Robert Craft
Doubt If You Dare
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The final offensive play Miami ran to earn a spot in the national championship had not been called by Shannon Dawson in a game this season.
Considering Miami’s offensive coordinator called a season-high 88 plays in final four 31-27 win against Ole Miss in the Fiesta Bowl — and more than 1,000 throughout the season — it’s noteworthy Dawson still had something the Rebels hadn’t seen yet.
It probably helps explain why Ole Miss left the entire left side of the field open for quarterback Carson Beck to tuck the ball and waltz his way into the end zone with 18 seconds left.
“We’ve been repping it probably for the last three games in that situation — for about a 4- or 5-yard-line play,” Dawson said. “We had a little condensed set (three receivers to the left) and were throwing an option route to Malachi (Toney). They covered it well and Carson just made a play, which was awesome. Sometimes we talk about at quarterback, if you exhaust your reads, go make a damn play. That’s what he did.”
Dawson’s play calling and Beck’s decision-making haven’t always produced pleasing results for the Hurricanes. There were probably some who questioned why Dawson called a pass play 3 yards from the end zone with 24 seconds left and a timeout still in Mario Cristobal’s pocket.
Miami had pounded the ball down the Rebels’ throats all night, and an Ole Miss sack or interception would be disastrous. Yet Miami’s coordinator and head coach were on the same page. It was time to put the game in Beck’s hands.
“I was gonna throw it there, and if I didn’t get it, I was gonna run it on third down,” Dawson said. “And then we would see, right?”
Dawson never had to figure out what to call on third down. Instead of forcing the ball to Toney in tight coverage and putting the ball in harm’s way, Beck made the right decision.
He’s done that a lot over the course of Miami’s seven-game win streak. While Beck is not putting up flashy numbers and continues to struggle connecting with receivers downfield (he was 1 of 7 on throws of 15-plus yards in the Fiesta Bowl), the Georgia transfer play is not hurting his team.
That’s as big a reason as any why Miami is advancing.
Beck’s teammates came to him after his midseason struggles and told him to let his mistakes go. They urged him to play free and reassured him they had his back.
When it was his turn to lead Miami down the field for the winning drive in the Fiesta Bowl, Beck said he told his teammates he had their back, regardless of the outcome.
“He’s a perfect example of a guy who just feels supported,” Cristobal said. “He’s hungry, he’s driven, he’s a great human being and all he wants to do is want to see his teammates have success. And that’s what we witnessed tonight.”
What did Beck’s teammates see late in the game from the Fiesta Bowl’s offensive MVP? Determination.
“All he said was, ‘Let’s go score,’” said CJ Daniels, who caught an 8-yard pass from Beck on third-and-6 with 1:25 to go to keep Miami’s final drive alive.
“The first thing he told me when he got here was if you wanna go win the natty, you’ve got to believe. Everybody knows he’s been through a lot. The whole world criticizes him. I just know I wouldn’t want to play with any other quarterback.”
Beck threw his second interception since the SMU loss — a span of 195 passes — on a batted ball on his final pass of the third quarter. He closed by completing eight of his last 13 passes in the fourth quarter for 93 yards and two touchdowns.
Keelan Marion, who led the Hurricanes with seven catches for 114 yards (including a 52-yarder for a touchdown on a busted coverage), said he went to Beck on the final drive and told him to get him the ball because he was confident he could beat whoever was covering him. Beck trusted him. Marion caught three passes on the drive, including the last two for first downs.
“Everybody doubted that guy,” Marion said, “and he’s been proving them wrong game by game.”
Is Beck capable of leading Miami to one more win on the Hurricanes’ home field against Indiana?
He’s 37-5 as a starting quarterback. It would be foolish to doubt him now.
Out Of The Swamp
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Florida quarterback DJ Lagway announced Monday that he intends to enter the transfer portal.
Lagway, the five-star recruit out of high school, signed with Florida in December 2023 as arguably the Gators’ most important recruit since Tim Tebow.
At 6’3 and 247lbs, he was Gatorade’s national high school player of the year and the No. 7 overall recruit.
Lagway battled multiple injuries during his Florida tenure. He had a leg issue during the 2024 season, a shoulder concern this spring and a tweaked calf during the preseason.
The offseason injuries hampered his development and led to a bumpy 2025: 16 touchdown passes, 14 interceptions and the second-lowest passing efficiency in the SEC (127.00).
Lagway’s lack of progress helped lead to coach Napier’s firing in October. Florida hired Tulane’s Jon Sumrall, while Napier is taking over James Madison.
Although Lagway’s turnovers made him a scapegoat in many corners of the Florida fan base, his departure — assuming he does transfer — will resonate. He was the face of the program. He had NIL deals with Gatorade and Jordan.
Over two seasons, Lagway completed 62 percent of his passes for 4,179 yards. He also rushed for 237 yards and a touchdown.
Some of Lagway’s final suitors in the high school recruiting process included Clemson, Baylor, USC and Texas A&M. Will he try to rekindle those connections?
