Today: Darkhorse Michigan candidates, transfer portal intel, Kirby Smart's emotional return, and loyalty over luxury.

~8 minute read (1,855 words)

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COACHING CAROUSEL

If Michigan wants to widen its coaching search net, the Wolverines should consider these coaches

With Alabama Crimson Tide knocking off Oklahoma in the first round of the College Football Playoff, Michigan's long-shot hope of prying away Kalen DeBoer appears to be over. A day later, Arizona State locked in Kenny Dillingham with a new deal. The carousel has narrowed, but it hasn't stopped.

So where does that leave the Wolverines as they search for a replacement for recently terminated Sherrone Moore? There are still plenty of capable candidates from the original hot board, even if the splashiest names are coming off the table.

Interim coach Biff Poggi has made his case for the job in interviews with Michigan officials and in public. On Monday, Poggi made a fiery argument for him to get the job long-term.

If Michigan wants to widen the net beyond the obvious choices, there are less glamorous options who could win big if administrators are willing to take a leap of faith. Staples noted five candidates, in particular, stand out for different reasons. Below are the three most intriguing names.

Jason Eck, New Mexico

Those who judge a book by its cover might glance at Jason Eck's résumé and photo and assume a throwback retread. That assumption would miss the point entirely.

Eck spent most of his career in the FCS before getting his FBS opportunity, but he has a consistent track record of building winners quickly. New Mexico was gutted by the departure of Bronco Mendenhall and an athletic director change, yet Eck arrived from Idaho and immediately made the Lobos competitive. Michigan administrators should remember that Eck's team gave the Wolverines a respectable test in their season opener at the Big House.

Once Eck fully understood his roster, New Mexico surged. The Lobos won six straight games and entered the final week of the season with a legitimate shot at the Mountain West title. Eck looks like a future Power Four coach. The only question is which program recognizes it first.

Manny Diaz, Duke

Yes, Manny Diaz went 21-15 at Miami and was fired. That context matters, but so does what followed.

Since then, Diaz rebuilt his reputation as a top-tier coordinator at Penn State before taking over at Duke, where he exceeded expectations immediately. This season, Diaz led the Blue Devils to an ACC title, putting him in a very short and historically significant group of coaches to accomplish that feat.

Diaz also showed his understanding of the modern roster-building landscape by landing quarterback Darian Mensah through the transfer portal. He has already demonstrated he can win with limited resources. With Michigan's financial backing, the ceiling is obvious.

Biff Poggi, Michigan interim coach

Poggi remains the most unconventional option. A former hedge fund manager who built a Baltimore high school powerhouse, Poggi advised Jim Harbaugh at Michigan before an uneven stint as Charlotte's head coach.

Back in Ann Arbor, Poggi went 2-0 as Michigan's acting head coach during Moore's suspension in 2025. He knows the building, the people, and the recent dysfunction. On Monday, Poggi spoke candidly about the need for sweeping internal change if he were to get the job permanently.

Someone will be tasked with fixing Michigan football. The defining question is who the university trusts to make those changes.

See all 5 names Andy Staples has circled for Michigan.

TRANSFER PORTAL

Transfer Portal Intel: QBs on the move, top RBs looking for new homes

Byrum Brown, Sam Leavitt, DJ Lagway, Carius Curne

The transfer portal officially opens in 10 days, but movement is already taking shape. Several high-profile players have made it clear they plan to explore their options, and early intel is beginning to clarify which programs are positioning themselves ahead of college football's annual free-agency window.

On3's Pete Nakos continues to track where some of the top names on the market could land. Here's the latest on the players drawing the most attention.

Arizona State QB Sam Leavitt

The three schools that continue to be tied to Sam Leavitt the most are Indiana, Oregon, and LSU. Miami was also initially mentioned, but it's unclear at this point where he is on the board for the Hurricanes.

USF QB Byrum Brown

The clear early school to watch for Byrum Brown is Auburn, where his former USF head coach, Alex Golesh, landed in the coaching carousel. Brown is one of the most experienced quarterbacks on the market. Sources have also mentioned Miami as another school of note.

TCU QB Josh Hoover

The school to know for TCU transfer Josh Hoover is Indiana, sources continue to indicate to On3. He's started 31 career games and would be the third consecutive transfer quarterback brought in by Curt Cignetti. It remains to be seen if Fernando Mendoza will enter the NFL draft or return to Bloomington.

Wake Forest DL Mateen Ibirogba

Viewed by many as the top defensive lineman available in the market right now, sources have told On3 that Mateen Ibirogba is expected to command a seven-figure value.

Florida QB DJ Lagway

Sources continue to link Lagway to Baylor, among other schools. It is unclear at this point where Lagway stands with the Bears, outside of his father being an alum. Other schools mentioned have been LSU and Miami.

LSU OL Carius Curne

Among the early schools to watch are Arkansas, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Georgia, and Kentucky. Sources have pointed to Arkansas as the one to really watch at this point for Carius Curne, who is an Arkansas native.

