College Football 2026 Superlatives: Most Improved, Most Overhyped and More

From those most likely to succeed on the field to the most meme-able figure in the game, SI hands out 15 awards going into the new season.

Indiana enters the 2026 college football season as the defending champions—but did the Hoosiers win any preseason superlatives? | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

College football is consistently one of the United States’s wackiest sports every year. It’s filled with live animals running onto the field, cross-state rivalries that date back generations and some of the most unexplainable viral moments each and every season. 

That’s why it seems only fitting to hand out preseason superlatives, high school yearbook style, to a handful of deserving winners before the 2026 campaign gets underway. From most likely to succeed to the most likely to become a meme and much more.

Most Improved

Oklahoma State Cowboys

New Oklahoma State coach Eric Morris has earned the reputation as a turnaround artist. A year before he took over FCS Incarnate Word, the Cardinals went 1–10. He immediately got them to 6–5 with an FCS playoff berth in Year 1, and won 10 games in Year 4. North Texas was a bowl team when he arrived, but a program with a perceived high ceiling in the Group of 6 ranks was stuck in the mud under Seth Littrell, going 44–44. Morris dipped to 5–7 in Year 1, went bowling in Year 2 and we saw how last season, his third in Denton, played out: an 11–2 record, College Football Playoff contention late into the season and one of the most explosive offenses in all of FBS.

He may also be one of the great quarterback talent evaluators out there. The former Mike Leach disciple worked with Patrick Mahomes at Texas Tech. He brought Cam Ward—an underutilized high school passer playing in a Wing T offense—to Incarnate Word, turning him into one of the most prolific gunslingers in college football. Last year, he turned another diamond in the rough—Drew Mestemaker, a walk-on high school backup quarterback who was more renowned as a punter—into a 4,300-yard passer. Morris and Mestemaker are now in Stillwater, and while they may not contend for the Big 12 in Year 1, they should be leaps and bounds better than last year’s 1–11 squad … and way, way more fun. —Dan Lyons

Honorable Mentions: Florida, UCLA, Virginia Tech

Most Likely to Succeed

Oregon

Entering coach Dan Lanning’s fifth season, the Ducks certainly have the look of a national championship frontrunner. Quarterback Dante Moore is back with unfinished business after a shaky stretch to end the season, and he’ll have familiar faces to work with at wide receiver and on the offensive line as well. The bulk of a top-15 scoring defense returns, too—including the entire defensive line. Lanning worked the portal effectively (ex-Minnesota safety Koi Perich is a huge addition), and Oregon recruited as well as ever. September isn’t easy (Boise State, rejuvenated Oklahoma State and USC loom), but the Ducks are built for the long haul. —Patrick Andres

Honorable Mentions: Notre Dame, Ohio State, Texas

Most Changed

LSU

It might be easier to talk about the program’s returnees, because there seemingly aren’t many (cornerback/Jayden Daniels irritant DJ Pickett and linebacker/boyfriend of coach Lane Kiffin’s daughter Whit Weeks, to name two). The Tigers captured the nation’s No. 1 portal class by a wide margin, keyed by three 247Sports five-star transfers: quarterback Sam Leavitt (late of Arizona State), offensive tackle Jordan Seaton (Colorado) and edge rusher Princewill Umanmielen (Ole Miss). It’s on Kiffin to turn this group of individuals into a team, and quickly. This year’s edition of the Magnolia Bowl on Sept. 19 will be charged with significance given the circumstances of Kiffin’s exit from the Rebels, the amount of talent he plucked from Ole Miss and the two teams’ shared recruiting territory. —P.A.

Honorable Mentions: Indiana, Oklahoma State, Penn State

Most Likely to Win the Coaching Carousel 

Bob Chesney, UCLA

There may be far more experienced coaches taking over better-resourced programs and in better positions to win right away, but Chesney has a chance to restore a UCLA team, located in a college football hotbed, to greatness. His early rise mirrors Curt Cignetti, having broken through at the Division II level (Assumption) before climbing up to Holy Cross and then to James Madison as Cignetti’s successor. And Chesney left each spot better than when he arrived, boasting a career record of 132–52 and winning seasons in 15 of his 16 years as a head coach. 

