Going into the 2025 season for the Virginia Tech football team, expect the unexpected. Yes, that’s right, just like Big Brother, anything is possible. In the overall picture, that is not a bad thing, if we’re being honest after the struggles of 2024.

There has been a lot of roster turnover and turnover on the coaching staff. Brent Pry is 16-21 in his first three years in Blacksburg. He is excited about the potential this roster has if everyone stays healthy. As we know, that’s a big “if.” Regardless, one college football writer had an eye-opening take on the Hokies this season in previewing the ACC.

A college football analyst has an eye-opening take on Virginia Tech football for 2025

Bill Connolly of ESPN had a column, “2025 ACC college football projections, preview” that broke down each team in the conference, and when it came to Virginia Tech, he had one eye-opening take about the upcoming season and Virginia Tech’s roster,

“With how close Pry has come to success, it’s not optimal to deal with this much change at once, but this roster might have more upside than any Pry has led in Blacksburg.”

What caught my eye was the last part about the roster having more upside than any Pry had led in Blacksburg. That is certainly a rather stunning take after the roster he had last season with the NFL talent on it and the players lost in the transfer portal, but it’s a promising take for sure. Pry and his staff added some very nice pieces, potentially, through the portal and some underrated ones on both sides of the ball.

Like everyone else, health will be a major factor in any success Virginia Tech has this season, as well as Pry getting over the hump and winning one-score games. We have highlighted some of the players who have come in and could be impact players, but sometimes when a team enters the season coming off a season of disappointment, they can surprise a lot of people and it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Hokies do that this fall. It’s a big year, but one that could be better than some think.

Wolverines head coach Dusty May is officially on the board in the 2026 class.

Marcus Möller, a 7-foot-3 center from Denmark, has committed to Michigan. The 18-year-old big man played for Unicaja Baloncesto in the Spanish Tercera FEB during the 2024-25 season. It’s a professional basketball club based in Spain.

Möller participated with Denmark in the FIBA U18 EuroBasket in 2024, where he averaged 13.1 points and 7.4 rebounds.

Möller will need time to develop and get stronger, but he possesses tremendous size and length, moves well, and has strong shooting mechanics. His skill set is very intriguing. Highlights can be found at the bottom of the story.

Möller on his commitment to Michigan

Marcus Möller discussed his decision to choose Michigan with Rivals.

“I really felt a special connection with Michigan. The staff, the players, and people around the team fit my values and carry a good vibe. I will be surrounded by athletes and people who play to win and develop.”

What led to his trust in Dusty May?

“We share visions of my future, and he will put me in a situation where I will develop. He will push me to make me the best version of myself as a basketball player as well as a person. His focus on the person and not just the basketball player builds a healthy environment for growth.”

In his own words, what type of player is Michigan getting in Marcus Möller?

“I’m a 7’2 versatile big. I can stretch the court and knock down shots, but also create mismatches and advantages for the team. I show a big presence in the defense with my length and timing. I am mobile and play with a high basketball IQ. I’m ready to compete and bring my values to the team every day.”

He has a message for Michigan fans.

“I can’t wait to be a part of Michigan and represent this program with pride. I’m ready to work, compete, and give everything I’ve got for the maize and blue. Big things are coming, and this is special. Go Blue! Go Michigan!”

As Power Four media days begin this week with the Big 12’s annual preseason event in Frisco, Texas, the 2025 college football season is just around the corner. In fact, the 2025 regular season officially kicks off seven weeks from Saturday with the first full slate of games set for a week later on Aug. 30.

In the meantime, Ranking SZN remains in full swing and no ranking season is complete without an updated list of college football’s best head coaches. And now, a full year and a half removed from Nick Saban‘s surprise retirement following the end of the 2023 season, Pro Football Focus unveiled its definitive list of the Top 10 head coaches in college football ahead of the 2025 regular season.

While there might be little debate at the top, the rest of PFF’s Top 10 list is sure to create controversy among multiple college football fan bases. How do you think PFF did with its Top 10 ranking?

