From Bill Belichick to Rich Rodriguez: Grading first-year college football coaches’ 2025 rosters

When the dust moved to the first Deion Sanders list in Colorado before the 2023 season, the Buffaloes had 52 transfers in the Giron, for 247sports. This number aroused the shock and fear around university football while the new era of the program started with essentially a complete overhaul.

The 50+ transfer club has new members for the 2025 season in Virginia-Western and Purdue. Mountaineers restart under the rich Rodriguez with 52 transfers, while drivers start fresh under Barry Odom with 54 transfers according to 247Sports.

Where should Bill Belichick rank among university football coaches? A new intermediatecomer or a strategic scientist?

John Talty

Going hard in the portal is a necessity for first -year coaches. Players are starting in mass during coach changes, and others have received the message once the new staff are likely that it is probably better to look for a new home. The result is lists that have a dizzying mixture of players from all over the country and several different levels of competition mixed with certain return and a handful of first -year students.

Giving meaning to the lists led by first -year coaches can be a challenge. Thus, as the 2025 season approaches, we noted each of the Power Four alignments for the teams with new leaders on the sidelines.

Classify the first -year coaches lists

North Carolina: B +

Transfer classification: 9
New coach: Bill Belichick

The biggest difference between the Northern Carolina list and the lists of other Power Four programs with new coaches seems to be on the offensive line. Compared to their extinct colleagues, the Tar Heels are spoiled for wealth with three starters, some former interpreters of the G5 / FCS fully conference and Power Four Transfers with Game Experience. The starting quarterrier will be a proven producer of the G5 to Gio Lopez from South Alabama or the veteran Max Johnson, who is back after missing almost all last season due to an injury. The talent of competence is disappointing, and the defense seems average, although it has at least one advantage. Will Hardy, Marcus Allen and Kaleb Cost are back after playing key roles in secondary last season. The seven before – a potential swing group to determine the ceiling – is a heavy transfer group which could be led by the former Rusher Uconn Edge Pryce Yates. UNC would have said a note “A” if it had won a first prize at the quarter-Arrière. As it stands, the list of Tar Heels is still in better shape than others with first -year coaches.

Virginie-Western: B

Transfer classification: 30
New coach: Rich Rodriguez

Rodriguez’s altered list has several productive defensive added addresses, including the defensive player of the year 2024 AAC Jimmori Robinson at the defensive. Robinson led AAC with 10.5 bags last season at UTSA and is one of the many transfer documents that will determine the ceiling of a unit led by the former defensive coordinator of Oklahoma, Zac Alley. Where the talent – or perhaps money – seems to run out, it is along the offensive line. If mountaineers can understand this group, do not doubt Rodriguez’s ability to produce a good offense. But the skill position groups are not talented enough to overcome the bad line game. However, the best candidates of QB Nicco Marchiol and Jaylen Henderson are both mobile, which should be useful if and when things are breaking down.

Wake Forest: B-

Transfer classification: 46
New coach: Jake Dickert

Wake Forest offers some beautiful construction elements on each side of the ball. The ball carrier Demond Claiborne was a rusher of 1,000 yards last season, and the security Nick Anderson was the best ACC. Although the quarter situation seems tenuous, anyone who wins the work – Robby Ashford or Deshawn Pardie – will be protected by some veterans plated. Among them is the very well rated fa’amoe, which followed Jake Dickert from Washington’s state. The receiver and the defensive back could be problems, and no one confuses this team with a competitor of the university football playoffs. But there is enough talent for the deacons of the demons to be confronted with an appearance in the bowl while they sail in an incredibly favorable calendar.

UCF: C +

Transfer classification: 42
New coach: Scott Frost

The defensive ends Malachi Lawrence and Nyjalik Kelly represent a pop -back pop after combining 10.5 bags last season. Offensively, the most important turner turner is undoubtedly approaching Paul Rubelt. The quarter-back that the German line of German origin will protect remains to be seen, but the transfer of the Indiana Tayven Jackson is an intriguing option after having acquired a good gaming experience in the last two seasons. Be that as it may, the lack of proven Knights receptor talents probably means that they will rely on the western transfer carrier in western Michigan, Jaden Nixon, who ran 919 yards and 12 affected by 6.4 yards per race last season. The passing game – or the absence of it – could be a problem. But the defensive front and the skill potential in the race game should be sufficient to make the UCF competition in a largely open league.

Purdue: C

Transfer classification: 47
New coach: Barry Odom

Purdue transfers found themselves in Texas, Oregon, Clemson, Texas Tech, Ohio State, Louisville and USC, to appoint some of the destinations of the important harvest of talents out of the program. The collection of starters leaves Barry Odom with a massive reconstruction, especially in defense. Fortunately, the main rusher Devin Mockobee returns, but the sites could be difficult to find behind a revised offensive line. The second year student quarterrier Ryan Browne turned out to be promising in a 50-49 defeat at Illinois last season and will beat the Arkansas to transfer Malachi Singleton to the departure post. However, smugglers are completely unproven. Odom’s defensive meaning will be tested.

Stanford: C-

Transfer classification: 54
New coach: Frank Reich (temporary)

Stanford lost quality players in the spring, while the receiver Emmett Mosley V (Texas) and Edge David Neal (Texas Tech) left after the stretching in the trainer Troy Taylor. The potential initial cornering corner Julian Neal also left for Arkansas after having already engaged in the cardinal after a show in 2024 in Fresno State. The quarter’s situation is troubled, and there are no obvious all-access type talents on the list. Stanford had taken a total of only 10 transfers in the previous five cycles, for 247sports. But the general manager Andrew Luck and the acting coach Frank Reich reset this thing, and they had no choice but to exceed this total in this class alone. It will take a masterful coaching work to coax anything more than a fifth consecutive season to 3 victories on this list.