Ranking the offseason for every Power 4 college football team - ESPN

Ahead of a College Football Playoff semifinal matchup against Oregon, Indiana coach Curt Cignetti took time out of his weekend prep to secure the most impressive transfer group for the 2026 season.

As Miami got ready to face Cignetti's Hoosiers in the national title game, news broke that the team was set to poach quarterback Darian Mensah from Duke. That all came around the same time that USC was signing the top 2026 recruiting class.

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No sport has a blurrier line between its season and its offseason than college football. Even as coaches and teams prepare for the biggest games, they are always focused on what's next. The alternative is falling behind and perhaps never catching up.

Offseasons matter more than ever, which is why schools are hiring — and paying for — more-accomplished general managers and building out NFL-style personnel departments to support their on-field coaching staffs. Rosters are reshaped almost every offseason as transfer movement hasn't slowed down and teams replace stars bound for the NFL.

There are other factors shaping the offseason, including full-scale coaching changes and the departures and arrivals of coordinators and other assistants. Continuity still matters in college football, but not at the expense of upgrading certain positions or units. Just look at Indiana's work after the 2025 season.

Our task is to rank the offseasons among Power 4 teams, prioritizing three areas:

Roster additions through the portal and the high school ranks

Retention of top players who could leave for the NFL draft or the portal

Coaching staff continuity or key additions/upgrades

All three