Today: Coaching carousel chaos, a new Heisman frontrunner, Jon Sumrall wins the press conference, and why Lane Kiffin stands alone.

~8 minute read (1,941 words)

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COACHING CAROUSEL

Kentucky hires Will Stein, and the carousel isn't slowing down anytime soon

In the wake of the Lane Kiffin saga, Kentucky, UCLA, Nebraska, and Syracuse all made significant coaching moves as the carousel accelerated again on Monday. From a quick hire in Lexington to sweeping staff changes in the ACC, several programs are charting new directions before bowl prep and the early signing period.

😼 Kentucky hires Will Stein

Kentucky is hiring Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein less than 24 hours after firing Mark Stoops. Stein is a former Louisville quarterback with deep family ties to the Wildcats, and he has built his reputation developing Bo Nix, Dillon Gabriel, and Dante Moore in Eugene. Quarterback play has struggled at Kentucky in recent years, making Stein's arrival important for redshirt freshman Cutter Boley, who threw for 2,160 yards and 17 total touchdowns this season. Stein's offenses at Oregon and UTSA ranked top 15 nationally in yards and points per game. His system blends pro-style structure with spread concepts, RPOs, and aggressive downfield passing. Stoops finished 72-80 with two 10-win seasons.

🐻 UCLA expected to hire Bob Chesney

UCLA is expected to hire James Madison head coach Bob Chesney on a five-year deal after he led the Dukes to a 20-5 record in two seasons. JMU is 11-1 entering the Sun Belt title game, and Chesney is expected to coach the Dukes in the playoff if they qualify. He has won at every stop, including Holy Cross and Assumption, and owns a 131-51 career record. UCLA fired DeShaun Foster in September after a winless start, continuing instability that began when Chip Kelly left for Ohio State in 2024.

🌽 Nebraska fires DC John Butler

Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule has fired defensive coordinator John Butler after one season. The Huskers finished 22nd nationally in total defense but struggled badly against the run, allowing 4.80 yards per carry to rank 114th. Late-season losses to Penn State and Iowa exposed those issues, with both teams piling up rushing yards and controlling the line of scrimmage. Phil Snow will serve as interim defensive coordinator for the bowl game as Rhule begins a search for a full-time replacement.

🍊 Syracuse fires four coaches

Syracuse is firing four assistants, including special teams coordinator Ricky Brumfield and co-defensive coordinator Robert Wright, following a 3-9 season that ended with eight straight losses. Fran Brown said he plans to make the right decisions for the future of the program. Freshman standouts expressed belief that Brown can rebuild, and he enters year three with a 13-12 record.

NCAA FOOTBALL

On3 Heisman Trophy Poll: Ranking the contenders after Week 14

Rivalry Week is in the books, and the cream has risen to the top in the Heisman Trophy race. Vanderbilt's Diego Pavia has surged into the lead in this week's On3 Heisman Poll, edging out a crowded field of contenders. Fernando Mendoza and Julian Sayin both play in the B1G Championship game this week. Will a strong performance be enough to vault them ahead of Pavia?

As always, On3 polls its top national analysts for their view on college football's most prestigious award. Each of On3's experts submits a top 10 ballot, with points assigned 10 for first place, nine for second, and so on.

1. QB Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt – 68 points

Weekend stats: 18 of 28 for 268 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT | 20 carries for 165 yards, 1 TD

Pavia was not at his sharpest through the air, tossing two interceptions in the win at Neyland Stadium. He more than made up for it on the ground, erupting for a season-high 165 rushing yards and a score. Vanderbilt sits right on the edge of a College Football Playoff berth. Whether the Commodores get in or not, it will not be because Pavia failed to deliver. He has been outstanding all season.

Pavia has become one of the most valuable players in the country. He has carried Vandy's offense with over 4,000 total yards, consistently delivered in late game situations, and turned the Commodores into one of the most surprising playoff contenders in the SEC. His blend of physical rushing, timely deep throws, and toughness has kept Vanderbilt in every major game on its schedule, and he has positioned himself as the central figure in the closing stretch of the Heisman race.

2. QB Fernando Mendoza, Indiana – 59

Weekend stats: 8 of 15 for 117 yards, 2 TD | 2 carries for 27 yards, 1 TD

Mendoza needed only 15 pass attempts on Black Friday to account for three touchdowns, his seventh such performance this season. Few players have meant more to their team. Mendoza has Indiana tracking toward a College Football Playoff spot and possibly a first-round bye. He has thrown for 2,785 yards and 32 touchdowns while also rushing for six more scores.

3. QB Julian Sayin, Ohio State – 58

Weekend stats: 19 of 26 for 233 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT

Ohio State snapped its four-game skid against Michigan behind another efficient outing from Sayin. He threw for 233 yards and three touchdowns in the rivalry win and now sits at 30 passing scores with only five interceptions on the year.

4. RB Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame – 50

Weekend stats: 14 carries for 66 yards, 1 TD | 1 catch for 6 yards

For his part, Love has been remarkably consistent this season. He has tallied a touchdown in 11 straight games now, a remarkable stretch. On the season, he has 1,372 yards rushing and 18 scores on the ground. He has also caught three touchdown passes and racked up 280 yards worth of receptions.

See the full voting breakdown for the Top 12 players.

NCAA FOOTBALL

Jon Sumrall knows Florida fans wanted Lane Kiffin, and Steve Spurrier told him how to overcome that

Jon Sumrall walked into his introductory press conference Monday knowing he had to win over a fanbase that had its heart set on someone else. So he opened by showing he understood the moment. Sumrall tossed out a quick jab involving Lane Kiffin, a wink at the headline Florida fans had been chasing, then moved on just as quickly. It broke the tension, drew a big laugh, and allowed him to shift into the message he wanted to deliver.

