Coaching Carousel Sleepers: Four Names to Watch for Major College Football Vacancies in 2027

The 2025 college football coaching carousel reshaped the landscape at traditional powerhouses including LSU, Florida, and Penn State, but expect a quieter market this year. Nevertheless, several prominent programs—notably Florida State, South Carolina, and Baylor—enter the season with head coaches occupying precarious positions, virtually guaranteeing openings by year’s end.

With many high-profile names from last year’s hiring cycle already entrenched in their new roles, struggling programs may need to look beyond established names to fill future vacancies. Four under-the-radar candidates possess the résumés and track records to land Power 4 opportunities.

UTSA head coach Jeff Traylor has transformed the Roadrunners into a winning operation, delivering two of the program’s best seasons in 2021 and 2022 that included an AP Poll appearance and conference championship. His three consecutive bowl victories and deep Texas roots position him as an ideal candidate should Baylor dismiss Dave Aranda, particularly given Traylor’s high school coaching pedigree at Gilmer.

Houston Cougars head coach Willie Fritz engineered a ten-win campaign in 2025 that landed the program in the AP Poll top 25. Fritz earned national recognition when his Tulane team defeated Lincoln Riley’s USC squad in the Cotton Bowl in 2022, demonstrating his ability to build competitive programs quickly—a six-win improvement from his first to second year at Houston could make Wisconsin or similar programs come calling.

Oklahoma State’s Eric Morris represents perhaps the hottest name in this cycle despite just arriving in Stillwater. His high-powered offenses at Incarnate Word and Washington State earned him the North Texas position before his spectacular 2025 campaign secured a Power 4 opportunity, but major programs will aggressively pursue him should circumstances change.

Ferris State Division II head coach Tony Annese operates from the deepest obscurity but boasts credentials strikingly similar to Indiana’s Curt Cignetti. Annese has compiled a three-time Division II Coach of the Year award and guided the Bulldogs to four of the last five national championships since 2012, establishing a track record of dominance at lower levels that could translate to Power 4 success.