College football has had an eventful offseason that saw dozens of high-profile transfers, some big-name coaches coming and going, as well as a bunch of trash talk between programs. All of that has set us up for a wild 2025-26 season with a whole lot of unpredictability to come. The College Football Playoff will undoubtedly add to that and deliver magic at the end of the season, but what happens to the teams that fall short of expectations?
Going into the 2025-26 season, a number of high-profile coaches are facing pressure to win this year or are potentially looking for work next offseason.
These are the 10 with the most to prove entering the 2025 College Football season.
10 Coaches With the Most to Prove Entering the 2025 CFB Season?
10. Kalen DeBoer – Alabama
Kalen DeBoer did bring Alabama to a Bowl game in his first year as coach, but missed the CFP. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
DeBoer took the Alabama job following maybe the greatest coach of all time in Nick Saban, which led to some massive expectations. After losing three games combined in his final two seasons at Washington, DeBoer lost four in his first year with the Tide, while also missing the CFP. That won’t fly for two years in a row. He is going to need a big second year to prove he can hack it in the SEC and make it through his full contract.
9. Brian Kelly – LSU
Brian Kelly is preparing for his fourth season with LSU, but has been a head coach for far longer. (Photo by Brendan Baldwin/LSU/University Images via Getty Images)
Kelly has been at LSU for three years and has yet to post a campaign with fewer than three losses. That hasn’t been good enough to earn a CFP bid to this point. Once he was hired, there was concern he wouldn’t be able to compete at the highest level of the SEC. Going into his fourth season, Kelly has a lot to prove if he truly wants to be at that highest level.
8. Billy Napier – Florida
Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier points and smiles as he poses with Florida Gators defensive lineman Michai Boireau. (Photo by Chris Leduc/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
After a great run with Louisiana, Napier took his talents to Gainesville in 2022. Fast-forward to 2025, and he has had two under .500 seasons leading into last season’s 8-5 campaign. That won’t cut it long-term. If Napier is going to stick around with the Gators, he is going to need a much more successful year in the highly competitive SEC.
Mike Norvell yells across the field during a college football game between the Florida Gators and the Florida State Seminoles. (Photo by Chris Leduc/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Hard to believe, but Norvell is entering his sixth season with the Seminoles. Unfortunately, though, his last season was by far his worst. After going a combined 23-4 over the previous two seasons, Florida State finished last season at just 2-10. A lot of that can be traced to injuries and some poor roster fits, but either way, Norvell has a lot to prove in 2025.
6. Hugh Freeze – Auburn
Hugh Freeze is looking for a season with a winning record. (Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images)
The start of the Hugh Freeze era at Auburn has not been a stellar one. With back-to-back seasons under .500, Freeze is going to feel some real pressure in 2025, despite being in the extremely competitive SEC. If he is going to prove he can stick in the new-era SEC, he is going to need a much better season this year.
5. Mario Cristobal – Miami (FL)
A huge turnaround in 2024 changed the conversation in Miami. (Photo by Doug Murray/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
After two lackluster seasons with the Hurricanes, Cristobal and Miami turned it around to the tune of a 10-3 season. That comes after he combined for 13 losses in those first two seasons. The question is if Cristobal and Miami can repeat last season’s 10-win performance in an ACC that is likely to be a little better than last season’s.
Like Matt Rhule, Luke Fickell is trying to turn his school into a winner once more. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)
Fickell’s first two seasons at the head of the Badgers have been anything but noteworthy. His current record at Wisconsin sits at 13-13, a steep drop-off from Paul Chryst leading the team to three straight 10-win seasons from 2015-2017. The job won’t get any easier in 2025 with a loaded Big Ten set to challenge them at every turn.
A Bowl victory is something, but there remains work for Rhule’s Cornhuskers to do. (Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images)
Two seasons into his time at Nebraska, Rhule is 12-13 overall. The good news is, last season was a two-win improvement, and the recruiting and transfer portal have both been very kind to the Cornhuskers. If he can help lead the team to another small step forward, Rhule will once again prove he is a master at rebuilding, but with the Big Ten stacked, there is a lot for him to prove.
2. Lincoln Riley – USC
Riley’s USC toppled Texas A&M in a bowl game last season, but the CFP is the ultimate goal. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)
After going a combined 21-5 in 2021 and 2022, Riley has struggled in 2023 and 2024, sporting a 15-11 record overall. Those two seasons do include two bowl wins, something that most schools would love to be able to say, but at USC, that is not what they are after. The CFP is where USC wants to be. In 2025, the Trojans are expecting another CFP berth, something Riley will need to prove he can deliver in a fierce Big Ten.
1. Brett Venables – Oklahoma
Things were looking up for Venables’ Sooners until they wereback down again. (Photo by Jeffrey Vest/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
It is now or never for Venables, who has one 10-win season sandwiched between two 6–7 campaigns at Oklahoma. This is his first head coaching stop, and over three seasons it has been anything but a home run. Oklahoma is in a crunch now, with its move to the SEC, there are a lot of schools competing for CFP spots, including the Sooners. Venables will need to prove he can coach at the highest level in college football if he is going to stick, a tall task for the former Clemson DC.
Honorable mentions:
- Bill Belichick – UNC
- Jonathan Smith – Michigan State
- Josh Heupel – Tennessee
- James Franklin – Penn State
- Trent Dilfer – UAB
مُستَحسَن
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