Despite the struggles he had in Gainesville, Lagway will have no shortage of suitors. His pure physical talent, size, and arm strength makes him a prospect who can command a generous seven-figure payday from a needy team. Out the gate, Lagway will be the best QB#1 available in the portal.
The question is, what does Lagway want? Is it to return home to Texas? If so, Baylor would make a ton of sense.
His father played there, the Bears were in on his recruitment coming out of high school, and Baylor star QB Sawyer Robertson has exhausted his eligibility.
If he’s looking to stay in the SEC, LSU and Vanderbilt are both expected to be in the quarterback transfer market this cycle, with Garrett Nussmeier and Diego Pavia on their way out.
There are plenty of QB-needy teams elsewhere. Miami has had great success with transfer quarterbacks, as has Indiana, and both are likely in need of a quarterback.
Miami’s Carson Beck is out of eligibility and Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza is expected to be a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Given his rough sophomore season, Lagway’s exit shouldn’t be seen as a surprise, but as a fresh start might be best for both him and the Gators. However, it’s still a significant development.
When Lagway started to gain national attention as a recruit in Willis, Texas, Florida was on his short list even though the Gators weren’t strongly pursuing him.
A friend of the Lagway family (and diehard Gators fan), Andrea Pratt, started reaching out to Napier’s staff on social media to steer them toward Lagway.
A few months later, Lagway became a top target for Florida and a defining recruiting win for Napier. His recruitment drew major focus around Florida, with signs about Lagway popping up in front of fraternities.
Florida fans appreciated DJ Lagway’s loyalty through a rough stretch. He did not waver on his decision despite the back-to-back losing seasons before he signed and the hot-seat chatter around Napier last year. After the spring game in April — an exhibition in which he did not throw a pass — his autograph line spanned from end zone to end zone.
Losing Lagway will likely force Florida to hit the portal for an experienced passer. Four-star recruit Tramell Jones Jr. appeared in two games as a freshman this season.
This month, the Gators signed four-star recruit Will Griffin, who was one of the most prolific passers in state history at Tampa’s Jesuit High.
Honor The Deal
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Georgia’s pass rush clearly struggled for most of this season. Georgia has the fewest sacks in the SEC in 2025, with 17 total.
The Bulldog’s defense improved as the season went on, including the pass rush. Georgia (12-1) is safely in the College Football Playoff.
Georgia’s athletic department announced they are seeking $390,000 from former defensive end Damon Wilson II, claiming his transfer to Missouri terminated his existing name, image and likeness agreement with the Bulldogs’ collective. Wilson had nine sacks for Missouri and tied for third most in the SEC.
The Bulldogs already lost their best pass rushers, Mykel Williams and Jalon Walker to the NFL Draft. That was expected, but Damon Wilson II was penciled in for a bigger role after notching three sacks last season, the most of any returning Georgia player.
Georgia’s push for damages may hinge as much on the timing of Wilson’s departure. While nine other Georgia players entered the transfer portal between the end of the regular season and the Sugar Bowl in January, Wilson stayed with the team through the bowl game.
The team expected Wilson to be a key contributor, if not a starter, but then he entered the portal Jan. 7. That made it too late in the process to find an adequate replacement, according to the team.
The dispute is spelled out in an application to compel arbitration filed by the University of Georgia Athletic Association in October.
According to a contract attached to the court filing, Georgia’s Classic City Collective agreed to pay Wilson $30,000 per month from December 2024 through January 2026. That’s $420,000 total, not including $40,000 bonus payments in February and June.
Wilson received his first payment and entered the transfer portal weeks later. According to the filing, the contract allowed the UGA collective to terminate the deal if Wilson unenrolled, left the team, or entered the portal.
The deal also spells out liquidated damages if it’s terminated. Wilson would owe whatever’s remaining on the contract in a lump-sum payment. A termination letter sent by the collective said the $390,000 payment could come from Wilson or another individual/entity on his behalf (presumably, the collective of another school).
“When the University of Georgia Athletic Association enters binding agreements with student-athletes we honor our commitments and expect student-athletes to do the same,” Georgia athletics spokesperson Steven Drummond said in a statement.
Because the collective assigned its deals to Georgia’s athletic department in July, the Bulldogs have taken the issue to court to demand arbitration.
Authorities in Missouri served Wilson with the legal summons Nov. 24. Wilson does not currently have an attorney listed in the court system.
This case is and will be just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to lawsuits being filed against players with substantial NIL deals who enter the transfer portal.
Crazy Signing Day
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
For the first time in his career as a head coach, Lincoln Riley and USC are projected to finish with the nation’s top recruiting class, signifying that they are serious about competing for national championships in today’s era of college football.
The early signing period recently kicked off and the Trojans signed 35 prospects.
Oregon currently ranks second, followed by Alabama, Notre Dame and Georgia.
Once again, the SEC is dominating, with five of the top 10 classes (Alabama, Georgia, Texas, Tennessee and Texas A&M), compared to three from the Big Ten (USC, Oregon and Ohio State), one from the ACC (Miami) and none from the Big 12.