New UCLA head coach Bob Chesney has a chance to become the next Curt Cignetti. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Now he’s bringing the band with him from a playoff JMU team, including a significant portion of his coaching staff and more than 40 transfers—the bulk of whom played for the Dukes last season. There may not be another Cignetti, but it’s clear UCLA is trying to follow the same recipe. Chesney fits the archetype and should be in a real position to succeed with the increased resources around him. —Zach Koons

Honorable Mentions: James Franklin, Virginia Tech; Kyle Whittingham, Michigan

Most Likely to Be Looking for a New Job

Mike Norvell, Florida State

There may be no injury in recent college football history that has reverberated as heavily as former Seminoles quarterback Jordan Travis’s fractured ankle at the end of the 2023 regular season. Travis, the ACC player of the year that season, would miss the Noles’ rivalry game against Florida and an ACC championship game against Louisville—both wins—and as a result of his injury the selection committee left undefeated FSU out of the College Football Playoff. The Seminoles were bludgeoned by Georgia in the Orange Bowl, the start of a run in which Norvell’s program has gone 7–18.

The embattled coach remains in Tallahassee by the grace of a buyout that was over $58 million as of last December, a deal he was awarded on the strength of the team’s 23–4 run from 2022 to ’23. It is fairly surprising that he has reached year seven, but without a massive turnaround, this should be it. And expectations aren’t particularly high for Florida State; the program was picked to finish 11th in the ACC preseason poll. —D.L.

Honorable Mentions: Dave Aranda, Baylor; Bill Belichick, North Carolina; Luke Fickell, Wisconsin; Mike Locksley, Maryland

Most Likely to Be in New York for the Heisman Ceremony

Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State

Smith may have an uphill battle to actually win college football’s most coveted individual award. The Heisman has become a quarterback trophy, and while we’ve seen a wide receiver win it recently (Alabama’s DeVonta Smith, 2020), it would require an absolutely absurd season to overcome what is expected to be a strong QB class—and the possibility that he splits votes with Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin. (Last year, Sayin finished fourth and Smith finished sixth in voting.)

But Smith is an absurd player, often cited as the most talented wide receiver in recent college football history. He posted 1,243 receiving yards and scored 13 touchdowns from scrimmage last season, and those numbers were down from his remarkable freshman campaign. Even if he doesn’t win the award, it would be a true surprise if he doesn’t at least get an invite to New York for the ceremony. —D.L.

Honorable Mentions: Dante Moore (QB, Oregon), Julian Sayin (QB, Ohio State), Trinidad Chambliss (QB, Ole Miss)

Most Likely to Become a Meme

Curt Cignetti

You mean the 2025 meme king himself? The man that encouraged everyone to Google him and then almost instantly won a national championship. Here’s just a few examples for you to familiarize yourself with, if you needed more evidence: 

Not only did curt cignetti deliver one of the all time great sports stories but this video clip gonna be in the meme gallery hall of fame @IUHoosiers pic.twitter.com/F3vQ6TkzcH

— Brennan Lowery (@BrennanBabbles) January 21, 2026

Curt Cignetti wasn't happy after giving up a touchdown to Michigan State. pic.twitter.com/SxvWuSYxeN

— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) October 18, 2025

Indiana HC Curt Cignetti: "I'm not thinking about the next game. I'm thinking about cracking open a beer." 🏈🍺🎙️ #CFP pic.twitter.com/RNXmeNPyEW

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 10, 2026

And those were Cig’s reactions when things were going well for the Hoosiers. National championship level well. Indiana should still be in the playoff mix this season with a retooled roster and one of the best coaches in the game, but there’s a likelihood for regression given that only two schools this century (Georgia in 2021 and ’22, Alabama in 2011 and ’12) have gone back-to-back. May college football social media prep mightily for the day of Cignetti’s next great meme. —Z.K.

