Just past the halfway mark of the 2024 regular season, there are 28 Power 4 programs with two losses or fewer, meaning around 40% of the Power 4 is still hanging on to hopes of reaching the College Football Playoff.
The expanded, 12-team playoff has made the field of aspiring postseason contestants broader. But as of the fourth week in October, there's also a large swath of the country's FBS programs standing firmly on the outside looking in, trudging through the back half of the regular season with at least one eye already fixed on hopes of something better in 2025.
Those programs will likely hit the portal heavily in December, but answers to their 2024 troubles could also come in the 2025 recruiting classes they'll sign when the early signing period opens on Dec. 4. Here's a look at six struggling programs and the incoming prospects that fill a big need or help lift them toward conference and/or playoff contention this time next year.
Auburn Tigers
Need: QB
Recruit: QB Deuce Knight
No doubt about it: Hugh Freeze is making headway on the recruiting trail.
The Tigers finished Freeze's first full recruiting cycle in 2024 with ESPN's ninth-ranked class, and a year later they're pushing for a top-three finish to the 2025 cycle. But results aren't translating onto the field yet. At 2-5, after a 21-17 loss to Missouri in Week 8, the Tigers remain winless in conference play this fall, still a long way from SEC and playoff contention.
"I remain confident in the staff and in our players," Freeze said in a news conference this week. "We'll just continue to trust the process of what we're becoming through the challenging times. Hopefully, the results will come sooner rather than later. I know they're coming."
Among the program's principal issues this fall has been its play at quarterback, where the Tigers spent the first half of the 2024 campaign bouncing between veteran Payton Thorne and redshirt freshman Hank Brown. Between the pair, Auburn ranks 85th in completion percentage with more interceptions (nine) than all but four FBS offenses, averaging just 16.2 points across three SEC outings.
This is an offense screaming for competition at the quarterback position, and that's where four-star passer Deuce Knight -- ESPN's No. 2 dual-threat passer in 2025 -- comes in next fall.
Knight spent 13 months committed to Notre Dame before his Oct. 2 flip to Auburn. At 6-foot-5, 205 pounds, the lefty from Lucedale, Mississippi, has elite speed and arm strength that will make him an intriguing option the moment he steps on campus.
Knight connected on just 53.2% of his passes in his junior season, so he might not arrive with the accuracy needed to fully solve the downfield troubles of an Auburn passing attack that ranks 11th in SEC completion percentage. But where Knight can certainly make an immediate difference for the Tigers next fall is with his legs. Knight has rushed for over 1,000 yards in his high school career.
Auburn hasn't been afraid to run its quarterbacks in 2024. Thorne's 65 total carries ranks sixth among SEC passers. But of those five quarterbacks in front of him, only Kentucky's Brock Vandagriff is picking up fewer yards per carry than Thorne's 2.54. In Knight, the Tigers are about to add a quarterback who can truly factor into the run game with a blend of size and speed and is capable of creating explosive plays on the ground (and thus opening things up in the passing game in the process).
Knight will need time to reach his full potential, but the Tigers sold him on the opportunity to compete for early playing time when they lured him from Notre Dame. And with Thorne out of eligibility after this season and no clear successor on the Tigers' roster, that chance should come next fall.
Arkansas Razorbacks
Need: Run defense
Recruits: OLB Tavion Wallace, DT Kevin Oatis, DT Reginald Vaughn
Arkansas hit on transfers Taylen Green, Ja'Quinden Jackson and Xavian Sorey Jr., and Sam Pittman's seat has cooled after a 4-3 start. But the Razorbacks' 34-10 loss to LSU last weekend showed the gap that remains between Arkansas and the top of the SEC with three more ranked conference opponents -- No. 18 Ole Miss, No. 5 Texas and No. 21 Missouri --- left on the schedule.
LSU's Caden Durham was the latest running back to barrel over the Arkansas defense in 2024, and the Razorbacks need to add more impact talent in the front seven to compete consistently in the conference next fall. Through seven games, Arkansas ranks 129th nationally with a defensive run stop rate of 14.6%, last among SEC defenses. Within the conference, only Mississippi State has fewer tackles for loss than the Razorbacks' 30 this fall.
Help could be on the way in 2025 with four-star linebacker Tavion Wallace and four-star defensive tackle prospects Kevin Oatis and Reginald Vaughn bound for Fayetteville next fall.
