The sheer quantity of College Football teams at the FBS level as well as modern equalizing factors like the Transfer Portal and NIL mean that the teams at the top of the food chain typically shift from decade to decade, or even year to year. That being said, we all know the handful of programs that we simply expect to be good again based on their history, infrastructure like recruiting territory and athletic department support, or other factors. Sometimes these fanbases are simply coping by saying they will return to greatness, but other teams it seems will inevitably return to the top. Here, we outline the teams we think are the top sleeping giants in college football and why.
Nebraska
This answer shouldn’t surprise you. We’re not just dwelling on their history as a college football dynasty, either – regardless of how you feel about Nebraska, they objectively have some of the deepest athletic department support in the country. They have already utilized this to pull in some of the top recruits and transfers in the country. Furthermore, with proven winner and recruiter Matt Rhule taking the head coaching position in 2023 and some momentum already starting to build, it seems we are one solid bowl game qualifying season away from bucking the trend. From there, it may be only a matter of years before Nebraska is contending for the new Big Ten.
South Carolina
Recruiting territory is a huge qualifier for being a “sleeping giant”. This is because some schools are only a coach away from tapping into a hotbed of talent in their own backyard which can elevate them to the next level. South Carolina is perhaps the definition of that kind of team. Clemson has obviously been dominating the talent in the Carolinas, as well as other schools poaching it. But, Beamer is building a solid program at South Carolina, which is finally starting to keep some of that top talent home. Having one of the most passionate fanbases in the country doesn’t hurt – just look at their spring game attendance. Though the SEC is a meat grinder, South Carolina could be sneaking into the conference championship game by leveraging this recruiting hotbed and with a few key strategic wins within the athletic department.
Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech has produced winners before – just look at the likes of Calvin Johnson, Joe Hamilton or, if we want to talk coaching legends, John Heisman and Bobby Dodd themselves. Obviously Georgia Tech has been somewhat of a punching bag in the ACC in recent history, but they have a path to becoming dominant. Atlanta and the surrounding area is one of the most fertile recruiting grounds in the country. Furthermore, it’s Georgia’s major city and center of culture – it should be able to appeal to recruits. While a potential Big Ten invite is an X-Factor, granting more resources but a harder strength of schedule, some further commitment from the university and strategic usage of NIL should be able to lift Georgia Tech to conference contention, at the least.
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USF
While USF, being in a “Group of 5” conference, is on a slightly different scale than the other members of this list, they still have a path to dominance that some overlook. Newer fans may forget, but they were ranked as highly No. 2 in the country less than two decades ago. USF’s main advantage is being smack in the center of what is arguably the best recruiting territory in the country. Having in-state rival UCF (who now plays at the power conference level in the Big 12) surge to New Year’s Six wins in the last few years can be discouraging, but it also provides a solid roadmap for how USF can get back to the top. Plans for an on-campus stadium are a great first step, and it would not be surprising to see USF secure a College Football Playoff appearance and a power conference invite this decade.
ECU
East Carolina is definitely further from the top than the other schools on this list, but don’t underrate the value of great recruiting ground, a strong fanbase and a university willing to dedicate resources to the program. Whether or not you think Mike Houston will be the Head Coach to take them there, the opportunity has never been more present than the NIL / Transfer Portal era. Step one is to win the American Conference, which may take a bit more investment into that local recruiting, but don’t be surprised to see the Pirates in the AP Top 25 sooner rather than later. Wouldn’t it be great to see that 50K capacity stadium filled?
Miami
You didn’t think we were going to get through this list without Miami, did you? The Hurricanes are the prototypical sleeping giant, with all the ingredients for success but none of the recent outcomes…yet. As mentioned, recruiting territory doesn’t get any better than having South Florida in your own backyard. Furthermore, the city of Miami is quite the draw to talent, never mind the glitz and glam that comes with the Hurricanes program itself – have we forgotten that Drake music video already? Miami has a capable coach in Mario Cristobal who, though he may have some questionable calls, has a history of winning big games from Oregon and is unlikely to leave given his ties to the program itself. The ACC is a very winnable conference and Miami has improved their recruiting to place themselves in a spot for contention, as well as ramping up financial commitment to the program in the NIL era. They grazed success in 2016 and 2017, notably beating Notre Dame and an ACC Championship game loss to Clemson, but still have not won the conference since joining in 2004.
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