With the advent of NIL and the transfer portal, college football coaches can flip rosters faster than ever, and Indiana's Curt Cignetti proved it, needing just two seasons to bring a national championship to Bloomington. That success puts immediate pressure on first-year head coaches, and On3 is breaking down 10 who could win big right away, starting with two facing the highest stakes.
Lane Kiffin, LSU
LSU opened up the checkbook for one of the top rosters in college football, headlined by transfer portal additions Sam Leavitt at quarterback and Jordan Seaton on the offensive line. Kiffin has avoided setting Year 1 expectations, but with that much talent in Baton Rouge, the pressure to win right away is real. The Tigers aren't done adding, either, bringing in Notre Dame EDGE Junior Tuihalamaka out of the portal Friday thanks to a TRO in Louisiana.
James Franklin, Virginia Tech
Franklin steps into Blacksburg looking to reset his career after a rocky exit from Penn State, and he's not wasting time building a roster to do it. The pressure is different this time: not championship-or-bust, but proving he can still develop a program from a lower rung of the sport. Virginia Tech's fan base has waited years for relevance, and Franklin knows patience will run thin fast if results don't follow.
Pete Nakos broke down eight other coaches who are poised for immediate success this season, and the names further down the list might be even bolder calls.
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