Grading college football rosters for Year 1 coaches: Pete Golding, Ole Miss earn top marks

A chaotic 2025 college football coaching carousel helped to reshape the sport, as big-brand programs such as LSU, Michigan, Penn State, Florida, Auburn and others handed the headset to someone new. Now, as we inch closer to start of the 2026 season, it's time to take stock of what these new coaches have done with their rosters.

Ole Miss and new coach Pete Golding lead the pack in our roster grades for the contingent of first-year coaches. Simply put, no other first-year coach is entering the 2026 season with a quarterback quite like Trinidad Chambliss.

Chambliss is the perfect player to help smooth over a rocky coaching transition. The Rebels also retained star running back Kewan Lacy, who is one of the top non-quarterback Heisman contenders entering the 2026 campaign.

Though LSU's transfer class under Lane Kiffin finished atop the 247Sports transfer rankings, its crown jewel -- quarterback Sam Leavitt -- is coming off an injury and was limited in spring practice. At his best, Leavitt is a Heisman contender in his own right. But for now, Ole Miss gets the nod over the Tigers in this breakdown.

Here are the full roster grades for teams with first-year coaches.

Grading the rosters of first-year coaches Ole Miss: A+

New coach: Pete GoldingTransfer class ranking: 2

In a wild time of transition, upheaval and chaos, new coach Pete Golding appears to have nailed his first roster. With the backing of a strong NIL operation, the Rebels landed the nation's No. 2 transfer haul while also attracting top 25 high school class. What's most impressive, though, are the retentions. Heisman contenders return at quarterback (Trinidad Chambliss) and running back (Kewan Lacy). Key contributors are also back on all three levels of the defense for an Ole Miss team with aspirations of a second straight CFP appearance.

Penn State: A

New coach: Matt CampbellTransfer class ranking: 4

The Penn State Nittany-Cyclones are well-positioned to challenge for a College Football Playoff spot in Matt Campbell's first season, as the former Iowa State coach brings 24 players with him from ISU. Among them are a slew of players who rated among the best at their respective positions in the portal.

Between the proven commodities on the way from Iowa State and the talented players recruited by James Franklin who are sticking around, the Nittany Lions should get off to a strong start, especially when you consider how remarkably manageable the 2026 schedule is.

LSU: A-

New coach: Lane KiffinTransfer class ranking: 1

Can a revamped offensive line headlined by No. 1-ranked offensive tackle transfer Jordan Seaton (Colorado) keep Sam Leavitt upright and improve the Tigers' moribund rushing attack? Those are the biggest questions surrounding LSU's first roster under Lane Kiffin. Leavitt is coming off an injury-shortened 2025 campaign at Arizona State and was heavily limited in spring practice. Kiffin assembled a great receiver room, but A+ level line play is no guarantee, as the Tigers' offensive line landed at 29th nationally in Phil Steele's unit rankings.

Michigan: A-

New coach: Kyle WhittinghamTransfer class ranking: 24

Given the chaotic ending to Sherrone Moore's tenure and the late timing of Whittingham's hiring, this roster is in great shape. The rushing attack could be one of the best in the country. Jordan Marshall is back after totaling nearly 1,000 yards on the ground and will combine with five-star back Savion Hiter to create a mean one-two punch. Sophomore quarterback Bryce Underwood is also likely to flourish in new coordinator Jason Beck's scheme, which produced great results with a mobile quarterback at Utah last season. The defense has some holes to fill, but a handful of highly regarded Utah transfers will help.

Auburn: A-

New coach: Alex GoleshTransfer class ranking: 9

The fulcrum of South Florida's high-powered offensive attack is coming with Golesh from Tampa, headlined by dual-threat quarterback Byrum Brown. The veteran star will bring his top back and most of his leading receivers from last season with him.

Those additions set a high floor for Golesh, who learned how to make this offense work in the SEC during his time under Josh Heupel at Tennessee. The defense returns a star at linebacker in Xavier Atkins and a handful of producers who are back to continue playing for retained coordinator D.J. Durkin. Auburn also did a nice job of adding some potential needle movers to a defense that will determine how far the Tigers can go.

Oklahoma State: B+

New coach: Eric MorrisTransfer class ranking: 15

Drew Mestemaker headlines Oklahoma State's transfer class -- the No. 2 transfer QB of the cycle. He had his pick of big brand programs but chose to follow Eric Morris from North Texas.

The same goes for running back Caleb Hawkins, who tallied 1,434 yards rushing and 25 touchdowns as a freshman at North Texas last season. The list of former Mean Green stars goes on with the arrival of Wyatt Young, who led the American with 1,264 yards receiving and 10 touchdowns last season. All three were top 100 transfers and should make the offense dangerous immediately. The defense includes its share of North Texas transfers, too, but the unit doesn't feature the same star power as the offense.

Utah: B+

New coach: Morgan ScalleyTransfer class ranking: 44

Though the coaching transition from Whittingham to Morgan Scalley was awkward, it didn't result in an exodus. Thus, Utah merely supplemented its roster via the portal, most notably with a pair of receiver transfers in Kyri Shoels (San Jose State) and Braden Pegan (Utah State).

Quarterback Devon Dampier and running back Wayshawn Parker are back after combining for nearly 2,000 yards rushing last season, but Utah's offensive line has questions. Defensively, the bones of a strong unit return under Scalley, who has been part of the program's defensive staff since 2008.

UCLA: B+

New coach: Bob Chesney Transfer class ranking: 25

UCLA borrowed the Indiana blueprint and hired a successful James Madison coach in hopes of igniting a struggling Big Ten operation. Like Curt Cignetti did when he left JMU for Indiana, Chesney is bringing numerous players with him. That familiarity should ease the transition. Having former five-star quarterback prospect Nico Iamaleava stick around may also help.