Wallace became Arkansas' highest-rated defensive pledge since 2016 when he committed to the Razorbacks in July. With college-ready measurements and top-end speed -- Wallace posted a 10.61 100-meter dash time in high school -- he's the type of defensive player Arkansas has been lacking in its recruiting efforts. Wallace should be prepared to make an impact on defense and special teams from day one so long as the Razorbacks can hold off Georgia's late flip efforts, and they will need him with Sorey generating early NFL draft buzz and fellow linebacker Anthony Switzer set to graduate after the season.
Up front, Oatis -- ESPN's No. 14 defensive tackle and No. 170 overall prospect in 2025 -- will bring the Razorbacks a forceful, 6-2, 285-pound interior defender with a powerlifting background. Vaughn, ESPN's 277th overall prospect, has the speed and versatility to play across multiple spots on a defensive line.
Arkansas needs more impact run stoppers. That should make Oatis and Vaughn valuable additions next fall, particularly with defensive tackles Eric Gregory and Keivie Rose out of eligibility after this season, while Wallace will be competing for snaps right away in a defense that currently sits in the bottom half of the SEC.
Florida State Seminoles
Need: Offensive line
Recruits: OT Solomon Thomas, OG Peyton Joseph, OG Mario Nash Jr.
What's clear, among other things in the Seminoles' disastrous 2024 season, is that they need to figure out who their quarterback will be. Perhaps that can be freshman Luke Kromenhoek. Or maybe Mike Norvell turns to the portal again for help this offseason.
Whoever lands under center in Tallahassee next fall, he'll need something better in front of him than the woeful offensive line that has been a big factor in the Seminoles' 1-6 start.
Florida State allowed six sacks in its 23-16 loss to Duke on Friday and through seven games owns a blown block rate of 51.6% that ranks dead last among FBS offenses. Florida State's 20 total sacks given up are more than that of all but two other ACC lines. The Seminoles are averaging just 72.9 rushing yards per game, ranked 131st nationally.
The good news? Five of the Seminoles' seven most-used blockers are redshirt seniors. Norvell will have to search for impact offensive linemen this season. And while some might come from the portal, a few others could be waiting in his 2025 recruiting class.
Let's start with five-star commit Solomon Thomas, ESPN's No. 3 offensive tackle in the current cycle. At 6-4, 310 pounds, Thomas is among the most technically advanced blockers in his class, and his greatest asset -- especially in Year 1 -- will be the versatility of playing at both tackle and guard. A spot on the interior could make for a smoother transition, but Florida State's struggles on the edges -- where tackles Darius Washington and Jaylen Early have combined for 25 missed blocks this fall -- could force Thomas into the Seminoles' tackle rotation next fall.
On top of a talent shortage, Florida State's guard depth is a problem, one that won't get better when Richie Leonard IV and Keiondre Jones graduate after this season. That should spell opportunity next fall for incoming guards Peyton Joseph (No. 151 in the ESPN 300) and former Mississippi State pledge Mario Nash Jr. (No. 289), two of ESPN's top 10 offensive guards in the cycle.
So long as Florida State's incoming class isn't completely picked off between now and the early signing period, there's a youth movement coming for the Seminoles' offensive line, where Norvell & Co. need all the help they can get.
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Need: Offensive line
Recruits: OT Josh Petty, OT Damolo Ajidahun, OG Justen Hasenhuetl
The Yellow Jackets got off to their best start since 2017 this fall and sit 5-3 after last weekend's 31-13 loss to Notre Dame at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. They are on the rise under third-year coach Brent Key; in fact, they're having the best season of any program included on this list. But they still have work to do to climb to the same level of contention as the likes of Pitt, SMU and Syracuse.
"Run the damn ball," Key said after Georgia Tech's Week 0 win over Florida State in Dublin. The Yellow Jackets have done that this fall, and their 186.9 rushing yards per game rank 40th nationally through seven games. Still, they rank 119th nationally in blown run blocks and were held to just 65 rushing yards without quarterback Haynes King against Notre Dame. Their path to regular ACC contention likely starts with getting bigger and better on the offensive line.
Enter four-star offensive tackle Josh Petty. ESPN's No. 27 overall prospect in 2025, Petty picked Georgia Tech over Ohio State, Florida State, Tennessee and Stanford in August to become the program's highest-rated commit since at least 2006.
