If you watched any part of Ole Miss’ 41-10 blowout of Tulane, the one common theme you felt was that the absence of former head coach Lane “Benedict” Kiffin was not acknowledged by the home fans; they even appeared to embrace it. It took a while for Rebel Nation to realize it but Kiffin simply was never “one of them” and, while he built the program, he did not measure up to the “Ole Miss family.” Most Rebel fans would probably tell you now they’d rather lose without him than win with him. Kiffin has now been fully exposed and St. Nick (Saban, now known as Mr. Hypocrite) and Pete Carroll, his self-proclaimed advisers, should be ashamed for their comments supporting the manner in which he tried to negotiate his way to both coaching one team and recruiting for another simultaneously. One is the GOAT who ran away from NIL and the transfer portal while the other is a recognized cheater by many. The best part is Kiffin’s LSU Tigers play at Mississippi next year. Good riddance!

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As Indiana prepares to host its first-ever College Football Playoff game as the No. 1 seed, the Hoosiers are quietly already planning for 2026.

Fernando Mendoza, a redshirt junior transfer who led the Hoosiers to a 13-0 regular season, won the 2025 Heisman Trophy after throwing 2,980 yards and a national-best 33 passing TDs and is widely seen as an early NFL first-round prospect.

Should Mendoza depart for the draft, Indiana would be tasked with replacing an elite, NFL-caliber starter, which explains why numerous quarterbacks expected to enter the transfer portal have been linked to the Hoosiers.

On a December 20 episode of “Hoosiers Football Tailgate,” host Coach Griff specifically named TCU quarterback Josh Hoover, who announced he will enter the transfer portal and skip the Alamo Bowl, as a name Indiana should watch.

“I like this guy as a definite target for Indiana,” Griff said. “So, Josh Hoover, keep an eye on him as a potential target… The one I think they’ll really try to get is Hoover.” 

Hoover was a three-star recruit out of Rockwall-Heath (Texas) and initially committed to Indiana in 2021 before flipping to TCU after the school extended an offer. 

He then redshirted in 2022 and became the starter in 2023, producing breakout numbers in 2024 with 3,949 passing yards, 27 passing touchdowns, and 11 interceptions with a 66.5% completion rate.

In 2025, Hoover threw for 3,472 yards and 29 TDs, with 13 INTs, and projects among the most productive returning QBs in 2026 on career totals of 9,629 passing yards, 80 total TDs, and a career passer rating of 147.8.

On3’s NIL valuations list also shows Hoover ranking among the most marketable college quarterbacks, with a valuation in the neighborhood of $2.1 million.

Hoover is an intriguing option for Indiana due to his proven production and Power Five experience, positioning him as a potential one-year, plug-and-play solution as Curt Cignetti prioritizes continuity.

There is also a “full-circle” aspect to his recruitment, as Hoover originally committed to Indiana before flipping to TCU in 2021.

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Two teams that have really embraced the NIL era are set to meet on New Year’s Day. Oregon‘s win over James Madison advanced them to the College Football Playoff quarterfinals, where Texas Tech was waiting on the other side. Now, it’s Dan Lanning vs. Joey McGuire in the Orange Bowl with a lot of resources put into rosters.

Oregon has been at the forefront of NIL since its inception, especially under Lanning. Texas Tech could be considered the new kid on the block after major investment from a few donors. Even so, McGuire sees some similarities between the two when it comes to winning at whatever cost.

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“They’ve got a great booster in Phil Knight that really said, ‘We’re going to go win at the highest level and there’s no excuse when it comes to finance.’ You turn around and I think that we’re showing that we’re doing that. I think we’re really comparable,” McGuire said.

“We’ve got guys that have stepped up and done a great job. I kind of call them the ‘Big Five’ whenever you talk about Cody and John, Mike, Dusty, and Gary. Those guys have, along with everybody else in Red Raider Nation, but those guys have really led the charge. So, we’re kind of comparable on and off the field in this team. They’ve just done it for a little bit longer. That’s what we’re trying to do.”

As he said, McGuire is looking to put together a run similar to Oregon. All four years since hiring Lanning have been a resounding success, finishing with double-digit wins in all of them. This is the program’s second College Football Playoff appearance in the 12-team format, just missing out in 2023 due to a Pac-12 Championship loss.

Oregon won the Big Ten in its inaugural season inside the conference. Texas Tech can check that box already though, winning the Big 12 for the first time in school history. Advancing in the CFP would be a sweet bonus.

No matter the result on Jan. 1, Texas Tech is positioning itself to be successful moving forward. The 2026 recruiting class ranked 20th in the country but No. 1 in the Big 12 per the Rivals Industry Team Rankings. This is all before raiding the NCAA transfer portal, something McGuire and his staff did so well with last offseason.

In the weeks leading up to the opening of the NCAA transfer portal, hundreds of college football players have announced their decisions to leave the schools they played for in 2025 for new horizons next season.

Some cases involve players transferring up from Group of Five or FCS programs to broaden their exposure. Others feature players following their coaches from one school to another due to the coaching carousel. In occasional instances, players are searching for the highest bidder on the portal.

Former Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt is a portal entry drawing the attention of high-bidding college football programs. He will enter the portal with two seasons of eligibility remaining.

On3 ranks Leavitt as the top available quarterback in the transfer portal. Chris Hummer of CBS Sports reported that schools are expected to offer Leavitt around $3 million.

“Sam Leavitt on the open market is going to command a significant amount of money,” Hummer said. “We’re talking $3 million plus most likely. Although, in all fairness, I think teams really do have questions about Sam Leavitt’s injury and what that means moving forward. It’s kind of like the Carson Beck situation a year ago.”

The 6-foot-2, 205-pounder began his college football career with Mel Tucker at Michigan State in 2023. He played in a maximum of four games that season to maintain his redshirt, throwing for 139 yards, two touchdowns, and a pair of interceptions.

Leavitt transferred to Arizona State in the 2024 offseason. The Sun Devils were 10-2 in the regular season and defeated Iowa State (45-19) en route to the program’s first-ever College Football Playoff appearance. Leavitt passed for 2,885 yards, 24 touchdowns and six interceptions and rushed for another 443 yards and five touchdowns.

Postseason honors for Leavitt included Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year and Second Team All-Big 12. His 2,885 passing yards are the most by a freshman quarterback in Arizona State history.

Leavitt’s season was cut short after the Sun Devils’ game against Houston due to a Lisfranc injury. He threw for 1,628 yards, 10 touchdowns and three interceptions while he ran for 306 yards and five touchdowns in seven games.

Arizona State will not start Leavitt in its bowl game. The Sun Devils (8-4, 6-3) will play ACC champion Duke (8-5, 6-2) in the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas (3 p.m. EST, CBS).

The NCAA transfer portal officially opens on Jan. 2, 2026, the final day of bowl games across the FBS ranks. It will remain open for the following two weeks.