By Jack Leo
DALLAS (FWAA) – The Football Writers Association of America has released a list of top
candidates for the Steve Spurrier First-Year Coach of the Year Award, Freshmen Players of the
Year and the entire 2025 FWAA Freshman All-America Team. The Steve Spurrier First-Year Coach
Award, presented by Chris Doering Mortgage, goes to the best first-year coach (at his school) in
FBS football.
The First-Year Coach, Legends Awardee Coach and Freshmen Players of the Year will be honored Feb. 23 in Gainesville, Fla.
Some of the leading candidates for the First-Year Coach Award include:
Tim Albin, Charlotte: Albin’s first college coaching job at Ohio was a remarkable success. He
took over for a 2-10 Bobcat team and went 3-9 in year one before three consecutive 10-win
seasons, including a MAC Championship title last season. The 49ers haven’t had a winning
season since 2019 and haven’t won 10 games in the program’s 15-year history. Charlotte will
open the Albin era at home against Appalachian State Friday night.
Bill Belichick, North Carolina: Belichick was probably the most notable name to take a Power
4 coaching job since Colorado hired Deion Sanders. Belichick’s expectations might be even
bigger than his signing as he enters an ACC with plenty of room to climb under top power
Clemson. Belichick is known for winning the most Super Bowls as an NFL head coach, but
many question his ability to transfer success to college football. His Tar Heels can start
answering with a highly-anticipated Week One matchup against TCU on Saturday.
Jake Dickert, Wake Forest: Dickert took over a program that many consider to be one of the
worst in the Power 4 conferences entering 2025. The Demon Deacons went 4-8 overall last
season and 2-6 in conference play. Dickert was hired away from Washington State, where he
recruited two notable quarterbacks in No. 1 NFL Draft pick Cam Ward and highly-touted
Oklahoma starter John Mateer. Wake Forest opens the season with a visit from Kennesaw
State on Friday night.
Matt Entz, Fresno State: Entz is already a two-time national champion… at the FCS level. The
former North Dakota State coach led his team to five straight FCS playoffs appearances, spent
a year coaching linebackers at USC and took his first FBS head coaching job in December.
Fresno State had its first losing season since 2019 last year, finishing 6-7 with a loss in the
Idaho Potato Bowl. Entz’s Bulldogs lost at Kansas in Week Zero and will host Georgia Southern
on Saturday.
Scott Frost, Central Florida: Frost returns to the place he established himself as a national
coaching name. UCF’s transition to the Big 12 has not been easy – the Knights have gone 10-
15 since joining the Power 4. Frost, who infamously took UCF from 0-12 to 13-0 in two seasons,
will try to work his magic on a bigger stage this time. The Knights will host a respected Group of
Six opponent in Jacksonville State to open the second Frost era on Thursday night.
Bronco Mendenhall, Utah State: Mendenhall is no stranger to the first-year head coaching
business. In fact, he was on this list a year ago as the new head coach at New Mexico.
Mendenhall enters his 21st season as a head coach looking to revive a Utah State team that
has suffered three straight losing seasons after winning the Mountain West in 2021. The Aggies
host UTEP on Saturday to start the Mendenhall era before a Week Two trip to Texas A&M.
Dan Mullen, UNLV: Mullen’s return to coaching after a three-year hiatus in television media
should attract plenty of attention. Not only has Mullen proven himself as a strong coach with a
13-year career in the SEC, but he’s also inheriting an impressive roster. The Rebels appear
poised to contend for a Mountain West Championship, which was good enough for a College
Football Playoff spot last season. UNLV beat Sam Houston in Week Zero.
Barry Odom, Purdue: Widely considered to be one of the sharpest defensive minds in the
sport, Odom left UNLV on a heater to take his first coaching job in the Big Ten. Odom led the
Rebels to their first winning record in a decade in 2023 and an 11-3 finish with a conference
championship appearance in 2024. Odom finds the Boilermakers in a similar spot to where he
found the Rebels, fresh off a 1-11 season with an 0-9 conference record. Purdue hopes to start
the Odom era with a win over Ball State at home.
Rich Rodriguez, West Virginia: Rich Rodriguez is back in Morgantown, where he got his first
head coaching job in 2001. Rodriguez led Jacksonville State to consecutive 9-4 seasons as it
transitioned to the ASUN in 2023 and into the FBS and Conference USA in 2024. West Virginia
is coming off a 6-7 season and has one winning record in the last five years. The Mountaineers
hope to dominate Week One under Rodriguez as they host Robert Morris on Saturday.
Jimmy Rogers, Washington State: Another FCS national champion coach took his first head
job at the FBS level this offseason. That’s Rogers, who led South Dakota State to the 2023
national title in his first season as head coach. Rogers inherits a Washington State roster that
went 8-5 last season with notable wins over Washington, Texas Tech, Fresno State and San
Diego State. Washington State fans ought to expect a strong start from Rogers’ Cougars, who
host Idaho on Saturday to start 2025.
The FWAA Freshman Player of the Year Awards (Offense, Defense and Special Teams), are awarded to
the top freshmen in college football. The 2025 FWAA Freshman All-America Team highlights
the best college football freshmen at every position covering all 10 FBS conferences plus
Independents.