Petty's background as a state champion wrestler translates into his play on the line, where he operates with elite athleticism and standout length at 6-foot-5. Among Georgia Tech blockers, none has missed as many run blocks this fall as senior tackle Jordan Williams, and Petty could be a logical fit to replace him.
Georgia Tech has also struggled with a lack of depth this fall. Between Williams and fellow starters Keylan Rutledge, Weston Franklin and Joe Fusile, the Yellow Jackets' starting offensive line includes four of the 60 most-used offensive linemen in college football.
Depth is coming in the 2025 class with Petty slated to arrive alongside four-star in-state offensive linemen Damola Ajidahun (No. 24 offensive tackle) and Justin Hasenhuetl (No. 4 offensive guard). Between the trio, Georgia Tech is set to add more ESPN 300 offensive line talent in 2025 than it has signed across the past 16 cycles combined, a meaningful boost for the program's blocking depth next fall.
Oklahoma Sooners
Need: Offensive line
Recruits: OT Michael Fasusi, OT Ryan Fodje
The Sooners fired first-year offensive coordinator Seth Littrell following a 35-9 loss to South Carolina in Week 8. Oklahoma enters Week 9 ranked 128th in total offense, and the road ahead isn't much easier with matchups against No. 18 Ole Miss, No. 21 Missouri, No. 15 Alabama and No. 8 LSU coming up.
While the Sooners' 2025 class won't provide any quick fixes to their offensive crisis, it could hold valuable pieces for their turnaround efforts next fall.
The work in Norman must begin on the offensive line, where transfers Spencer Brown, Michael Tarquin, Branson Hickman and Febechi Nwaiwu haven't been nearly enough to reinforce a unit that lost all five of its starters from a year ago. Oklahoma has given up 49 pressures over its past two games and its offensive line ranks 133rd with 29 sacks allowed this fall. Oklahoma's running game ranks 126th (and last in the SEC) with 0.7 yards before contact per rush.
"That's a position where we've fallen short," Sooners coach Brent Venables said in a news conference this week.
Could five-star offensive tackle Michael Fasusi help the struggling unit next fall?
The 6-6, 295-pounder committed in August, becoming the Sooners' ninth-ranked prospect in the 2025 class and the highest-rated offensive tackle pledge since at least 2006. Fasusi will land in Norman with college-ready size and athleticism. He'll likely need time to develop technically, but he's versatile enough to play across the line and could have a similar impact that Cayden Green had in his freshman season in 2023.
Alongside Fasusi, the Sooners have another big-bodied blocker incoming in four-star tackle Ryan Fodje (No. 206 in ESPN 300). Technically advanced and bulked up ahead of his senior season at Texas' Bridgeland High School, Fodje's long-term position might be tackle, but like Fasusi, he's a prospect capable of playing multiple spots.
Sooners offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh will have his work cut out for him in rebuilding his blocking unit for next fall. In Fasusi and Fodje, there's a pair of newcomers who could provide value up front.
UCLA Bruins
Need: Quarterback
Recruit: QB Madden Iamaleava
Following its 35-32 win over Rutgers in Week 8, UCLA no longer holds the worst record in the Big Ten, but it has still been a rough start for the Bruins in their new conference. DeShaun Foster and UCLA have a long list of problems to solve. At the very top of it: sorting out the Bruins' troubles at quarterback.
Ethan Garbers torched the Scarlet Knights last weekend, but the senior passer has thrown more interceptions than touchdowns this fall and ranked 98th in QBR among FBS quarterbacks before he set career highs in yards and passing touchdowns on Saturday.
The Bruins' offense calls for an infusion of energy at quarterback, and it might get one in 2025 with the arrival of four-star passer Madden Iamaleava.
The younger brother of Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava, Madden Iamaleava is ESPN's No. 8 pocket passer in the current cycle. Arm strength has always been one of Iamaleava's primary attributes, and his ability to throw deep would be a welcome change to a UCLA offense that has produced just 39 explosive plays this fall, the second fewest among the Power 4.
Iamaleava is sidelined for his senior season because of eligibility rules following a transfer to California's Long Beach Poly, but he flashed improved accuracy and composure in his first season as a starter last fall, which should be helpful in improving the Bruins' passing attack.
Where Iamaleava's development stands, after missing a season, is a big question, but he'll undoubtedly bring a jolt to UCLA's quarterbacks room the moment he lands on campus. With Garbers set to graduate and the Bruins showing little faith in sophomore Justyn Martin this fall, the path will be clear for Iamaleava to compete for the starting job.