If you’re looking for the biggest winner of college football’s wild offseason, LSU has the cleanest case.
This wasn’t a normal winter. Fifteen head coaches were fired last fall, with names like James Franklin, Brian Kelly, Mike Gundy, and Mark Stoops among the casualties. That created more than 30 openings nationwide and sent the sport into a frenzy that felt bigger than anything in recent memory.
The most dramatic moment came when Lane Kiffin left Ole Miss for LSU on the eve of a College Football Playoff run. Rebels fans even chased Kiffin and the other defectors all the way to the airport.
Now the Tigers are dealing with the consequences of that shakeup, and the expectations in Baton Rouge have climbed fast. With the changes they’ve made and the money poured into the roster, LSU is suddenly in the mix to get back to the playoff for the first time since winning it all in 2019.
On3’s Ari Wasserman says LSU is the offseason’s top team.
In his ranking of the programs that have gained the most since December, LSU landed No. 1. Oklahoma State followed, then USC, Michigan, and Florida.
The Tigers’ roster haul is the kind of thing that changes a program’s outlook overnight. LSU brought in more than 40 transfers, including several players viewed as some of the best available in the portal. The recruiting side was strong too, with a top-15 prep class led by four top-100 defensive linemen, including five-stars Lamar Brown and Richard Anderson.
“Just getting Kiffin brought LSU back to relevance, but what the program did after his arrival was on the table,” Wasserman wrote. “LSU invested roughly $40 million in its roster, landing one of the country’s premier transfer portal classes, including quarterback Sam Leavitt, offensive tackle Jordan Seaton, safety Ty Benefield, edge rusher Princely Umanmielen, and others.”
Oklahoma State’s rise came in a very different way. After moving on from Mike Gundy, the Cowboys hired Eric Morris, who quickly brought over much of the top talent from his North Texas team. That group includes quarterback Drew Mestemaker, running back Caleb Hawkins, and wide receiver Wyatt Young.
The rankings may not jump off the page at first glance, but Morris has enough experienced talent to make Oklahoma State a real factor in the Big 12 in year one. Mestemaker, in particular, has the kind of ceiling that could turn him into one of the sport’s stars.
USC was the only top-five program in Wasserman’s list that didn’t make a coaching change. Lincoln Riley had already recruited well in his first four seasons, but this cycle took things to another level. The Trojans signed the No. 1 high school class in 2026, a group that includes eight top-100 signees and five-stars Luke Wafle at EDGE and tight end Mark Bowman.
USC also kept most of its key players in place, including quarterback Jayden Maiava. The Trojans signed just nine transfers, but several should help right away: four-star cornerback Jontez Williams from Iowa State, four-star wide receiver Terrell Anderson from NC State, and four-star EDGE Zuriah Fisher from Penn State.
Michigan’s offseason turned chaotic at the end. Former head coach Sherron Moore was fired when the candidate pool had already thinned out, and the Wolverines responded by landing veteran coach Kyle Whittingham from Utah.
Whittingham helped keep wide receiver Andrew Marsh, offensive lineman Andrew Sprague, and running back Bryson Kuzdzal in the program. He also pulled in multiple transfers from Utah, including four-star EDGE John Henry Daley, four-star wide receiver JJ Buchanan, and four-star cornerback Smith Snowden.
Michigan also signed a top-15 prep class and five-star running back Savion Hiter, but the biggest question still hangs over Bryce Underwood. His development will shape how far the Wolverines can go.
Florida made its own major change by firing Billy Napier and turning to Jon Sumrall, another G6 coach out of Louisiana, this time from Tulane. The move has already given Gainesville a different feel.
The Gators kept some key pieces, including running back Jadan Baugh. Linebacker Myles Graham, EDGE Jayden Woods, wide receivers Dallas Wilson and Vernell Brown III are also back.
Sumrall quickly guided Florida to top-20 transfer portal and prep classes, and that momentum has carried into the 2027 cycle. The Gators currently hold the No. 8 haul in the country, highlighted by five-star offensive lineman Maxwell Hiller, four-star quarterback Davin Davidson, and four-star wide receiver Elias Pearl.
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