The powers that be in college football may have been preoccupied this offseason with trying to widen the moat around certain conferences, but that tended to obscure just how good a year those outside the Power 4 had in the sport.
Notre Dame woke up some echoes by hosting the first playoff game on campus and then proceeded to make it to the national title game. Boise State not only made a call back to its BCS-busting days by earning the Group of 5 bid, but got a bye into the quarterfinals ahead of the ACC as well. Elsewhere, Ohio won the MAC for the first time since 1968 and Army captured their first ever conference championship by beating Tulane in West Point to win their fittingly named new home of the American.
As always the past few years, player and coach movement among the Group of 5 (and the handful of independents still left) can make it difficult to discern just how good certain teams or leagues will be in 2025, but it’s shaping up to be a pretty interesting year from coast to coast. A playoff bid will garner much of the larger discussion around many of the high-end programs at this level, but this group of teams remains the lifeblood of the sport and is worth watching for more than just the midweek action some of the teams bring us during the fall.
CFP contenders
Notre Dame
The Irish return a bunch of starters from last year’s CFP, run but all eyes will be on a new quarterback, which will likely be an inexperienced but talented CJ Carr. He has all the tools to help bring a new dimension to the offense and will benefit from both handing the ball off to Jeremiyah Love as much as he will one of the best and deepest receiving corps the Irish have had in recent years.
Boise State
Ashton Jeanty may be gone, but this is still the easy favorite for the Group of 5 bid with double-digit returning starters back. QB Maddux Madsen will carry more of the load offensively, but don’t sleep on new tailback Sire Gaines, who was phenomenal before getting hurt last year and could be a conference player of the year candidate if he stays on the field.
James Madison
The Dukes went 9–4 last season and got back a number of key contributors. Former UNLV QB Matthew Sluka is expected to fill in for injured starter Alonza Barnett for a while, but this sure seems like the most talented team in the Sun Belt based on some of the other transfers they took in. They’ve got an opportunity to pull off some big wins (at Louisville, at Liberty, at Texas State) that could really help them in the eyes of the committee on top of potentially emerging from a very good conference.
Toledo
Is this the year the Rockets finally put it all together? This is annually the favorite in the MAC. It’s remarkable that, for all the wins they’ve had, they don’t have the rings they should to show for it. The offense likely makes enough of a leap to cover up any defensive issues this year. If they can go into Kentucky and pull out a win against an SEC foe in the opener, then they’ll be favored the rest of the season.
Tulane
Jon Sumrall got the Green Wave back to the American title game in his first season and could have an even deeper group this year despite some of the team’s losses to the transfer portal. The arrival of former BYU QB Jake Retzlaff on the eve of preseason camp should help elevate an offense that needs new playmakers to emerge, but this could be a sneaky CFP team with two power-conference teams coming to New Orleans.
South Florida
The Bulls have a ton coming back for 2025 and they will probably need it given an absolutely brutal three-game opening stretch (vs. Boise State, at Florida, at Miami). Their conference slate is manageable though, so if they can somehow look good enough before their first bye (or even pull a win), it wouldn’t be shocking if they wound up winning the American and stating a decent case to the committee on strength of schedule grounds.
UTSA
Most of the offense is back for the Roadrunners, including QB Owen McCown and one of the best G5 offensive line rooms around. They landed several key transfers who should contribute quite a bit and it helps a lot that they get all their biggest games at home, where UTSA is 29–3 in the Alamodome under Jeff Traylor.
Navy
Blake Horvath’s return should help power another dangerous attack for the Midshipmen, which get back seven other starters on offense. The defense has more fresh faces in starting roles, but gets its spine up the middle back. There’s a manageable enough schedule to think that this is a group that should exceed the 10 wins from last year and potentially put the committee in a tricky spot with regards to the annual Army-Navy game in December.
Liberty
This is always going to be the top team in CUSA with the amount of resources they pour into the program and the roster is well positioned to improve on the eight wins they had a year ago that was largely disappointing. If the Flames get past James Madison at home in mid-September, another undefeated run could be in the cards.
Teams on the rise
San Jose State
Ken Niumatalolo running anything but the option still seems strange. But it worked out well last season for the Spartans, which transitioned well to the new “Spread N’ Shred” attack to post seven wins. Outside of a trip to Texas, they will either be favored or close to it in every game. They return over a dozen starters on a team that should be even better than in 2024.
