College Football

USC's Lincoln Riley, TCU's Sonny Dykes among top Coach of the Year candidates

Updated Nov. 9, 2022 4:07 p.m. ET

TCU head coach Sonny Dykes is looking to join some elite company this season.

The 53-year-old Dykes has the Horned Frogs off to an impressive 9-0 start and holding onto the No. 4 spot in the most recent College Football Playoff rankings, which were released Tuesday night. If Dykes is able to lead TCU to this year's playoff, he will join Lincoln Riley and Ryan Day as the only head coaches in college football history to lead a team to the playoffs in their first season at the helm.

FOX Sports college football analyst RJ Young has been impressed with the job Dykes has done during his first season in Fort Worth, which led to him including Dykes among his top Coach of the Year candidates.

Here is a look at Young's top candidates, which he revealed on a recent episode of his podcast, "The Number One College Football Show."

Breaking down the top Coach of the Year candidates

RJ Young shares who he believes are the top five candidates to win the Coach of the Year Award in college football, with TCU’s Sonny Dykes leading the way.

1. Sonny Dykes, TCU

2022 record: 9-0

CFP ranking: 4

What Young says: "He has TCU off to its first 9-0 start in 12 years. The last time TCU started at 9-0 they finished at 13-0 and Andy Dalton was still the "Red Rifle" and winning Rose Bowls. That’s how long it’s been."

2. Lincoln Riley, USC

2022 record: 8-1

CFP ranking: 8

What Young says: "It’s not that USC is that good — and they are — it’s that they were that bad. He created a winner seemingly overnight. With the mess he inherited at USC, you gotta give him credit for what he has done. If they run the table and win the Pac-12 Championship and somehow get into the CFP, you’re probably gonna hear Lincoln Riley’s name more and more for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award."

3. Lance Leipold, Kansas

2022 record: 6-3

CFP ranking: Unranked

What Young says: "He has been doing an amazing job at Kansas. This was a doormat of a program before he got there. He wins in a way that makes you very proud. He does it in such a way that makes you feel comfortable. Now we have a Kansas football team that is bowl eligible. Their defense is playing out of their minds. I’m having such a good time watching the Kansas Jayhawks not just be relevant, but contend. Lance Leipold could win Coach of the Year just by winning 10 games this season."

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4. Josh Heupel, Tennessee

2022 record: 8-1

CFP ranking: 5

What Young says: "He has done a remarkable job of turning around a Tennessee program that really just needed the right guy to inherit that job. He just had the right demeanor for a Tennessee fan base that had been through the Lane Kiffin experience and didn’t like it, and had been through the Jeremy Pruitt experience and didn’t like it. Josh Heupel kind of falls right in the middle with his high-powered offense. They still have the most ranked wins in the sport. I hope they can sustain this momentum because it’s fun to see Tennessee be good."

5. Ryan Day, Ohio State

2022 record: 9-0

CFP ranking: 2

What Young says: "Ryan Day could be Jim Harbaugh … could be Kirby Smart. The only way he’s gonna win Coach of the Year is by running the table, winning the National Championship, and that’s it."

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