Pro Football Focus’ list of college football’s Top 10 head coaches entering 2025 season:

Ever since the retirement of his coaching mentor (Saban), Smart has ascended to the top of nearly every coaching list, especially having won two of the last four College Football Playoff national championships. Smart is an incredible 105-19 over nine seasons at his alma mater, including 62-11 in SEC league play, and has made four CFP appearances since 2017.

Of course, after last season’s disappointing one-and-done Playoff appearance amid an 11-3 campaign, Smart’s place atop to this list could face its first serious challenge if the Bulldogs don’t show improvement in 2025. After back-to-back national titles in 2021-22, Georgia fans expect to be back in the thick of the national championship hunt well into January. Anything less could see Smart’s pedestal take a hit.

Day climbs to No. 2 after guiding the Buckeyes to the program’s first CFP national championship in a decade last season, rolling through the first-ever 12-team field with relative ease. Despite his continued struggles against bitter rival Michigan — OSU has lost four-straight in The Game — Day is nevertheless one of college football’s winnest coaches with a 70-10 overall record in six years in Columbus.

That said, Day’s status on this list could go multiple ways depending on how things fare in 2025. If the Buckeyes can somehow go back-to-back, he could leapfrog Smart at No. 1. Of course, if Ohio State falls off and either misses out on the CFP completely and/or loses a fifth-straight to the Wolverines, Day could plummet down this list along with reemerging hot seat talk.

As the only other current collegiate head coach with a national championship on his resume, Swinney cracks the Top 3 having led the Tigers to CFP national titles in 2016 and 2018. PFF also points out Swinney’s domination of the ACC, including winning his ninth ACC championship last season to secure Clemon’s sixth CFP appearance — which is two more than Smart.

The Tigers enter the 2025 season with renewed national championship hype thanks in large part to a mostly intact roster that won the ACC a year ago, including star QB Cade Klubnik. If Swinney can lead Clemson back to the CFP promised land, it could certainly propel him even further up this list. Of course, any struggles with what is expected to be a championship-caliber roster could heat things up for Swinney.

PFF rounds out its Top 5 with two of the youngest head coaches on this list, giving the nod at No. 4 to the 39-year-old Lanning, who is an impressive 35-6 across three seasons in Eugene. Lanning’s success rate sits just behind Day among current head coaches, and includes a Big Ten championship after the Ducks rolled through conference play undefeated in its first season in the league.

Should Lanning continue Oregon’s upward trajectory in 2025, especially if the Ducks can make the program’s third-ever national championship game, it’s not hard to imagine his further climb up this list. But in the meantime, Lanning sits pretty at No. 4 with no sign of slowing down anytime soon.

Much like Lanning, the 39-year-old Freeman rounds out PFF’s Top 5 head coaches after Notre Dame responded from an early-season loss to Northern Illinois to finish as national runner-ups in 2024. Freeman’s 2024 run through the CFP saw him achieve victories over three other coaches on this list, including a quarterfinal upset of Kirby Smart’s Georgia.

Despite breaking in a new starting QB this season, Freeman’s Fighting Irish are projected to once again make the CFP and potentially challenge for a national championship. And if Freeman is able to achieve Notre Dame’s first national title since 1988, you can expect his continued climb up this list.

PFF begins the back-half of its Top 10 with the man the officially brought Texas “back” to national prominence after back-to-back College Football Playoff appearances. Before the ‘Horns reached 12 wins in 2023, Texas had just one double-digit win season (2018) since 2010. But that’s no more as Sarkisian’s Longhorns enter 2025 with serious national championship aspirations.

Sarkisian is 38-17 in four seasons at Texas, including 25-5 overall and 15-2 in the SEC over the past two seasons, and has the ‘Horns primed for even more behind former No. 1 overall recruit Arch Manning at quarterback. If Sark and the next Manning scion can win it all in 2025, expect to see him continue to climb this list in the years to come.

Saban’s replacement at Alabama didn’t quite live up to the lofty standards set by his predecessor over the prior 17 seasons in 2024, but that disappointment has only translated into a renewed recruiting effort that has confidence riding high in Tuscaloosa. Despite the Tide’s first sub-10 win season since Saban’s initial campaign in 2007, DeBoer gets the nod thanks to his exquisite coaching resume.

