10 College Football Teams Poised to Rebound in 2026

With the ability to quickly reshape or change a roster through the transfer portal, along with a coaching or coordinator change, every college football season has its share of teams that show massive improvement or rebound after a disappointing year. Look no further than Indiana. The Hoosiers quickly changed their fortunes in two seasons by hiring coach Curt Cignetti and aggressively attacking talent through the portal to win the national title in 2025.

The ‘26 season features plenty of rebound candidates, as LSU (Lane Kiffin), Virginia Tech (James Franklin), UCLA (Bob Chesney), and Florida (Jon Sumrall) landed some of the top hires during the coaching carousel.

In addition to making a top hire in Kiffin, LSU invested in its transfer class to land one of the top portal hauls in college football. South Carolina is poised for marked improvement after a coordinator change, along with a couple of key pickups from the portal.

With spring practice underway for the 2026 college football season, optimism is running high for all 138 teams and goals for the upcoming year. Which teams are poised to make the biggest jump in overall play or rebound after a disappointing ‘25? Athlon Sports examines 10 teams and the reasons they are poised to rebound:

Way-Too-Early 2026 Rankings: Top 25 | ACC | Big 12 | Big Ten | SEC

10 College Football Teams Poised to Rebound in 2026

Auburn

Returning Starters: Offense: 1, Defense: 2

What Went Wrong in 2025: A lackluster offense. In SEC-only matchups, the Tigers managed 4.8 yards a snap and 18.5 points a contest. Quarterback play was a major issue, as Oklahoma transfer Jackson Arnold was unable to provide stability under center. Over eight SEC matchups, Auburn managed just five passing touchdowns and connected on 58.2 percent of its passes. After a 10-3 loss to Kentucky on Nov. 1, coach Hugh Freeze was fired and defensive coordinator DJ Durkin finished the ‘25 season with a 1-2 mark as interim coach, which included two losses by one score to Vanderbilt and Alabama.

Why the Tigers Will Rebound in ‘26: New coach Alex Golesh is a strong hire and has a track record of success on offense. His background and scheme, along with a handful of transfer additions from his former stop at South Florida - including quarterback Byrum Brown and receivers Keshaun Singleton and Jeremiah Koger - provide an opportunity for the offense to generate instant improvement in ‘26. Golesh maintained continuity on defense by bringing back Durkin after Auburn allowed only 4.95 yards a play last season. The rebuilding effort up front and in the secondary is significant. However, confidence should be high for Durkin to quickly find the right answers.

Florida

Returning Starters: Offense: 3, Defense: 3

What Went Wrong in 2025: A four-game winning streak to end 2024 provided optimism the Gators turned a corner under coach Billy Napier. However, hope quickly faded after a 1-3 start. Quarterback DJ Lagway was out of sync and rusty after missing offseason workouts due to injury, and the offense struggled as a result (21.6 points a game). The Gators allowed 5.7 yards a snap on defense and ranked No. 120 nationally in success rate against the pass. Napier was dismissed in late October, with interim coach Billy Gonzales leading the team to a 1-4 finish to cap a disappointing 4-8 campaign.

Why the Gators Will Rebound in ‘26: New coach Jon Sumrall is one of the top hires of the ‘26 carousel and should maximize talent better than Napier did in Gainesville. Florida’s roster is also in better shape than its four-win record would suggest. Running back Jadan Baugh is one of the best in college football, and the receiving corps ranks near the top of the SEC. Sumrall hired two outstanding coordinators in Buster Faulkner (offense) and Brad White (defense) and added a handful of impact transfers - including potential starting quarterback Aaron Philo. The schedule is also manageable with key swing contests against Oklahoma and Ole Miss in the Swamp.

• Related: Jon Sumrall Is Back in the SEC. Can He Bring the Florida Gators Back to Glory?

Kansas State

Returning Starters: Offense: 6, Defense: 2

What Went Wrong in 2025: The Wildcats lost a Week Zero matchup to Iowa State in Ireland and seemed out of sync for the bulk of ‘25. Of the team’s six losses, five came by one score, including a wild 51-47 defeat to Utah on Nov. 22. K-State’s ground game took a step back after averaging 215.5 yards a game in ‘24, recording only 171.3 yards a contest last season. Quarterback Avery Johnson also didn’t take the step forward most anticipated after a standout ‘24 campaign. The defense finished 11th in the Big 12 in points allowed (26.7 a game) and surrendered too many big plays (14 of 40-plus yards).

