Pac-12 Football

Arizona is hiring San Jose State head coach Brent Brennan to replace Jedd Fisch, according to ESPN's Pete Thamel.

Brennan went 34-48 in seven years with the Spartans, a record that's skewed by the 22 losses they combined to suffer in his first two seasons at the helm. The program qualified for a bowl game in three of the past four years.

Brennan was reportedly a finalist for the Wildcats in 2020 during the coaching search that led them to hiring Fisch.

Selecting Fisch worked out nicely for the Wildcats. They went 10-3 and finished 14th in the final College Football Playoff rankings, their best finish since 2014.

Fisch didn't wait long to cash in on that success, though. Washington announced his arrival Sunday, and The Athletic's Bruce Feldman reported he's taking his entire offensive staff with him to Seattle.

In addition to the turnover on the coaching staff, Brennan may have to ward off the kind of exodus that's becoming increasingly common in the transfer portal era. Leading rusher Jonah Coleman was the first Arizona player to hit the portal since Fisch's departure, and quarterback Brayden Dorman, a 4-star recruit from the 2023 class, is out the door as well.

Assuming Brennan doesn't lose too many key starters and fills out the squad through the portal, the pieces are nonetheless there for Arizona to make a big impression in its first season in the Big 12. Noah Fifita, who threw for 2,869 yards, 25 touchdowns and six interceptions in particular shows a lot of promise.

University administrators, meanwhile, will hope Brennan is more committed to the program than Fisch was.

Given his nomadic coaching career, nobody should be surprised Fisch's stay in Arizona was relatively short. He has jumped around from a number of jobs across the college and pro levels, so it was inevitable that he'd leave for what he believed to be greener pastures.

Brennan, on the other hand, was a graduate assistant at Arizona in 2000, giving him existing ties to the Wildcats. The 13 years he spent at San Jose as both an assistant and head coach suggest he's prepared to call Tucson home for a long time.

Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders will return to the school for his senior season.

Y’all know I’m not declaring this year. We got the pieces we need do it big this year 💯

— Shedeur Sanders (@ShedeurSanders) January 13, 2024

Appearing on The Dan Patrick Show in October, Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders said he expected both of his sons, Shedeur and Shilo, to wait until 2025 to make the jump to the next level.

Shedeur may have needed to think long and hard about his decision, though.

The 6'2" signal-caller saw his draft stock soar early in the season after Colorado started 3-0. During that stretch, he threw for 1,251 yards, 10 touchdowns and one interception. He was projected to be the No. 8 overall pick in Bleacher Report's first 2024 NFL mock draft of the year.

The Buffaloes quickly fell back to earth. The losses began to pile up thanks in part to their poor offensive line play, which affected Sanders' performances. When he wasn't getting hit, he was often flushed from the pocket and forced to throw on the run.

ANOTHER SACK

That's the fourth sack of the game for @ASUFootball 💪😈 pic.twitter.com/qqjUmOhepK

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 7, 2023

Still, there was broad acknowledgement Sanders possessed the tools needed to succeed at the next level. He was also firmly in the group of players for QB3 consideration behind USC's Caleb Williams and North Carolina's Drake Maye, widely regarded as the two best at the position.

Sanders remained an efficient passer despite the pressure he was regularly facing as well. He completed 69.3 percent of his passes and finished with 3,230 yards through the air, 27 touchdowns, three interceptions and a 151.7 QB rating.

.@ShedeurSanders LAUNCHES IT to @Tooswiftj5 🎯

📺 Pac-12 Network#GoBuffs pic.twitter.com/o1cS0rL6qy

— Colorado Buffaloes Football (@CUBuffsFootball) November 11, 2023

In November, ESPN's Jordan Reid listed Sanders as the third-best quarterback in the 2024 draft class behind Williams and Maye, calling him "one of college football's surprising breakout stars."

