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  • Max OlsonAug 24, 2025, 08:25 AM ET

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    • Covers the Big 12
    • Joined ESPN in 2012
    • Graduate of the University of Nebraska

The price tag for top college football talent has never been higher — but how high is it, really?

Schools had more money to spend this offseason entering the first year of revenue sharing with athletes. Power 4 programs ponied up to re-sign their returning players and combined to acquire more than 1,400 transfers via the portal. Players increasingly turned to agents to negotiate massive raises and maximize their value.

And yet, we still know too little about what college football players are actually earning. Agents share exaggerated sums in the interest of signing more clients. General managers downplay the numbers to avoid locker room issues. In the NFL, salary and contract data are easy to access. In this sport, without transparency, it’s an inefficient market with an incredibly wide spectrum of underpaid to overpaid players.

How much does a Power 4 starter cost at each position? To answer that question, ESPN surveyed more than 20 college general managers and agents. The goal was to better define the price ranges for each spot based on the deals completed for 2025 and what each side considers fair positional and market value.

To be clear, these price ranges do not reflect what everybody is making at the Power 4 level. There are million-dollar outliers with the elite players at most positions, and there are still good, young players earning less than $100,000. Talent retention is still more affordable than acquisition, so it’s the transfers who tend to reset the floor and ceiling. Agents say SEC and Big Ten programs continue to consistently outspend the ACC and Big 12, regardless of the revenue share cap.

After an unprecedented offseason of inflated spending raised the bar at every position, here’s what Power 4 players are now earning to start and compete at the highest level.

Jump to a position:
QB | RB | WR | TE | OL
Edge | DT | LB | DB

Quarterback: $1 million-$2 million

The going rate for good quarterback play quickly surpassed $1 million by the end of November as Power 4 programs re-negotiated deals with their starters to ensure they’d return for 2025 and stay out of the transfer portal. Coaches and GMs anticipated that if they didn’t lock in a seven-figure deal with their QB1, signing a replacement in the portal would be even more expensive. They were right about that.

Several Power 4 schools paid $1.5 million for their transfer quarterbacks this offseason, sources told ESPN, and the highest-paid QBs in the sport will make well over $2 million this year. The top end of the market includes highly coveted transfers such as Miami’s Carson Beck, Duke’s Darian Mensah and Oklahoma’s John Mateer, as well as rising former five-star recruits such as Michigan’s Bryce Underwood and Nebraska’s Dylan Raiola.

Keep in mind, though, that the elite young quarterbacks such as Texas’ Arch Manning and Florida’s DJ Lagway are still earning millions from major brand deals and don’t have to dip into their school’s revenue share or collective funds as much.

“The great ones are like $3 million,” one SEC GM said. “And if you don’t have one, it’s at least $1 million.” As one ACC director of player personnel (DPP) summed it up: “These dudes are getting paid paid.”

The coaching staffs who didn’t anticipate that or who suddenly needed a QB after theirs departed certainly experienced some sticker shock when the portal window opened in December.

“The numbers that were being thrown out there, I thought they were fake at first,” another ACC DPP said. “I was like, for that guy, $1.5 million to $2 million? What? And then I quickly found out that was just the market, that’s what was happening. So we had to step up to the plate and put our big-boy pants on and make a decision. It was certainly a real thing. Those are all real numbers, real money being paid out at that position.”

But when you combine a high number of departing seniors and heavy attrition at the position with programs having more to spend than ever before, it’s no wonder quarterback pay jumped to a seven-figure standard. Only 28 of the 68 programs in the Power 4 have a returning starter at QB entering Week 1.

Agents surveyed by ESPN agreed that Power 4 starters should be making between $1.5 and $2 million and that elite passers could be worth upward of $3 million to $4 million, though they noted there were a few instances this offseason where Power 4 programs managed to get their guy for closer to $800,000.

While Beck was able to leverage his NFL draft decision to maximize his value in the transfer portal, reps generally view the quarterback market as different from the rest. From their perspective, a QB is better off locking in the best situation and fit quickly during the portal window. Nico Iamaleava‘s post-spring exit from Tennessee also clearly demonstrated that the destinations and dollar figures on the table aren’t the same in April as they would’ve been back in January.

Running back: $300,000-$700,000

Good quarterbacks cost what they cost. Running back value is a totally different discussion, one that has been raging in the NFL in recent years. At the college level, staff opinions vary depending on where they are, what they run and who they have. As for the agents?

“I think anything below $750,000 for a starting running back at a serious program would be disrespectful, basically,” one agent argued.

Another agent pointed to Quinshon Judkins as proof that some teams will be willing to go up to seven figures for a top-tier No. 1 back. But Judkins’ move from Ole Miss to Ohio State last year looks more like a rare exception to the rule than a deal that resets the market at the position.

The opinions from recruiting staffers, including those at programs that shopped for portal running backs this offseason, were all over the place. One SEC GM said they’d expect a good Power 4 starting back to cost a minimum of $250,000. A DPP in the Big 12 said his program wouldn’t spend more than $300,000 on one. Others suspect the range is somewhere between $300,000 and $500,000. Most surveyed struggled with the idea of paying a back $500,000 or more unless he’s special.

“Anything more than that, I think you’re overvaluing the position, honestly,” an ACC DPP said.

A few top transfers such as Oklahoma’s Jaydn Ott and Texas Tech’s Quinten Joyner (who just went down with a season-ending knee injury) were able to maximize their value thanks to highly competitive portal recruitments. But other prized backs agreed to deals for less than $500,000, and several more who could’ve earned top dollar preferred to stay put.

“A lot of guys didn’t move,” one agent said. “The running back market, it was kind of weird.”

At Power 4 programs that had good supplies of returning rushers, the imminent revenue share cap forced some to make tough offseason decisions about who needed to get paid and who was expendable. The programs with major needs that had to sign two or more transfers were hunting for bargains this offseason.

