Craig HaubertJan 15, 2026, 06:47 AM ETClose National recruiting analyst and analyst for ESPNU More than a decade of college and pro coaching experience. Graduated from Indiana and Nebraska-OmahaFollow on X
Alex Golesh speaks on his journey to Auburn, sets expectations (5:02)Golesh discusses his experience as a head coach, how excited he is to be in the War Eagle family while thanking everyone who made it possible and sets his goals for the Tigers. (5:02)
The coaching carousel in college football turned at an unprecedented rate during the 2025 season. Taking over a recruiting class can be a daunting challenge for a new staff with little or no time to work between the point of being hired and the early signing period.
Most programs use the transfer portal to plug major holes, but the core foundation of building a program remains the high school talent pipeline, which is still key to sustaining success and avoiding another coaching change in the not-too-distant future.
At the expense of his former employer, Penn State, Franklin is getting revenge on the recruiting trail. Franklin took over Virginia Tech in November and transformed an unranked recruiting class into one of the top 25 groups in the nation coming out of the early signing period.
Much of that success came from raiding Penn State’s class, which at one point ranked in the top 10 prior to Franklin’s dismissal. Franklin has flipped at least 10 former Nittany Lions commits, including five of their six ESPN SC Next 300 signings.
Sam Pittman built one of the better recruiting classes in the country last spring, but his firing in late September led to several decommitments and derailed a solid group. Silverfield, who came from Memphis, has quickly sparked a resurgence, focusing on winning recruiting battles in his own backyard and leveraging relationships and successes that made him a well-known figure in the Razorbacks’ footprint.
Six of Arkansas’ top seven high school prospects are in-state additions. Wide receiver Dequane Prevo was a holdover, but Silverfield landed the No. 1 player in the state, defensive tackle Danny Beale, within hours of being named head coach. Beale is a thickly built 300-pounder with good power and quickness.
Kiffin’s hiring brought a big spotlight back to the Tigers’ high school recruiting class when several prospects, including No. 1 player, Lamar Brown, didn’t sign right away during the early period.
But LSU’s class has quickly steadied itself and Kiffin kept the Tigers’ high school group together in an uneventful manner.
While inheriting a talented group anchored by Louisiana prospects might not seem noteworthy, there’s ample evidence across the sport of how a coaching change can flip a recruiting class upside down. Holding together a top-15 class is a win. Kiffin also layered in several quality additions, including SC Next 300 tight end J.C. Anderson, a flip from Ole Miss, who fits a need with Bauer Sharp moving on, Donovan Green transferring and Trey’Dez Green heading into his junior year.
Sumrall and his staff’s recruiting efforts managed to keep together a group that consistently ranked among the top 10 to 15 classes in the country under Billy Napier, even with on-field struggles.
Compared to programs such as Penn State, Arkansas and Oklahoma State — all of which saw their recruiting classes implode — Florida was far more stable. The Gators lost just one notable commit, running back Carsyn Baker to Texas A&M, and exited the early signing period with a class featuring 12 ranked prospects, headlined by five-star defensive end JaReylan McCoy.
While it’s not the flashiest rebuild to date, Sumrall’s steady transition and impressive foundation of talent to build around stands out.
Ole Miss moved swiftly to install Golding as Kiffin’s replacement and its decisiveness paid off. Golding led the Rebels to the cusp of a national title appearance while keeping a strong recruiting class together.
Yes, they lost a few commits, including three to LSU, which led to a slight drop in the rankings, but the bulk of the class remained intact.
The Rebels signed six of their top seven SC Next 300 prospects who committed prior to the coaching change, including the state’s top-ranked running back Damarius Yates. With primary rusher Kewan Lacy returning but two redshirt senior backups departing, adding Yates was critical. Golding also flipped four-star receiver Jase Mathews from Auburn to counter the loss of four-star wide receiver Corey Barber, who transferred to LSU.
After three head coaching changes in four years, a resurgence could be coming for Stanford after the Cardinal quietly pieced together a top-30 class.
Pritchard held onto several quality prospects, including SC Next 300 safety Lasiah Jackson, while maintaining building blocks along the offensive line such as four-star Jalayne Miller and top-25 guard Blaise Thomassie.