Here are capsules on some of the top preseason candidates for the FWAA Freshman Awards and Freshman All-America Team:
DL Amare Adams, Clemson: Adams will try to be the next name on a long list of Clemson
freshman defensive line standouts. The No. 2-ranked defensive lineman in the country for the
2025 class has been receiving positive reviews from coaches, players and local media since he
stepped foot on campus. The 6-foot-4, 310-pounder is violent and versatile but is expected to
play in the interior. Adams can introduce himself to the country in Week One with all eyes on
Death Valley for a top-10 Saturday night showdown between LSU and Clemson.
*QB CJ Carr, Notre Dame: Carr officially beat out junior Kenny Minchey for the starting job 12
days before Notre Dame’s first game. The former No. 1 high school player in the state of
Michigan spent his first year at Notre Dame behind former starter Riley Leonard, who led the
Fighting Irish to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. Carr is known as a
pocket passer, especially compared to Minchey, but he also rushed for 16 touchdowns between
his junior and senior seasons at Saline High School. He’ll also play in front of the entire country
in Week One when Notre Dame visits Miami Sunday night.
RB Gideon Davidson, Clemson: Davidson’s combination of speed, athleticism, and power
between the tackles gives him legitimate three-down back potential in year one at Clemson. The
former four-star enters a running back room with very little returning production following the
graduation of bellcow Phil Mafah and the ACL injury of No. 2 rusher Jay Haynes. Davidson
looks like a good candidate to step into that No. 1 spot, but he’ll have to fend off several
veterans to do so. Clemson would love to see Davidson’s impact be immediate with a talent-
stacked LSU run defense coming to Death Valley on Saturday.
WR Quentin Gibson, Colorado: Gibson isn’t garnering the national expectations that some of
the selections on this list are, but the tools are there. The former three-star receiver and
MaxPreps National High School Football Player of the Year is extremely explosive in the
passing game and the returning game. Gibson will have to work his way into Colorado’s
receiving rotation, but he has a strong chance to start immediately as head coach Deion
Sanders’ punt returner. Gibson will also start his season in a nationally-televised primetime
game when the Buffaloes host Georgia Tech on Friday night.
DL Elijah Griffin, Georgia: Griffin might have forced his way through the average Georgia
depth chart and onto the field, but his chances at early playing time look even better in 2025.
The Bulldogs only return one starter on the defensive line, practically guaranteeing Griffin a
chance to prove himself in early game action. Much like Adams, Griffin’s preseason
compliments have come in droves from players, coaches and local media. He’ll have a chance
to produce some Week One highlights when Georgia hosts Marshall on Saturday.
WR Dakorien Moore, Oregon: If Moore is anything like the top freshman receivers from last
season, Oregon has plenty to be excited about. He’s the second-highest rated recruit to ever
sign with the Ducks and is expected to see the ball early and often. The 5-11, 195-pounder was
also a standout sprinter at Duncanville High School and is lauded for his deep-threat ability.
Moore and projected starting quarterback Dante Moore can build their connection on Saturday
against Montana State.
CB DJ Pickett, LSU: Many expect Pickett to be an immediate starter at one of the toughest
positions to transition from high school to college. The 6-foot-5, 195-pounder can physically
match any receiver he’ll face this season, and his speed is said to do the same. LSU’s top-
ranked 2025 recruit could be a key piece for a Tiger team trying to make its first playoff since 2019.
LSU visits Clemson on Saturday.
OT David Sanders Jr., Tennessee: Sanders is expected to immediately step in and be
Tennessee’s starting right tackle this season. The former five-star certainly has the talent, and
standing at 6-foot-6 and 305 pounds, he appears to have the size, too. Sanders’ early success
will be particularly important as Tennessee breaks in late transfer quarterback Joey Aguilar.
He’ll have an intriguing Week One experience, facing Syracuse on Saturday at Mercedes-Benz
Stadium.
DL Justus Terry, Texas: There is plenty of returning talent on Texas’ defensive line, but it
would be hard to argue any of it was better than Terry coming out of high school. Standing at 6-
foot-5 and 268 pounds, Terry figures to be a force at Texas for the next few years. But he also
has a good chance to break into the Longhorns’ defensive line rotation immediately thanks to
his impressive size and athleticism as a pass rusher. Terry might not have to wait long at all to
see the field in 2025, as Texas opens the season at Ohio State on Saturday.
QB Bryce Underwood, Michigan: Perhaps no freshman in the country is seen as a bigger part
of a program’s future than Underwood is at Michigan. The No. 1 overall recruit in the 2025 class
figures to be the Wolverines’ Week One starter, brought in to revive an offense that averaged
just 129.1 passing yards per game last season, the least in the Big Ten. Underwood threw for
2,509 yards and 32 touchdowns in his senior year at Belleville High School, adding over 600
yards and six more scores on the ground. He’ll be out of the national eye in Michigan’s season
opener against New Mexico before traveling to Oklahoma for Week Two.
*denotes redshirt freshman
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