Why the Wildcats Will Rebound in ‘26: New coach Collin Klein has plenty of question marks to address in his first season at his alma mater. However, Klein should get Johnson’s career back on track and elevate the offense overall in ‘26. K-State misses Big 12 title favorites Texas Tech, Utah, and BYU, while Houston and Arizona come to Manhattan. In the wide-open Big 12, a significant move up the standings with a favorable schedule and dynamic quarterback isn’t out of the question.

LSU

Returning Starters: Offense: 3, Defense: 3

What Went Wrong in 2025: The Bayou Bengals held expectations for a playoff run after a busy offseason of roster acquisitions from the transfer portal. But after a 4-0 start, the season quickly trended in the wrong direction. LSU lost four of its next five games, including a 49-25 defeat to Texas A&M that spelled the end of Brian Kelly’s tenure in Baton Rouge. A lackluster offense that managed only 22.8 points a contest and was hindered by an injury to quarterback Garrett Nussmeier was largely to blame for the team’s disappointing ‘25.

Why the Tigers Will Rebound in ‘26: The arrival of new coach Lane Kiffin and one of the nation’s top transfer hauls. Kiffin and coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. have a track record of producing high-powered offenses and help is on the way from the portal. Arizona State transfer quarterback Sam Leavitt and offensive tackle Jordan Seaton headline the offensive additions, with coordinator Blake Baker’s standout defense landing help at each level. LSU is investing big in Kiffin’s first season. Expectations will be high for playoff contention in ‘26.

• Related: Grading College Football's New Coach Hires for 2026

Oklahoma State

Returning Starters: Offense: 1, Defense: 2

What Went Wrong in 2025: Everything. An early-season loss to Tulsa spelled the end of Mike Gundy’s run atop the program, and the Cowboys slumped to an 11-game losing streak to end a dismal ‘25 campaign. The offense averaged only 14.2 points a game, while the defense surrendered 33.3 a contest.

Why the Cowboys Will Rebound in ‘26: On the most basic level, it can’t get much worse for Oklahoma State. However, the program’s foundation was quickly reset with the arrival of Eric Morris as the team’s new coach, along with a standout transfer portal haul including quarterback Drew Mestemaker and running back Caleb Hawkins following Morris from North Texas. In the wide-open Big 12, a quick turnaround into contention into a spot in the Big 12 title game is possible.

Penn State

Returning Starters: Offense: 2, Defense: 3

What Went Wrong in 2025: Penn State held national title aspirations in ‘25 after reaching the College Football Playoff semifinals the previous year. However, that optimism quickly eroded. The Nittany Lions started 3-0, but a loss to Oregon in overtime (30-24) sent the program into a spiral and a six-game losing skid. Coach James Franklin was fired after a loss to Northwestern on Oct. 11, with interim coach Terry Smith eventually rallying the team with four consecutive victories to close ‘25. The offense underachieved (5.6 yards a play in Big Ten games), and the defense struggled to find its footing (No. 67 nationally in success rate) under new coordinator Jim Knowles.

Why the Nittany Lions Will Rebound in ‘26: Although Franklin won a lot of games in Happy Valley, a fresh start after last year’s disappointment under new coach Matt Campbell isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Campbell has plenty of holes to fill with just five returning starters. However, over 30 transfers - including former Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht - arrive in Happy Valley to help the turnaround efforts. Penn State’s schedule is also favorable. The Nittany Lions won’t play Ohio State, Indiana, or Oregon in the regular season.

• Related: College Football's Pre-Spring Top 25 Rankings for 2026

South Carolina

Returning Starters: Offense: 5, Defense: 5

What Went Wrong in 2025: After a run at the College Football Playoff in ‘24, South Carolina had aspirations of finishing the job and making the 12-team field last year. Instead, a struggling offense dropped this team to a 4-8 record. The Gamecocks averaged only 18.1 points in SEC play and just 4.8 yards a snap in conference matchups last year.

