We’re less than two months removed from the longest college football season in history. Changes are coming to the sport we love, and none is more earth-shattering than the pending introduction of a revenue-sharing model with players that begins next fall.
Still, we have plenty more to contemplate and figure out before the foot hits leather again and we kick off another season in Week 0 (Aug. 23, in case you’d like to mark your calendar). For one, coaches nationwide are still rebuilding and reloading their rosters as they try to prepare for new, smaller roster limits. They’re also developing new practice plans for the spring, and many coaches are doing away with the beloved “spring games” as they deal with a longer-than-ever grind on players and more prying eyes in the transfer portal.
The outside noise can be deafening, but spring provides a reprieve from the monotony and the overlords conducting business in board rooms and courtrooms across the country. Some of that will leak onto the field as programs conduct their spring practices, but nothing can change good old-fashioned quarterback controversies and position battles.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at 25 things we’re monitoring this spring before the 2025 season:
1. The death of spring games
The end is near for spring football as we know it. In January, coaches expressed a desire to change spring practices during their annual meeting at the AFCA convention, going as far as to discuss abandoning them altogether in favor of an NFL-like format with “official team activities” in June. No proposal was adopted, but coaches have taken it upon themselves to change things at their programs. Many coaches have abandoned spring games, citing player health and roster tampering concerns, to lighten the load on players ahead of the summer months.
We’ve been moving toward abandoning the spring tradition for the better part of the last decade, with several schools conducting festivals and fan events instead of the typical 60-minute spring “game.” Fans will have to adjust, but so will athletic departments that have used the spring game as an outlet to reach fans who may not otherwise be able to financially connect with their favorite teams and players during the pricey regular season. At some point, coaches and administrators will also tweak the 15-day practice format.
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2. The last semester without revenue-sharing
The House settlement should be finalized in April, paving the way for athletic departments to dole out as much as $20.5 million annually to their players. Most of that money will be funneled to football players. Meanwhile, rosters are also shrinking. Walkons are being shown the door as rosters shrink to 105 players starting in July, meaning coaches must make difficult decisions. Schools are also frontloading NIL payments through their collectives before the start of the revenue-sharing era in July, promising big paydays via NIL packages, which will later shrink as booster dollars are directed to athletic departments to offset revenue-sharing expenses. Some schools will utilize NIL dollars to supplement revenue-sharing for players.
“I’m looking at the books from last year to this year and it’s not even close,” said a SEC director of player personnel of the inflation of spending this spring saw. “You take a contract and you multiply it by two, and that’s what you’re paying. Everybody thinks they have money now, and they’ll figure it out on the backend. So everybody is trying to play fast.”
Many NIL collectives are evolving into marketing agencies for players to facilitate deals with outside entities to supplement their new salary as schools shift fundraising efforts to offset revenue-sharing expenditures rather than fund big contracts via a third-party collective.
3. Bill Belichick goes back to school
Bill Belichick didn’t take the North Carolina job to reinvent himself. No, the future Pro Football Hall of Fame coach intends to reinvent the Tar Heels as he did with the New England Patriots, who he built into a modern-day dynasty.
Belichick hired a stable of NFL coaches, an NFL-lite front office led by confidant and 30-year NFL exec Michael Lombardi, and the Super Bowl champion is scouring the nation for high-profile recruits and players other programs may have overlooked.
“Everything we do here is predicated on building a pro team,” Lombardi said in February. “We consider ourselves the 33rd (NFL) team because everybody who’s involved with our program has had some form or aspect in pro football.”
Will it work? We get our first glimpse of the roster this spring and will get to see it unfold behind the scenes on HBO’s Hard Knocks, too.
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4. Penn State is all-in for a national championship
Penn State has taken a page from Big Ten rivals Michigan and Ohio State, successfully convincing NFL-bound players to stay on campus and pursue a national title this fall. The Wolverines did it in 2023, the Buckeyes followed it up with a $20 million NIL investment in their players in 2024, and now Penn State is following a similar blueprint to try to deliver the Big Ten a third straight national title.
Penn State has a boatload of superstars returning to Happy Valley, including quarterback Drew Allar and running backs Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen, a strong class of transfers to complement their roster, and a well-resourced athletics department ready to execute their plan. Coach James Franklin also hired the best defensive coordinator in college football, snagging Ohio State’s Jim Knowles and making him the highest-paid assistant coach in the sport.
