DJ Uiagalelei

Another mass exodus of NFL talent and another coordinator taking a head coaching job. As long as Alabama has Nick Saban and a cabal of 5-star talent, it doesn't matter.  

The Crimson Tide are once again the nation's top-ranked team in the first Associated Press poll of the 2021 season that was released Monday. This is the first time Alabama has been the preseason No. 1 since 2018, after Clemson held the mantle the last two years. It's also the 100th week Alabama has held the top spot since Nick Saban joined the Crimson Tide in 2007, per Chris Fallica of ESPN.

Alabama or Clemson has topped the preseason poll each of the last six seasons. The Tigers dropped to No. 3 this season, one spot behind Oklahoma, with Ohio State and Georgia rounding out the top five. 

Here is a look at how the remainder of the Top 25 played out.

1. Alabama

2. Oklahoma

3. Clemson

4. Ohio State

5. Georgia

6. Texas A&M

7. Iowa State

8. Cincinnati

9. Notre Dame

10. North Carolina

11. Oregon

12. Wisconsin

13. Florida

14. Miami

15. USC

16. LSU

17. Indiana

18. Iowa

19. Penn State

20. Washington

21. Texa

22. Coastal Carolina

23. Louisiana-Lafayette

24. Utah

25. Arizona State

Alabama is coming off its sixth national championship of the Saban era but will again be reshuffling talent on both sides of the ball. The team produced six first-round picks and eight players who were taken in the first two rounds of the 2021 NFL draft.

Gone are Mac Jones, DeVonta Smith, Jaylen Waddle and Najee Harris, leaving Alabama with none of its top offensive contributors from last season. 

The Tide are amid several position battles they hope will dictate the next era of dominance. Bryce Young is expected to take over for Jones under center, while John Metchie III seems destined to take over the spotlight as Young's top target. Running back is a bit of a question mark, but Brian Robinson is a fifth-year senior who will bring steadiness to the position if he wins the job.

Clemson is also heading into a new era with Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne now teammates for the Jacksonville Jaguars. DJ Uiagalelei appears to be the favorite to win the starting quarterback job, with Lyn-J Dixon slated to take over at running back.  

Oklahoma will be steadier this season with Spencer Rattler returning as quarterback and hopefully more consistency at the running back and receiver positions after a frustrating 2020. 

As he prepares to take over as Clemson's starting quarterback, D.J. Uiagalelei is going to be part of a prominent national marketing campaign for college football this season. 

Uiagalelei and Dr. Pepper announced Wednesday that they have partnered together for the "Fansville" ad campaign. 

Speaking to ESPN's Andrea Adelson, Uiagalelei talked about why he decided to work with Dr. Pepper. 

"I wanted to do brands that are authentic to me," he said. "I don't want to be one of these people that do all these different brands. I can have a long-standing partnership with Dr. Pepper. They go hand in hand with college football."

This marks the second known sponsorship deal that Uiagalelei has signed since the NCAA rule changes that allow players to profit off their names, images and likenesses went into effect July 1. 

The Tigers star previously signed a partnership agreement with North Carolina-based fast-food fried-chicken restaurant Bojangles. 

Adelson noted Uiagalelei will be the only active college football player featured in the Fansville commercials this year. 

Dr. Pepper launched the Fansville campaign in 2018 as a series of ads that parody sports television shows and movies. It features a long-standing rivalry in an unnamed town between "State" and "Tech" schools. 

According to Adelson, Uiagalelei has already filmed the commercial. It's unclear when the spots will start to air, but the 2021 college football season is scheduled to begin Aug. 28. 

A 5-star prospect and the No. 1 pro-style quarterback in the 2020 recruiting class, according to 247Sports' composite rankings, Uiagalelei saw significant playing time as a true freshman. He started two games when Trevor Lawrence missed time after testing positive for COVID-19. 

Uiagalelei finished the season with 914 passing yards, nine total touchdowns and a 66.7 percent completion rate in nine games for the Tigers. 

Clemson will kick off its 2021 season on Sept. 4 against Georgia at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.