Let the madness begin! For the 20th straight year we have a preseason favorite as JCGridiron.com releases its first set of rankings for the upcoming season. We usually release these rankings on July 4, but pushed them back this season for a variety of reasons.
Over 19 years, JCGridiron has had 15 individual champions and four split titles, with 14 different programs laying claim as national champs. Iowa Western College and Riverside City College became the fourth split title in 2023, which was the third time Iowa Western has had at least a share of the national title and the second time for Riverside City.
Some might ask; how are the rankings formulated or how does a program get a high ranking? Very good questions.
During the spring, JCGridiron solicits the coaches in an attempt to locate the top talent for the Rivals database. If coaches do not respond, they are likely not to get as high of a ranking as they would expect. The bottom line is, if we don’t know what you have it’s hard for us to give you a high ranking. Fortunately, most of the power programs do respond because they understand the importance of promoting their players and getting them in the database.
Another big factor in recent years is being good at key positions. For instance, it’s very difficult to win a national title in this era without a top flight quarterback. Look at all of the title winning teams and most of them had winners under center. Every now and then a program will win with defense, but it’s getting rarer every season.
Having said all of that, it’s time to start the madness for 2024. Here is a glimpse of the top five teams in the rankings followed by the complete JCGridiron Dirty 30 Preseason Rankings and Dirty 30 Rankings history.
1) Hutchinson
The bullseye to start the season is on Hutchinson, who seems to have all the necessary pieces to make another run at a title. The Blue Dragons last won a title during the COVID-19 season (20-21) and have been knocking on the door for a second title ever since. Head coach Drew Dallas is 38-4 since taking over the reigns and was in a great spot to win the title last season before falling in a tight battle to East Mississippi in the NJCAA semifinals. They should be the favorites for a third straight Jayhawk Conference title. Hutch should be very good on both sides of the ball, but particularly gritty on defense.
2) Iowa Western
Iowa Western shared the title with Riverside City last fall and has arguably been the most consistent program over the past decade. The Reivers are 39-5 over the past four seasons and a regular stop on the recruiting trail for Power-5 programs. The offensive positions look lethal in 2024, with talent all over the field.
3) San Mateo
Out west in the California ranks, College of San Mateo has been a sure bet in recent years to be in the mix for a national title. The Bulldogs claimed their first and only Dirty 30 title in 2022, and although they lost a lot to graduation this spring it looks as if they have reloaded. The defense should be stout, and the offense could be very good if they can find a replacement at quarterback.
4) East Mississippi
Historically speaking, no program has had more success than East Mississippi over the past 20 seasons. The Lions have claimed four Dirty 30 national titles since 2011. However, they haven’t been in the winner’s circle since 2018. East Mississippi continues to churn out major prospects every season and the 2024 season will be no different. They need to find a new quarterback, but most of the other pieces seem to be in place.
5) Mt. San Antonio
Mt. San Antonio College had a bounceback season in 2023 when it finished 10-1 and No. 6 in the Dirty 30 Rankings. The Mounties are one of only two programs to win back-to-back national titles along with East Mississippi, and still the only program to win outright back-to-back titles in 2009-10. Mt. SAC looks loaded on offense and the defense should be competent enough to hold onto leads.