Here’s everything you need to know:
USC has not finished with the No. 1 class since 2006.
Five-star tight end Mark Bowman headlines a class that includes four other top 50 prospects: wide receiver Boobie Feaster, edge rusher Luke Wafle, cornerback Elbert Hill and defensive lineman Jaimeon Winfield.
USC focused on California prospects (signing 20) while strategically dipping into other states as needed. Four signees are the top recruits in their home states: Wafle (New Jersey), Hill (Ohio), four-star quarterback Jonas Williams (Illinois) and four-star linebacker Talanoa Ili (Hawaii).
In case you missed it, the biggest news of the week — and of the entire recruiting cycle — dropped Tuesday evening when five-star quarterback Jared Curtis announced his flip from Georgia to Vanderbilt.
The Nashville native is the nation’s top prospect and had committed to Georgia twice, once in March 2024 and again in May after he decommitted for the first time in October 2024.
This decision had been expected this week, but Curtis pumped the brakes when news leaked Tuesday afternoon that his flip was official. He made his announcement Tuesday night and is now Vanderbilt’s first five-star signee of the modern era.
LSU coach Lane Kiffin is the self-proclaimed “Portal King,” but he’s got an important task at hand with high school recruiting next two months.
The nation’s No. 2 prospect, Lamar Brown, has been committed to LSU since July. Even after the Tigers fired Brian Kelly, Brown- a Baton Rouge native- has been one of LSU’s most loyal supporters, and he was expected to sign with the program on Wednesday.
However, Brown is now waiting until the February signing period to file his paperwork, meaning it’s now Kiffin’s job to convince the state’s best player that LSU is still the right place for him.
Five-star Ohio State receiver commit Chris Henry Jr. has not yet signed with the Buckeyes and said Wednesday afternoon that he is “still trying to weigh my options” on the heels of receivers coach Brian Hartline taking the head coaching job at USF.
Henry, who plays at powerhouse Mater Dei in Southern California, is the nation’s No. 10 prospect and No. 1 receiver. He committed to Ohio State in July 2023.
Mississippi State coach Jeff Lebby and his staff scored a couple of significant wins on the recruiting trail this week. The Bulldogs flipped five-star safety Bralan Womack (the nation’s top safety) from Auburn. Followed by four-star edge Micah Nickerson from Missouri. Both signed on Wednesday.
Bill Belichick had a disastrous first year as North Carolina’s head coach, but it didn’t come back to haunt him on the recruiting trail. The Tar Heels had 39 signees, including 13 blue-chippers.
Among Belichick’s most impressive pickups: four-star athlete Jakob Weatherspoon, a former Ohio State commit, four-star wide receiver Keeyun Chapman and four-star quarterback Travis Burgess. And last minute, the Tar Heels flipped four-star defensive lineman Vodney Cleveland from Texas and four-star tight end Dream Rashad from Purdue.
Hats off to Franklin, who, despite being at Virginia Tech for two-ish weeks, is already on pace to finish with a top 25 class.
The Hokies signed seven blue-chippers and put the icing on the cake Wednesday when they flipped four-star linebacker Terry Wiggins from Penn State.
This, after they picked up a commitment from former Penn State quarterback commit Troy Huhn as well. So far, so good for Franklin, who might already have the Hokies ahead of schedule.
Signing day always brings a few fun surprises. With the transfer portal and NIL players who signed today with one team could be on another team by May.
Mediocrity Accepted
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
After Florida State recently announced head coach Mike Norvell will return next season, and it’s worth revisiting what the Seminoles said last time they made an in-season announcement about an embattled head coach with an unimpressive record but enormous buyout.
“Frankly, 6-6 isn’t good enough …” That’s what then-athletic director David Coburn said the day after he fired Willie Taggart and signed off on a buyout (up to $18 million) that still ranks among the largest ever.
Taggart was 4-5 in Year 2 after a double-digit loss to Miami. Norvell is 5-7 in Year 6 and coming off a double-digit loss to Miami and a blow out loss to rival Florida.
Florida State’s board of trustees chairperson, Peter Collins, said in a statement that the on-field results “have been far from acceptable to the FSU standard.” But by retaining Norvell, who replaced Taggart after the 2019 season, FSU has accepted that standard: 6-6 or even 5-7 is now, apparently, good enough to keep a job. Maybe the Seminoles moved their goalposts during their recent nine figure renovation to Doak Campell Stadium.
The argument would be different if this season looked like an aberration. It’s not. If 6-6 or 5-7 isn’t good enough, then Norvell has failed in four of his six years. Even if we blame his 3-6 inaugural season on the COVID-19 shutdown. He still went 5-7 the next year and 2-10 last year.
This season has been particularly baffling. Florida State beat mighty Alabama by 14 in the opener and recently lost to Stanford’s interim coach. At NC State, the Noles muffed a kick that bounced off an FSU player’s helmet and was recovered by the punter … then muffed another punt moments later.
