College Football Coaches Who Won the Offseason, Teams Poised to Rise in 2025

Recruiting wins, transfer portal additions, retention of key players and program-defining hires — the 2025 college football offseason might not count in the standings, but it has shown exactly which coaches are playing chess while others play catch-up.

With that, there are plenty of coaches who are looking to rebound from disappointing seasons last year, and others who are determined to build on their success and prove their programs aren't just one-hit wonders.

So, which coaches have owned the offseason so far? Who’s built to bounce back, and who’s built to stay on top? 

Our FOX Sports college football writers answer those questions here.

Laken Litman: James Franklin. 

Penn State head coach James Franklin looks on in action during the 2024 Vrbo Fiesta Bowl. (Photo by Robin Alam/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

In a world where players are transferring all over the place, Penn State kept a roster that’s fully capable of winning a national championship intact. Quarterback Drew Allar, a projected top prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft, returns. And not only that, but he’ll be in his second season working with offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, which is a huge plus. Then the Nittany Lions have the best running back duo in the country – Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton – who could have opted to leave for the NFL, but are back in Happy Valley as well.

Defensively, Franklin stole his rival’s defensive coordinator. Jim Knowles, who won a national championship with Ohio State last season and has been key in developing some of the best defensive players in the country as of late, is on Penn State’s staff. The Nittany Lions are 1-9 vs. the Buckeyes over the past 10 years, and now they just might have the inside track to that matchup