Constructing a college football roster is wildly different now than it was even three years ago, as the transfer portal, NIL and revenue sharing completely reshaped the way coaches and programs must operate. 

There are plenty of teams that use the ability to (legally) pay players and the portal to their advantage, but the newness of everything related paying players and the lack of regulations in college football, due to the ever-weakening NCAA, created a number of challenges. 

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian detailed one major problem he hopes to see addressed after a reporter asked about how he approaches building through the portal. Texas doesn’t have much issue with investment or resources, but Sarkisian explained that the lack of a certification process for agents can lead to some absurd situations. 

“I think it’s all so strategic, right? It’s one about need. It’s two about money and the cost and where’s the market and which agent you’re dealing with,” Sarkisian said. “There are some agents that are rational, and there are some agents that this is the first time ever being an agent — I don’t know if they are even licensed to be agents, but all of a sudden they get to be agents because we have no certification process in college football. In the NFL, you have to be certified. In college football, it may be their college roommate their freshman year who’s their agent right now, and this guy is throwing numbers at you and it’s like, we can’t even deal with this. Like, you just move on. It’s unfortunate. And we’ll get there in college football, but right now it’s a tough situation.”

Coaches complaining about NIL and the portal often amount to sour grapes, but Sarkisian’s point about the challenge of dealing with agents which have no previous experience or understanding of the market is a legitimate one. 

That said, you have to wonder if this is fresh in Sarkisian’s mind due to any of Texas’ opt-outs, as they have 13 players who announced intentions to enter the transfer portal and won’t play in the Citrus Bowl. Among them are the Longhorns top three running backs, headlined by Tre Wisner, and their second-leading receiver, DeAndre Moore Jr. 

Eventually one would think some governing body will emerge that can provide some form of regulations on that sort of thing and require certification to help everyone out — as players would be better served being represented by more professional agents. However, it’s not clear when that will happen as the fear of anti-trust litigation led the NCAA to await congressional action, which has yet to materialize in any meaningful way. 

In the meantime, coaches and GMs will have to deal with the occasional green agent who asks the world, which even a program with seemingly endless resources like Texas has to laugh off. 

The college football transfer portal window opens soon with a flurry of high-profile movement expected across the country.

One of the most significant announcements comes from a veteran quarterback, with a reported $1.4 million valuation by On3, who declared his intention to seek a new home for his final senior campaign. This signal-caller brings a wealth of experience and production to the open market as teams look to solidify their rosters for 2026.

This prospect stands out as the most experienced returning starter in the Power 4 conferences with 39 career starts under his belt. He has accumulated 26 victories over the last three years and boasts 83 total touchdowns during his collegiate career. His decision to move on follows a challenging 2025 season where he battled through a partially torn labrum and an AC sprain while leading his team.

Speculation immediately centers on a reunion with his former head coach who recently departed for a prominent job in the Big Ten Conference. The two share a close relationship that could facilitate a quick transition to the new program in State College.

Analysts believe this connection makes the Nittany Lions a logical landing spot for the seasoned passer as he explores his options in a lucrative marketplace.

Quarterback Rocco Becht leaves Iowa State Cyclones to pursue new opportunities

Rocco Becht officially announced his decision to enter the NCAA transfer portal on Dec. 20 through a social media post. The Iowa State Cyclones standout thanked the fanbase and the program before stating his desire to find a new destination for his final year of eligibility. Becht leaves Ames as one of the most productive players in school history and as the coach who guided the team to its first 11-win season in 2024.

His entry into the portal comes shortly after Iowa State Cyclones head coach Matt Campbell accepted the head coaching position with the Penn State Nittany Lions. Campbell and Becht developed a strong bond during their time together in the Big 12 Conference.

Reports from ESPN’s Max Olson suggest Becht is a strong candidate to follow Campbell to Pennsylvania. However, the redshirt junior is expected to consider offers from other schools before finalizing his decision.

The market for experienced quarterbacks has grown expensive with top passers commanding deals in the $3 million to $4 million range. Becht offers a proven track record despite a statistically down year in 2025 caused by multiple injuries. He underwent surgery on his non-throwing shoulder recently to address a labrum issue that plagued him throughout the fall.