It was a damning showing for a coach who promised on Day 1 that special teams would form the Seminoles’ backbone, especially six years in.
Norvell’s entire tenure has been similarly confounding: The same coach and staff that went 13-0 in 2023 suffered on one of the largest collapses in modern day college football the next season.
Take the broader view, though — the kind of “comprehensive assessment” current athletic director Michael Alford promises last month and you can find a logical explanation.
What if 13-0 and 2-10 were both flukes? Split the difference, and Norvell is a six-to-eight-win coach. That’s what his 38-33 record says he is.
And Norvell’s patterns are apparently good enough for Florida State, apparently.
The Seminoles had other factors to consider beyond the record. More than 55 million of them, depending on when his buyout would have taken effect and the mitigation that would have come from Norvell’s next job.
FSU administrators acknowledged this obvious caveat in the announcement. Alford cited the investment of hundreds of millions of dollars into football facilities and other upgrades while stressing their responsibility to put FSU in the best position possible “not just today, but for years to come.”
Collins brought up administrators’ “responsibilities as stewards of program revenues” and the need to figure out how to best allocate finite resources.
“We will address performance deficiencies in the program,” Collins said. “These deficiencies may include structural changes to the very large and complex program FSU football has become, and these areas are where we will focus and invest.”
Translation: $60 million can and should be spent on players or front-office changes instead of paying Norvell and his underperforming coaching staff.
Perhaps they’re right. This era of player compensation is too new to give us many historical precedents, but after Oklahoma went all in on Brent Venables last offseason, the Sooners are in the College Football Playoff.
Florida State might have better luck trying to find its own John Mateer with that approach compared to entering a crowded coaching market that already includes Penn State, LSU, Auburn and Florida.
What evidence does FSU have to show that Norvell is the right person? His recruiting classes have consistently ranked among the Seminoles’ worst in recent history. It has been more than two years since his last road win. He has lost 18 of his last 23 games against FBS opponents and 13 of his last 16 conference games in a pedestrian ACC. His overall conference record of 22-26 (.458 winning percentage) isn’t much better than Taggart’s (6-8 record, .429 winning percentage).
Despite the on-field improvements from last year’s rock bottom, Florida State still sits outside the top 25 nationally in advanced metrics. It’s possible coaching continuity and more roster turnover will lead to a leap forward next fall, or that additional investments could address other issues lurking under the hood.
It’s also possible that FSU will waste a year in limbo as the landscape hurdles toward the next round of conference realignment. The massive contract extension Florida State gave — and probably had to give — Norvell to keep Alabama from poaching him to replace Nick Saban left the Seminoles with no real options.
The one they chose is an about-face from where FSU was six years ago when Coburn fired Taggart.
The administration has changed since then, but the expectations of a three-time national championship program were supposed to remain the same. They haven’t, no matter what the press releases say.
While 6-6 wasn’t good enough for Taggart, the Seminoles just showed that mediocrity is acceptable for the man hired to replace him.
Florida Gators Plan B?
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Florida is aggressively pursuing Lane Kiffin to become its next head coach. That has become obvious in the first month of the program’s search to replace Billy Napier.
Since day one, Kiffin has been Florida’s top choice for many reasons; he’s a sentiment shared by athletic director Scott Stricklin and one of Florida’s most influential boosters and fans.
Florida’s interest has unsurprisingly already led to conversations between the Gators and Kiffin’s camp in recent weeks. While Kiffin is not directly involved yet, multiple sources confirm the Gator athletic department is making preliminary moves.
Beyond the clarity of the aforementioned pursuit, not much is clear at all regarding who UF will ultimately end up with.
No clear Plan B has emerged in Florida. Potential candidates such as former Penn State head coach James Franklin and Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz have been floated as only potential candidates, but nothing more.
Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham privately turned down a spot in the candidate line behind Kiffin.
Washington head coach and UF alumnus Jedd Fisch has gone unmentioned as an option regarding plan B. It currently appears he is not seriously being considered for the role at this time.
Southern California’s Lincoln Riley, Louisville’s Jeff Brohm and Georgia Tech’s Brent Key are externally viewed as possible candidates; however, their internal standing on Florida’s board is unknown. We will have to wait and see what they do.
Call it bold, call it risky, call it whatever term you prefer, Florida’s coaching search can be summarized succinctly as ‘Lane Kiffin or bust.’
While their resumes are starkly different, that reality bears some similarity to UF’s pursuit of Napier four years ago: Stricklin zeroed in on one coach and one coach only, and it’s the hire he made.
While this coaching search has come with much more public consensus about who the “right” hire would be, Stricklin’s seemingly go-for-broke approach is no less precarious. If anything, it comes with even more pitfalls. And continuing to hire head coaches won’t get any easier.
Kiffin’s Rebels are all but certain to secure their first College Football Playoff berth in program history this postseason, with the first round kicking off on Dec. 19.
It would mark an unprecedented move for a coach to move on from a playoff team in the midst of its run.