Solid rotational backs aren’t cheap, either, with most agreeing they’re looking to be paid around $200,000. It’s no surprise we saw close to 50 Group of 5 and FCS running backs transfer this offseason to P4 schools hoping to get more affordable production.

Wide receiver: $400,000-$800,000

Personnel staffers and agents were fairly aligned when it came to how they perceived the wide receiver market. A true No. 1 receiver costs $700,000 or more and could be worth up to $1 million in some cases. Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith is an extreme outlier, a generational talent worth so much more than $1 million.

“If you want a guy with any production, it started at $700,000 to $800,000,” one SEC GM said.

The next tier of wideouts, quality No. 2 and No. 3 receivers and starters, were typically valued at closer to the $300,000 to $500,000 range depending on their experience and production.

Year after year, more FBS wide receivers and defensive backs transfer than any other position group. There’s more than enough volume every offseason that programs can live out of the portal in recruiting and, therefore, don’t feel like they need to overspend on skill players.

This offseason, more than 500 FBS scholarship wide receivers entered their names in the transfer portal. Fewer than 200 of them were able to land at Power 4 programs.

“Receiver in the portal is such a saturated market,” one Big Ten GM argued. “Receivers are going to go in every year; that’s just the nature of the position. We always felt like you didn’t need to overpay. You can get an equal player who’s going to take $200,000 less.”

One ACC DPP acknowledged that he probably misjudged wide receiver value going into the December portal period after watching wideouts who made $150,000 to $175,000 last season earn so much more in the portal, including one who got away for more than $500,000.

Another Big Ten staffer said he believed starting wideouts who aren’t No. 1 receivers should be in the $250,000 to $400,000 range. But he paused to point out that blue-chip receiver recruits are now seeking serious paydays as well.

“Some of these freshmen are coming in and making more than your No. 2 receiver,” he said, “because the high school market is so inflated.”

Tight end: $200,000-$400,000

Some Power 4 programs were willing to go as high as $800,000 for all-conference caliber tight ends in the portal this offseason, sources told ESPN, but most aren’t spending anywhere close to that even on proven multi-year starters.

“I think $800,000 is insane,” an SEC GM argued. “That’s nuts.”

Several staffers surveyed said they were able to secure their top portal target for around $300,000 to $400,000. Others still believe that’s overvaluing the position and struggle to justify even going to $200,000. One agent said he was able to secure a $400,000 deal for a primarily blocking tight end whose previous school wouldn’t go any higher than $140,000.

“Tight end is so unique,” a Big 12 DPP said. “There’s just not a ton of them, and it’s very dependent on what they do. There are very few well-rounded tight ends out there.”

There is one player out there whom several GMs pointed to as the ultimate rare exception: Mark Bowman. The No. 26 overall recruit in the 2026 ESPN 300 from Mater Dei High School in California is committed to USC and is already evoking comparisons to Brock Bowers.

Bowman is expected to become one of the highest-paid tight ends in the country as a freshman next year with a seven-figure deal, sources told ESPN. Recruiting staffers see elite potential in the 6-foot-5, 225-pound pass catcher but were still blown away by his number, with one Big Ten staffer describing it as “astronomical.”

Bowman’s deal might not substantially raise the bar for his peers if coaches remain skeptical about spending on tight ends. But if he’s as impactful as Bowers was for Georgia as a Day 1 starter and the Trojans become CFP contenders, perhaps he’s worth every penny.

Offensive tackle: $500,000-$1 million

Offensive guard/center: $300,000-$700,000

Several GMs and DPPs acknowledged that the highest-paid position group on their roster for 2025 is their offensive line. If you had to reload with a bunch of new starters via the portal, the big men took up a big chunk of your roster budget.

Agents say recruiting battles for quality offensive tackles easily get up to $800,000 or $900,000 and can go all the way to $1.2 million or more for left tackles. GMs were more than willing to extend seven-figure offers for the best available tackles and quickly learned the starting point in conversations for starting tackles was no less than $500,000.

Nobody was more coveted than Nevada transfer Isaiah World, a projected first-round pick in ESPN’s early mock drafts for 2026. Sources told ESPN that World turned down a more than $2 million offer to sign with Oregon. Tackles with that kind of early-round potential rarely hit the open market, and it’s worth noting the highest bid might not always win out for pro prospects who are determined to maximize their potential and play for a title contender.

Interior offensive linemen were a little more affordable this offseason, and some staffers had success finding good bargains with guards and centers who had solid starting experience, but the highly competitive recruitments still crossed into the $600,000 to $700,000 range.

One fascinating element about offensive line recruiting in the transfer portal: Timing is everything. Teams that were able to lock up offensive linemen in early December likely got a good discount.

“No school that got the kid to sign early has ever overpaid,” one representative said. “The numbers only go up. The biggest mistake schools make is they wait on a kid they could’ve had for $300,000 and end up getting him for $600,000 — or they offer $600,000 and don’t get him.”

Once coveted targets start going off the board, desperation sets in for teams still dealing with serious needs. One agent said he’s seen Group of 5 linemen who might’ve been making $30,000 last year get offered close to $1 million to move up to the Power 4 level.

Notre Dame’s Rocco Spindler and Pat Coogan waiting until after the national championship game to enter the portal made them highly coveted as proven veteran starters. In one far more extreme instance, sources say a Power 4 team shelled out $1.5 million for an inexperienced tackle late in the winter portal window.

“Folks were desperate,” an ACC DPP said. “They thought the spring portal was going to be super dry.”

They’ve had to step up the pay for more than just their starting five. Multiple staffers said top reserves along the offense line are now expecting to make at least $200,000. All these factors drive home the point that programs ideally need to have success developing and retaining high school linemen if they hope to keep costs somewhat under control in this new era.

“The offensive line room is going to be the most expensive one everywhere,” one SEC GM reasoned, “because you have the most humans there and the acquisition cost is so high on every single one.”

Edge rushers: $500,000-$1 million

Much like in the NFL, college front offices view left tackles and pass rushers as the next-most-valuable positions behind quarterback.