The 6-foot-1 quarterback threw for 2,584 yards and 24 touchdowns this past season while managing the physical setbacks. He ends his time at Iowa State with 9,274 passing yards and 64 passing touchdowns.

The NCAA transfer portal window will open for all players on Jan. 2.

Read more on College Football HQ

The NCAA transfer portal officially opens on Friday for all college football players seeking new programs to play for in 2026. The portal will stay open for the following two weeks.

Among the vast number of players who have entered the transfer portal, quarterbacks have received the most attention in recent weeks. No less than seven Power Four starters from the 2025 season are on the move, and there are a number of starters from the Group of Five ranks looking to move into the Power Four.

One Power Four starter on the move is Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby. He will have one season of eligibility remaining at his third school.

While Sorsby is an attractive starter candidate from the transfer portal, one of the strongest contenders lies within the Big 12.

The Athletic recently unveiled projections for each quarterback’s potential destination out of the transfer portal. One of the projections listed Sorsby transferring to Texas Tech in the 2026 offseason.

The Red Raiders are some of the most aggressive NIL spenders in college football, but they have seldom used the portal for a quarterback. Tyler Shough is the only quarterback Texas Tech has started from the portal under Joey McGuire, and he transferred to Louisville after suffering an injury and losing the job to Behren Morton.

Sorsby began his college football career at Indiana under Tom Allen in 2022. He redshirted that season, finishing 3-of-6 passing for eight yards and an interception in a blowout loss to Penn State.

The Hoosiers featured Sorsby in 10 games during the 2023 season. He passed for 1,587 yards, 15 touchdowns and five interceptions and rushed for 112 yards and four touchdowns. Allen was fired by Indiana that offseason, so Sorsby transferred to Cincinnati.

Scott Satterfield immediately named Sorsby as the Bearcats’ starter in 2024. He compiled 2,813 pass yards, 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions to go along with 447 rush yards and nine rush touchdowns. Cincinnati finished the year 5-7, losing each of its last five games.

Sorsby accumulated 2,800 passing yards, 27 touchdown passes and nine interceptions to go along with 580 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground. The 36 total touchdowns are the most in Cincinnati program history.

Since the portal opens on Jan. 2, Sorsby will not play in Cincinnati’s bowl game. The Bearcats (7-5, 5-4) will face Navy (10-2, 7-1) in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl (4:30 p.m. EST, ESPN).

After entering the year ranked No. 2 in the AP Top 25 preseason poll, Penn State endured a turbulent 2025 season that included the firing of long-time head coach James Franklin, a disappointing 3–6 Big Ten conference record, and a late rebound capped by a 22–10 Pinstripe Bowl win over Clemson to finish 7–6.

Chaz Coleman, Penn State’s true freshman defensive end, emerged as one of the program’s more promising underclass pass-rush prospects in 2025, recording eight total tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack, one forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries across five appearances.

However, Coleman announced his decision to enter the transfer portal on December 18 and has since emerged as the No. 1-ranked player in the portal according to 247Sports.

Soon after, reports surfaced regarding Ohio State’s interest in portal edge talent, with On3’s Pete Nakos specifically naming Coleman and listing the Buckeyes among the programs already connected to him.

On Monday, Nakos again linked Coleman to Ohio State, noting significant mutual interest and that the two sides appear close to coming together.

Coleman is a Warren, Ohio, product who arrived at Penn State as a highly regarded high school prospect.

He was listed by On3 as a four-star recruit, the No. 25-ranked edge rusher nationally, and the No. 8-ranked prospect in Ohio, holding more than a dozen offers before choosing the Nittany Lions over Kentucky, Florida State, Illinois, Michigan State, Missouri, and Ohio State.

Ohio State compiled a 12–1 regular-season record in 2025, finished undefeated in Big Ten play before falling to Indiana in the conference title game, and entered the College Football Playoff as the No. 2 seed, drawing a quarterfinal matchup against Miami in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic on Wednesday.

Coleman’s Ohio roots, size (6’4″, 240 pounds), and Ohio State’s recent success developing portal and transfer edge defenders into NFL-caliber players make the Buckeyes a logical fit.

