Unfortunately, it is unlikely that a college football team in Florida will compete for a National Championship next season. However, it’s also important to take a step back and assess the direction of each program. Both Florida and Miami now have new head coaches, who are both young and bound to lead their squads to the top. Learn more about the current state of each major program in Florida and what’s next for their teams in 2022 and the near future.
UCF
The UCF Central Knights finished the 2021 season with a 9-4 record during Gus Malzahn’s first year as head coach. Malzahn’s squad finished with a three-game winning streak, and the Knights were undefeated at home. Expect UCF to make an appearance in the AAC title game next season.
Mikey Keene will likely continue as the starting quarterback for UCF, but he will have to take his game to the next level for the Knights’ offense to become prolific. Keene’s performance was enough to beat the Gators in the Gasparilla Bowl, and he can guide UCF to a conference championship next season.
Miami
The Hurricanes have found a new head coach in Mario Cristobal, and he has proven that he can turn a program around quickly from his tenure at Oregon. Tyler Van Dyke returns as the starting quarterback for Miami after an impressive 2021 season. If he continues to perform at a high level, the Hurricanes can compete for an ACC Championship in 2022.
Miami does play in a less competitive conference, so the Hurricanes are capable of returning to their dominance if they recruit well. Knowing Cristobal and his involvement in recruiting, Miami will be in the mix for a National Championship in a few years.
Florida State
Florida State appeared to have a firm lock on top-ranked recruit Travis Hunter throughout last year, but things changed when Jacksonville State head coach Deion Sanders flipped Hunter’s commitment. Still, the Seminoles appear to be on the right path, and they were competitive in quite a few big games last season. However, it is now high time for Florida State to take a step forward and start winning those battles.
Florida
Two years ago, Dan Mullen guided the Gators to win the SEC East and an SEC Championship appearance. Florida was even competitive in the Alabama game last season, but things just broke down towards the end of the year. Now, head coach Billy Napier is the leader of the ship, and he has accommodated an impressive coaching staff thus far. Times may be tough during Napier’s first year, but he will quickly turn the program just as he did back in Louisiana.
Concluding Thoughts
All of these major college football programs in Florida have a bright future and improving squads. It’s just a matter of time before one of these teams return to the pinnacle of success. First, they must recruit the State of Florida and lock down the state from the likes of Alabama and Georgia. If that’s the case, there will be new kings in college football.
(Featured image by David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)