7 College Coaches Set to Impact the 2024 NFL Draft
College coaches and tracking their movement can be as chaotic as the transfer portal they all detest. For college coaching hires specifically, they tend to really cater to the players on a school’s given roster. While the NFL does this at times, like Baltimore did by hiring Todd Monken for Lamar Jackson, it doesn’t have the same frequency of happening.
This past season in college football saw a lot of coaching movement, as usual, and a lot of it is set to have a major impact on 2024 NFL Draft prospects.
From head coaches to coordinators, they may not all be dynamite hires but a good amount of them project to be. Specifically, teams with quarterback prospects such as Colorado, Oregon, and USC are poised to shake things up in a big way.
It isn’t all about the sexy positions though, plenty of position coaches will be making an impact on the 2024 NFL Draft. Here is a starting point of just a few of the coaches we are highlighting to monitor in the Fall this year.
Sean Lewis, Colorado Offensive Coordinator
Sean Lewis gained everyone’s attention last year by putting up video game numbers while calling plays at Kent State. They were able to put up serious numbers across the board because they ran a system that allowed them to get in more plays offensively than most in the country. The Buffalo have completely revamped their offense which will be led by Shedeur Sanders, who looked great at Jackson State, so all eyes will be on both men as they look to get the same results in Boulder. If they can, that likely means Sanders could become a serious prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Will Stein, Oregon Offensive Coordinator
Will Stein is another major change among college coaches where he now is primed to impact the top of the draft with his quarterback. Bo Nix is a highly debated player but he has several other prospects on offense to impact such as Bucky Irving and Troy Franklin. The Ducks offense can be explosive in 2023 if Stein can repeat what he did at UTSA where he had the team averaging 486.1 yards per game on offense while reaching the top 15 of the polls.
Lance Guidry, Miami (FL) Defensive Coordinator
Miami (FL) has several prominent players on defense, much like the days of old, and now Lance Guidry could help their stock rise even more. At the safety position specifically, how he will use James Williams and Kamren Kitchens will be fun to watch after seeing what he schemed and achieved at Marshall while running a top-ten defense. With Mario Cristobal’s recruiting with Guidry’s coaching, the sky is the limit for every Hurricane defender to see their draft stock rise in 2023.
Tommy Rees, Alabama Offensive Coordinator
In the chaos of all the movement of college coaches, Tommy Rees making his way to Alabama is forgotten by the rest of the country it seems. Rees will be tested quickly as Alabama is now ranked the lowest they have been in the Nick Saban era and a lot of it has to do with the questions surrounding the offense. How Rees uses quarterback Jalen Milroe and the rest of the Crimson Tide offense will make or break not only their draft stock but their season as well.
Matt Rhule, Nebraska Head Coach
Matt Rhule has proven one thing after going to the NFL to coach the Carolina Panthers, he is meant to be a college coach. Nebraska has not been the same since Tom Osborne left the sidelines to enter the Athletic Department but this hire may do the trick. They have several fringe prospects led by quarterback Jeff Sims, if they can put together a decent season, maybe even winning their Big Ten division, that may be enough to bring more eyeballs to the team. More eyeballs would equate to more draft evaluations and perhaps some talent gets recognized.
Luke Fickell, Wisconsin Head Coach
Of all the coaching changes, none will be as impactful as Luke Fickell leaving Cincinnati for Wisconsin. The Badgers have been known as having a stale offense with some flash on defense, but he has used the transfer portal to give the offense a facelift. Not only has Fickell shown he can coach up players to reach NFL potential, but he has also shown he can win. He should be a homerun hire for the school and their players as they look to further their football lives.