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Michigan has ended the 2023 college football season on top after taking down Washington in the national championship.
The offseason—sniffles—has arrived.
On the bright side, college football hardly ever leaves the headlines. Between the transfer portal, signing day, spring practice, another round of transfers and more, the sport has a regular presence. It’ll take a back seat to college basketball in March, but news is constantly happening.
After all, this summer marks the official switch of the sport as we know it. All those Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC moves of realignment—and College Football Playoff expansion, for good measure—are on the way.
The following sections highlight the major news of the offseason in chronological order.
As soon as the transfer window began in early December, the annual frenzy of the portal brought plenty of moves.
The initial 30-day timeline ended on Jan. 2, although players from Michigan and Washington have until mid-January to enter the portal. The second deadline is five days after a program’s bowl game—or, in the case of those two programs, the national championship.
Additionally, the Alabama roster has a 30-day period now that Nick Saban has retired. The same would apply to any other coaching changes. (Looking at you, Jim Harbaugh.)
Among others, key departures include former top recruit Walter Nolen (to Ole Miss) and running back Quinshon Judkins (to Ohio State).
And a whole bunch of quarterbacks.
To name a handful: Dillon Gabriel (to Oregon), Will Howard (to Ohio State), Riley Leonard (to Notre Dame), Will Rogers (to Washington) and DJ Uiagalelei (to Florida State).
While the deadline to enter the portal has passed, anyone who hasn’t revealed a destination will be recruited during the winter.
Only a day or two after potential transfers must have submitted paperwork, an NFL draft deadline looms.
Players with remaining college eligibility who intend to pursue the pros needs to file paperwork by Monday, Jan. 15. To date, the list formally includes 34 prospects—but the final number will significantly rise.
So far, plenty of projected first-round selections—North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye and Notre Dame offensive tackle Joe Alt among them—are officially in the draft. However, formal announcements haven’t come from several stars, such as USC quarterback Caleb Williams or Georgia tight end Brock Bowers. Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy is another player of particular interest.
Transfers will still happen, but the draft deadline helps largely shape who to expect on college rosters in 2024.
Although the traditional February signing day is a bit of an afterthought on the current NCAA calendar, it’s nonetheless a very important Wednesday in college football.
The early window ran from Dec. 20-22, and a strong majority of prospects signed their national letter of intent.
But a handful of top players are uncommitted.
The highest-ranked available talent is 4-star receiver Gatlin Bair, who is rated 43rd nationally. Other blue-chip prospects on the board are athlete Amaree Williams, running back J’Marion Burnette, cornerback Kevyn Humes and quarterback Trever Jackson.
Additionally, three 5-stars—wideout Ryan Williams (Alabama), athlete Terry Bussey (Texas A&M) and defensive lineman Dominick McKinley (LSU)—have not signed. Any of them, in theory, could flip a verbal pledge.
February’s signing period opens on Wednesday, Feb. 7.
Sometime around mid-February, the start of spring practice will become a popular sight around the country.
And that’s where offseason hype begins to grow.
Did your favorite team add a 5-star freshman? He seems like an immediate top contributor. How about that 3-star early enrollee? He’s got a jump on the playbook. That new transfer? I don’t mean to overstate things, but I’m pretty sure he’ll be a unanimous All-American.
Jokes aside, expectations will begin to form around the initial 2024 looks at freshmen, transfers and hopeful breakouts.
This important practice window typically ends with a spring game—or glorified scrimmage—in April or early May.
Generally speaking, the most impactful transfers will have entered the portal at some point in the December/January window.
That’s not always the case, of course. Last year, the spring window included wide receiver Keon Coleman departing Michigan State for Florida State. He finished the season as a first-team All-ACC selection and caught 11 touchdowns for the College Football Playoff snub.
In 2024, the spring transfer period is from April 16-30.
Throw in a May 1 deadline for graduate transfers, and this is effectively the final moment of potential player movement—again, with formal commitments able to happen in the following days and weeks.
The sport, as we know it, will be changing.
Beginning with the new fiscal year on July 1, conference realignment will undergo a long-awaited and very dramatic shift.
Oklahoma and Texas are leaving the Big 12 for the SEC, which is the co-headliner with Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington joining the Big Ten. Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah are sliding into the Big 12, while Cal, Stanford and SMU are moving to the ACC.
And the Pac-12 becomes the Pac-2.
Oregon State and Washington State will be affiliated with the Mountain West until the future of the Pac-12 is determined.
Also, the College Football Playoff is set to expand from a four-team invitational to a 12-team tournament. The format must be finalized in the near future but is expected to include the five highest-ranked conference champions—which guarantees one slot for a Group of Five program—and seven at-large bids.
The combination of realignment and CFP expansion is kicking off an unmistakably new era of college football in 2024.
Note: Army is joining the American as a football-only member, and Conference USA adds FBS newcomer Kennesaw State.
When the calendar flips to August, college football is back on a prominent stage thanks to fall camp and prediction season.
Most importantly, teams are back on the field. Quarterback competitions and other position battles will command a heavy share of the spotlight as both media and fans eagerly await the release of Week 1 depth charts.
In the meantime, it’ll be time for previews and predictions.
Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon and Texas will be among the preseason championship favorites. Not coincidentally, Heisman Trophy front-runners will include signal-callers Carson Beck (Georgia), Dillon Gabriel (Oregon) and Jalen Milroe (Alabama).
Trophies and awards will unveil lengthy watch lists. Conferences will release the media (or coaches) poll, and both preseason all-conference and All-American teams will be named.
Our beloved sport returns on Saturday, Aug. 24, when Florida State takes on Georgia Tech in Dublin, Ireland.
Come to think of it, that’s basically right around the corner. We’d better start getting ready.
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