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Kirby Smart’s first college coaching stop was at tiny Valdosta State back in 2000. The team’s strength and conditioning coach was Michael Doscher, who was asked two decades later what Smart was like then, which may have foretold what he would become. Doscher thought for a couple beats, then answered.

“He was humble,” Doscher said.

Valdosta State was a budding cradle of future big-time head coaches — Hal Mumme, Mike Leach, Dana Holgorsen, Will Muschamp — and they all had some “it factor” about them. And for the 22-year-old Smart, fresh off an All-SEC playing career, it was the way he carried himself.

“Kirby was a little more personable about it, more friendly and had that way about him,” Doscher said.

Maybe it’s hard to consider the current Smart — the 10th-year Georgia coach who rants and rails on the sideline, who has six national title rings as a head coach and defensive coordinator — as humble. Yet, it’s also a bit of the secret sauce.

It was for Nick Saban, the man who hired Smart away from Valdosta State and into his vortex, and is now off the stage — essentially replaced by Smart as the accepted best coach in the sport. And while they’re not the same person or coach, the reason they got to the top and stayed there may be the same: The flexibility to adjust when the world around them changes.

Saban, the defensive mastermind and offensive traditionalist, adjusted late in his career to the up-tempo, passing revolution. Smart made the same adjustment, but also to changes in the sport: unlimited transferring, paying players, the flattening of the talent pool such that the Georgias and Alabamas can’t hoard talent like the old days.

Eleven months ago, Smart’s program seemed to be falling back to the pack. The Dawgs were soundly beaten by Notre Dame in the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff, ending a season that had an SEC championship, but also three losses and more close calls. When it ended, Smart declined to make any changes to his coaching staff, to the concern of many in Georgia’s fan base.

And a month into this season, Georgia suffered its first home loss in six years and needed the help of a missed field goal to win at Tennessee. The Dawgs didn’t look like a great team anymore.

Now here they are: SEC champions again. Playing their best ball going into the Playoff, one of three betting co-favorites to win the national title. The Playoff could always re-ignite questions. However, right now, entering Thursday’s Sugar Bowl tilt against Ole Miss, Georgia as an elite program seems inevitable, for a simple reason: The head coach knows what he’s doing.

Staff management

Some saw it as stubbornness. Smart saw it as stability.

Georgia was coming off a rough offensive season in 2024, especially in blocking. Quarterback Carson Beck regressed, receivers dropped passes and there was almost no running game. That was despite three offensive linemen being good enough to be drafted in the first three rounds of the NFL Draft.

And yet Smart opted to bring back offensive line coach Stacy Searals and offensive coordinator Mike Bobo, who was Smart’s college teammate and close friend. To the critics, Smart was allowing personal relationships to cloud his professional thinking. To Smart, he was counting on two veteran coaches with longer track records.

“We’ve built our program around retention,” Smart said in the spring. “I think we’ve got the most stable, not only staff, but stable organization in all of college football. I think that’s what we’ve hung our hat on, is we have stability. We have retention. We have a great foundation. We’re built to last.”

And built, it turns out, to validate Smart’s gamble.

Gunner Stockton and the Georgia offense have soared this season, validating Kirby Smart’s bet on continuity. (Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)

Georgia’s offense may be the reason it made the Playoff, winning early-season shootouts against Tennessee (44-41) and Ole Miss (43-35). New quarterback Gunner Stockton ended up seventh in the Heisman Trophy voting. The running game was a strength. Bobo was named a finalist for the Broyles Award, which goes to the nation’s top assistant.

The defense was realistically the bigger worry until late in the season, when the old Georgia defense showed up again, smothering Texas, Georgia Tech and Alabama.

Still, it goes further than that: Georgia’s special teams have always been an underrated strength, and Smart has put Kirk Benedict in charge of that for several years.

And off the field, the longtime guiding force remains Scott Sinclair, who has been the strength and conditioning coordinator throughout Smart’s tenure. The two are wrapping up their 10th season together.

“This league will chew you up and spit you out,” Smart said, mentioning how other teams have player and coaching turnover, while his program is among the best at retention. “I take a lot of pride in that, and I think that’s one of our weapons.”