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5. Arch Madness
If you’re already tired of Arch Manning Madness, invest in some soft pillows because you need to lie down.
After two years of hype, the Manning Era has finally arrived in Texas. It’s easy to criticize a kid because of his lineage, the media attention and the high outside expectations, but watch the film of the superstar in high school and now in college, and you see a legitimate 5-star talent ready to explode on the national scene. He bided his time for two years in Austin, learning as he backed up Quinn Ewers. After a handful of starts last season and several game-changing plays as a package quarterback, Manning is adequately prepared to become the face of college football.
No one anointed Manning at Texas. He wasn’t crowned unfavorably over others on the roster. In a world where the transfer portal tempts many players to seek immediate playing time, he stayed in Austin and prepared himself for the moment. After two years of peeks at his greatness, the time has finally arrived.
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6. Eligibility maneuvers
Diego Pavia challenged the NCAA’s eligibility rules and won, and the Vanderbilt quarterback was granted an additional year of eligibility after arguing that his year in junior college shouldn’t count against his eligibility as an FBS player. The NCAA is appealing the suit, but has granted eligibility waivers to former junior college players facing similar circumstances, opening the door for others to stay in the sport an additional year.
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The development has also strengthened the push from some in the NCAA membership to revamp eligibility windows, allowing players five years to play five seasons rather than five years to play four seasons. How that might evolve after the House settlement is a storyline to watch.
7. Clemson still underrated?
Tell the truth: You wrote off Clemson. I did, too, especially after the way they started the 2024 season.
Clemson stood firm on its maligned transfer portal approach, returned to the ACC title picture and won the championship to advance to the College Football Playoff for the first time in four years. Now, Dabo Swinney is finally using the portal, signing three players this offseason to supplement a roster with the most returning production in the country, according to ESPN’s Bill Connelly. Not only does Clemson return quarterback Cade Klubnik and three receivers, it also signed Purdue pass rusher Will Heldt to help the defense. Oh, and Swinney snagged Penn State defensive coordinator Tom Allen, who coached a top-five unit last season to revamp a disappointing defensive unit.
8. The SEC’s hot seats
The coaching carousel in the SEC was quiet. Too quiet. No head coach was fired, even after two coaches — Arkansas’ Sam Pittman and Florida’s Billy Napier — entered the 2024 season on the sport’s hottest seats. The conference returns every head coach for the first time since 2019 and only the second time in 19 years. Quiet years on the job market typically spell doom for the ensuing season, and no less than five coaches face critical seasons in the SEC this year. That list is peppered with coaches at top-tier programs, meaning several enticing jobs could open by the end of the year. It’s a crucial spring at Florida, LSU, Auburn and Oklahoma by that measure. Plus, there might be a surprise or two elsewhere.
Here’s how we stack up the jobs based on the hottest seats:
- Brent Venables, Oklahoma
- Hugh Freeze, Auburn
- Sam Pittman, Arkansas
- Billy Napier, Florida
- Brian Kelly, LSU
- Mark Stoops, Kentucky
9. Bryce Underwood arrives
Is the future now at Michigan? The Wolverines successfully flipped 5-star quarterback Bryce Underwood from LSU in November, setting the stage for a tremendous quarterback battle between Fresno State transfer Mikey Keene and the No. 1 quarterback recruit in the country — and the highest-rated quarterback signee in Michigan history, according to 247Sports.
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Keene provides a veteran presence with 34 career starts, and he played under new offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey previously at UCF, so there is familiarity on his side. Underwood, however, participated in bowl practices and has a head start heading into the spring. Plus, why spend all that NIL money on a quarterback if you’re not going to play him?
10. Notable quarterback changes
Quarterback turnover is much more frequent these days because of the transfer portal. Just as quickly as a player arrives, they depart for the NFL or for another school. Bluebloods such as Ohio State and Oregon have successfully navigated the space, with former winning a national title with Kansas State transfer Will Howard. The Buckeyes will try again with Alabama transfer Julian Sayin. Meanwhile, several other programs are conducting quarterback battles to replace championship-worthy players. A few spring battles we’ll monitor:
11. Georgia’s clean slate
Georgia did just enough to be a threat in the national picture and won an SEC title, but something was missing in the championship mix. The offense and defense were great, but neither unit the elite levels we’ve grown accustomed to seeing from national champions. The Bulldogs get a fresh start this spring with only seven returning starters, but elite recruiting classes, along with a tremendous haul in the transfer portal, have reinvigorated competition and hope in Athens.