Why the Gamecocks Will Rebound in ‘26: Coach Shane Beamer made the right staff changes to get this program back on track. Kendal Briles was hired as the team’s new offensive play-caller, and his scheme should mesh well with quarterback LaNorris Sellers. The Gamecocks took steps to address a struggling offensive line, adding long-time coach Randy Clements to tutor this group, and landing Jacarrius Peak from NC State as one of the top transfer linemen in the portal. With a better scheme, staff, and offensive line, along with Sellers returning to his ‘24 form with more help in the supporting cast, South Carolina is poised to show marked improvement on offense. And a better offense will translate into more wins in ‘26.

Virginia Tech

Returning Starters: Offense: 8, Defense: 6

What Went Wrong in 2025: The ‘25 campaign was a continuation of the previous three seasons under former coach Brent Pry. The Hokies went 16-21 during that stretch, with an 0-3 start sealing Pry’s fate after a blowout loss to Old Dominion in Blacksburg. A leaky defense (No. 126 nationally in success rate) and a passing game that ranked last in the ACC in production (166.3 yards a game) were primarily to blame for the 3-9 record last fall.

Why the Hokies Will Rebound in ‘26: James Franklin’s arrival. Although Franklin’s tenure at Penn State ended with his firing after a disappointing start to the ‘25 campaign, the Hokies made one of the offseason’s top hires by bringing the Pennsylvania native to Blacksburg. Franklin returns an experienced foundation (14 returning starters) but also landed one of the ACC’s top transfer classes that includes former Penn State quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer. Combine Franklin’s track record of success, along with Virginia Tech’s willingness to invest more in its program in the coming seasons, and it’s easy to see why this pairing could produce its share of wins in the near future.

• Related: College Football's Pre-Spring Top 10 Running Backs for 2026

West Virginia

Returning Starters: Offense: 3, Defense: 0

What Went Wrong in 2025: Last year was a transition season for West Virginia in coach Rich Rodriguez’s return. In addition to a scheme shift, the Mountaineers added over 50 transfers from the portal. Rodriguez’s high-powered offense didn’t quite take off (21.8 points a game) due to inconsistency at quarterback and a struggling offensive line. The Mountaineers also ranked 14th in the Big 12 in points allowed (30.8 points per game).

Why the Mountaineers Will Rebound in ‘26: Rodriguez continued to reshape the roster with over 30 transfers arriving via the portal. However, the program is on solid footing with another offseason for Rodriguez to implement his schemes and mold the personnel to fit in ‘26. Oklahoma transfer quarterback Michael Hawkins or sophomore Scotty Fox should provide more stability and production at quarterback, and the ground game is in good hands with Jacksonville State transfer Cam Cook leading the way. The schedule features its share of tough matchups, but the Mountaineers have five Big 12 home games and enough winnable contests to go bowling.

UCLA

Returning Starters: Offense: 3, Defense: 3

What Went Wrong in 2025: Despite winning four out of their final five games in 2024, the Bruins entered ‘25 with plenty of question marks. Those concerns were certainly on display early. Both sides of the ball got off to a slow start, with an 0-3 record culminating in coach DeShaun Foster’s dismissal. UCLA won three games in a row in October to build momentum under interim coach Tim Skipper. However, the Bruins closed on a five-game losing streak. Tennessee transfer quarterback Nico Iamaleava provided a spark, but the offense still averaged only 18.2 points a game. The defense allowed 33.4 points a contest and struggled to stop the run (No. 134 nationally in success rate).

Why the Bruins Will Rebound in ‘26: The Bruins made one of the top coaching hires of ‘26 by luring Bob Chesney from James Madison to Westwood. Chesney has won at all levels and should bring instant improvement to this program. Iamaleava’s return to work with new play-caller Dean Kennedy should help the offense take a massive step forward. Chesney also landed a deep transfer class that includes help for both sides of the ball. The ‘26 slate features plenty of swing games, but if Chesney finds the right answers on the line of scrimmage, and Iamaleava elevates his game up a notch under the new staff, a bowl is certainly within reach in ‘26.