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As the college football season gets closer, there is a group of coaches that enter this fall on the hot seat or at least a very warm seat. Here is a look at how those coaches are doing on the recruiting trail this cycle and whether their shaky status appears to be making an impact with recruits.
RUMOR MILL: Big recruiting weekend looms
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DAVE ARANDA, Baylor
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Class ranking: No. 32 nationally, No. 4 in Big 12
Overview: After winning 12 games in 2021, taking home the Big 12 title in a thriller and winning the Sugar Bowl, things have fallen off a cliff in Waco. The next season, the Bears went 6-7 followed by a 3-9 disaster last year. Aranda went from one of the hottest young coaches in the country to clearly on the hot seat.
Recruiting is actually going pretty well this cycle for Baylor as only UCF has more four-stars in the Big 12 so far. Four-star receivers Jacorey Watson and Taz Williams Jr. lead the way and then four-star running back Michael Turner Jr. and four-star defensive end Kamauryn Morgan are other top prospects in the class.
Asked about Baylor’s recruiting success at Big 12 Media Days, Aranda was blunt as could be in the age of NIL: “We’re paying players,” he said.
RELATED: Baylor’s 2025 commitment list
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TONY ELLIOTT, Virginia
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Class ranking: No. 49 nationally, No. 12 in ACC
Overview: Bronco Mendenhall had two losing seasons to start his career at Virginia but it felt different – like the Cavaliers were absolutely heading in the right direction and that was the case as they turned the corner in Year 3. Elliott has six wins over two years and now enters a more-challenging ACC situation.
Recruiting is fine but nothing to write home about. The Cavaliers along with Duke, Boston College, Wake Forest and Cal are the conference teams with no four-star commitments. All 17 pledges are three-stars led by in-state receivers Isaiah Robinson and Dillon Newton-Short, offensive lineman Jon Adair and athlete Chris Spence.
Here’s the challenge for Virginia: All of its games through early October are winnable. But it wouldn’t be a shock if the Cavs dropped all of them, either.
RELATED: Virginia’s 2025 commitment list
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CLARK LEA, Vanderbilt
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Class ranking: No. 75 nationally, No. 16 in SEC
Overview: Vanderbilt is arguably the toughest job in the Power Four and it’s getting harder with the additions of Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC. The Commodores have not had a winning season in a decade since James Franklin coached them. Lea is 9-27 in three seasons and has won two SEC games during that stretch.
Recruiting has not been gangbusters, either. Vanderbilt is sandwiched between Cincinnati and Tulsa in the national team rankings. It’s last in the SEC and the only team with single-digit commitments and no four-stars.
High three-star defensive backs Carson Lawrence and Cayden Daniels lead the Commodores’ class but they need some other high-level prospects to compete in the nation’s toughest conference.
RELATED: Vandy’s 2025 commitment list
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BILLY NAPIER, Florida
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Class ranking: No. 56 nationally, No. 15 in SEC
Overview: Napier came to Gainesville with a pristine reputation as a coach and recruiter, his credentials were impeccable and he went 40-12 overall in four seasons at Louisiana-Lafayette, an astonishing 33-5 in his last three years there. But it has not been working out quick enough at Florida and after three-straight losing seasons (two credited to Napier) the pitchforks are coming out.
Florida has a massive recruiting staff but the Gators have only 10 commitments including a kicker, although landing high four-star receiver Vernell Brown in recent days could kickstart things a little bit. Running back Waltez Clark is a nice pickup and then two big-timers on the defensive line in four-stars Jalen Wiggins and Jeramiah McCloud should help.
It just feels, though, like a lot of top prospects have chosen elsewhere and don’t want to wait around to see if Napier rights the ship in Gainesville or if he’s sent packing after another tough season. There is almost zero patience for losing with Gators fans.
RELATED: Florida’s 2025 commitment list
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SAM PITTMAN, Arkansas
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Class ranking: No. 40 nationally, No. 12 in SEC
Overview: After the Chad Morris debacle at Arkansas in which he posted back-to-back 2-10 seasons, Pittman came in and looked like he was turning things around, especially after going 9-4 in 2021. But things have slid since then with 7-6 and 4-8 seasons in Fayetteville. Pittman didn’t shy away from hot-seat talk at SEC Media Days where he acknowledged he’s at the top of those lists and said “what’s fair is fair.”
The issue for the Razorbacks is that recruiting is not going great but it’s not going poorly. Kind of the story of the program as well. Keeping four-star quarterback Grayson Wilson from Conway, Ark., home was big but the top-four in-state prospects are committed elsewhere. Going to Georgia for four-star linebacker Tavion Wallace was also…
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