Smart in charge (still, with help)

Georgia’s talent advantage isn’t what it was in the pre-2021 days, when unlimited transferring and NIL arrived. The Bulldogs no longer can stow blue-chip recruits on their bench for a few years, then unleash them as starters. It has been a hit to the team’s depth, and occasionally left weak spots on the field.

The program, nonetheless, has also managed it well enough that it still has plenty of talent. Georgia signed 21 of its 24 starters in the SEC championship in one of its past four recruiting classes, all of which ranked in the top three nationally.

And when the program badly needed a difference-making receiver, it got him via the transfer portal. USC’s Zachariah Branch has become such a focal point of the offense that with 73 catches, he’s four away from setting Georgia’s single-season record.

In an age when many programs are hiring a general manager, Georgia already has one: Smart. He has always been the de facto GM, the one in charge of roster procurement. There isn’t a person in charge of it who reports to Smart. There is a football chief of staff — Mark Robinson — and director of player personnel — Will Myers. Still, as the portal and NIL became prominent, Georgia didn’t have to expand its personnel staff. It was already pretty robust.

“We’ve got a lot of people in charge of roster management, including myself, including our football office staff (who) are involved,” Smart said. “Our operations slash player development, player personnel staff, everybody gets involved in that.”

This was what Saban did: He revolutionized college football coaching at Alabama in the late 2000s by hiring analysts, which critics pilloried as staff-bloating, but it was Saban who wanted extra eyes on his team and extra hands in recruiting. Saban was not arrogant enough to think he could do everything.

That’s the formula for Smart in this era: Lots of eyes, ears and mouths involved, then he makes the final call.

“It’s a team effort,” Smart said. “We reorganize and restructure some things in terms of what falls under whose duty and whose aspects. But at the end of the day, I’m not ready to run off and go hire somebody that’s just going to make all the decisions for what goes on the football field. I think I’ve got to stay involved in that heavily. We’ve got the capacity and the quality of people in the areas that I think we need.”

Georgia’s 117 wins since Kirby Smart took over in 2016 are second-most in the country behind only Alabama’s 121. (Todd Kirkland / Getty Images)

Internal culture in the age of NIL and the portal

Georgia has dealt with too many bad headlines over the last few years, with a couple dozen players arrested since the January 2023 car crash that killed a player and staff member. However, Georgia people — administrators, staffers, players — put those issues in a separate category from what they see as a strong internal culture. There is a dichotomy: Players getting in legal trouble is something Smart has had to handle, adjusting his level and manner of punishment. Yet, when it comes to team-building and chemistry in the age of NIL and the portal, not much has changed.

“NIL hasn’t impacted what we’ve been doing,” said Drew Brannon, a sports psychologist who has worked with Georgia since 2018, especially starting with the 2021 national championship season. “The things we’ve built in terms of program DNA have certainly had a positive impact given the ramifications of NIL, but we haven’t done things differently due to NIL, portal, etc.”

Georgia has been practicing skull sessions — when players in small or large groups discuss personal issues or desires — since 2021. Smart has also given Brannon the floor to introduce motivational exercises, such as before the second national championship, using the Netflix and Blockbuster story.

There have been some challenges, especially last year, when players said the connection among teammates, especially on offense, wasn’t as strong. Still, there was also optimism from existing players about the returning 2025 core.

“I’ve got a lot of faith in them,” linebacker Smael Mondon said last February. “They’ve got a good leadership class, and I feel really good about it.”

That’s been borne out. The quarterback change also helped. Beck was quieter and on his own, while Stockton’s personality and playing style endeared him to teammates. Teams often feed off the personality of their quarterbacks. This year’s team pulled off comeback wins over Tennessee, Auburn, Ole Miss and Florida — and it did that last year too. This time, though, it improved as the season continued and looks much better heading into the CFP.

“We do our best to enhance our efforts each year with tweaks, but the fundamentals don’t change, and I think that has a lot to do with why our players and staff don’t flinch when they encounter challenging situations,” Brannon said. “Coach Smart does an incredible job of modeling this from the top, which is what you see in the highest-performing organizations in the world.”

The USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll Top 25 has been refreshed following the eighth week of the season. It was a bit of a light week due to Christmas, but some showdowns still took place amid the holiday celebrations, resulting in some movement throughout the Top 25.

