Rivals national recruiting analyst John Garcia, Jr. has three predictions on the NFL coaching carousel, the Ohio State-Notre Dame national title game and the status of Miami commit Jordan Campbell.
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1. ONE OF THE BIG FOUR COACHES HEAD TO THE NFL.
There are just too many great jobs open in professional football at the moment – with the Dallas Cowboys officially on the market as of Monday – for the hottest college football coaches to collectively be ignored during the hiring process.
At this point, especially as the Nick Saban and Mack Brown eras have officially wrapped up, it would appear the younger and more modern coaches are going to be coveted. The big four of this coaching carousel may be considered Deion Sanders, Marcus Freeman, Steve Sarkisian and Dan Lanning.
Which one jumps? That's anyone's guess, but Coach Prime is the obvious choice with the Cowboys. Don't rule out one of the other three, though.
The current fluidity of college football roster management only enhances the notion that the NFL is not only a promotion, but perhaps even a gig with fewer hours needed at certain points of the year compared with Power Four college ball.
Sarkisian has the most experience and of course has called plays at the pro level. Lanning has been the hottest young name for at least three years and now Freeman is on the type of run that makes folks wonder if this is the apex or the beginning of his own run as an elite coach.
2. OHIO STATE WINS THE MARCUS FREEMAN BOWL.
Speaking of Freeman, he is a bit busy in preparations for the national title game next week. Notre Dame is on somewhat of a Cinderella run and it will lean on the underdog label for the next week before kickoff in Atlanta, surely. We saw glimpses of it when all access was granted for the semifinal when Notre Dame was down against Penn State, so there's little questioning his motivational skill. But a pep talk against another layer of talent may not quite be enough.
Ohio State had been running on all cylinders on offense earlier in the playoff, but the semifinal win over Texas served as a reminder on just how many ways the Buckeyes can beat you. It can run the ball, work the passing game even when Jeremiah Smith is taken away and that defense can absolutely hound a quarterback. The Irish are less talented on the outside compared to Texas, perhaps by a wide margin, so it could make for a one-dimensional Irish approach. That formula doesn't scream 'shootout' on the ND front so even though many expect it, the Buckeyes should be able to put enough together on offense to push higher on the scoreboard Monday.
3. JORDAN CAMPBELL WON'T SIGN WITH MIAMI.
When Miami took a versatile athlete named Jordan Campbell, from a smaller high school in Miami, back in November of 2023 it looked like a great evaluation and projection simultaneously. It also signaled others toward the current top-50 overall prospect in the 2026 Rivals250, and the scholarship offers haven't stopped pouring in. Now, Campbell is able to hit the road some and see what other options are out there, beginning with a huge SEC swing this weekend.
Beyond those closer to home, Campbell is becoming a national recruit with his elite length and range as a potential off-ball linebacker or edge talent. It means that reach will only grow alongside the list of suitors and it also means the amount of trips to potentially be taken won't soon slow down.
Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Oregon, Nebraska and so many others are going to get him on campus at some point this offseason, and that's just the out-of-state list for the Floridian. At this stage, especially in the NIL era, it seems almost safer to take the field even for a local win for a program recruiting at a high clip like The U.