“If it’s the right fit and a program that’s got some money,” an agent said, “they’ll pay $1 million for an edge.”

Texas Tech had an awful lot of money and was willing to make big-time spends here with Stanford’s David Bailey becoming one of the highest-paid defenders in college football at more than $2 million and Georgia Tech’s Romello Height earning more than $1 million this year, sources told ESPN.

For GMs and DPPs with portal needs, it quickly became clear that proven starters weren’t going for less than $500,000. A few staffers did tell ESPN they don’t have any edge defenders on their rosters making more than $500,000, and not everyone is willing to go as high as $1 million for a great one. But plenty were willing to cut big checks to get their guy.

One SEC GM said his school got turned down by an FCS transfer whom they’d offered $650,000. An agent said one of his defensive end clients had an ACC program come in late and triple his best offer to more than $700,000. Another GM said his program had to get up to $800,000 for the Group of 5 transfer they coveted.

“If you need a starter in the portal, good luck,” the SEC GM said.

Defensive tackles: $300,000-$800,000

Texas Tech was a big spender here, too, in its quest to assemble one of the best defensive lines in college football and made serious investments to land their top two targets, UCF’s Lee Hunter and Northern Illinois’ Skyler Gill-Howard.

The Red Raiders had a strategy with their December portal battles that proved incredibly effective: If they could get the right players on campus for an official visit, they’d pay whatever it took to shut down the recruitment. As one Big Ten GM politely put it, the sums Texas Tech was willing to spend “fudged up the market” at a few positions. Still, talented linemen with starting experience are rarely going to come cheap.

“The big guys are demanding the big premiums,” Texas Tech billionaire booster Cody Campbell told ESPN in February.

One agent who repped a top defensive tackle transfer said he fielded multiple $1 million offers, but the best long-term fit for his client ended up being a program that paid $800,000. Highly competitive recruitments could drive the price for a great defensive tackle up to $1 million, but several staffers surveyed agreed that a low-end Power 4 starter is probably worth closer to the $300,000 to $500,000 and were able to sign solid players in that price range.

“I’ve heard sometimes it can be even more expensive for defensive tackles than edges,” the Big Ten GM said, “because, just like the NFL, there are only so many humans that size that can move like that walking on planet Earth.”

Linebackers: $200,000-$500,000

This might be the position group with the greatest disparity in perception between agents and GMs. Multiple agents told ESPN they believed a good linebacker can fetch $500,000 to $700,000 with elite players going for as much as $1 million.

Front office staffers surveyed generally agreed that $300,000 to $500,000 was a more reasonable price range for quality starters. The easiest explanation for that gap might be the offseason portal cycle and the reality that few all-conference caliber linebackers hit the open market. In fact, only four linebackers made ESPN’s top 100 transfer rankings.

There weren’t many $500,000-plus linebackers in the portal, and some staffs intentionally spent less at this position by focusing their efforts on G5 or FCS transfers. One Big 12 school was able to land the top linebacker on its board, a veteran multi-year starter, for a mere $225,000.

“They were not going for an exorbitant amount of money,” an ACC GM said.

Schools might’ve been a little more willing to pay up to retain their returning starters, but bottom line, it comes down to how a staff values the position and how closely they’re trying to stick to a roster budget influenced by NFL standards.

“There are some linebackers starting at P4 schools who are on $200K deals and some who are making $600K, and I don’t think their talent is that big of a difference,” an agent said.

Cornerbacks: $300,000-$800,000

Safeties: $300,000-$700,000

Defensive back is always a high-volume position in the portal, with more than 650 FBS scholarship players transferring over the past year, and everybody plays a bunch of them. For those reasons, there’s plenty of room for debate around the cost of DBs.

Top-tier cornerbacks are still considered more valuable than safeties and are making at least $500,000 at the highest level. “There are so few really good ones,” an SEC GM argued. ACC and Big 12 programs have still been able to land starter corners on deals closer to the $300,000 to $400,000 range, but experience is expensive.

At safety, there were a few rare instances this offseason where all-conference-caliber players secured deals around $800,000, and some staffers suspect the top of the safety market actually ended up being just as expensive as the top of the corner market. One DPP at a program that paid more than $800,000 to re-sign their top safety justified it by pointing to the fact that there were several SEC programs interested in paying him even more.

“A couple guys were being shopped around for crazy amounts of money,” an ACC DPP said, “but I thought it was easier to find bargains at safety.”

This DPP’s coaching staff had a lot of work to do in the December portal window, and he had to quickly adjust to the rapid price inflation. As another staffer summed it up, everybody was suddenly a $200,000 to $300,000 player at every position.

“It didn’t matter what position you were talking to, if you came in at under $150,000 or $175,000, oh man, people take offense to that,” the ACC recruiter said. “They’d say, ‘All right, so you see me as a second- or third-team guy.’ Word was getting out. Agents were hip to the game. If they hear a number that starts with a one, that means depth chart.”

So they spent like they’ve never spent before. They did what they had to do to keep their returning players in the building and secure the recruits they coveted. We’re about to find out how many of these frenzied offseason spending sprees actually paid off and which players were truly worth every penny.

“You make some decisions you look back on like, ‘F— yeah,'” one Big Ten GM said. “You make some decisions you look back on where you’re like, ‘Damn it.’ That was the market, the market was telling me to pay him that much. But was he worth that? You’re going to have those. Every school in the country is looking at the same thing.”

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Grading coaching hires: Kiffin to LSU, Sumrall to Florida and more

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November 30, 2025

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Grading coaching hires: Kiffin to LSU, Sumrall to Florida and more

  • Adam RittenbergNov 30, 2025, 03:38 PM ET

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      College football reporter; joined ESPN in 2008. Graduate of Northwestern University.

The wildest college football coaching cycle — perhaps ever — has reached the hiring phase.

