Am Leaving; Kirby smart accepted a deal of $35.5m to depart from Georgia Bulldogs today after…….

coach rankings: Kirby Smart, Ryan Day highlight top coaches five years from now

It’s a new era of college football, and the transfer portal, NIL and conference realignment have forced the nation’s premier coaches to adapt. Coach rankings for the 2024 season have the usual suspects at the top, but who will reign supreme five seasons from now? National recruiting analyst Cooper Petagna weighed in recently on the Football Recruiting Podcast.

Several factors went into these rankings. Petagna looked at the coaches with the most noticeable momentum coming out of the current season and whether they’re poised to build off it thanks to strong results on the recruiting trail. The program leaders best adapted to NIL and the transfer portal found their way into the rankings. Age was also a big factor and kept guys like Brian Kelly, Willie Fritz and Mike Gundy from making the cut.

Petagna saw value in several other coaches who didn’t make his top five, including Hugh Freeze (Auburn) and Lane Kiffin (Ole Miss), who barely missed the cut. He also shouted out Kalen DeBoer (Alabama), Marcus Freeman (Notre Dame) and Eli Drinkwitz (Missouri).

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Here are college football’s top five coaches five years from now:

5. STEVE SARKISIAN, TEXAS

(Photo: Jordan Scruggs, 247Sports)

It all came together for Texas last season under Sarkisian, an expert recruiter who’s equally proficient on gamedays as a confident and rhythmic play-caller. Sarkisian’s final year in the Big 12 came up aces, resulting in the program’s first playoff berth. Quinn Ewers is back to fire his last rounds next season with Arch Manning still in the chamber. It’s hard to imagine the Longhorns won’t continue to recruit and win at a high level even further down the road.

Petagna: “Texas has all the resources in the world. Their window to win the College Football Playoff is this year and beyond. I love the way that they’re recruiting from a talent acquisition standpoint. They’re rolling right now. The only question I have is after Kelvin Banks leaves this year, I do have some questions about that offensive line. I love what they have at the quarterback position. Love what they have at the skill positions. They’ve continued to be aggressive on the defensive side of the ball. Offensive line is a lingering question over the next couple of years.”

4. MIKE NORVELL, FLORIDA STATE

(Photo: Cory Fravel, 247Sports)

Few coaches have embraced the transfer portal era like Norvell, who has not only acquired talent but has meshed with strong results on the high school recruiting trail. Florida State would have had its first CFP berth under Norvell had Jordan Travis not gotten injured against North Alabama. The Seminoles have the potential to play for a national championship as soon as next season and as long as Norvell is at the helm.

Petagna: “I think about what Florida State has been able to do in, not only in the transfer portal, but in high school as well. Florida State has also put the results out on the field. This past season was really the first time that we saw those two forces really collide. If that’s who they’re going to be, they’re going to be scary down the road. I like Mike Norvell. I like Florida State. I like what he’s got cooking.”

3. RYAN DAY, OHIO STATE

(Photo: Dan Harker, 247Sports)

Day has lost some shine after three-straight losses to Michigan, but he’s still managed three-consecutive 11-2 finishes and was a play or two away from a national championship berth in 2022. It’s arguable that no team had a better offseason than Ohio State. The Buckeyes signed the No. 5 recruiting class for 2024 and added some of the transfer portal’s best available players in Caleb Downs, Quinshon Judkins, Julian Sayin and Will Howard. Day has only lost eight games in six seasons at Ohio State, and Jim Harbaugh, who’s handed him three of those, is gone.

Petagna: “Whatever happened over the last three years, I’m glad it happened for Ohio State. It might be the best thing to ever happen to them. They have got their act together. Think about guys like Quinshon Judkins, Caleb Downs and Julian Sayin. They bring in Chip Kelly. They’re saying, ‘We’re Ohio State, and it is time to win a national championship. Time to bring it home. We’re going to exercise some demons against Michigan.’ I liked that newfound attitude. Ryan Day is still one of the best coaches in the country. Throw all that Michigan stuff outside the window. I think he will get that figured out soon.”

No coach is rapidly ascending faster than Lanning, who is bringing his recruit-first, ask-questions-later mindset to the Big Ten after an 11-win season with the Ducks. Oregon signed its highest-rated recruiting class in history in 2024 and is showing no signs of slowing down in 2025. He doesn’t have a conference championship to his credit yet, but Oregon’s breakthrough seems imminent. He knows how to navigate the transfer portal and is building his program from the line of scrimmage out.

Petagna: “I’m a huge fan of Dan Lanning and what he’s done. He had the highest-ranked recruiting class in program history this past year at Oregon. The arrow is only pointing up. They’re just getting started. They bring in Dillon Gabriel and Dante Moore. I love the way they’re recruiting the point of attack. I love the fact that he’s committed to Oregon. I love the fact Oregon and Phil Knight have committed to him. These guys are going to win at least one national title in the next five years.”

1. KIRBY SMART, GEORGIA

(Photo: Sam Navarro, USA TODAY Sports)

Smart is the undisputed top coach in the sport following Nick Saban’s retirement this offseason. The Bulldogs signed the No. 1 recruiting for the 2024 cycle and have already landed two five-star prospects in 2025. He’s racked up three CFP appearances, two national championships, and a 94-16 overall record in eight years in Athens. Georgia is going to be a national championship threat for as long as Smart is between the hedges. If there’s a guy in the coaching ranks who could ever eclipse Saban’s seven national titles, it’s Smart.

Petagna: “He has dominated this game. With the absence of Nick Saban, he will emerge as the face of college football. We’ve talked a lot about coaches leaving for the NFL; that has become somewhat normal. I’m not saying Kirby Smart is going to go to the NFL, but he, more than anybody, is dealing with the new, fierce reality of what college football is. Georgia has excelled in the new age of college football, but five years is a long time. I’m expecting Kirby Smart to still be hanging around five years from now, but who knows? Five years from now, I still have him as king of college football.”

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