Prior to arriving at Alabama, DeBoer was 25-3 overall in two seasons at Washington, including making the 2023 CFP national championship game, and is still an eye-popping 113-16 across 10 seasons as a collegiate head coach. Given the Tide’s returning talent, especially on defense, Alabama once again enters a season with national title aspirations.

Always the bridesmaid, never the bride, Franklin finally appears primed for a truly special season in 2025, with the Nittany Lions potentially entering the season as the nation’s No. 1 team. Franklin led Penn State to a runner-up finish in the Big Ten last season and the program’s first CFP appearance, where it lost a back-and-forth game to Notre Dame in the national semifinal.

Frankin, 53, is 101-42 in 11 seasons in University Park, including topping double-digit wins the past three seasons. And given the wealth of returning talent, including senior QB Drew Allar and backfield RB tandem Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen, the sky is the limit for Franklin and Penn State this season.

Kelly left Notre Dame to come to LSU in late 2021 to compete for national championships, but since arriving in Baton Rouge, championships have been hard to come by. Even in the SEC. Kelly has a career 292-107-2 head coaching record, including 29-11 overall and 17-7 in SEC play in three seasons at LSU.

But as Tigers fans begin to grumble, Kelly’s seat gets warmer by the day. Still, LSU enters the 2025 season with a preseason Heisman Trophy favorite in QB Garrett Nussmeier. And if Kelly can finally put it all together and return to the CFP for the first time since winning it all in 2019, Kelly could climb up this list.

PFF caps its Top 10 list with the second-year Hoosiers head coach following a historic 2024 season in which Indiana won a program-record 10 straight games to open Cignetti’s first season in Bloomington. The Hoosiers would go onto finish 11-2 overall and 8-1 in Big Ten play to make the program’s first College Football Playoff.

2024 was actually Cignetti’s second-consecutive double-digit win season after going 11-1 in 2023 at James Madison. If Cignetti can keep pilling up 10-win seasons, especially in Year 2 at Indiana, expect the veteran 64-year-old coach to continue to climb up PFF’s head coaching ranking next year.

FRISCO, Texas — Behren Morton has been at Texas Tech since 2021, practically a lifetime for quarterbacks these days. A lot has happened in Lubbock since he arrived as a teenager from Eastland. He goes back so far, he can even remember when the Red Raiders weren’t sitting on the front row of college athletics’ bold new era.

Which beats the back row, by the way.

“Being at Tech for such a long time,” Morton said, “I’ve seen the really bad of Texas Tech, and now I’m starting to see the good of Texas Tech.”

Here’s what it looks like from here: Red Raider athletes will make a reported $55 million in name, image and likeness deals this school year, apparently an NCAA record. And that doesn’t count the $5.1 million Tech just guaranteed a Mansfield Lake Ridge offensive tackle over three years. Once he actually graduates from high school, that is.

And let’s not forget the former Red Raider offensive tackle turned billionaire out to spend whatever it takes to make his alma mater a national contender while simultaneously making a case to save college football from itself.

If it sounds like a lot for a school that hadn’t made any waves since the Pirate sailed the West Texas plains, it is.

Consider the case of Cody Campbell, a 43-year-old billionaire who went from slugging it out in the offensive line under Mike Leach to hitting it big in oil and gas. Campbell is the face of the Texas Tech Matador Club, the collective financing most of those NIL contracts, including the million-plus that persuaded NiJaree Canady to leave Stanford and lead Tech to within one game of a national softball title.

Tech’s NIL profile is the reason the Red Raiders came in second behind only LSU in the latest transfer portal rankings after finishing no better than 25th in the previous three.

Case in point: Micah Hudson, a five-star receiver out of Lake Belton, who boomeranged from Tech to Texas A&M and back again.

“I think it’s going to be a great story,” Joey McGuire said.

