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Steve Sarkisian vs. PFF Rankings: Why the Texas Coach Deserves a Top 5 Spot

by: Charlie Williams07/20/25
steve sarkisian
Ricardo B. Brazziell/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Pro Football Focus (PFF) recently released its list of the top 10 college football head coaches, and Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian landed at No. 6.

Is Sarkisian ranked too low on this list? Let’s dive into it.

PFF’s Top 10 Head Coaches:

  1. Kirby Smart (Georgia)
  2. Ryan Day (Ohio State)
  3. Dabo Swinney (Clemson)
  4. Dan Lanning (Oregon)
  5. Marcus Freeman (Notre Dame)
  6. Steve Sarkisian (Texas)
  7. Kalen DeBoer (Alabama)
  8. James Franklin (Penn State)
  9. Brian Kelly (LSU)
  10. Curt Cignetti (Indiana)

There’s no real debate over the top three. Kirby Smart has won two national championships and keeps Georgia in title contention annually. Ryan Day finally broke through and won his first national title in 2024, certifying his standing. And Dabo Swinney, while showing some drop-off in recent years, still has two national titles and bounced back with a playoff appearance last season.

But Sarkisian at No. 6 feels light given what he’s accomplished — and how quickly he’s done it.

He’s guided Texas to back-to-back College Football Playoff appearances, built a roster through top-tier recruiting (No. 1 class in 2024 and another elite group in 2025), and took Ohio State — the eventual national champs — to the final possession in last year’s semifinal. That same Ohio State team blew out Oregon, which calls into question Dan Lanning’s No. 4 ranking.

DeBoer, ranked No. 7, took Washington to the national championship and is 2–0 vs. Sarkisian. Now at Alabama, DeBoer arguably deserves a spot above Lanning — and maybe even Sark, depending on how much you weigh head-to-head wins versus program-building.

What’s clear is Sarkisian didn’t walk into a ready-made contender like Day did at Ohio State. He rebuilt Texas brick by brick, and now has the Longhorns as a legitimate national title favorite entering the 2025 season.

Bottom Line:

Sarkisian at No. 6 is respectable, but he’s pushing into the top 5 right now — and has a strong case to leap M

Freeman or Lanning today. Another strong postseason run, or especially a national championship, could elevate him into the top 3 or top 4. And with the rebuild he’s led — not starting on second base — a real argument could even be made for moving ahead of Day in time.

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