Just like any other college football season, this one has had a variety of stories both good and bad, but not all of them are created equal.

Yeah, we’ve heard about guys like Indiana (the favorite to win the natty) and Penn State (who took the biggest tumble from preseason hype), but what about those with telling performances that flew under the radar, the ones that haven’t been picked apart by the media? They deserve their own shares of the spotlight, and that’s precisely what they’ll be given today.

But the plan is not to simply sit here and list everyone that’s starting their offseason on a remotely good/bad note; rather, it’s to acknowledge the team that’s had the most encouraging run and the one that’s had the most discouraging…at least among those that virtually no one’s seeming to notice. With that said, the choice for our big winner in this equation should be rather agreeable.

Winner: Wake Forest

If you know anything about Wake Forest’s history in the football space, you know that the Demon Deacons usually have to take whatever they can get, but that wasn’t the case this season, as they finished with an objectively sound record of 9-4.

For a program so underhanded to do so well in these greedy times we live in is impressive on its own, but it involving both a road win over a ranked Virginia and a convincing bowl win over an SEC team (Mississippi State)—all while under the management of a first-year head coach in Jake Dickert—sounds borderline unbelievable.

That latter win made the 2025-26 campaign just the fourth to ever see the Deacs reach the nine-win threshold, and it also guaranteeing that the SEC wouldn’t amass a winning record against the ACC didn’t exactly kill any vibes either.

Loser: Nebraska

This selection may come off as weaker, as the Nebraska Cornhuskers are far removed from the days of their mediocrity being a surprise, but to me? This season was the first where they truly felt irredeemable.

Last season’s Huskers weren’t great, but by making and winning a bowl game against a Power 4 opponent to go positive, it appeared as if a page towards relevance was at least beginning to turn. When combining that with head coach Matt Rhule’s fame for his miracle-working usually paying off in his third year with a team (which was this season), some might have argued that 2025 should’ve been a breakthrough…yet here we are.

Despite starting its 2025 slate 7-3, Nebraska entered the Las Vegas Bowl 7-5 after suffering back-to-back blowouts against a struggling, interim-led Penn State, and rival Iowa. As for how things went in Vegas, the Cornhuskers got decimated again, this time against Utah, another team that had recently lost a legendary head coach. That left them with the same 7-6 tally they put up in ‘24, quantifying the lack of improvement.

Especially when other members of the Big Ten are successfully proving their conference to now be college football’s best, few endings are as disheartening as that one was for Nebraska—and just when you thought the gods of this great sport couldn’t test Huskers fans any harder.

The transfer portal has never moved this fast, or this early. Ten days into the winter window — which opened Jan. 2 and runs through Jan. 16 — 25 Power Four college football programs have already reached the 25-player mark in terms of entries as of Sunday morning. That level of turnover typically takes weeks to accumulate. For perspective, 38 Power Four teams reached that threshold across both portal windows last cycle, a process that stretched 40 total days between winter and spring.

This year’s accelerated pace reflects a shifting reality in college football. Roster decisions are being made earlier, with NIL and rev-share leverage and immediate eligibility compressing timelines for both players and staff. While coaching turnover remains a major driver of mass exits, it no longer explains the full scope of the movement.

Of the 18 Power Four programs with the most departures so far this cycle, 11 experienced a head coaching change. The other seven did not — a group navigating heavy roster churn despite overall staff continuity.

Below is a closer look at those Power Four teams without a coaching change that have seen the highest portal attrition so far during this shortened window, and what those departures actually mean beyond the raw numbers.

College football’s transfer portal has spun out of control

Brad Crawford

After posting the second-highest number of transfer portal departures among Power Four programs across both windows of the 2024-25 cycle last year following its coaching transition back to Rich Rodriguez, West Virginia finds itself near the top of the list again. This time, however, the Mountaineers lead all Power Four teams that did not undergo a coaching change, with 46 players exiting via the portal as of Saturday evening.

That raw number, however, needs context.