The situation begs several critical questions. Among them:
How willing is Florida to be very patient for its top target?
Is Kiffin planning to leave Ole Miss at all?
If he is, but intends to coach the Rebels’ playoff run, would a handshake agreement be enough for the Gators?
If it all falls apart and Kiffin ultimately spurns UF, what would Florida do next?
It’s that last question that presents a rather considerable red flag.
The inherent risk in Florida’s approach to selling out for Kiffin is its potential backup options are currently having hiring conversations, if not making agreements with other programs, or their current program is taking the opportunity to lock them in.
Franklin, for example, is in talks with Virginia Tech for the Hokies’ head coach opening. Dillingham said he’s staying put at Arizona State. Brohm is reportedly discussing an extension with Louisville. Indiana’s Curt Cignetti signed a lucrative contract extension last month, three days before Napier was fired.
Florida’s engagements with non-Kiffin candidates or their camps have been limited to early-stage conversations about whether or not they would be willing to get in line behind the current Ole Miss coach.
Internally, there is a sense of confusion regarding what Florida’s backup plan would be.
The hope, of course, is that one isn’t needed. The worry is that one could be.
Kiffin is the most prominent perceived candidate of the 2025 college football coaching carousel for good reason. He turned Ole Miss into a team nobody wants to face year-over-year after decades of mediocrity.
Since John Vaught’s 1970 retirement, the Rebels have finished the season ranked only 10 times. Kiffin’s Ole Miss has won 10 or more games in four of his six seasons at the program’s helm; the team had only reached that mark seven times in its history prior to his arrival, including just twice in the 2000s.
Accordingly, Florida is not alone in its pursuit of Kiffin.
LSU, which fired Brian Kelly shortly after UF dismissed Napier, is targeting the 50-year-old. Kiffin is also rumored to be a person of interest for several NFL head coaching openings, including the New York Giants, where his former Rebels quarterback, Jaxson Dart, was a first-round pick this past offseason and has since turned heads.
Not only is Kiffin staying put in Oxford a threat to the Gators, so is the possibility that they simply finish second in the race to secure his services.
Florida feels like a high-performance vehicle pushing to its speed limit. It’s tearing down a narrowing road at a rate that leaves no margin. The wall ahead isn’t theoretical. It’s visible and closing fast.
The only thing between that machine and a catastrophic collision is Kiffin. He’s the emergency brake, the last-second steering correction, the only mechanism that keeps a reckless trajectory from becoming a ruin. But he is not a sure thing.
If the Kiffin plan connects, the whole thing could level out, the wheels grabbing just enough road to survive and potentially flourish.
If it doesn’t, though, and that single-coach system fails, then there’s presently nothing left between the Gators and catastrophic impact. No airbags. No backup plan. No Lane to save them. Just a spectacular, violent crash no one in the Gator Nation can afford.
Plain Candidates
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
After Auburn lost 10-3 to a Kentucky team that was on a 10-game SEC losing streak, it was obvious head coach Hugh Greeze’s time with the Tigers was over.
In his third season, the program was floundering, with a 6-16 mark in SEC play. The offensive-minded head coach’s teams had been held to 17 points or less in 11 of those 22 games.
Whether the job is considered on the level of LSU and Florida or Arkansas depends on who you ask.
Gene Chizik did win a national title at Auburn within the last 20 years, but this Auburn program hasn’t won more than six games in a season since 2019. And it has often been very volatile SEC standards.
The Tigers should have some good options, but the candidate pool feels like a mixed bag between Group of 6 upstarts and retreads.
Last time, Auburn pursued Lane Kiffin before Freeze ended up with the job. We doubt Kiffin will be in play this time around. If he gets tempted to leave Oxford now, maybe it’s for Florida or LSU, but not Auburn. However, there is one sitting Power 4 coach we could see the Tigers pursuing hard.
Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham was Auburn’s offensive coordinator in 2019, the Tigers’ last good season. 35-year-old Dillingham has been fantastic at his alma mater, taking the Sun Devils into the College Football Playoff in Year 2 and then almost knocking off Texas in the Peach Bowl quarterfinal.
Arizona State finished 11-3 and No. 7. The Sun Devils are off to a 6-3 start this season.
They recently beat Iowa State in Ames despite losing their star quarterback Sam Leavitt for the season with a foot injury.
Dillingham is one of the most energetic and creative coaches in the Football Bowl Subdivision, but would he leave his home for this job? Especially when he has an easier path to the Playoff in the Big 12 than he would in the SEC?
Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall seems like another very attractive option here. The 43-year-old former SEC linebacker and Alabama native has coached in the conference at Kentucky and Ole Miss and did very well within the state in his first head coaching job at Troy, in the state. He’s 38-11 as a head coach and has the presence and authenticity that Freeze seems to lack.
The list of other G6 head coaches we think will be in play starts with Memphis’ Ryan Silverfield, a 45-year-old former NFL offensive line coach who keeps piling up wins, going 29-6 the past three years. Memphis could be a Playoff team this year, which could muck up the timing if Auburn really wants him.
