College Football's Most Underrated Coaches In 2026

Brad Crawford of CBS Sports recently identified several of "college football's most underrated coaches in 2026" and included Tennessee's Josh Heupel in his list.

Here's what he had to say:

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5. Josh Heupel, Tennessee
Record the last three seasons: 27-12 | Record vs. top 25: 4-9

Heupel has already led the Vols to the CFP once in his tenure, and future expansion would virtually guarantee a return trip as long as he's the coach at Tennessee. Many wondered if Heupel's success at UCF would translate to life in the SEC, and he has thwarted those questions with three top-20 finishes in five seasons. Only once has Tennessee won fewer than eight games under his watch. That said, the 2026 campaign is vital to Heupel's long-term stability in Knoxville. Since losing at 12th-ranked Georgia in November 2024 before finding a place in the 12-team playoff, Heupel has lost six straight games against top-25 competition, including all four matchups last season. The what-have-you-done-for-me-lately murmurs are out after Tennessee failed to impress last fall, coming off 30 total wins the previous three years.

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Crawford's complete list:
1. Rhett Lashlee, SMU
2. Jeff Brohm, Louisville
3. Kalani Sitake, BYU
4. Jedd Fisch, Washington
5. Josh Heupel, Tennessee
6. Brent Key, Georgia Tech
7. Willie Fritz, Houston