Schools around the Power 4 that fired their coaches in the first two months of the season — or, in Stanford’s case, way back in late March — are targeting candidates and finalizing deals. Interestingly enough, one of the first major coaches to lose his job, Penn State’s James Franklin, was the first noninterim coach to be hired, as he is headed to Virginia Tech.

New hires always come with hope and optimism, grand proclamations and the chance to get programs on the right track. But not all hiring processes are the same. The financial component with jobs is essential — what schools are willing to spend not just on their head coach, but the assistants and support staff and, perhaps most important, the team roster.

We will be reviewing all of the major coaching hires in the 2025-26 cycle, evaluating how each coach fits in the job, their major challenges and what it will take to be successful. We will also assign an initial letter grade for each hire.

Jump to: LSU | Ole Miss | Florida | Arkansas | Auburn
Stanford | Oklahoma State | Virginia Tech

LSU hires Ole Miss’ Lane Kiffin

Why is this a good fit?

LSU got the coach it wanted ahead of other suitors, further confirming that its coaching job, despite the drama and dysfunction, remains one of the best in college football. Kiffin left a great situation at the height of his powers because he knows that LSU can consistently compete for national titles in ways that other programs simply cannot. In Kiffin, LSU gains a coach accustomed to the bright lights and the big stadiums, who can attract and develop talent and potentially restore the program to national powerhouse status. LSU can offer the big stage Kiffin lacked at Ole Miss, and wanted again.

Kiffin hasn’t worked at LSU but knows the SEC well after stops at Ole Miss, Alabama and Tennessee. Like Kiffin did at Ole Miss, he should put together an excellent staff that can scour Louisiana, Texas and the surrounding areas for top talent. He certainly will try to bring some of Ole Miss’ top players with him. Kiffin brings the offensive chops that LSU lacked at the end of Kelly’s tenure. He’s one of the nation’s best at identifying and developing quarterbacks, and the emergence of running back Kewan Lacy and others underscores that the Kiffin plan works on offense. — Adam Rittenberg

Biggest challenges Kiffin will face

LSU has a reputation as a place where it is possible to win championships, and that expectation will be placed on Kiffin immediately – especially with the money he is being paid. The Tigers pride themselves on this fact as Nick Saban, Les Miles, then Ed Orgeron all won national titles. Brian Kelly was an awkward fit from the start and never truly got the vibe down on the Bayou. Kiffin has his own unique way of running a program, but he has to find a way to work with all the different “cooks in the kitchen” so to speak. The entire state is heavily invested in LSU football, and though Kiffin has an extremely high profile, he is moving to an even bigger spotlight in Baton Rouge — the only Power 4 school in the state. Kiffin must embrace that, and everything that comes with it. As coveted as he was in this cycle, Kiffin has never won a conference title and finding a way to get over the hump at a school like LSU has to happen. This will be his best shot to get it done, and the clock will start ticking as soon as his first press conference ends. — Andrea Adelson

Grade: A-

The fixation around Kiffin the past few weeks would normally be attached to a multi-time national championship winner, or at least a coach who has won a Power 4 conference title. Kiffin did tremendous work at Ole Miss but still needs to show he can win the biggest games consistently. LSU is a national championship-or-bust type of program, and Kiffin will be judged at the very highest level, which he craves. He brings the right ingredients to get it done in Baton Rouge, especially his work with quarterbacks. — Rittenberg

Ole Miss makes DC Pete Golding new head coach

Why is this a good fit?

Under normal circumstances, Ole Miss could run a complete coaching search, thoroughly assess candidates currently in head-coaching roles, and others who might help build on the historic success under Lane Kiffin. But these are the strangest of times in Oxford, as Kiffin exits for LSU, a College Football Playoff first-round game looms for the Rebels, and emotions are running extremely high. Kiffin certainly will try to poach the roster for top pieces, and Ole Miss must do what it can to protect as many players as possible. Golding was the lead recruiter for many of them. He’s well-liked by players and won’t need to familiarize himself with Oxford, the administration and how Ole Miss is set up to compete.

Golding, 41, might not have been on the wish list for other SEC jobs just yet, but Ole Miss found itself in a unique situation. He’s a Louisiana native who has spent his entire career in the region, first at his alma mater Delta State and other smaller programs, and then Southern Miss and UTSA before getting his big break with Nick Saban at Alabama in 2018. Golding spent five seasons as a coordinator under Saban, and helped the Crimson Tide to a national title in 2022, before joining Kiffin at Ole Miss. He gives Ole Miss a chance not only for success in this year’s CFP, but can minimize disruptions during a very bumpy coaching transition.

What will be Golding’s biggest challenge?

Golding should be able to handle the next few weeks, but his true readiness for the enormity of the job is unclear. Again, he didn’t emerge as a candidate for the other SEC openings in this cycle, which suggests some external concern about his ability to handle such a role. Any first-time coaching job brings its challenges and even though Golding knows Ole Miss, he hasn’t been the face of the program. He’s also replacing a coach who put together the team’s most successful run since John Vaught in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

Although Golding has shown his talents in recruiting and with schematics, how will he handle the media? How does he do in front of donors and other key stakeholders with the university? Perhaps he just needed the chance, which he now has, but assistant coaches that are shielded from the media often take some time to get fully comfortable.

Grade: B

Coaching hires can’t be evaluated in a vacuum, and Golding’s ultimate success or failure at Ole Miss will be judged by what he accomplishes beyond the 2025 season. But what happens in Ole Miss’ first CFP appearance, after losing Kiffin to a rival SEC school, absolutely does matter, too, and Golding gives Ole Miss a chance to prolong a really special season. There’s little doubt he will continue to compile strong rosters. He will need a strong supporting staff, especially a talented offensive coordinator hire, to ultimately sustain and even elevate the program. The key question here is whether other SEC programs missed out on a great candidate in Golding, or will Ole Miss suffer for making an in-the-moment decision that could backfire long-term? — Rittenberg

Why is this a good fit?