South Florida coach Alex Golesh, formerly Tennessee’s offensive coordinator, took over a hapless program and got it going. The Bulls, who are 6-2 with a blowout win against Boise State and road win over Florida, also have legit CFP hopes this season. Golesh, we hear, also is drawing a lot of interest from Oklahoma State, where he spent a season as a grad assistant under Mike Gundy.
Southern Miss coach Charles Huff, a 42-year-old former Alabama assistant, did a very good job at Marshall, where he had a 10-3 season and won the Sun Belt championship last year.
In his debut season at Southern Miss, which had won a total of four games over the previous two years, he has the Golden Eagles 6-2 and in contention for a Sun Belt title.
The other intriguing option is former Texas A&M and FSU coach Jimbo Fisher, who is now doing TV work for the ACC Network.
He took the Seminoles to a national title following the 2013 season and led the Aggies to a No. 4 finish in 2020.
He did get a boatload of cash to leave College Station after things really fizzled out there, but his 45-25 record was a lot better than anything the Tigers have been doing of late.
It’s worth noting things also fell apart for him in Tallahassee late in his tenure. The 60-year-old played college football in-state at Samford, where he also started his coaching career, and he spent six seasons at Auburn as quarterbacks coach.
If Fisher really wants back into coaching and Auburn is game, this might be very tempting for him.
Coaching searches are running rapid in college football this season. Auburn isn’t the last SEC opening. It’s just another.
Georgia Florida Game Hall Of Fame Class
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Florida-Georgia rivalry is one of college football’s most enduring traditions, and each year the Florida-Georgia Hall of Fame honors former players, coaches, and contributors.
Established in 1995 by the City of Jacksonville’s Office of Sports and Entertainment (later associated with Jacksonville’s sports and tourism arms), the Florida-Georgia Hall of Fame celebrates those who left indelible marks on the Florida–Georgia rivalry.
Each year, two representatives from the University of Florida and two from the University of Georgia are selected and formally inducted at a luncheon held on the Friday before the annual Florida-Georgia football game in Jacksonville — a weekend now embraced by SEC fans as part of the “Florida-Georgia Weekend.”
Jacksonville plays host to fan events and the buildup to what is often called “the world’s largest outdoor cocktail party” in college football lore. Here are 2025’s honorees:
Brandon James: James might be the most electric return specialist in Southeastern Conference history. Competing for Florida from 2006 to 2009, he appeared in 50 games, leaving a statistical legacy: four SEC records and eleven Florida records, including career kickoff return yards (2,718), punt return yards (1,371), most total kick returns (229), and total return yardage (4,089).
He is among the select few Gators to have returned both a punt and a kickoff for a touchdown, finishing with five return scores in total.
His accolades include 2008 SEC Special Teams Player of the Year, FWAA All-America honors, and multiple All-SEC designations.
Beyond special teams, he chipped in offensively (as a receiver and rusher), contributing more than 700 yards and additional scores.
During his era, Florida claimed two SEC championships and a 2008 BCS national title — and James was a key weapon in shifting momentum and field position.
Todd Johnson: A stalwart in Florida’s secondary from 1999 through 2002, Todd Johnson started 35 games and played in 47.
He was twice named First-Team All-SEC (2000, 2001) and Second-Team in 2002.
Over his career, Johnson amassed 284 tackles, executed 40 “big plays” (including nine interceptions, eight fumble recoveries, and three blocked kicks), and led the team in total plays two years in a row.
His 2000 season was a highlight: 102 tackles and 5 interceptions in a single year.
Off the field, he earned SEC Academic Honor Roll recognition.
After college, he was selected in the 4th round of the 2003 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears and went on to play in the NFL with the Bears, Rams, and Bills, totaling 80 games and accumulating 196 tackles, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and a sack.
Freddie Gilbert: Gilbert was a rock on Georgia’s defensive front from 1980 to 1983.
Notably, he posted an undefeated 4–0 record against Florida during his career, anchoring some of Georgia’s most memorable rivalry victories — including a 44–0 shutout in 1982 and a tight 10–9 win in 1983. In 1981, he logged eight tackles (three for loss) against Florida, prompting then-coach Vince Dooley to laud his “outstanding” effort.
Over four seasons, Gilbert racked up 233 tackles and 26 sacks, ranking sixth all-time at Georgia, and set the school’s single-game sack record with five against Temple in 1983.
He earned two First-Team All-SEC nods and was a 1983 All-American. After college he played professionally in the USFL and later in the NFL, including appearances in Super Bowls XXI and XXII with the Denver Broncos.
Sony Michel: Michel was a prolific running back for Georgia from 2014 to 2017, and his performances in rivalry games and postseason matchups cemented his place in Bulldog lore.
In his final Florida–Georgia game, he rushed for 137 yards and scored two long touchdowns in a dominant 42–7 win.
During his collegiate tenure, Michel amassed 3,638 rushing yards, 33 touchdowns, and added more than 600 receiving yards, becoming the third-all-time leading rusher at Georgia.