From there, Sumrall leaned heavily into what Florida fans have always responded to: energy, confidence, and nostalgia. He drew immediate contrasts with Billy Napier, whose tenure ended in October. Napier projected calm. Sumrall's emotions live at the surface. Napier ran the offense. Sumrall is a defensive coach who made it clear that Florida must field an explosive offense and that the right offensive coordinator will be essential. He made it clear he's not hiring his friends, and the coordinator search will be wide.

Potential OC targets, sources say, include Pittsburgh's Kade Bell, Georgia Tech's Buster Faulkner, and Tennessee's Joey Halzle. That is when Sumrall began pressing the buttons he knew would resonate. He referenced Bob Stoops, who helped Steve Spurrier win the 1996 national title as Florida's defensive coordinator before leaving to build Oklahoma into a powerhouse. Sumrall praised how Stoops, a defensive coach, insisted on pairing himself with the most aggressive offensive minds available, including Mike Leach. Sumrall said he wants the scoreboard to light up in Gainesville.

"The way we have played where I have been has looked a little different than how I want to play moving forward," Sumrall said. "Here, I think we can score a lot of points."

He took on the Napier comparisons directly, too. Urban Meyer, invited by athletic director Scott Stricklin to help recruit Sumrall, sat in the audience. Sumrall pointed to Meyer's own background at Bowling Green and Utah to underline his point. "No two people are the same," Sumrall said. "Judge me for who I am. I am a winner. We are going to win. Just give me a shot. Believe in me."

But the people who truly need to believe were seated quietly in the back: quarterback D.J. Lagway, tailback Jadan Baugh, and multiple key returners. Sumrall singled out Baugh when meeting the team and again at the podium. "If an offensive coordinator does not know what to do, that is a pretty good choice," he said about giving Baugh the ball.

Sumrall kept playing the hits, even telling a story from early in his career about asking his now wife whether she could one day live in Pocatello, Idaho, in case coaching took him there. He never ended up at Idaho State, but now he has chosen Gainesville, a place where he knows he must win fans over.

Spurrier, seated in the audience alongside Meyer, offered the only advice that mattered.

"Just win a whole bunch."

If Sumrall does, Florida fans will forget they ever wanted someone else.

Read the full column from Andy Staples.

🚨Headlines

NCAA FOOTBALL

No, Lane Kiffin didn't start a trend of coaches bailing on College Football Playoff-bound teams

This is not a trend, and it is not the calendar's fault. Lane Kiffin is simply one of one. What happened between Ole Miss and LSU on Sunday was a Lane Kiffin creation, and most coaches either cannot or do not want to orchestrate something that dramatic.

As the mushrooming explosion that was Kiffin's move from Ole Miss to LSU grew ever more complicated last week, a wise person who has held jobs in the real world and in the fantasyland that is college football put it in perspective.

"When you give someone everything, they expect everything." Ole Miss had given Kiffin total control, something that is far more unusual in public higher education than fans realize. Because of that freedom, Kiffin seemed to believe the world would keep bending to his will.

Kiffin seemed positively gobsmacked that he met resistance when he informed Ole Miss that he'd like to leave for one of the program's most bitter rivals, but he'd also like to coach the Rebels through the College Football Playoff. That's like telling your boss you quit to join a competitor but also plan to stick around for a month to finish a critical project. Most employees would immediately be shown the door. Kiffin still seemed surprised that athletic director Keith Carter and chancellor Glenn Boyce treated his proposal as impossible.

His reaction made sense for someone who had operated with complete control. Ole Miss had been aligned behind him, and that alignment fueled his success. Carter and collective leader Walker Jones kept the machine running, then let Kiffin cook. But Kiffin misunderstood why he had that freedom. It was not because he was Lane Kiffin. It was because the people in charge wanted Ole Miss to win. Once he stopped being loyal to Ole Miss, that privilege evaporated.

Calendar issues did not force this situation. Could the calendar use fixing? Probably. But the roots of the current structure come from the academic calendar, not football. The natural break around Christmas created the semester system, and the business of higher education will always outweigh the business of college athletics. Football lives in the fall, which means there will always be a period between semesters when coaches and players move.

There are changes that could help. A spring portal window, the elimination of spring football, and a February-only signing period would make the cycle more manageable. Coaches are the ones blocking those changes. They want rosters set in January and players in the weight room immediately. So when they blame the calendar for chaos, they are pointing at a problem they help maintain. If they want to change jobs, that is their right. But if they keep fighting reforms that would ease the pressure, they risk looking like villains when they jump.

Kiffin's reputation will recover with most fans. Tennessee fans softened because of his online humor, and they likely were not shocked by what they saw this weekend. Kiffin has always done what is best for Kiffin. That is who he is.

But there is only one Lane Kiffin. So do not expect copycats.

Read the full column from Andy Staples.

TRIVIA

Now here's a guy...

Below, you'll find 3 facts about a random college football player. You'll try to guess who the player is based on the facts. Let's go.

I was the No. 2 overall recruit in the 2008 class, and in high school, my teammates nicknamed me "Waffle House" because I was always open.
As a true freshman, I then led my team in receiving with 58 catches for 924 yards and helped my program reach the 2009 national championship, winning SEC Freshman of the Year.
I finished my college career ranked second all-time at Alabama in receptions and receiving yards, then became a first-round NFL Draft pick in 2011, going on to record seven Pro Bowls, two All-Pro selections, and the fastest 10,000 receiving yards in NFL history.

Answer at the bottom.

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