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The Bulldogs replace Miami-bound quarterback Carson Beck with Gunner Stockton, and bring aboard USC transfer Zachariah Branch and Texas A&M transfer Noah Thomas at receiver, a position that desperately missed a gamebreaker last season.
12. Miami vibes
Miami fell short of sky-high expectations last season thanks, in part, to a dreadful defense. They not only missed the CFP, they fell short of the ACC title game. The good news is it can’t get much worse than last season’s defense, which ranked 70th in score, and a new staff is on board to turn the ship around.
The bad news is the nation’s No. 1 offense must replace most of its starters, including generational quarterback Cam Ward and the Canes’ four top receivers. In Ward’s place is Georgia transfer Carson Beck, the No. 1 quarterback out of the portal. It’s an important spring for Miami, and perhaps without all of the hype, maybe Mario Cristobal will instead surpass expectations.
13. Oregon’s new QB
Oregon has been incredibly successful at quarterback thanks to the transfer portal. The Ducks landed Bo Nix, who broke records and delivered a Pac-12 title, and replace him with another record-breaker in Dillon Gabriel, who won the Ducks a Big Ten title. Is the next superstar also a transfer?
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UCLA transfer Dante Moore, who was recruited heavily out of high school by the Ducks, is the heir apparent heading into spring practices and is already listed on betting boards for the Heisman Trophy. Moore arrived last season, throwing only eight passes as Gabriel’s backup, and he inherits a roster that lost most of its production and also four starting offensive linemen.
14. South Carolina playoff push
LaNorris Sellers blossomed into a star at South Carolina last fall, lifting the Gamecocks into playoff consideration. He was incredible on the run and through the air, and it’s his feet that were important in an upset of Clemson on the road. The Gamecocks lose a ton of production from last season, but the Gamecocks are a wild card because of Sellers’ playmaking ability. Monitoring how the Gamecocks fill the holes around the SEC’s Freshman of the Year this spring is worth your attention.
15. Prime Time’s encore
Deion Sanders successfully transformed Colorado into a winner in Year 2, but how will he replace two generational players that lifted the Buffs into the social media zeitgeist? Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter, the ironman who played offense and defense with aplomb, and quarterback Shedeur Sanders are off to the NFL Draft while only 50% of the team’s production returns from last season. Sanders did not lean heavily on the portal, signing only 17 players in the winter window, and he pulled six blue-chip prep recruits, including four-star quarterback Julian Lewis. The QB battle between Lewis and Liberty transfer Kaidon Salter, who ran for 1,089 yards in 2023 and can throw 70 yards downfield, is intriguing.
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16. CFP format
The College Football Playoff is set to undergo more changes as soon as this spring. CFP administrators will determine whether to change the seeding format to a “straight seeding” model after rewarding first-round byes to the four highest-ranked conference champions in the first year of the 12-team field. A decision could be made in May. Meanwhile, bigger changes are likely on the horizon with expansion to 14 teams starting with the 2026 season. The power conferences want multiple automatic qualifiers, which could lead to “play-in” games on conference championship weekend. However, there is pushback on the idea of the Big Ten and SEC each receiving four automatic bids. Discussions and negotiations are expected to begin this spring.
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17. Early Heisman Trophy hype
Quarterbacks lead the hype train heading into the spring with LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier and Texas’ Arch Manning listed atop most sportsbooks as the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy. In fact, the pecking order lists four players before the first non-quarterback appears: Ohio State sensation Jeremiah Smith. I don’t believe there’s another two-way phenom Travis Hunter on the scene, but several wide receivers could make a push.
Here’s how I stack the favorites this spring:
- QB Arch Manning, Texas
- WR Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State
- QB Gunner Stockton, Georgia
- QB Garrett Nussmeier, LSU
- QB Cade Klubnik, Clemson
- QB Drew Allar, Penn State
- QB DJ Lagway, Florida
- QB Jayden Maiava, USC
- QB Nico Iamaleava, Tennessee
- QB Julian Sayin, Ohio State
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18. Who emerges from the ‘Group of 6?’