He was a two-time permanent team captain, and he led Georgia to the 2017 SEC Championship and a berth in the College Football Playoff.
Michel’s final college season included a standout performance in the Rose Bowl with 181 yards and three touchdowns, propelling Georgia to the national title game.
In the NFL, Michel was selected in the first round by the New England Patriots and went on to win two Super Bowls — famously scoring the only touchdown in Super Bowl LIII — before later joining and winning another title with the Los Angeles Rams.
The 2025 inductee class continues the Hall’s mission to spotlight those whose impact rippled beyond individual games.
Their achievements in Florida–Georgia matchups, on broader stages, and in post-collegiate careers embody the rivalry’s blend of excellence, drama, and enduring loyalty.
The Jacksonville luncheon remains more than an award ceremony — it’s a gathering of the rivalry’s past and present, connecting generations of fans, players, and media in celebration of one of college football’s greatest traditions.
As October 31 approaches and fans flock to Jacksonville, the 2025 Hall of Fame class will be immortalized among the legends of the Florida-Georgia rivalry — their stories woven into the fabric of one of the sport’s most storied matchups.
The Next Man In The Bayou?
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
LSU is college football’s latest tier 1 team to fire their coach and enter the most exciting coaching carousel in recent history.
Not only are the Tigers in the mix, but they also move right to the front of the line as the top job available.
Brian Kelly’s 34-14 record wasn’t the type of failure that we typically see associated with major program firings. At a program with expectations like Louisiana State University, 34-14 with no championships isn’t good enough.
In a coaching cycle that’s already breaking buyout records and showcasing major names, LSU is a job that will attract the best and brightest.
In most cases, what this new job was and what it is can be two completely different things.
In LSU’s case, there may be no better time to demand the best of the best. With that in mind, here’s a look at some upside vs. challenges that the next coach will face at LSU.
If you could design the perfect recruiting base, it might be LSU. Though in-state players leave at times, the best from Louisiana often stay home to play for the Tigers.
There’s a state pride connection to the university like no other, and that’s a great starting point, considering Louisiana produces the most NFL players per capita.
The Tigers also border Texas to the east giving them easy access to pop into the nation’s most talented recruits. Their proximity to Mississippi and the rest of the Greater Southeast means that LSU has a geographical and reputational footprint many programs envy.
At their best, they can be a national recruiter going coast-to-coast and up and down the eastern seaboard. LSU possesses access and natural advantages when it comes to talent. They are among the best in the country.
We’ve already discussed the recruiting base as an advantage, but it can’t be overstated how big of a jump that gives the Tigers in potential roster building.
Additionally, LSU has one of the country’s best game day environments with night games in Death Valley. Their prodigious number of former Tigers in the NFL makes LSU an attractive option for players looking to reach the next level.
Though Kelly was vocal about the need for more NIL money at times, the Tigers showed the ability to be big spenders this past offseason with a roster value estimated to be around $30 million, according to sources.
LSU also has a sizable front office, having put together one of the country’s top personnel groups.
A new coach may want to restructure some, but the support is already in place for a plug-and-play candidate.
It’s still early in the aftermath, but all indications are that LSU recruiting class looks stable and the Tigers’ roster seems to be in the same shape under interim coach Frank Wilson.
Unlike most jobs where there’s major upheaval following a change, the right staff could retain key pieces and be set up for success in year one.
Louisiana is home to good food, good music and generally messy politics. With LSU playing in the state capital of Baton Rouge, those politics are right on the doorstep.
In fact, Louisiana governor Jeff Landry went to social media and voiced his disapproval of LSU’s rising season ticket prices after Saturday’s 49-24 beat down against Texas A&M and played a big part to remove Kelly.
Landry’s role is more out of necessity at the moment because LSU is without a school president. Still, political influence and pressure to win is at an all-time high within the program.
The Tigers showed the ability to raise the funds necessary to compete with the best in the country this year, but they will need continued contributions to stay at that level.
That can be difficult when LSU’s other athletic programs have mouths to feed. Their baseball program and women’s basketball team are both among the nation’s elite while their men’s basketball hopes to rise again. In the rev-share era, those can be tough waters to navigate for an athletic department.
There’s a reason this opening resonated within the industry when news of Kelly’s departure broke. Many in the industry consider LSU an elite job, if not the best.
No place has more natural advantages, I think it’s the easiest place to win in the country when you consider all of the factors.
Look no further than Les Miles and Ed Orgeron winning national titles during their time there. No school has the access they do to the amount of talent needed to win, and the administration has shown time and again they will back them if needed.
I don’t think people outside of the state understand how powerful the Tiger’s brand is in that region. It’s everywhere in Louisiana, and because of the displacement from Katrina, it’s moved into Texas and Florida and other parts of the Southeast.
I think the fit matters. We saw it with Kelly, and I think you have to understand you’re recruiting and coaching a different type of player there. If they find a guy who understands that the sky is the limit.