Florida fans: Sumrall isn’t Billy Napier. Yes, he’s another promising Group of 5 coach from a program in Louisiana, just as Napier was when he came to Gainesville. But Sumrall is a different personality who comes from the opposite side of the ball and has more ties to the SEC, where he both played (Kentucky) and coached (Ole Miss, Kentucky). He’s more comfortable than Napier was in being the face of a major program and will delegate to his coordinators while compiling a strong staff. Although Auburn seemed like a more natural spot for Sumrall because of his connections to the state, Florida gives him an even bigger platform at the lone SEC program in one of the nation’s top talent-producing states.

The other thing Sumrall brings is wins. He won Sun Belt titles in both of his seasons at Troy and went to the American Conference title game in his first year at Tulane. Sumrall has succeeded in different ways and with different types of quarterbacks. He hasn’t won in the Power 4 or at a program like Florida, which is an understandable concern. But Sumrall is ready for the opportunity and should be able to foster the consistency Florida has lacked for far too long. Florida didn’t have a talent problem under Napier, and Sumrall should continue to excel in personnel while translating it better on the field. — Rittenberg

Biggest challenges Sumrall will face

Where do we start? First and foremost, Sumrall has to find a way to win over a fan base that thought it had a shot at landing Lane Kiffin. Whether that was a reality or not, Gators fans had their hopes up that Kiffin would choose them. With that, Sumrall has to convince fans he is not another version of Napier. Once Sumrall has done that, he has to find a way to win at what has proved to be one of the hardest jobs to crack in the SEC. Florida has not won an SEC title since 2008, and while there remains a belief it is one of the best jobs in the country, Florida goes through coaches at a fairly frequent clip. If past is precedent, Sumrall will be given a year or two to find success before the fan base starts to turn on him; four years max to compete for a championship. Expectations are sky high, and Sumrall will be given no leeway to learn on the job. — Adelson

Grade: B+

Sumrall has the ingredients to become the next great SEC coach. He’s an excellent communicator who connects with a range of people and should get Florida fans excited about the future, even if they might be skeptical at first because of his background. Florida isn’t where I initially saw him ending up in a wild coaching cycle, but if the school gives him some time, he should stabilize and elevate the Gators’ on-field performance and start getting more out of very talented rosters there. — Rittenberg

Why is this a good fit?

Silverfield has quietly become a really successful coach in the region, and certainly seems ready for a Power 4 opportunity like Arkansas. Although he hasn’t generated as much buzz as Tulane’s Jon Sumrall and other American Conference coaches, he has beaten many of them in head-to-head matchups and boasts a 29-9 record since the start of the 2023 season, including an AP Top 25 finish last fall. Silverfield led Memphis to a win against Arkansas earlier this season and has beaten four consecutive Power 4 opponents, including West Virginia and Iowa State in bowl games the past two seasons.

He has led Memphis since late 2019 but been at the program since 2016, so he understands the recruiting landscape and where Arkansas must look for players. Arkansas’ location can be a challenge for acquiring talent, but Silverfield shouldn’t be intimidated by it. He also brings a strong background on offense to Fayetteville and should compile a staff that has similar knowledge to the area and possibly the SEC.

What are the biggest challenges for Silverfield?

The SEC is only getting tougher with the additions of Texas and Oklahoma, the emergence of Texas A&M, Ole Miss and Vanderbilt, and the pressure on a traditional heavyweight like Florida to start making the CFP. Where does Arkansas really fit in the SEC pecking order? Silverfield likely will have to do more with less initially and win games against programs that have been on steadier footing. His real challenge will be trying to energize and unite the financial hubs around the Arkansas program, which give the program a chance to accelerate but haven’t always been harnessed.

Athletic director Hunter Yurachek was blunt earlier this year about the increased resources needed to better compete in the SEC. Arkansas seemingly could access those individuals and corporations with the right coach and vision. That’s where Silverfield comes in, as Arkansas can use those relationships to overcome some of its baked-in obstacles. Silverfield will need a strong introductory period, as Arkansas fans might not know him that well and need to embrace his personality and leadership style. The first offseason will be critical to make sure the program doesn’t fall further behind.

Grade: B

Silverfield’s consistency and success tended to go under the radar at a program like Memphis, where people have grown accustomed to really strong seasons. But his steady leadership style, shown in 2023, 2024 and most of this year, should help an Arkansas program that needs clear direction. He hasn’t coached in the SEC, and there could be a learning curve, but he shouldn’t be surprised walking in the door at Arkansas after spending so much time with Memphis. — Rittenberg

Why is this a good fit?

Every SEC school asks its head coaches to be engaged in recruiting, and Auburn is no exception. Although Auburn never got the results it wanted with Hugh Freeze, the school’s approach toward NIL and acquiring talent — a major draw when it tried to lure Lane Kiffin from Ole Miss — showed up on the roster. Golesh is the type of head coach who could harness Auburn’s established personnel apparatus and really maximize things going forward. He’s about as hands-on in the recruiting space as head coaches get. When Golesh was offensive coordinator at Tennessee, I remember sitting in his office and seeing him monitor all the recruiting transactions from social media on a giant screen. Golesh will get after it to upgrade Auburn’s roster and use all the resources available to him. He won’t be intimidated by the SEC recruiting scene and has ties to multiple states, including Florida and Ohio.

Golesh also brings an offensive background that should energize Auburn fans, especially after how poorly things went on that side of the ball under Freeze. He spent time with Matt Campbell early in his career, and then with Josh Heuepel at both UCF and Tennessee. South Florida ranks in the top five nationally in both scoring and total offense this season, and its defense shined in wins against Boise State and Florida.

What will be Golesh’s biggest challenge?

The challenge at Auburn is almost always the same. Can the head coach truly capitalize on the best parts of the place — an advantageous recruiting location, strong financial resources and a large and extremely devoted fan base — while navigating the big donors and other significant forces that have clashed too often over time and ultimately held back the program’s progress? Golesh is a strong communicator and brings a good mix of experience to the Plains, most notably his two seasons as an SEC coordinator at Tennessee.