Only four of those players started at least six games, and just 10 logged 200 or more snaps during the 2025 season, limiting the overall damage to the depth chart. Still, West Virginia did lose meaningful production. Top receiver Cam Vaughn, as well as leading rushers Diore Hubbard and Cyncir Bowers all entered the portal, a notable blow for an offense searching for continuity.

That trio accounted for 11 of West Virginia’s 33 offensive touchdowns this season.

Mike Norvell faces immense pressure to get Florida State back on track in Tallahassee after back-to-back disappointing seasons. That turnaround, however, will once again require significant roster reconstruction. Florida State has the second-most transfer portal departures this cycle among Power Four programs that did not undergo a coaching change.

The most immediate impact has come on the defensive side of the ball. Safeties Edwin Joseph and Earl Little Jr. — who initially declared for the 2026 NFL Draft before entering the portal Tuesday — are the only two departures who started double-digit games. Still, the volume of experience leaving the roster is notable.

Six additional transfers made at least six starts, a figure that doesn’t even include two of the most surprising exits of the cycle: twin defensive linemen Darryll Desir and Mandrell Desir. Both were widely expected to remain in Tallahassee but now rank among the highest-rated edge rushers in Cooper Petagna’s 247Sports transfer portal rankings.

In total, 10 departing Seminoles logged at least 200 snaps this season, leaving Florida State with real snaps — not just roster spots — to replace as Norvell reshapes the roster yet again.

Deion Sanders’ year-to-year rebuild at Colorado begins again. With 35 players entering the transfer portal already this cycle, the Buffaloes are set for another roster reset — but in Sanders’ model, that’s part of the plan, not a setback.

The defensive backfield has taken the hardest hit. Cornerback DJ McKinney, as well as safeties Tawfiq Byard and Carter Soutmire — three of the most experienced starters — are gone, leaving significant gaps in coverage. Offensively, leading receiver Omarion Miller and several linemen depart, meaning Colorado must replace production as well as depth once again. In total, 13 portal exits logged at least 200 snaps this season with six of those being starters.

For Colorado, the 2026 season will test Sanders’ philosophy again: can a continuous transfer‑first approach build enough cohesion and sustained production to compete in the Big 12?

At first glance, Mississippi State’s placement on this list may raise eyebrows, but the context is important. Of the Bulldogs’ 34 transfer portal departures this cycle, only one was a regular starter: defensive lineman Kedrick Bingley-Jones. Just four other players logged more than 200 snaps during the season — offensive lineman Jimothy Lewis Jr., who split time between left and right tackle; wide receiver Jordan Mosley, who caught eight passes on 16 targets; and defensive backs Tony Mitchell and Jayven Williams, reserve players who combined for 43 tackles.

For coach Jeff Lebby and his staff, that’s not particularly alarming. Much of the Bulldogs’ roster turnover has come from depth players rather than key contributors. Mississippi State was in a similar situation during the previous cycle, losing 39 players across both windows — only four of whom were starters.

In other words, while the portal activity is high in volume yet again, the impact on immediate on-field production is limited. 

Until this cycle, Dave Aranda’s program had quietly been one of the more stable operations in the portal era. Baylor entered the winter having lost just 55 players across the previous four transfer cycles — tied for the third-fewest among current Power Four teams, alongside Iowa and behind only Clemson and Northwestern with 44 each.

That context makes this cycle stand out.

Baylor now sits among the top 15 Power Four programs in total departures and ranks tied for fifth among teams that didn’t undergo a coaching change, with 30 exits — already 11 more than the Bears lost in the previous cycle alone. More notably, the attrition cuts into production. Nine departing players logged at least 200 snaps and six of those were regular starters.

The losses span every level of the roster. Interior offensive lineman Coleton Price, the top-ranked IOL transfer in Cooper Petagna’s 247Sports portal rankings, is gone. Linebacker Keaton Thomas leaves after leading the team with 99 total tackles, while safety DJ Coleman and linebacker Emar’rion Winston take proven defensive snaps with them. 

Offensively, Bryson Washington’s exit looms largest after he rushed for 1,816 yards and scored 20 total touchdowns over the past two seasons.