Just days removed from the decision, any talk of concrete names is still premature. But it’s safe to say that Lane Kiffin is a top contender.
Kiffin is likely to be the belle of the coaching ball with Florida also in play and Ole Miss working to extend his contract.
My short list includes former Penn State coach James Franklin, Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady, who previously called plays for LSU during their 2019 championship season, and Tulane coach Jon Sumrall.
Given the attractiveness of the position, LSU could even take a big swing inside NFL circles. Athletic director Scott Woodward said that he intended on a national coaching search, and the Tigers should use everything at their disposal to attract the best candidates.
The Likely Candidates
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Dear Scott Stricklin and all associated with the search for Florida’s fifth football coach since 2011: Stop messing around. Go get Lane Kiffin. Or at least try to. And if you fail, go get Eli Drinkwitz.
Try and keep trying until you hire a proven winner at the power-conference level.
Adopt the mindset of your rivals, like the team you’re about to play. Think, if you were Georgia, who would you not want Florida to hire? And then do everything you can to hire that person.
You’ve tried the other routes. When Urban Meyer left, you went with the hotshot assistant who knew the SEC. But Will Muschamp just wasn’t made out to be a head coach.
Then you tried the former SEC assistant who had won at a lower level. But Jim McElwain wasn’t a winning fit.
Then you went with Dan Mullen, who had been a Florida assistant and won at Mississippi State — seven out of nine winning seasons, and had worked for Stricklin there.
But as it turned out, Mullen’s lukewarm approach to recruiting in the name of systemic growth and talent development, while successful at Mississippi State, did not mesh at Florida.
And so, then you went in another direction, and hired Billy Napier, a recruiting maven from his SEC days, who had won as a Sun Belt head coach. But while he did upgrade the talent level, the head coaching didn’t translate to the SEC.
And so now here you are. It’s time to stop messing around.
Kiffin may not want to leave Ole Miss. Or may not want to take Florida. He’s doing well where he is, where he has administrative and financial support to build a roster. He may wonder why four straight coaches have failed in Gainesville.
But he’s also ambitious. He came of age when Steve Spurrier brought Florida to the forefront of college football. He was a rising assistant when Meyer won a couple of national titles there — then battled Meyer in his one season at Tennessee.
Should Florida be wary of Kiffin? Maybe, but for all his quirks, he’s proving he knows how to win in the portal/NIL era. He still knows how to run an offense. He would bring attention to the Gators and make them must-see football again. Make him say no.
And if he does, turn to Drinkwitz, who also likes to talk, is also an offensive-minded coach who knows how to build a roster in this era. And who is also winning in the SEC.
Ah, you may say, wouldn’t that just be going the Mullen route again? Drinkwitz is 44-25 overall and 24-21 in the SEC, versus Mullen going 69-46 overall and 33-39 in the SEC.
It can be argued that it’s much harder to win at Mississippi State than at Missouri. You could even discount Drinkwitz’s one-year stint at Appalachian State (12-1), given he took over a strong program.
The counter-argument is that Drinkwitz is a stronger recruiter. He has leveraged NIL to bring talent to Missouri. His last two high school classes ranked 20th in the nation. He kept five-star receiver Luther Burden at home in the 2022 high school class. He’s managed the portal, bringing in quarterback Beau Pribula (Penn State) and edge rusher Damon Wilson (Georgia) this past offseason. There’s real resourcefulness in his systems.
Give him Florida’s tradition and resources, and he should at least be able to recruit at Napier’s level. And the evidence is that Drinkwitz could outcoach him.
Missouri has had two straight 10-win seasons and is 6-1 this year. It has the SEC’s second-ranked defense, doing quite fine two years after LSU hired away its defensive coordinator.
Of course, Drinkwitz may also like where he is. So, what happens if you strike out with him?
Then maybe you go the Jon Sumrall (Tulane) route. Or you try to find the next Kirby Smart or Dan Lanning. Maybe that’s Will Stein, the 36-year-old Oregon offensive coordinator.
But Florida, you’ve tried those routes before. And your athletic director has struck out twice on hires now.
After taking chances with your past exes, It’s time for a sure thing in hiring a winning head coach. It’s time to do your best to make a sitting, successful power-conference coach say yes to bringing Florida back to glory.
Kiffin should be the first call. Drinkwitz should be the next. And there are some other names out there who deserve at least some back-channel talk.
You are Florida. Maybe it’s asking too much to return to the dominant days of Spurrier and Meyer, but nobody’s getting back to that level of dominance, at least not in the SEC in 2025.
What you can do at Florida is consistent contention for the College Football Playoff.
For all their failures, Muschamp, McElwain and Mullen each had at least one 10-win season in Gainesville. It was sustaining consistent winning seasons that ended up being the problem. And the longer you go without hiring the right guy, the more people forget the Spurrier and Meyer glory days. The harder it’ll get to reclaim them.
This is a huge hire, Florida. No more time for gambles and budget-friendly staff. Good professionals hire good professionals. Go get yourself the guy who you know — and who your rivals know — will win.