Honorable Mentions: The Oregon Duck, Jayden Daniels/DJ Pickett over LSU No. 5 jersey drama, whichever jumbo-sized Pop-Tart gets sacrificed at the 2026 Pop-Tarts Bowl

Best Uniforms/Alternate Uniforms/Helmets 

Tulane’s Mardi Gras Unis

College football has become the foremost frontier for uniform innovation and 2026 produced a rather impressive collection of new looks. But when it comes to aesthetically pleasing and thematically on point, with a real attention to detail, look no further than the Green Wave’s new threads as the benchmark. 

2026 City Edition

Week 2 vs. South Alabama#UptownFootball pic.twitter.com/Pppck6D0Nq

— Tulane Football (@GreenWaveFB) August 12, 2026

Tulane will debut the New Orleans city edition uniforms in Week 2 against South Alabama and the specifics really paint a picture. The purple, green and gold colors line up with the primary trio for Mardi Gras and the helmets are covered with the celebration’s most iconic emblems: beads and a king cake. The harlequin diamond patterns on the uniform’s pants and the collar of the jerseys is the glue that binds the whole look together. Well done, Tulane. —Z.K.

Honorable Mentions: Northwestern’s Purple Gothics, TCU’s black alternates, Tennessee’s Smokey Grey uniforms

Best Game-Day Environment

LSU at Ole Miss, Sept. 19 (Lane Kiffin’s Return)

This is about as certain as a projection can be. When the former Rebels coach, who left the team in the middle of their first trip to the College Football Playoff, walks back into Oxford, Miss. on Sept. 19, he’ll be public enemy No. 1. 

Think about it. Ole Miss fans will spend all day in the Grove, already one of the sport’s premier tailgating spots, filling up on barbecue and one too many adult beverages. College GameDay will be on site in the morning, reliving the week that Kiffin spent deciding to stab the Rebels in the back and leave for a conference rival. Then, a perhaps overserved crowd will walk into Vaught-Hemingway Stadium and unleash a cacophony of insults toward the LSU sideline—the vast majority of which will be directed at one man. 

The play on the field shouldn’t be too shabby either, with both programs ranked in the top 11 of the preseason AP Poll. Week 3 can’t come soon enough, because this could be one of the most tense environments in college football history—and that’s saying something. —Z.K.

Honorable Mentions: Kyle Whittingham’s first trip to the Shoe for Michigan at Ohio State, Miami at Notre Dame in primetime

Worst Travel, Non-Hawai’i Division

Stanford Cardinal

The thing about playing in the Atlantic Coast Conference is that, on a fairly regular basis, you will be traveling close to the Atlantic Coast. Relatively recent ACC invitees Louisville, Pitt and Syracuse aren’t exactly located in coastal towns, but geography still mattered in the early 2010s round of conference realignment. The one that took place a few years ago and saw the ACC throw a lifeline to Cal and Stanford, and accept a sweet fiscal deal from SMU (a move that has aged very well)? Not so much.

According to The Action Network, the Cardinal will travel 21,775 miles this season, the most of any non-Rainbow Warriors program in FBS. And while Stanford will play Hawai’i this year, it is at home, so a trip to the islands isn’t even a contributing factor. The Cardinal make treks to Duke, Wake Forest, longtime rival Notre Dame, Louisville and Virginia Tech before the road slate ends with nearby rival Cal. —D.L.

Honorable Mentions: Sacramento State, North Dakota State, Arizona State, Cal

Most Overhyped

Texas Tech Red Raiders

Even after the Brendan Sorsby saga, Texas Tech is getting some serious benefit of the doubt entering the 2026 season, with the Red Raiders ranked No. 12 in the AP and Coaches’ polls. Sorsby (and last year’s starter Behren Morton, now with the New England Patriots) aren’t the only major losses. Bednarik Award winner Jacob Rodriguez, All-American pass rusher David Bailey, All-American defensive tackle Lee Hunter and All-Big 12 defensive end Romello Height are all in the NFL after being selected in the top three rounds of the draft.