Before getting to the story on the field, how about the one Tech made Tuesday in USA Today? Under the headline, “Meet Cody Campbell, the billionaire Texas Tech booster with plan to save college football,” the subject proposed a cure for college athletics. His solution would require the Big Ten and SEC to pool their media rights with the Big 12 and ACC. Why would the big boys do that when their payouts far outpace those of the Big 12 and ACC? Because, as a “high-placed” industry official told USA Today, the four conferences could double their current combined take of $3 billion in a single-payee model.

Campbell thinks he can make it work because of his relationship with the White House’s current occupant, a noted sports fan. Campbell apparently won’t need a commission like the one headed by a former MLB executive to vet NIL deals and police the market.

Per USA Today: “Campbell, for lack of a better explanation, will be the deal-maker — with the power of the presidency, the threat of antitrust law and a growing disdain for the evolving state of college sports behind him.”

The irony in all this is that a lot of folks who work in college athletics think Campbell is one of the problems, not the answer.

He’s aware of the irony, if you were wondering.

“The best thing that could happen to Texas Tech is the same system persists,” he told USA Today. “We are gaining ground on blue blood programs because we have donor money, and people willing to put it to work. Why would I do anything to fix things long-term? I have no reason to do it other than the system, and the opportunity to change the trajectory of student-athletes’ lives and preserve the system long-term for more than 500,000 student athletes.

“This isn’t a hobby, this has become my calling.”

If it all seems more than little incongruous, Dallas’ Jim Sowell, a former chair of Tech’s Board of Regents, is a believer.

“The SEC and Big Ten dismiss him at their peril,” he told me.

First, of course, the Red Raiders need to demonstrate all the money boosters are throwing at them actually pays off in something more than the usual. Over the last four seasons, Tech has alternated seasons of 8-5 and 7-6, no better than what it’s averaged over the last 40 years. The Red Raiders will need to do better than that if they want to become one of the two or three top programs Brett Yormark says the Big 12 needs to make inroads in a national conversation.

Can the Red Raiders make such a statement? They’ve got the bank statement, as well as a veteran quarterback who’s finally healthy; a promising new offensive coordinator in Mack Leftwich; an embarrassment of riches at receiver and three members of the Big 12’s preseason All-Conference team, including linebacker Jacob Rodriguez, the projected Defensive Player of the Year. It’s more than what we’re used to from Lubbock, all right. Spike Dykes would hardly know the place.

©2025 The Dallas Morning News. Visit dallasnews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

“I feel like I would have been throwing something away that I didn’t want to throw away,” forward Caden Pierce told the Daily Princetonian in November when asked about the possibility of transferring after the 2023–24 season. 

Fast forward to July, and Pierce joins former standout guard Xaivian Lee and former assistant coach Brett MacConnell as marquee departures from the Tiger squad. 

The former Ivy League Player of the Year in the 2023–24 season and second-team All-Ivy this past year announced on Instagram he will be sitting out his senior season to retain his final year of eligibility.

In the post, Pierce attributed significant change to Princeton’s team and the Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) landscape in the NCAA as reasons to not play his final year. Top athletes in major sports, including basketball, now command hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars on the open market.

“Whether that [change] is teammates and coaches that I came in with leaving, or the broader landscape of college basketball evolving, all of these factors have led me to sit out my senior year of basketball at Princeton,” Pierce wrote.

Pierce expressed gratitude to the team and the Princeton community in his announcement. 

“I am forever grateful to Coach Henderson, my teammates, and the broader Princeton Men’s Basketball community for the opportunity they provided me these past three years.”

Pierce’s comments indirectly referenced his close friend and fellow star Xaivian Lee’s transfer to Florida in April and to the decision of Head Coach Mitch Henderson ’98 to move on from former Associate Head Coach Brett MacConnell. Both departures shook up Princeton Basketball this offseason after the Tigers’ heartbreaking loss to top-seeded Yale in the Ivy League Tournament. 

Lee and Pierce took the Ivy League by storm in their sophomore seasons, each averaging over 16.5 points per game. The two were the frontrunners for the Player of the Year Award, which was given to Pierce in the end. 

In this past season, the pair led the team again in scoring and demonstrated themselves as seasoned leaders despite the team’s struggles. Lee’s departure is a clear loss of an integral part of Pierce’s Tiger career. 