With conference play picking up this coming weekend, we’re getting into the nitty-gritty of the season, where the rankings will fluctuate week-in and week-out. While this past week was packed with tune-up games and not a ton of riveting action, that won’t be the case from now until April.

Regardless, the Coaches Poll Top 25 is certain to see plenty of movement. For now, here’s how things stack up after Week 8. This week’s updated rankings are below.

Michigan enjoyed a full week off and enters the week undefeated at 11–0. The Wolverines return to action with home games against McNeese State on Monday and USC on Friday.

Senior forward Yaxel Lendeborg has been the engine, stuffing the stat sheet with 15.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game. Michigan will look to stay perfect as conference play looms.

Arizona rolled past Bethune 107–71 last Monday to improve to 12–0 on the season. The Wildcats host South Dakota State before traveling to Utah for a road test on Saturday.

Freshman guard Brayden Burries has emerged as a steady scorer, averaging 14.0 points per game. Arizona’s depth and tempo continue to overwhelm opponents early in the season.

Iowa State remained perfect at 12–0 after an off week. The Cyclones host Houston Christian on Monday and West Virginia on Friday.

Junior forward Milan Momcilovic leads the team at 18.3 points per game. Iowa State’s balance continues to separate it from most of the field.

UConn had the week off and remains one of the nation’s most complete teams at 12–1. The Huskies head to Xavier on Wednesday before hosting Marquette on Sunday.

Junior guard Solo Ball leads the backcourt with 15.4 points per game. This week offers a strong measuring stick against Big East competition.

Purdue stayed idle last week but remains firmly entrenched near the top of the Coaches Poll with an 11–1 record. The Boilermakers face a tricky week with a home matchup against Kent State on Monday before heading to Wisconsin on Saturday.

Senior forward Trey Kaufman-Renn continues to anchor the frontcourt, averaging a double-double at 13.9 points and 10.0 rebounds per game. Purdue’s ability to maintain consistency through a two-game week will be closely watched.

Duke remained idle last week and sits at 11–1 entering a two-game stretch. The Blue Devils host Georgia Tech on Wednesday before traveling to Florida State on Saturday.

Freshman phenom Cameron Boozer has been dominant, averaging 23.2 points and 10.0 rebounds per game. Duke will be tested defensively as ACC play intensifies.

Gonzaga extended its winning streak with a victory over Pepperdine on Sunday and sits at 13–1. The Bulldogs play three times this week, traveling to San Diego before hosting Seattle U and LMU.

Junior forward Braden Huff leads the way with 19.1 points per game. Gonzaga’s depth will be tested during the busy stretch.

Houston enters the week at 11–1 after a quiet stretch. The Cougars host Middle Tennessee State on Monday before heading to Cincinnati on Saturday.

Senior guard Emanuel Sharp continues to pace the offense with 17.9 points per game. Houston’s defensive pressure remains its calling card heading into conference play.

Michigan State enjoyed a week off and sits at 11–1 on the season. The Spartans host Cornell on Monday before traveling to Nebraska on Friday.

Senior forward Jaxon Kohler has been a force inside, averaging 13.9 points and 10.3 rebounds. Michigan State will look to sharpen its execution away from home.

BYU cruised past Eastern Washington 109–81 last Monday to improve to 12–1. The Cougars face a lone test this week with a road trip to Kansas State on Saturday.

Freshman star AJ Dybantsa has lived up to the hype, averaging 23.1 points per game. BYU’s offense remains one of the most explosive in the country.

11. Vanderbilt
12. North Carolina
13-T. Nebraska
13-T. Louisville (+1)
15. Alabama
16. Texas Tech
17. Kansas
18. Arkansas
19. Illinois
20. Tennessee
21. Virginia
22. Florida
23. Iowa
24. Georgia
25. St. John’s

Dropped Out: No. 25 USC

Others Receiving Votes: Kentucky 35; USC 25; Utah State 14; Auburn 7; Saint Louis 6; Clemson 6; Seton Hall 5; Oklahoma State 5; Yale 4; UCLA 4; Saint Mary’s 4; LSU 3; California 2; Villanova 1; Miami (OH) 1; Indiana 1