Southern Miss
It’s hard to go anywhere but up considering the Golden Eagles went 1–11 last year and winless in conference, but this might be a group primed to make the biggest jump in their win total in 2025. The arrival of Charles Huff fresh off a conference title is one reason why but it is probably more important that he brought a ton of players with him and has quickly remade the roster.
Teams on the downslope
UAB
Trent Dilfer talks a big game but enters 2025 on the hot seat after going 3–9 last season. There’s only a few starters back—which is both good and bad depending on how you look at things—but it’s going to be tough to be any better than .500 between the overall talent level and a schedule that isn’t a cakewalk.
Marshall
Despite winning the Sun Belt, everything is new in 2025. There’s a new athletic director, a new head coach and a pretty much completely new roster that has just a handful of returning players. Throw in a schedule that is extremely tough in the conference and it could be a long year for the Herd.
Kent State
The poor Golden Flashes are in the worst situation of any FBS program right now, having gone 0–12 a year ago, returning few starters and will now be guided by an interim coaching staff after Kenni Burns was fired in April. Throw in a brutal schedule and it’s tough to see them digging out of this hole anytime soon.
New coaches
Tim Albin, Charlotte
Albin did a great job taking over for Frank Solich at Ohio and leading the Bobcats to rare territory in winning the MAC last year. He’s a big upgrade for the 49ers and should make the program much more competitive than it has been.
Zach Kittley, Florida Atlantic
The youngest coach in FBS right now, Kittley is an Air Raid disciple who worked with Patrick Mahomes and Bailey Zappe while they were putting up massive numbers and hopes to do the same with FAU.
Scott Abell, Rice
Abell makes the step up from the FCS ranks where he led Davidson to the NCAA playoffs three times out of the Pioneer League. He runs a unique option offense that will be a must-watch to see how it takes hold at the FBS level.
K.C. Keeler, Temple
The veteran program-builder returns to the Northeast and his home state after doing excellent work winning an FCS title at Sam Houston State before taking them to nine wins in FBS last year. Might take a while for him to get the program where he wants but the Owls won’t be an easy out moving forward like they have been.
Tre Lamb, Tulsa
Another coach moving up from the FCS ranks this cycle, Lamb is a veteran with five seasons in charge despite being just 35. Don’t be surprised if the Golden Hurricanes make a big jump this season.
Willie Simmons, Florida International
Simmons went 66–24 at Prairie View A&M and Florida A&M and spent last year on a Duke team that won nine games. There’s a ton of upside with him leading the Panthers and he should help the program revive a lot of those local connections.
Charles Kelly, Jacksonville State
Kelly has coached pretty much everywhere in the state of Alabama and finally gets his first head coaching gig with the reigning CUSA champions.
Jerry Mack, Kennesaw State
Mack returns to the college life after a few years in the NFL, but he is no stranger to building up a program having led NC Central to the Celebration Bowl and a trio of league titles.
Phil Longo, Sam Houston State
Wisconsin’s recent offensive coordinator seems like a good fit for the region he’s in as an Air Raid disciple. He’ll have a tall task initially with the Bearkats but could work out long term.
Mike Uremovich, Ball State
The Indiana native has coached all over the Midwest and did a good job right up the road in leading Butler to a 23–11 mark the last three years.
Eddie George, Bowling Green
Not too many head coaches are walking around with a Heisman Trophy and are synonymous with an NFL franchise, but George gets a crack at being an FBS head coach after four years in charge of Tennessee State.
Matt Drinkall, Central Michigan
Before joining the staff at Army the last few years, Drinkall went 42–17 at NAIA Kansas Wesleyan and should bring some much-needed discipline to Mount Pleasant.
Joe Harasymiak, UMass
Harasymiak spent three years as a head coach at Maine and led the Black Bears to a top-five finish before spending the last few seasons in the Big Ten as a defensive coordinator at Rutgers and Minnesota.
Matt Entz, Fresno State
Entz won two national titles at North Dakota State (going 60–11 overall with the Bison) before spending a year helping turnaround USC’s defense to give him a taste of the FBS level.
Jason Eck, New Mexico
After coaching all over the place, the creative offensive mind took overlooked Idaho to three straight FCS playoffs before landing in Albuquerque.
Dan Mullen, UNLV
It’s not often you leave the comfy confines of ESPN to take a head coaching job in the desert, but Mullen is back in the sport where he won a remarkable 69 games at Mississippi State and was excellent for three of his four seasons at Florida.
Bronco Mendenhall, Utah State
Mendenhall is a turnaround specialist and wins everywhere he goes. He’s back in the Beehive State where he grew up and has ties to BYU.