If the new Bruins' regime can unlock Iamaleava's potential, the supporting cast Chesney has assembled is good enough to get this thing turned around quickly after an 8-16 run for UCLA over the past two seasons.

Florida: B+

New coach: Jon SumrallTransfer class ranking: 30

This isn't a situation where the Group of Six coach is bringing the cavalry with him to his new stop. While Tulane sent its share of talent from a CFP team onward to the Power Four ranks, you won't find a surge of Green Wave talent on this roster. Instead, Sumrall devoted resources to retaining key producers from the prior Florida regime, including a 1,100-yard rusher in Jadan Baugh.

Additionally, seven of Florida's top 10 tacklers from last season return. The big portal scores came via offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner, who is bringing in highly touted former Georgia Tech pupils such as Aaron Philo (QB) and Eric Singleton (WR).

Virginia Tech: B

New coach: James Franklin Transfer class ranking: 27

A dozen players are following James Franklin from Penn State, including quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer, who blossomed for the Nittany Lions late last season following an injury to Drew Allar.

Defensively, four of Virginia Tech's top six tacklers from 2025 are returning to play for fired head coach Brent Pry, who is sticking around as the Hokies' defensive coordinator. Pry worked under Franklin at Penn State from 2014 to 2021, which means there is familiarity all around. This amounts to an unorthodox blending of two families. The floor is much higher than it was for last year's 3-9 team, but the Hokies aren't quite talented enough yet to reach the ACC's upper quadrant.

Cal: B

New coach: Tosh LupoiTransfer class ranking: 14

Cal's transfer haul stands out in positive contrast to rival Stanford. Both are academically rigorous Bay Area institutions with new coaches. But because Cal's transfer restrictions are much looser, Tosh Lupoi is better positioned for Year 1 success.

The return of sophomore star quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele also gives the Bears reason for optimism after he threw for 3,454 yards last season. His top two targets are gone, but if Rutgers transfer Ian Strong and Ohio transfer Chase Hendricks were each regarded as top-30 receivers in this portal cycle and should help Sagapolutele avoid a sophomore slump.

Kentucky: B

New coach: Will SteinTransfer class ranking: 10

Will Stein did phenomenal work in the transfer portal for a first-time head coach recruiting to a mid-tier Power Four program.

Landing the No. 3-ranked transfer offensive tackle, Lance Heard from Tennessee, was a head-turner as the Wildcats pieced together a line that should be highly competitive in the SEC. Going all-in on Notre Dame quarterback transfer Kenny Minchey is a little risky given his limited body off work in three years with the Fighting Irish. But Stein is a proven quarterback whisperer. Identifying any potential all-SEC performers on the defense is a challenge, and that unit will need to punch above the weight of its collective talent if the 'Cats are going to snap a two-year bowl drought.

Kansas State: B-

New coach: Collin KleinTransfer class ranking: 45

Collin Klein's homecoming brings hope that he can unlock the best in senior quarterback Avery Johnson, whom he recruited and coached for one season before heading to Texas A&M.

The Wildcats return leading rusher Joe Jackson and a reliable target in Jaron Tibbs. With star left tackle John Pastore also back, this isn't a total rebuild for the K-State offense, and Klein should be able to coax a good year from the unit.

The addition of Oklahoma State transfer Wendell Gregory on the edge will give the Wildcats' defense some teeth, and returning cornerback Zashon Rich has all-Big 12 potential. There is some talent at virtually every position group. The question is whether there's enough of it throughout the roster to make K-State a factor in the Big 12 race during Klein's first season.

Arkansas: C

New coach: Ryan Silverfield Transfer class ranking: 33

If you're looking for a strength in Silverfield's first Arkansas roster, it's the offensive line, which makes sense since Silverfield's background is as an offensive line coach.

Louisiana transfer Bryant Williams is rated as the No. 10 tackle transfer of the cycle, and veteran starter Caden Kitler is back at center. Additionally, guard Malachi Breland is an SEC-sized hoss who started 19 games for Sivlerfield at Memphis over the past two seasons. Given the Razorbacks' inexperience at quarterback, it will be imperative that the line live up to its potential.

Michigan State: C-

New coach: Pat Fitzgerald Transfer class ranking: 55

Given that Pat Fitzgerald has been out of the game for a few years, he didn't have an existing talent base to draw on at his prior institution.

Patience is probably the last thing Spartans fans want to exude after four straight losing seasons, but it's going to be required here.

Sophomore quarterback Alessio Milivojevic showed promise down the stretch in 2025, but this team will need to spring a couple of upsets if it's going to reach a bowl game for the first time since 2021.

Iowa State: C

New coach: Jimmy Rogers Transfer class ranking: 67

This is a complete scrape-and-rebuild for Iowa State, which returns virtually nothing from Matt Campbell's final team. Jimmy Rogers is bringing 15 players with him from Washington State. But he was only there for one season, and the Cougars went 7-6, so the WSU imports aren't likely to carry the Cyclones to the promised land in 2026.

The hope will be that landing an experienced, productive dual-threat playmaker at quarterback in Jaylen Raynor (Arkansas State) can help the Cyclones be competitive immediately. Anything can happen in the Big 12, and Rogers has a national title pedigree from his time at South Dakota State that he will need to flex in order for ISU to be a factor this year.

Stanford: D

New coach: Tavita PritchardTransfer class ranking: 130

Stanford regularly landed top 25 high school recruiting classes during its heyday under Jim Harbaugh and David Shaw. That is no longer the case in the NIL era, and the program's talent level is on life support as a result.

That Stanford is turning to former Michigan walk-on Davis Warren at quarterback in 2026 should be all the indication we need about where things stand with this roster. The road back to relevance remains a long one in Palo Alto.