"The most impressive part of Sanders' game is his accuracy and poise in crucial moments," Reid wrote. "... He is a calm distributor, and his ability to precisely deliver the ball to his targets on-time and accurately hasn't wavered despite the breakdowns up front."

Especially with how highly quarterbacks are valued, Sanders could've plausibly been a first-round pick if he had entered his name into the 2024 draft. Most players in his position would've jumped at that chance.

The dawn of the NIL era meant major stars don't have to jump at their first opportunity for a big payday, though; they're already collecting one. In Sanders' case, On3 pegged his NIL valuation at $4 million, the second-highest across all college sports.

By returning to school, the Texas native is leaving open the possibility of reaching greater heights both individually and with Colorado.

Sanders has another season to refine his game and perhaps mount a serious Heisman Trophy challenge. The Buffaloes promise to be a stronger squad as well, with Deion Sanders specifically telegraphing the changes that will come to the O-line.

With still so much to gain, one can understand Sanders' decision to keep his NFL dreams on hold.

Colorado head coach Deion Sanders landed a commitment from a player with a strong athletic pedigree.

Gage Goldberg, the son of WWE Hall of Famer Bill Goldberg, announced on Sunday that he has committed to play for Sanders and the Buffaloes:

After a great conversation, I am honored to announce that I am committing to the University of Colorado to continue my football and academic career!!! #committed @CUBuffsFootball @DeionSanders @ChampionHSFB pic.twitter.com/ghnuePgmrf

— Gage Goldberg (@gage_goldberg1) January 14, 2024

By committing to play college football, Gage is following in his father's footsteps. Prior to becoming a professional wrestler, Bill Goldberg was a standout defensive tackle for the Georgia Bulldogs who played for the Atlanta Falcons from 1992 to 1994, where he developed a friendship with Sanders.

"My dad's advice was go to the program that stands out to you the most and the one you know that you will love," Gage told Jeff Hauser of BuffsBeat. "I already know at this moment that I will love Colorado and it will also be great to be learning from one of my dad's best friends ever."

A 6-foot, 205-pound middle linebacker from Boerne Champion High School in Texas, Gage Goldberg is the seventh addition to Colorado's 2024 recruiting class, which also includes 5-star offensive lineman Jordan Seaton.

"The main draw was that Colorado has an amazing coaching staff and obviously a great head coach that will help me excel in every way to become a better football player, and eventually to get me to the next level," he said.

Per Hauser, Goldberg had an exceptional senior season with 154 total tackles (7.5 for loss), eight quarterback hurries, four forced fumbles, a sack, a blocked field goal and a safety.

After head coach Kalen DeBoer departed to replace Nick Saban at Alabama, Washington has found his successor.

Arizona's Jedd Fisch agreed to become the next head coach of the Huskies on Sunday. The Athletic's Bruce Feldman reported Fisch agreed to a seven-year deal worth an average of $7.75 million per season.

ESPN's Pete Thamel reported details about Fisch's buyout from his contract with Arizona:

The buyout for Washington to get Fisch from Arizona is $5.5 million. That number is absorbed by the $12 million that Washington is due to receive from the departure of Kalen DeBoer to Alabama. https://t.co/u4X0vRWofs

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) January 14, 2024

Thamel previously reported that Fisch "emerged as Washington's top target" in their head coaching search. 247Sports' Jason Scheer followed up by reporting that Fisch is "likely headed to Washington."

Thamel added that Washington put all of its focus on Fisch, as he was "the only candidate Washington officials have engaged with after their initial phone calls."

Fisch has spent the last three seasons as head coach of the Wildcats. He took over a team that went 0-5 under Kevin Sumlin during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, and he spearheaded an impressive rebuild.

After going 1-11 in their first season under Fisch, the Wildcats went 5-7 in 2022 and improved to 10-3 this past season for a third-place finish in the Pac-12. The team ended a five-year bowl-game drought and defeated Oklahoma in the Alamo Bowl 38-24.