Jimmy Rogers, Washington State
Rogers had to replace a legend at South Dakota State and promptly won a national title in his first season as a head coach with the Jackrabbits. He’ll lean on his experience winning in a tough place to play with the move to the Palouse.
Dowell Loggains, Appalachian State
The ex-Arkansas quarterback spent the bulk of his coaching career in the NFL before spending a few seasons in college the last four years. He’s got a high bar to clear in getting the Mountaineers back to the top of the Sun Belt but seems like a good fit.
Tony Gibson, Marshall
The West Virginia native finally gets a crack at running his own program after turning into one of the best defensive coordinators around.
Charles Huff, Southern Miss
There was no more interesting situation at the tail end of 2024 than Huff essentially coaching out his contract with Marshall and winning the Sun Belt title on his way out the door. The Herd’s loss will be the Golden Eagles’ gain as they look to get off the mat following a tough few years.
Conference power rankings
The American
- Tulane
- UTSA
- Navy
- USF
- Memphis
- Army
- North Texas
- East Carolina
- UAB
- Charlotte
- Tulsa
- Florida Atlantic
- Rice
- Temple
Conference USA
- Liberty
- Louisiana Tech
- Western Kentucky
- UTEP
- Jacksonville State
- Middle Tennessee State
- New Mexico State
- Sam Houston State
- Florida International
- Delaware
- Missouri State
- Kennessaw State
MAC
- Toledo
- Buffalo
- Northern Illinois
- Miami-Ohio
- Bowling Green
- Western Michigan
- Ohio
- Eastern Michigan
- Central Michigan
- Akron
- Ball State
- UMass
- Kent State
Mountain West
- Boise State
- San Jose State
- Air Force
- UNLV
- Colorado State
- Hawaii
- San Diego State
- Fresno State
- Nevada
- Utah State
- Wyoming
- New Mexico
Pac-12
- Oregon State
- Washington State
Sun Belt
- James Madison
- Texas State
- Georgia Southern
- Old Dominion
- Appalachian State
- Southern Miss
- South Alabama
- Troy
- Louisiana
- Coastal Carolina
- Georgia State
- Arkansas State
- Louisiana-Monroe
- Marshall
Transfer talk
WR Malachi Fields, Virginia to Notre Dame
Fields should be a huge weapon for the Irish when he draws single coverage and will benefit from being a veteran presence on offense for a still young team. He recorded 10 touchdowns the past two years with the Cavaliers and could easily reach that mark this year alone in South Bend.
CB DeVonta Smith, Alabama to Notre Dame
Given who is back at corner for the Irish, Smith won’t be thrown out on an island on the outside, but he should be a valuable depth piece in the secondary that is likely in line to start as the nickel. He’s got experience in playing in big time games so that should help him make an impact at Notre Dame.
QB Maalik Murphy, Duke to Oregon State
It’s not often that a guy who is 11–3 as a starting quarterback gets shown the door. When it was clear that he was no longer in line to be the guy at Duke, Murphy landed in Corvallis, Ore., as a huge upgrade under center. He’s a big guy who can withstand some hits and could make a notable improvement at Oregon State on the 26 touchdowns he threw last season.
Fab freshmen
Notre Dame OT Will Black, No. 26 recruit (five stars) in 247 Sports’ composite
The Irish have an excellent track record in developing offensive linemen and Black arrives on campus with tremendous upside given his natural athleticism. He may take a while to adjust to playing at this level and making a big jump up in competition but could be an excellent swing tackle early on as a freshman.
Notre Dame LB Madden Faraimo, No. 66 recruit (four stars)
Faraimo sized up late in high school with his frame but benefits from being a former safety who should see the field early, especially in third-down situations. He’s got a good frame and could really be a key development piece for Marcus Freeman.
Memphis QB AJ Hill, No. 187 recruit (four stars)
Landing Hill was an absolute coup for Memphis and while he won’t start initially, it will likely only be a matter of time before he takes over with the Tigers. He’s got prototypical size and arm strength and could be one of the best QBs in the Group of 5 once he learns the system and adjusts to the speed of the college game.
Bottom line
Notre Dame and Boise State both look like they have great preseason cases to make it back to the playoff, but it feels like the Group of 5 in general is about as wide open as it will ever be between the transfer portal and revenue sharing changing the outlook for several programs.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Group of 5 and Independents Football Preview: Notre Dame, Boise State Ready to Make Noise.