Get all the intel on the top 15 players from Pete Nakos.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF

Forever a son, Kirby Smart leads Georgia back to New Orleans, determined to create new memories

Editor's note: The following is an excerpt from a longer feature from Chris Low.

ATHENS, Ga. – There will undoubtedly be a knot in Kirby Smart's stomach.

He's one of the most intense, driven and successful coaches in college football. But he's also human and forever a son.

His Georgia team returns to New Orleans on New Year's Day to face Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl, the quarterfinal round of the College Football Playoff. It was almost a year ago that Smart lost his father, Sonny Smart, who was walking in New Orleans on New Year's Eve, fell and broke his hip and died four days later after complications from surgery. He was 76.

"Yeah, a lot of tough memories. It's the first time any of us have been back, my whole family," Smart told On3. "It just happened so fast, all of it. We're there getting ready for the game. He's out walking. He falls. Then you have that terrible terrorist attack. They push the game back, push his surgery back and then he's gone.

"It was hard to get through, but the way we all got through it is because of him and what he taught us about tough times and how to handle them.

"I am who I am because of my father."

Who Smart is, at his core, is a fighter, and that's just the beginning. He's convicted, never in need of motivation and consumed with the unrelenting pursuit of excellence.

"I'm always looking at what else can we do," said Smart, who guided his alma mater to back-to-back national championships in 2021 and 2022 and SEC titles each of the past two years.

Over the past five seasons, Georgia's 65 wins lead all FBS teams. The next closest is Ohio State with 59. The Bulldogs have won at least 11 games in all five seasons.

And while this is hardly the most talented team Smart has had at Georgia, it's as focused, close and perhaps the hardest working of any of Smart's teams. Granted, this version of the Bulldogs hasn't always mauled its opponents the way those 2021, 2022 and 2023 teams often did, but the Bulldogs have been "hard to kill," especially in key moments.

"They haven't blinked, and so much of that comes from the way they've prepared," Smart said. "This team loves to practice, loves to compete. They want those situations where the game is hanging in the balance."

Don't miss the full story from Chris Low.

🚨Headlines

NCAA FOOTBALL

Loyalty over luxury: Kenny Dillingham's plea for financial support proves his love for Arizona State

The morning after Alabama Crimson Tide beat Oklahoma in the first round of the College Football Playoff, effectively ending Michigan's fantasy of hiring away Kalen DeBoer, the Wolverines' coaching search ran into another wall.

Arizona State announced that Kenny Dillingham wasn't leaving. The Sun Devils locked up their 35-year-old head coach with a five-year extension, taking another name off Michigan's loosely connected hot board.

Shortly after the deal became official, Dillingham met with local media. What followed quickly went viral. Speaking candidly about the future of Arizona State football, Dillingham issued a blunt and emotional plea for financial support, calling on someone in the Phoenix area to step up in a major way.

If anyone ever wondered how deeply Dillingham cared about Arizona State, that moment answered the question. His name had circulated around a coaching vacancy at a place with unlimited resources and NIL war bucks. Yet instead of angling for the exit, he was standing in Tempe asking his community to invest in what he's building.

The fact that he had to ask is precisely why many feared he might leave. Though he was never formally offered the Michigan job, Dillingham has done enough in two seasons to warrant serious interest from one of college football's premier programs. If not Michigan, it would have been somewhere else. And had he landed in Ann Arbor, where Michigan recently backed the Brink's truck for five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood, he wouldn't have been pleading for checks.

Dillingham acknowledged that reality, calling Michigan "an unbelievable job with unlimited resources," and noting that whoever takes over will inherit one of the best rosters and infrastructures in the sport. Still, if Dillingham truly wanted out, he could have chased more money, more prestige, and a clearer path to a national title. Instead, he stayed at his alma mater. He stayed home.

It's no secret that college football roster assembly is purely a financial game now. With Arizona State set to lose quarterback Sam Leavitt to the transfer portal, Dillingham understands exactly what he's up against. He has already proven he can scout, develop, and weaponize the portal. What he can't do alone is break through a financial ceiling.

"You can be as good as you want to be or as bad as you want to be," Dillingham said. "It's that simple."

He points around the Big 12 as evidence. Texas Tech surged with billionaire backing. BYU retained its coach and fortified its roster with similar support. That's the modern model.

There is power in financial commitment, perhaps more than anything else in college sports right now. Arizona State sits on the edge of one of the wealthiest regions in the country. Dillingham knew fundraising would define this job. "Activate the Valley" was never just about enthusiasm.

He's willing to do it the hard way. At a non-traditional power. At home.

That's love.

Maybe that'll move someone enough to write a check.

Read the full story from Ari Wasserman.

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 arrived at West Virginia as one of the most hyped recruits in the class of 2007 and quickly became one of college football's most electric playmakers.
I starred at WVU during the Big East era, torching defenses and piling up highlights that lived on SportsCenter for years.
My first name literally means Christmas.

Answer at the bottom.

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