College Football Playoff team has taken 3 major hits in trenches via transfer portal

Three teams in the College Football Playoff lost their head coaches ahead of the postseason.

Ole Miss made a swift decision to promote Pete Golding after Lane Kiffin departed for LSU. Meanwhile, James Madison and Tulane hired new coaches but allowed Bob Chesney and Jon Sumrall to finish their respective seasons before moving on to new jobs.

The Dukes and Green Wave were both eliminated in the opening round of the playoffs, as most experts predicted.

With the season over for both programs, transfer portal activity is picking up, and it has been further inflated by the coaching carousel.

James Madison Takes Three Big Hits In Trenches

James Madison was the more competitive of the two G6 teams to make the CFP this year. The Dukes trailed 34-6 at halftime against Oregon, but added a few late touchdowns to make the final score appear a little closer, falling 51-34.

With former Florida head coach Billy Napier taking over for Chesney, who is headed to UCLA, players on the roster have a decision to make.

Earlier this week, the Dukes took a trio of hits in the trenches.

According to On3's Hayes Fawcett, starting left tackle Joseph Simmons and starting right guard Riley Robell are transferring from the program.

True freshman Trent Wilson plans to join them in the portal, per ESPN's Max Olson.

Simmons started in all 13 of his appearances in 2025, earning honorable mention All-Sun Belt honors. It was a notable campaign as he only saw action in 16 games and made one start over his first three seasons with the program. Simmons will have one season of eligibility remaining.

Robell came off the bench in his first two appearances this fall, then started in his final 11 outings of the season, including manning the right guard spot against Oregon. He was named second-team All-Sun Belt for his performance.

Robell redshirted in 2023 and played in six games in 2024. He's expected to have two seasons of eligibility remaining.

Wilson was only in his first year at the college football level this season. He still became an important piece on James Madison's offensive line, essentially serving as the sixth man.

Wilson appeared in all 14 games and started one. He played 20 or more snaps in nine contests. Wilson is expected to have three seasons of eligibility remaining.

With Chesney rebuilding UCLA, it wouldn't be shocking if he tried to convince a few familiar faces to follow him to the West Coast. It's also worth noting that Simmons and Robell signed with James Madison when Curt Cignetti was still the head coach. Maybe the Hoosiers could come calling, too.

James Madison Takes Three Big Hits In Trenches

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