He hasn’t been an SEC head coach, though, and he will need to show he won’t be pushed around or swayed by the forces that have doomed Auburn in the past. Golesh’s staff hires at Auburn will be especially important on defense, as South Florida made strides on that side this season but also struggled in key losses to Memphis and Navy. The other element worth watching is how Golesh balances the personnel element, undoubtedly his passion, with some of the other key responsibilities that come with managing an exciting but complicated program like Auburn.

Grade: B+

Despite no Power 4 head-coaching experience, Golesh checks a lot of boxes with his background, having worked in the Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC, and in the Midwest, South and Southeast. His time at Tennessee should really help him at a program like Auburn, which has a chance to move up in the SEC pecking order but will need a smart, aggressive approach. Golesh’s record of 23-15 doesn’t really jump off the page, and he hasn’t been part of a conference championship just yet. But his assertive vision as a recruiter gives Auburn a chance to quickly improve its roster and win more in an increasingly difficult SEC. — Rittenberg

Why is this a good fit?

Pritchard understands Stanford — its advantages, limitations and possibilities — better than most. He played quarterback for the Cardinal from 2006 to 2009, ahead of Andrew Luck’s run, and then spent the first 13 years of his coaching career with his alma mater, until joining the Washington Commanders‘ staff in 2023. He won’t be blindsided by what he’s walking into at Stanford. He also has a very close relationship with Luck, who is truly directing the program. There will be no feeling-out period between head coach and general manager.

Pritchard, 38, was part of Stanford’s seismic shift under Jim Harbaugh, quarterbacking the team to a signature win against USC in 2007. He then witnessed Stanford’s rise to a consistent contender and, more importantly, saw how things went downhill so quickly after COVID and in the portal/NIL era. His ability to learn from those difficult times and ensure Stanford avoids them will be important. But again, he’s not doing this alone, as he comes in immediately aligned with Luck. — Rittenberg

What will be Pritchard’s biggest challenge?

Generating momentum. Few people share as close an association with some of the biggest moments in Stanford history as Pritchard, but during those heights, the Cardinal never truly resonated broadly within a competitive San Francisco Bay Area sports market. With the collapse of the Pac-12 and six losing seasons in the past seven years, Stanford football has essentially become irrelevant locally. Building a program under those circumstances is difficult.

The academic side of things will always be a draw and should, in theory, help the program limit excessive outgoing transfers, but there also needs to be a robust NIL program. At Stanford that doesn’t have to be a problem. The university’s alumni base is notably wealthy, but it also has not proved to be a group eager to part with large sums of money to help field a better football team. That’s perhaps more of an issue that Luck will be responsible for dealing with, but it is very much part of the hand Pritchard has been dealt.

Beyond the structural challenges, this is just a team that needs a talent upgrade. They don’t have the players right now to compete at a high level. — Kyle Bonagura

Grade: C+

Luck didn’t make the most imaginative hire here. He went with a close friend who needs no introduction to Stanford and the vision for success there. But Pritchard hasn’t been a head coach before and wasn’t mentioned as being on the radar for many other college or NFL jobs. Stanford is really betting on potential here. He only really knows Stanford, which might work out in this case, but he also must learn from what happened toward the end of David Shaw’s tenure and chart out a new path. — Rittenberg

Why is this a good fit?

Oklahoma State needed a coach who knew the Big 12 and the region, and someone who could bring a clear vision, especially on offense. Quarterback play was central to Oklahoma State’s identity under Mike Gundy, and Morris has become one of the best talent identifiers in recent years. Oklahoma State needs to accelerate its recruiting, but likely won’t have the first choice for players, and Morris has repeatedly shown the ability to find and develop under-the-radar players. Ideally, he can bring quarterback Drew Mestemaker and others to Stillwater, and perhaps more importantly, make Oklahoma State an attractive destination for top offensive performers again.

Morris played and coached in the Big 12 at Texas Tech and spent time at Houston early in his career, so he won’t be unfamiliar with the key characteristics of a program like Oklahoma State. He’s not a Gundy disciple, but he can respect what Gundy did to elevate the program, while implementing his own vision, which worked both at Incarnate Word and at North Texas. — Rittenberg

What will be Morris’ biggest challenge?

The answer here is twofold: 1) Morris must live up to the unprecedented levels of consistent success his predecessor brought Oklahoma State; 2) Morris will also have to figure out exactly how to take the Cowboys’ football program to the future.

On the first point, whomever Oklahoma State chose to hire this cycle was going to be replacing a coach who won more — and more consistently — than any other figure in program history. Before 2023, the Cowboys made 18 consecutive bowl appearances under Gundy, winning eight or more games in 13 of those seasons. Past leading Oklahoma State to the very top of the sport and turning the program into a national brand, Gundy’s greatest achievement was transforming a school that had registered back-to-back 10-win seasons only once before he took over in 2005 into a perennial winner. Morris, who made two playoff appearances at Incarnate Word and has North Texas contending for the American this fall, has a history of producing quick turnarounds. Getting Oklahoma State upright — which will likely require a massive roster and staff overhaul — should be his first objective. From there, Morris will be judged on the expectations set by Gundy before him.

How does Morris take Oklahoma State into the future? Gundy’s initial, outspoken reluctance, then too-little, too-late embrace of college football’s NIL/transfer portal era hurt the Cowboys on the field and laid the groundwork for his unceremonious departure earlier this fall. Oklahoma State has fallen behind in terms of roster budgeting compared to its Big 12 counterparts, and industry sources suggested that the Cowboys’ ability to present improved resources would be a key piece of the hiring process. Morris has built a career on making more out of less, and that will serve him well in Stillwater. He has also proven capable of navigating the transfer portal and the current complexities of the sport. With help from Oklahoma State (and its boosters), Morris must take steps to modernize the program. If he can, a Big 12 conference landscape that remains wide open outside of Texas Tech could once again be Oklahoma State’s for the taking. — Eli Lederman

Grade: A-

Morris is only 40 (cue the Gundy memes), hasn’t been a Power 4 head coach, and before this season had only middling results with North Texas. His quarterback track record is his superpower, though, and Oklahoma State needs a renaissance at the position after things fell off too sharply. Morris can recruit Texas and build up the roster. Time will tell if he has the expertise to win one-score games in a league where programs are extremely similar. — Rittenberg

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Paul Finebaum: Is Virginia Tech an upgrade for James Franklin?