For Baylor, this isn’t just volume — it’s a break from recent precedent as Dave Aranda tries to steady a program that’s seen uneven results six seasons into his tenure.

The portal wasn’t around the last time Scott Frost was building a roster at UCF. During his first stint in Orlando in 2016 and 2017, transfers were few and far between. This time around, the rebuild is unfolding in a far more volatile environment — and the volume reflects it. UCF has seen 30 players enter the portal this cycle, a notable number as Frost continues to reshape the roster for his second tenure.

Like some of the teams near the top of this list, the Knights have lost meaningful contributors. Four departing players were regular starters in 2025. Wide receiver DJ Black finished as the team’s fourth-leading receiver with 273 yards and two touchdowns. Defensive lineman John Walker, a 320-pound interior presence, totaled 39 tackles and was a key piece of the rotation up front. Quarterback Tayven Jackson made 10 starts, while center Carter Miller started nine games before injuries cut his season short.

Beyond those starters, the attrition extends into the rotation. Defensive lineman Rodney Lora, edge rusher Jamaal Johnson and tight end Kylan Fox each logged at least 200 snaps, further chipping away at experienced depth.

Other Power Four programs without a coaching change that have already reached the 25-departure mark include Ohio State (29), Louisville (28), North Carolina (27), Syracuse (26), Illinois (25), Kansas (25), Oklahoma (25) and Tennessee (25).

The hiring of Kyle Whittingham at Michigan may have caught much of the college football world off guard. However, FOX Sports analyst Joel Klatt believes the move checks every box the Wolverines needed to address.

Speaking on The Joel Klatt Show, Klatt called Michigan’s decision to bring in Whittingham a “home run,” citing the unique challenges surrounding the search, and how seamlessly the longtime Utah head coach fits the moment in Ann Arbor.

“This seems like a tremendous fit. This seems like a home run because it checks off all of these boxes,” Klatt said. “The timing is a challenge. The play-identity is a challenge. Culture reset and stabilization, that’s a challenge. Any one of those four is going to be very difficult to find. And yet, Kyle Whittingham checks the box in all four.”

Alas, Michigan moved quickly after firing Sherrone Moore earlier last month following an investigation into an inappropriate relationship with a staff member. The timing of the opening, coinciding with the start of the transfer portal and a limited coaching market, made the search particularly difficult. Many around the sport believed Michigan would be forced into a short-term or high-risk hire.

Instead, the Wolverines landed one of the most respected and stable figures in college football. Whittingham spent 22 seasons at Utah, compiling a 177–88 record while building the program into a consistent national presence.

He won two Pac-12 championships, produced eight double-digit win seasons and famously finished 13–0 in 2008, capped by a Sugar Bowl victory over Alabama. His teams became known for their physicality, discipline and consistency, traits Michigan is eager to reestablish.

Many assumed Whittingham’s resignation from Utah signaled retirement. Instead, the 64-year-old opted for a new challenge, stepping into a Michigan program just two years removed from a national championship in 2023. With Big Ten resources, elite recruiting infrastructure and a roster still stocked with high-level talent, Klatt believes the move is about more than stability.

“He looks at this as an opportunity to actually go out there and compete for a national championship,” Klatt claimed. He certainly has the chance to do so now.

After weeks of uncertainty, Michigan appears to have found exactly what it needed in Whittingham. A proven winner, steady hand and a coach capable of restoring trust while keeping the Wolverines firmly in the national title conversation.

Ahead of the Indiana Hoosiers and Miami Hurricanes’ clash in the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship Game on Monday, January 19, the SEC’s absence from a third-straight title game has many thinking the conference’s demise is here.

USA Today’s Matt Hayes is one of those people. Hayes called out the Alabama Crimson Tide, Georgia Bulldogs, LSU Tigers, Florida Gators, and Texas A&M Aggies by name for failing their sky-high expectations in the NIL/rev-share era.

As Hayes pointed out, Texas Tech Red Raiders superbooster and Fort Worth oilman Cody Campbell has built a program with rev-share payouts that used to resemble the schools that “didn’t pay” their players before student athletes started cashing sanctioned paychecks.