Recently hired by Stanford, MacConnell was the driving force behind Pierce’s recruitment and other previous Princeton stars as the team’s lead recruiter. The team’s choice to not extend MacConnell, well-respected and liked by players, adds more uncertainty to the upcoming season.

Henderson declined to comment on Pierce’s announcement and the upcoming season.

Get the best of the ‘Prince’ delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe now »

By retaining his final year of eligibility, Pierce now possesses the opportunity to play a year of basketball as a grad transfer at a different school. Under NCAA eligibility rules, student-athletes have five years to complete four full years of sports. 

In the brief past since NIL was introduced, players at top academic programs like Princeton have had to weigh the value of a degree from their original school with the large sums available at larger programs with huge bases of alumni donors. The University has maintained the position that the value of a Princeton education outweighs the temporary NIL opportunities at other schools.

Pierce, by sitting out, tries a new strategy aimed at securing both benefits, and possibly the third gain of completing a graduate degree.

ESPN reports that Pierce intends to enter the transfer portal as soon as possible in the fall.

“It takes away the speed-dating process of the postseason transfer portal,” Pierce told ESPN. “It’s going to be more of a high school recruiting process, I’d like to think. Because I won’t be involved with the team, I can take some visits here and there, move at a slower pace, it won’t have to be so rushed.”

Pierce’s numbers dipped last year as he struggled with a hurt ankle — an injury he told ESPN he could have sat out more and recovered for last season.  Despite the down season, Pierce still remains a former Ivy League Player of the Year with a unique skillset that is sure to attract top schools.

He will get the chance to give teams a preview this summer as a part of Team USA’s U23 3×3 team. After that, however, Pierce will spend several months away from competitive basketball.

Without Pierce, the Tigers will not have a single senior on the roster this season, as transfers from Lee to Florida and forward Jack Scott to Duke left Pierce as the last man standing. The Tigers will need the crop of juniors and sophomores to step up to fill the absence of leadership and production.

Davis is the only returning player who played over 20 minutes a game last season. The Chicago native has demonstrated flashes of brilliance, putting up 17 points per game in the first five games of last season, but his minutes and production were inconsistent late in the season. 

“Everyday I’m doing my best to grow as a person and a leader,” junior guard Dalen Davis wrote to The Daily Princetonian. “Obviously with the departure of any player from our team, but especially three seniors, it requires everybody else to step up and mature a lot faster, which I believe we will be ready for.”

Forwards Jacob Huggins and Jackson Hicke round out the junior class. The two have been solid rotation players and will now inherit the bulk of the responsibilities on the wing and in the frontcourt for the Tigers.

The sophomore class, led by forwards Malik Abdullahi and CJ Happy and guard Jack Stanton, showed promise throughout the season in individual spurts, yet none played more than 15 minutes a game. With holes open on the roster, the three underclassmen will be thrust in the fire from the start of the season.

Pierce’s decision to forgo his senior season of basketball for the Tigers closes the door on the legacy of the 2023 Sweet Sixteen and begins a new period of uncertainty for a program accustomed to finishing in the top of the Ivy League and vying for NCAA Tournament appearance.

While Yale brought back everyone excluding seniors and Penn hired former Iowa Head Coach Fran McCaffery in addition to bringing in new transfers, Princeton has headed in the opposite direction. The Tigers will enter the season as a hefty underdog to win the Ivy League title.

“It was inevitable that at some point we would see the departure of those three guys. While it’s earlier than expected, we still have a bunch of guys who are here for the next few years and eager to get started,” Davis wrote.

Harrison Blank is a head Sports editor for the ‘Prince’.

Please send any corrections to corrections@dailyprincetonian.com.

Data provided by Student Athlete Score

(July 8th, 2025) – From Olympic hopefuls to rising stars in the Big Ten, college athletes continue to land major NIL partnerships across sports and campuses nationwide. Last week’s top Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals highlight a growing mix of powerhouse brands and local supporters investing in female student-athletes. From Dick’s Sporting Goods to MSU Federal Credit Union, these deals reflect the evolving landscape of college sports marketing. Below, we recap the standout signings from the week of June 30th, 2025.