The Red Raiders have lofty goals, even after the Brendan Sorsby saga and turning to Will Hammond (left) at quarterback. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Megabooster Cody Campbell and the Tech NIL apparatus did yeoman’s work in replacing all of those defensive stars in the transfer portal, all three of whom were transfers in themselves. The trio of Austin Romaine (a two-time second-team All-Big 12 linebacker at Kansas State), Adam Trick (an All-MAC linebacker at Miami (Ohio)) and defensive end Trey White (a two-time All-Mountain West selection at San Diego State) could step right in and replace their production, but that is a huge bet. 

The biggest open question, however, is the health of quarterback Will Hammond, who looked solid in relief of Morton last season but is shooting for a quick return from a torn ACL. If all goes well, Tech could be as good as they were last year, perhaps even better offensively. There are a ton of moving parts, though. —D.L.

Honorable Mentions: Georgia, Texas, Penn State

Biggest Sleeper/Most Underrated

New Mexico

Elephant in the room: Lobos quarterback Jack Layne is reportedly questionable for New Mexico’s opener against Central Michigan, so backup and Oregon transfer Luke Moga may have to guide his team into 2026. Other than that, the stage is set for what can and should be the greatest season in Lobos football history, as well as a CFP campaign. Coach Jason Eck is a rising star, and his son—linebacker Jaxton Eck—a strong candidate to defend his Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year title. Navigate land mines against Oklahoma on the road (Sept. 19), Hawai’i on the road (Oct. 17) and UNLV (Nov. 14), and 1982 New Mexico—the school’s only 10-win football team—may have company. —P.A.

Honorable Mentions: California, USC, Virginia

Most Looking Forward to 2027

Florida

The Gators haven’t been able to find their way back into the national championship conversation since Urban Meyer left in 2011 and this year probably won’t be the season that they re-enter it. But Jon Sumrall managed to hold onto 66% of last year’s production while coming in as a new head coach and has a lot of pieces to build around that Florida should be excited about. 

Jon Sumrall (left) will look to continue his winning ways with the Gators. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The quarterback situation of the future looks promising after a competitive offseason between Georgia Tech transfer Aaron Philo and redshirt freshman quarterback Tramell Jones Jr., which should lead to better overall play at the position. The Gators also rank in the top 10 of 2027 recruiting classes, placing a particular emphasis on improving the offensive line—an area where the Meyer-led teams dominated but Florida has slipped in recent years. 

And then there’s Sumrall, who has risen quickly as a head coach at Troy and Tulane. He’s gone 43–12 in four years at the helm, winning double-digit games in three of those seasons. He brings the sort of hard-nosed mentality to Gainesville that the Gators have been missing and could put the program back among the nation’s elite. —Z.K.

Honorable Mentions: Texas A&M, Nebraska

Most Likely to Succeed in a New Home 

Boise State

It took man 66 years to get from heavier-than-air flight to the moon—and the Broncos just 31 to get from FCS to a former Power 4 conference. Boise State’s third conference shift this century sees it join a Pac-12 that’s just their speed, with four ex-Mountain West foes from the recent past, two regional rivals from the “old” Pac-12 (Oregon State and Washington State) and Sun Belt expat Texas State. The Broncos may not have the institutional firepower to make the leap to a football power conference they probably deserve, but Boise State has entered a league it can own while also being routinely challenged. The Broncos’ 2024 CFP appearance won’t be its last. —P.A.

Honorable Mentions: North Dakota State, San Diego State

Least Likely to Succeed in a New Home

Sacramento State

There remains, let’s say, a gulf between the Hornets’ financial talk and their on-field play (as well as their national perception). Sacramento State wanted to join the Pac-12 and give its players $50 million in NIL money over a decade; instead, the Hornets settled for an invitation to the MAC. In 2025, they claimed a larger NIL budget than nearby San José State, only to miss the FCS playoffs. Sacramento State did draw top-10 crowds in FCS a year ago, but it’s going to be a minute before that excitement translates to on-field results. Expect a learning curve under new coach Alonzo Carter. —P.A.

Honorable Mentions: Northern Illinois, UTEP

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