Prior to taking over at Arizona, Fisch had an extensive coaching career with experience at the college and professional levels. He served as offensive coordinator and interim head coach at UCLA in 2017. He also spent time on coaching staffs with the Baltimore Ravens, Houston Texans, Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos, Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Rams and New England Patriots.

Fisch will have big shoes to fill as the replacement for DeBoer at Washington. DeBoer coached the Huskies to a 25-3 record during his tenure and was named AP Coach of the Year this past season after leading the team to a berth in the College Football Playoff national title game.

Lance Leipold has withdrawn from the Washington coaching search and is expected to stay with Kansas, per The Athletic's Chris Vannini.

The Jayhawks' head coach, who led Kansas to a 9-4 record last season, posted his excitement to be with his team again on social media Sunday, shutting down any rumors that he's taking the job at Washington.

"The guys come back to campus tomorrow," Leipold wrote. "Can't wait to get back to work with them in '24!! Rock Chalk!!"

The guys come back to campus tomorrow. Can’t wait to get back to work with them in ‘24!!

Rock Chalk!!

— Lance Leipold (@CoachLeipold) January 14, 2024

According to Vannini, Leipold is also expected to receive a contract extension at Kansas after earning $5.75 million in 2023.

Leipold has had a successful tenure as Kansas' head coach, and it has led to interest from several other schools, including Washington. Leipold took over as the Jayhawks' head coach in 2021 after the team went 0-9 under Les Miles in 2020. Kansas went 2-10 in his first season, but showed growth in 2022, going 6-7.

This year, Kansas saw its best season since 2007, finishing 9-4 with a win over Oklahoma and a second-straight bowl appearance. Before the 2023 season, the Jayhawks had 14-consecutive losing seasons.

Now, Washington will continue its search to replace Kalen Deboer, who left to take over as Alabama's head coach following Nick Saban's retirement. Whoever ends up as the Huskies' head coach will have big shoes to fill, as Deboer went 25-3 in his two seasons, reaching the national championship game this year.

Washington Huskies offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb announced that he won't be taking over as the team's head coach in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

pic.twitter.com/oFjaDsqRPw

— Ryan Grubb (@GrubbRyan) January 14, 2024

"Though I wanted to be I will not be the next head coach at the University of Washington," Grubb wrote. "It would have been a dream to stay here and fight to maintain the standard that had been re-established."

Washington's previous coach, Kalen DeBoer, took over Alabama's vacant head coaching position following Nick Saban's retirement.

Grubb and DeBoer helped cultivate one of the nation's top offenses as Washington ranked No. 12 and No. 13 in the country in both yards and points per game, respectively. The offensive coordinator discussed the similar coaching mindset that the two share prior to the Huskies' matchup with Michigan in the national championship.

"I can't really speak for Kalen, but I would say that for me I've always coached our guys, and I think Kalen would align with this somewhat, that I just don't think you should coach guys to not lose," Grubb said, per Dan Morrison of On3.com. "To me being offensive is just that. We should be the ones on the attack."

However, it doesn't appear that Washington athletic director Troy Dannen is interested in a head coach that shares a similar approach as DeBoer. A decision could still be made soon though, as the Seattle Times reported that the Huskies are expected to name a new coach "within the next 48 hours."

"UW's decision was down to three finalists with a final interview being held on Saturday night. A news conference introducing the hire will likely be held on Tuesday, the source said."

As for Grubb, he'll likely have several job opportunities to choose from. After turning down an offer to join the Crimson Tide at the end of the Huskies' 2022 season, he could potentially make the move a year later and team up with DeBoer in Tuscaloosa.

Former Texas A&M wide receiver Evan Stewart announced that he's transferring to Oregon in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Done deal. #ScoDucks pic.twitter.com/f994i7mnU0

— 𝓮𝓿𝓪𝓷 𝓼𝓽𝓮𝔀𝓪𝓻𝓽 (@0fficial_evan) January 12, 2024

Stewart was a 5-star prospect out of Texas, ranking as the No. 2 receiver in the 2022 recruiting class (per 247Sports' composite rankings). He entered the transfer portal on Dec. 19, a little over a month after Aggies head coach Jimbo Fisher was fired. Fisher's firing included a record-setting $76 million buyout.