Many will write off Boise State this spring because of the departure of Heisman finalist Ashton Jeanty, but the team returns most of its production from last season, including quarterback Maddux Madsen. We live in an era where power programs pick the bones of the non-power programs for players, but the Broncos have managed to hold together a championship roster. They are the clear favorite to emerge from the Mountain West and earn a College Football Playoff berth for the second straight year.
19. Kalen DeBoer’s honeymoon
Only a handful of programs consider a nine-win season disappointing. Making matters worse is the grace period of the post-Nick Saban era has apparently expired, making for a short honeymoon for Kalen DeBoer at Alabama as he enters his second season leading the Tide. Simply put, Alabama needs to win double-digit games this fall. The quarterback battle to replace Jalen Milroe this spring is enticing, but more interesting is how different the offense looks with Ryan Grubb arriving in Tuscaloosa to take over as play-caller. He and DeBoer worked exceptionally well together previously in their careers.
20. Florida State rebound
Florida State hits the reset button (again) with a slew of new players and assistant coaches tasked with putting the program back on track after a shockingly terrible 10-loss season. Mike Norvell will rely heavily on the transfer portal to rebound from the ACC’s basement. He pulled former Boston College quarterback Thomas Castellanos to replace DJ Uiagalelei and signed four offensive linemen to go along with two blue-chip receivers in USC’s Duce Robinson and Tennessee’s Squirrel White. He also brought aboard four blue-chip defensive linemen and/or edge rushers. FSU was pushed around last fall, so fans should want to see more physicality in the spring.
21. USC’s future
Lincoln Riley was supposed to have USC in the College Football Playoff by now, but instead, he followed up an 11-win debut with back-to-back stinkers. Seven wins last season, the Trojans’ first in the Big Ten, doesn’t provide much confidence heading into Year 4 with Riley. But with an ironclad contract anchoring him to Los Angeles, it’s clear both parties are committed to seeing this through. Former UNLV transfer Jayden Maiava takes over at quarterback and is probably the best playmaker Riley has had since Caleb Williams won the Heisman in 2022, but he sat on the bench much of last season. Now that he has the ball, will USC make a splash in the Big Ten?
22. Big Ten-SEC partnership
Like it or not, the Big Ten and SEC will shape what the sport looks like soon. The two parties will have power over the College Football Playoff format starting in 2026, and with that newfound power comes plenty more influence on how the sport evolves in the revenue-sharing era. Should the parties get what they want with multiple AQs in the CFP, expect the SEC to move to nine conference games finally and for the two conferences to set up a scheduling partnership to increase inventory and provide marquee TV matchups. The engine is already warming up in the background this spring.
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23. Texas Tech talent influx
Texas Tech is a powerhouse in the transfer portal. Thanks to a billionaire booster leading the Red Raiders’ NIL collective and a general manager who spurred Notre Dame to remain in Lubbock, the Red Raiders loaded up with the Big 12’s best transfer portal class, rating third nationally in the 247Sports rankings. Eleven of the 17 newcomers this spring are blue-chippers, including North Carolina offensive tackle Howard Sampson. Remember, Tech was a popular dark horse pick to win the Big 12 last season but disappointed with eight wins. Quarterback Behren Morton returns for his second full year as starter, and with an upgraded roster, the Red Raiders are poised to make noise under coach Joey McGuire.
24. The last spring portal?
Coaches want to remove the spring transfer portal and shrink the winter and spring windows into a single, 10-day period in early January. Will they get their way? If so, players’ freedom of movement will be restricted starting as soon as 2026, meaning this spring could be the last for players to leave for a new school after going through spring practices. It doesn’t appear that the coaches’ proposal will likely be easily pushed up the ladder. The proposal faces scrutiny and debate from NCAA committees, and it’s unlikely the proposal will remain unchanged. Still, it’s more possible than ever that we may attend our final Portal Palooza of the spring.
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25. Callin’ Baton Rouge
Maybe the best thing that happened to LSU was missing out on Bryce Underwood. Hear us out: The nation’s No. 1 quarterback wanted a big payday, so he chose Michigan, leaving LSU plenty of money to spend elsewhere. The Tigers successfully signed the No. 1 transfer class in the country. Eight players were ranked in the top 100. LSU was a disappointing 8-4 last season, but with quarterback Garrett Nussmeier returning and two top-25 receivers from other programs transferring in, the program has been reinvigorated. It’s up to coach Brian Kelly to deliver.
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