“There are millionaires and billionaires who love their universities and are obsessive about winning. Throw open the doors to NIL and free player movement — and legalized big booster involvement — and watch how quickly the SEC looks like the ACC,” Hayes wrote.

“Watch how quickly Alabama comes back to the pack, and Georgia can’t get out of the quarterfinals in the CFP. How quickly LSU and Florida and Texas A&M spend hundreds of millions of dollars to fire coaches and start over. 

“More to the point, watch how quickly the deep-pocket Cody Campbells of the world begin to simply play by the rules laid out by the SEC and Big Ten ― and build teams that look and play like SEC teams of the past.”

What Campbell is doing in the open, with public information on all salaries available at a state school per an information request, is more honorable than the bagmen of years past, who gave the “It Just Means More” tagline a devilish undertone. Obligatory mention of the cars Crimson Tide players were driving during their dominant 2010s era.

It’s just sad to see this change, since societies in the south were built on winning football.

Auburn’s fall in the rev-share/NIL era is understated, but it’s still a thing

Going from a College Football world that once saw Alabama win every other year, Georgia doing the same at the very end, and schools like LSU and Florida formerly dominated before, or right when Nick Saban arrived in Tuscaloosa, is more dramatic than going to a world where the Auburn Tigers went from an 8-10-win team to a perennial loser.

That doesn’t mean Auburn’s fall hasn’t happened. It has, and it’s been stark. It’s the same world, and it’s the one we’re living in.

As the Plains sees new, modern structures being erected everywhere, there is a lack of the same character from when the team was winning games, and the Auburn Creed meant something. From the sounds of it, the Creed’s principles were absent under the last two full-time head football coaches’ regimes.

Just like the perennial contenders in the conference, the Tigers need to figure out how to restore glory and make “It Just Means More” hit like it used to. Easier said than done, but all sports are cyclical, and the current CFB landscape will always favor the SEC and Big Ten.

So it should happen sometime in the future. Especially with a different personality like Alex Golesh in tow.

Only time will tell, though.

Tennessee safety Boo Carter has committed to Colorado out of the NCAA transfer portal, On3 has learned. Carter had a bit of a rocky relationship with the Volunteers, ultimately departing the program before the 2025 campaign had finished.

In two seasons at Tennessee, Carter recorded 63 tackles. He also notched two sacks, three forced fumbles, an interception and three passes defended.

Carter earned numerous SEC-related honors stemming from the 2024 season. He was a 2024 SEC All-Freshman team selection. He was also a 2025 preseason All-SEC third-team selection by the league’s coaches.

Boo Carter was arguably his most productive in terms of getting his hands on the ball in 2025. He logged 25 tackles, a sack, three forced fumbles and three passes defended this season.

But Carter didn’t stick around for the full season at Tennessee. He did not play in the team’s 42-9 win over New Mexico State in November. That absence was conspicuous.

Coach Josh Heupel expressed some disappointment in Boo Carter after the game. He shed a little light on the situation.

“At the end of the day, there’s a standard you’ve gotta meet to be in that locker room,” Heupel said. “So he was not out on the field with us. That will be my last response to anything related to that for right now.”

Boo Carter also missed several days with the team in July and went into call camp with questions about his availability. But he was able to work his way back into the good graces of the staff.

Ultimately, things didn’t end up working out at Tennessee. Shortly after that New Mexico State game, it was reported that Carter was splitting with the program.

“No, not regretful,” Heupel said. “At the end of the day, it’s our job as coaches to try to mold these guys, and that’s a part of the commitment that you make, you know, in the recruiting process and when they decide to come. You know, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. And, you know, at the end of the day, we’re moving forward.”

Prior to enrolling at Tennessee, Boo Carter was ranked as a four-star prospect and the No. 111 overall recruit in the nation, according to the Rivals Industry Rankings. He also checked in as the No. 3 athlete in the class and the No. 3 overall player from the state of Tennessee, hailing from Chattanooga (TN) Bradley Central.