In 18 appearances throughout the past two seasons, Stewart has hauled in 91 receptions for 1,163 yards and six touchdowns. However, he struggled with injuries and missed multiple games during the 2023 season due to a leg issue. It doesn't appear that Stewart was pleased with the way the Aggies' staff managed his injury, though.

"Where ever I go, I just hope the training staff can tell me the actual diagnosis of my injuries for my physical and mental health," he said in a post on Jan. 2.

https://twitter.com/0fficial_evan/status/1742259268772921653

It likely isn't a coincidence that Stewart's decision to join Oregon comes on the same day that head coach Dan Lanning announced his commitment to remain with the Ducks moving forward.

pic.twitter.com/NKnRYbS4u9

— Dan Lanning (@CoachDanLanning) January 11, 2024

Lanning has helped Oregon's offense blossom since he was first hired in Dec. 2021. The Ducks owned the No. 1 passing offense in the country during the 2023 season, led by Heisman Trophy candidate Bo Nix. Two of Oregon's receivers, Troy Franklin and Tez Johnson, both surpassed 1,100 yards while combining to record 24 touchdowns.

Although Nix's time with the Ducks has come to an end, the team should still possess a strong passing attack after landing former Oklahoma signal-caller Dillon Gabriel in the portal on Dec. 9.

In 12 games with the Sooners in 2023, Gabriel recorded 3,660 yards and 30 touchdowns compared to six interceptions.

Alabama will have to take one of the top candidates to succeed Nick Saban off the board.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning shared a video on X, formerly known as Twitter, in which he reaffirmed his commitment to the Ducks:

pic.twitter.com/NKnRYbS4u9

— Dan Lanning (@CoachDanLanning) January 11, 2024

247Sports' Matt Zenitz reported rumors of Lanning traveling to Tuscaloosa on Wednesday night were false.

Almost immediately after news of Saban's retirement broke, Lanning was floated as one of the most sensible replacements for the legendary coach. He has experience recruiting in the Southeast after working on the staffs of Alabama and Georgia, and he has a 22-5 record in his two years with the Ducks.

It spoke to how highly regarded the 37-year-old is that he was linked with the Auburn vacancy before even completing a full season in Eugene. That was the context behind the comment in Thursday's video about how "the grass is not always greener."

Oregon’s Dan Lanning was asked about a fan blog affiliated with Sports Illustrated reporting “mutual interest” between him and Auburn.

Lanning’s initial response — shaking his head in disbelief — is what you’d expect.

Media literacy is important, even in the silly world of CFB. pic.twitter.com/YKKSGwAHZZ

— Brandon Marcello (@bmarcello) November 8, 2022

That seems especially notable now.

Whoever takes over for Saban might be doomed to fail because the expectations around Alabama have long been some of the most demanding in college football.

Bill Curry had a brick thrown through his window after a loss to Ole Miss in 1988, and he resigned altogether after guiding the Crimson Tide to a 10-2 record and the Sugar Bowl in 1989. Alabama went 10-3 with an Orange Bowl under Mike DuBose in 1999, and the following year he chose to step down following a 3-8 finish. Ray Perkins, who had the thankless task of replacing Bear Bryant, only lasted four years before leaving for an NFL job.

Now, you're combining that history with attempting to carry over the success of a coach who delivered six national championships in 17 seasons.

For as much as Alabama offers in terms of track record, resources and administrative alignment, this may not be a vacancy that appeals to every candidate in the mix.

With Lanning specifically, he has to feel good about his chances of achieving at Oregon what he might've with the Crimson Tide right now. The College Football Playoff is expanding, thus widening the margin for error for the top teams, and the Ducks' move to the Big Ten means more money and potentially opening new recruiting pipelines.

