank | School (2023 Record) | Points | First-place votes |
| 1 | Georgia (13-1) | 1532 | 46 |
| 2 | Ohio State (11-2) | 1490 | 15 |
| 3 | Oregon (12-2) | 1403 | 1 |
| 4 | Texas (12-2) | 1386 | 1 |
| 5 | Alabama (12-2) | 1260 | |
| 6 | Ole Miss (11-2) | 1189 | |
| 7 | Notre Dame (10-3) | 1122 | |
| 8 | Penn State (10-3) | 1060 | |
| 9 | Michigan (15-0) | 995 | |
| 10 | Florida State (13-1) | 971 | |
| 11 | Missouri (11-2) | 927 | |
| 12 | Utah (8-5) | 887 | |
| 13 | LSU (10-3) | 804 | |
| 14 | Clemson (9-4) | 689 | |
| 15 | Tennessee (9-4) | 629 | |
| 16 | Oklahoma (10-3) | 566 | |
| 17 | Oklahoma State (10-4) | 538 | |
| 18 | Kansas State (9-4) | 526 | |
| 19 | Miami (Fla.) (7-6) | 492 | |
| 20 | Texas A&M (7-6) | 292 | |
| 21 | Arizona (10-3) | 237 | |
| 22 | Kansas (9-4) | 231 | |
| 23 | Southern California (8-5) | 172 | |
| 24 | NC State (9-4) | 171 | |
| 25 | Iowa (10-4) | 140 |
Others receiving votes:
Louisville 111, Virginia Tech 77, Boise St. 47, SMU 33, Iowa St. 33, Liberty 32, Washington 23, West Virginia 17, Memphis 16, Nebraska 16, Wisconsin 15, UTSA 6, Tulane 5, Appalachian St. 4, Kentucky 3, Auburn 2, Colorado 1.