Paul Finebaum weighs in on James Franklin reportedly being hired as Virginia Tech’s next coach.

Why is this a good fit?

When Franklin was fired and almost immediately announced his intentions to coach in 2026, Virginia Tech emerged as a natural landing spot for the 53-year-old. He has spent most of his career near the mid-Atlantic region, twice serving as a Maryland assistant, leading programs in Vanderbilt and Penn State and even working within the state at James Madison in 1997.

He understands the key recruiting areas extremely well. Franklin ultimately was fired for not winning the biggest games at Penn State, but he still won a lot of them (104) and understands how to build a consistently successful program. Virginia Tech ultimately had to do more of the selling here and convince a veteran coach that it was financially serious enough to contend in the ACC. Franklin isn’t shy about asking for what he needs, and he wouldn’t take the job if he didn’t feel that Virginia Tech’s investments are sufficient to compete for ACC championships. — Rittenberg

What will be Franklin’s biggest challenge?

This hire would not have happened without the financial investment Virginia Tech is about to make in football. The Hokies have languished behind their ACC counterparts in nearly every area — from staffing to salaries to NIL — and some of that has to do with an outdated way of thinking. The one through line has been the thought that the Hokies could win the way Frank Beamer won. That is a big reason why they hired Brent Pry, who served as Franklin’s defensive coordinator, as head coach in November 2021. That clearly did not work, as Pry never won more than seven games in a season. Virginia Tech pledged to add $229 million to its overall athletics budget over the next four years — a huge concession that the old model no longer works in this new era of college football.

But Franklin has to get the entire athletic department to believe the old Beamer days truly are over and things must be done his way. That is challenge No. 1. The second challenge is to restore Virginia Tech’s prowess in recruiting its home state. Franklin had success taking players out of Virginia Tech’s backyard and turning them into stars at Penn State. Will he be able to do the same now at Virginia Tech, which has lost an enormous amount of ground to powers outside the state? The high school players being recruited now were toddlers the last time Virginia Tech was a nationally respected program playing in BCS games. They don’t remember the Hokies being elite. Convincing players to stay in state will be a challenge, but one that Franklin can achieve given his track record. — Adelson

Grade: A

Virginia Tech’s two post-Frank Beamer hires were a coach who had not led a Power 4 program (Justin Fuente) and a first-time head coach (Brent Pry). In Franklin, Virginia Tech gets a proven winner from the Big Ten and SEC, who knows the region extremely well and will be extremely motivated to compete for league titles and CFP appearances.

Franklin’s big-stage shortcomings are a concern but perhaps not as much for a program like Virginia Tech, which is seeking to become a consistent conference title contender again. — Rittenberg

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Kiffin takes LSU job, won’t finish year with Rebels

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November 30, 2025

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Kiffin takes LSU job, won't finish year with Rebels

  • Mark Schlabach

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    Mark Schlabach

    ESPN Senior Writer

    • Senior college football writer
    • Author of seven books on college football
    • Graduate of the University of Georgia

Nov 30, 2025, 03:23 PM ET

LSU‘s courtship of Lane Kiffin has come to an end, as he’s leaving the school to take the job in Baton Rouge and will not coach Ole Miss in the College Football Playoff.

He announced both things Sunday afternoon, the culmination of a weeks-long saga that hung over the sport, prompted viscous debate and puts Kiffin in the unprecedented position of a head coach leaving his team and not coaching them in the College Football Playoff.

“After a lot of prayer and time spent with family, I made the difficult decision to accept the head coaching position at LSU,” Kiffin said in a statement Sunday.

His deal with LSU is for seven years and is worth approximately $12 million annually, with the potential for bonuses, a source told ESPN’s Pete Thamel. That would make him one of the highest-paid coaches in the sport.

Kiffin, 50, and the Rebels just wrapped up an 11-1 regular season with a 38-19 win over rival Mississippi State, all but assuring them a berth in the 12-team College Football Playoff.

After saying he would decide Saturday whether he’ll coach at Ole Miss or LSU in 2026, Kiffin met with Rebels athletics director Keith Carter and chancellor Glenn Boyce for a couple of hours at the chancellor’s home in Oxford.

He also sought the advice of former Alabama coach Nick Saban and Las Vegas Raiders coach Pete Carroll, his former boss at USC, over the past few weeks.

Kiffin expressed his appreciation for his time at Ole Miss in a statement released on social media. He also took issue with Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter, who Kiffin said “denied” his request to coach in the College Football Playoff.

“I was hoping to complete a historic six season run with this year’s team by leading Ole Miss through the playoffs, capitalizing on the team’s incredible success and their commitment to finish strong, and investing everything into a playoff run with guardrails in place to protect the program in any areas of concern,” Kiffin said in his statement.

“My request to do so was denied by Keith Carter despite the team also asking him to allow me to keep coaching them so they could better maintain their high level of performance. Unfortunately, that means Friday’s Egg Bowl was my last game coaching the Rebels.”

Ole Miss responded quickly, as sources told ESPN that they’d promoted defensive coordinator Pete Golding to the school’s full-time coach soon after Kiffin left the football building for LSU.

Kiffin’s decision was supposed to come Saturday, and there was a delay in part because the result of the Iron Bowl late Saturday impacted whether or not Ole Miss would have played this week. He met with Rebels athletics director Keith Carter and chancellor Glenn Boyce for a couple of hours at the chancellor’s home in Oxford on Saturday.

Kiffin also met with some players in the football building on Sunday, and he pointed out in his statement that the players wanted him to coach in the CFP.