Lanning theoretically has a long career ahead of him as well. This almost certainly won't be his last shot at coaching Alabama if that's something he aspires to.

Colorado has been no stranger to the transfer portal during Deion Sanders' brief tenure as head coach, and that might not be changing anytime soon.

After legendary Alabama head coach Nick Saban retired, per ESPN's Chris Low, Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders immediately took to social media in an effort to get Crimson Tide players to join his team:

👀 Alabama players tap n

— Shedeur Sanders (@ShedeurSanders) January 10, 2024

Saban's retirement and any head coaching change triggers a 30-day transfer window for players at that school.

Colorado surely won't be the only school interested in Alabama players during the ensuing 30-day transfer window.

After all, the Crimson Tide are loaded with talent every year in a testament to the program Saban built during his tenure of dominance. The team just won the SEC title and reached the College Football Playoff and is primed to once again be on the shortlist of championship contenders in 2024 and beyond.

Saban landed the No. 2 recruiting class in 2024, No. 1 class in 2023 and No. 2 class in 2022, per 247Sports' composite rankings, so there are no questions about the amount of talent on campus.

Even landing one or two of those players could alter the outlook for any program, even the very best in the sport.

But Colorado is far from the very best in the sport.

It went 4-8 in a 2023 season that was defined by far more media coverage than actual wins. The Buffaloes have finished with more than five wins one time since the 2007 season and still have plenty of ground to make up even under Sanders to be considered a legitimate threat as they move to the Big 12.

However, rapid improvement is more readily available than ever in today's college football world thanks to the transfer portal.

According to 247Sports' rankings, Sanders brought in the top-ranked portal class in 2023 and has the No. 3 class this year.

Adding players from Alabama would only improve that ranking.

The retirement of longtime Alabama coach Nick Saban sent shockwaves through the world of college football on Wednesday, and Colorado head coach Deion Sanders was among those to react to the news.

Sanders took to social media to pay homage to Saban, who he described as the GOAT:

WOW! College Football just lost the GOAT to retirement. WOW! I knew it would happen 1 day soon but not this soon. The game has change so much that it chased the GOAT away. College football let's hold up our mirrors and say HONESTLY what u see. #CoachPrime @CUBuffsFootball

— COACH PRIME (@DeionSanders) January 10, 2024

Sanders wasn't alone in holding Saban to such high esteem. Former Alabama running back Mark Ingram II also posted a message to his former coach:

Coach Saban is the GOAT!! Thanks for believing in a young man from Flint, Michigan. Helped me become a champion on the field, but more importantly a champion in LIFE. Enjoy retirement Coach, you earned that!! Love you Coach Saban, ROLL TIDE!! 🥹🥲 pic.twitter.com/VJ5KzUcHu3

— Mark Ingram II (@markingramII) January 10, 2024

The GOAT moniker is appropriate for Saban, as he won a record seven national championships over his illustrious career. The 72-year-old went 292-71-1 in 28 seasons as a college head coach, ranking sixth all-time on the FBS wins list and 12th in college football history regardless of division. He ends his career with 12 conference titles (11 SEC, 1 MAC) and 19 bowl game wins.

Saban is coming off his 17th season at Alabama, which ended with a loss to eventual national champion Michigan in the Rose Bowl. His 201 wins with the Crimson Tide ties him with former Georgia coach Vince Dooley for second-most in SEC history behind the legendary Bear Bryant, who won 232 games in 25 seasons at Alabama.

Under Saban's leadership, Alabama has produced a slew of NFL stars, as 44 players have been selected in the first round of the NFL draft. 2023 No. 1 pick Bryce Young was the Crimson Tide's first player to be selected with the top pick in the Common Draft era (since 1967). Saban has produced a total of 49 first-round picks in his career, the most by a single head coach.

Now, Saban gets to enjoy a well-deserved retirement. It remains to be seen if there will ever be a coach to succeed him as college football's GOAT.