A former quarterback, Pritchard worked alongside general manager and program legend Andrew Luck to solidify the position, quickly landing in-state quarterback Michael Mitchell Jr. An undersized but smooth passer, Mitchell was a two-time UA Next camp MVP during his final two years of high school. Stanford also added perimeter talent during the early signing period in big, rangy wide receiver Zion Robinson and Dre Pollard, who brings speed and versatility at wide receiver or corner.
With five SEC programs ranked among the top 10 recruiting classes, is Auburn’s incoming group going to quickly turn things around? Probably not. But the Tigers haven’t won more than six games since 2019 and had slipped outside the top 50 in ESPN’s recruiting rankings prior to the early signing period. Viewed in that context, Golesh’s early progress represents a strong start.
Stein ushers in a new era at Kentucky following Mark Stoops’ 13-year run. The Wildcats’ recruiting class ranked near the bottom of the SEC after the early signing period, but the new regime found ways to elevate the group. Holding onto quarterback Matt Ponatoski was a big win. A mobile, savvy passer, Ponatoski was Ohio’ 2024 Gatorade Player of the Year in both football and baseball.
While Kentucky lost wide receiver Dallas Dickerson to Georgia, Stein retained longtime commit Denairius Gray, a battle-tested receiver from South Florida power Chaminade-Madonna. The Wildcats also added former LSU commit Kenny Darby, who caught more than 80 passes for 1,000 yards as a senior. Landing SC Next 300 corner Andre Clarke, who had been committed to Michigan prior to its coaching change, was another excellent move.
Make no mistake: Morris has a long road ahead, and Oklahoma State’s class ranks far behind the top groups in the Big 12. But Morris also walked into arguably the toughest recruiting situation for any new coach this cycle, taking over a class with fewer than 10 players after the Cowboys hemorrhaged commits following Mike Gundy’s firing and a winless stretch after August.
Morris has since shifted the narrative. Flipping former Oklahoma State commit Kaydin Jones back from Kansas was a key early move. Jones is a productive running back with good vision from Jenks High School, one of Oklahoma’s top programs. Morris also added immediate defensive help in linebacker Taurean Davis, a top-10 junior college prospect.
Known for identifying and developing overlooked talent during his time at North Texas, Morris brought several of those players with him, including promising three-star additions such as offensive lineman Ryan Mosley and quarterback Broderick Vehrs.
Lupoi arrives following a stint as Oregon’s defensive coordinator with a reputation for building deep recruiting ties, and there’s optimism he can establish a more consistent high school pipeline.
Maintaining the status quo proved to be the biggest win. The Golden Bears didn’t make splashy additions during the transition, but Lupoi’s hiring didn’t disrupt the class, and no players departed during the window after he was named head coach. Sometimes the best starting point is stability. With a solid high school class headlined by four-star tight end Taimane Purcell out of Hawaii, a new era is underway in Berkeley.
The Tigers held onto a trio of ranked linebackers: Jaquez Wilkes, Shadarius Toodle and Adam Balogoun-Ali. They also added a pair of defensive tackles that had been headed elsewhere in Tavian Branch (Penn State) and Corey Wells (Texas). But Auburn’s real progress occurred after the early signing period closed. The Tigers capitalized on unexpected turbulence at Michigan to flip offensive lineman Bear McWhorter and wide receiver Brady Marchese after Sherrone Moore was fired. Golesh could quickly utilize Marchese as a speedy, big-play option who has been recorded at over 22 mph in games.
Alex Golesh speaks on his journey to Auburn, sets expectations (5:02)Golesh discusses his experience as a head coach, how excited he is to be in the War Eagle family while thanking everyone who made it possible and sets his goals for the Tigers. (5:02)
Golesh discusses his experience as a head coach, how excited he is to be in the War Eagle family while thanking everyone who made it possible and sets his goals for the Tigers. (5:02)
Close National recruiting analyst and analyst for ESPNU More than a decade of college and pro coaching experience. Graduated from Indiana and Nebraska-OmahaFollow on X