Part of the drama unfolding Saturday revolved around Ole Miss staff members and who would end up going with Kiffin. The Rebels’ brass wanted to protect their staff to keep things as normal as possible for the postseason. Kiffin would obviously take some of his staff with him, and the timing of those departures came into focus as discussions went on during the day.

Ole Miss officials are being aggressive with staff salaries, as there’s a high focus on retention, sources told ESPN.

On the offensive side for Ole Miss, quarterback coach Joe Judge, a longtime NFL coordinator and head coach, has agreed to stay on staff, sources told ESPN. Judge’s role hasn’t been formalized yet, but Ole Miss officials and Golding made clear early on he was a priority staff member to stay in Oxford. He coached Trinidad Chambliss and Jaxson Dart while in Oxford.

The naming of Golding as the head coach will lead to continuity at Ole Miss in 2026 and beyond, especially on the defensive side of the ball.

A former Ole Miss player himself, Golding is in his third season on the Rebels’ staff after serving five years as a top defensive assistant at Alabama under Saban.

Kiffin’s decision included an only-in-the-SEC drama that ensnared three prominent schools, as Florida had expressed interest in Kiffin earlier in their search. When that wasn’t reciprocated, they hired Tulane coach Jon Sumrall.

Kiffin has guided the Rebels to a 55-19 record in his six seasons — only Alabama (67-12) and Georgia (71-8) have more wins in the SEC since the start of the 2020 season. The Rebels have the eighth-most wins among power-conference teams during that stretch.

LSU has a championship brand in multiple sports; state-of-the-art facilities; a rabid, regional fan following; and a legendary, historic home football venue in Tiger Stadium (nicknamed Death Valley), which towers over the banks of the Mississippi River and holds 102,000 spectators — 38,000 more than Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.

The lone football coach of LSU’s past four who did not win a national championship was Kelly. He was fired in late October during his fourth season — a seismic development that also led then-athletic director Scott Woodward to resign under pressure from Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Iowa’s Black Friday-themed troll tops best jabs from Week 14 of college football

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November 30, 2025

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Iowa's Black Friday-themed troll tops best jabs from Week 14 of college football

There aren’t many givens in a sport as chaotic as college football, but rivalry week coming with a wide array of trolls was probably as assured of a bet as you’d find this week.

Per tradition, the final week of the college football regular season paired a number of local and long-distance rivals alike, with trophies and bragging rights being bestowed to the winner. One additional — if admittedly minor — benefit of claiming a rivalry week victory? The ability to troll your opponent on social media afterward.

Take Iowa for instance.

The Hawkeyes earned a win over their rivals to the west, Nebraska, on Friday, and had a simple but timely jab at the ready. Playing into the Black Friday game-day theme, Iowa posted a photo of a receipt between a Hawkeyes football helmet and the Heroes Trophy, with the text “the trophy’s not moving — again” just above Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz’s signature. The Hawkeyes have now won three straight, and 10 of the past 11, in the rivalry on the gridiron.

Iowa also added a post asserting the superiority of Iowa’s corn to Nebraska’s corn.

Iowa wasn’t the only team with jokes this week, though. Here are all the top trolls from around the college football world in Week 14.

Texas A&M entered Austin for its rivalry week matchup with Texas undefeated in its first 11 games and with a No. 3 national ranking. The Longhorns survived a slow first half to come out on top at home, winning their third consecutive Lone Star Showdown, and their second straight edition of the rivalry since it was brought back to the gridiron.

Unsurprisingly, Texas had a barrage of trolls for its in-state rivals — sending out posts that included a series of thumbs down emojis (flipping Texas A&M’s ‘gig em’ thumbs up gesture) as well as one with an Aggie-themed line from “Texas Fight” (“and it’s goodbye to A&M”). And as the final seconds ticked away, the Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium took the opportunity to play an edited video — opening with a clip of Aggies head coach Mike Elko asserting that his squad represents the state’s flagship program.

Air Force‘s offense was stellar in the Falcons’ dominant rivalry win over Colorado State, posting 420 total yards and scoring at least one touchdown in every quarter to pull away from the Rams. Conference re-alignment played a central role in Air Force’s troll of their rivals, which featured a pair of suitcases set to either side of a ram next to a Pac-12 road sign, captioned “Sent them packing.” Colorado State will officially join the Pac-12 in 2026.

This season marked Northern Illinois‘ final campaign in the MAC, a fact that Kent State was happy to recall as the Golden Flashes tallied a season-ending victory. With the Huskies heading to the Mountain West next season, Kent State’s social media team also took a realignment-themed approach, noting that its final game in its soon-to-be former football conference came with a loss.

For the second straight year Navy will finish its regular season with at least nine wins, dispatching Memphis in a Thanksgiving matchup. The Midshipmen held the Tigers scoreless in the second half after trailing 17-14 at halftime, with a pair of rushing touchdowns by Alex Tecza and Blake Horvath making the difference for Navy in the final 30 minutes.

The Midshipmen took to social media after the game to opt for a mascot-oriented troll, posting an image of Navy’s goal symbol proudly standing atop a vanquished tiger.

The Falcons and Minutemen aren’t exactly traditional rivals — their Tuesday meeting was the first time the two schools faced off on the gridiron in a decade — but Bowling Green made sure to offer its opponents a solid ribbing after its midweek triumph.

A detailed graphic did the trick for the Falcons’ troll with a number of elements taking aim at Massachusetts‘ colonial nickname. A pocket watch featuring Bowling Green’s unofficial Pudge the Cat mascot sits below an old wooden rifle, with the caption “time’s up” completing the jab.

This was one of those games that was a lot closer than it looked — USC only had a four-point lead over UCLA going into the fourth quarter. The Trojans bore down, however, scoring twice in the final frame, capped off by a 41-yard King Miller score.

After the game, USC kept it simple, reminding UCLA that it would be ringing the rivalry’s Victory Bell this time around.

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