Three college football storylines to focus on INSTEAD of LSU coach Lane Kiffin this offseason

We have perhaps reached the nadir of the college football offseason.

This is partly due to the fact that the amount of time between the end of last season and the start of next season is almost the same, and also due to the fact that almost nothing is happening right now.

spring games Most, if not all, teams are finished, and official visits for recruits won’t begin until after Memorial Day.

Even the days of media seem decades away.

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But that didn’t stop people from speaking out. And the main topic on everyone’s lips is LSU head coach Lane Kiffin.

Most of this is his doing, but I have to say, even I’m guilty of mentioning that man’s name when I could have avoided it.

What can I say, he’s an easy target.

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I’m here today to tell you that offseason discourse doesn’t have to center around the Lane Train.

There are plenty of intriguing stories this summer that won’t even involve the Bayou Bengals and their carnival barker head coach in the slightest.

Let’s talk some college ball without Kiffin, shall we?

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Play-off Expansion

Miami head coach Mario Cristobal and Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti pose with the trophy during a press conference prior to the College Football Playoff national championship game on January 18, 2026 in Miami. (Chris Carlson/AP)

Were it not for the person who shall remain nameless, I can almost guarantee that the biggest topic of conversation this summer will be whether to expand the College Football Playoff to 24 teams.

I’m sure you all know my thoughts on the subject at this point, but I was shocked to see that the discourse on social media was not as unbalanced against expansion as I thought.

The debate seems to split into two groups: those who see the regular season as sacrosanct and those who want more programs to take a bite at the apple.

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While it’s noble to include everyone in the postseason, if you reek of “participation trophy” vibes and want college football to be an egalitarian society, you’re probably new here and shouldn’t hold your breath.

College football has always been an aristocracy, and most fans like it that way.

Moreover, the NIL has done much more to level the playing field than an expanded playoff ever could.

Check out my darlings at Texas Tech in Lubbock.

You’re finally legally allowed to pay players, and all the Red Raiders did was call in bottomless billionaires to start buying five-star offensive linemen and offensive tackles.

Arch Manning Redemption Tour

Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning throws a pass during the first half against the Texas A&M Aggies at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on November 28, 2025. (Scott Wachter/Imagn Images)

Last year, it was supposed to be the coronation of Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning.

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Many fans thought he should have started Quinn Ewers a season earlier and bemoaned the fact that his prodigal nephew had to wait his turn in this instant gratification society we have.

2025 has arrived, but it has taken Manning a while to even become the shell that Texans fans have come to expect from him.

But come season’s end, Arch had a great second half of the season, pitching a great performance against Michigan in the bowl game where the Longhorns’ signal caller posted a QBR of 99.2 (they measure these bad boys on a scale going to 100, by the way).

Now that we’ve seen what Manning can really do, the pressure will be on him to make it happen in 2026.

The redshirt junior will already be the Heisman favorite heading into this season, and the Longhorns will be viewed as one of the teams with the shortest chance of winning it all.

Will Manning’s 2026 resemble the first half of 2025, when he looked like a deer in the headlights at times? Or will it look more like it did in the second half of last year, darting all over the field and defeating top-ten teams like Vanderbilt and Texas A&M?

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Changing of the Guard during Recruitment

Jacob Rodriguez of the Texas Tech Red Raiders celebrates with his wife, Emma Rodriguez, after the Big 12 Championship game against the BYU Cougars at AT&T Stadium on December 6, 2025 in Arlington, Texas. (John E. Moore III/Getty Images)

I wrote about this a while ago, with UCLA’s surprising jump into the top 10 in recruiting rankings, but the talent acquisition landscape as a whole is starting to look much different than it has in years past.

Besides UCLA, “new blood” Texas Tech is knocking on the door of the top 10 and boasts one of the highest class averages in the country; There are currently three five-star ratings.

Even more remarkable than who is in the top 10 is who is who. notTraditional recruiting powers like Georgia, LSU, Alabama, and Clemson all sit comfortably outside the top 20!

Heck, even Texas is in the top 10 from an outside perspective.

LSU and Alabama are fine, both already have at least one five-star commitment in their respective classes, and their problems are more quantitative than quality. But Georgia in particular may need to do some self-evaluation.

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The Dawgs have suffered three blue-chip losses in the past month, including five-star cornerback Donte Wright, who returned to the Miami Hurricanes less than a week ago.

Georgia still has a pair of five-stars and plenty of room to grow, but this is an unusual spot for them to be this far into the cycle.

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Does this represent a changing of the guard? Is it a new era of hiring where non-traditional forces will rise and begin to narrow the talent gap?

It’s too early to tell, but it’s definitely something to keep an eye on as recruiting season continues into the doldrums of the summer months.