2025 Four-Deep

I want to show you something. I want to show you what depth looks like. I want to show you the result of a team that has 18 bowl starters returning + balanced recruiting at every position + filling out the new "roster limit" well above the old scholarship limit. To show you that, I'm going to assemble my first-ever four-deep.

A four-deep isn't a thing, of course. The three-deep I've assembled for the last 16 seasons isn't really a thing either. Coaches mostly maintain a two-deep. Here's the starter and here's the primary backup for each position. On the offensive line, that two-deep might only include seven names. The starter and then the main backup at both tackle positions and the main backup at all three interior positions.

This list is more of an "even if we have a run of ankle sprains at these positions, there's still depth there" list. If you don't follow this stuff closely, you might just see it as "doesn't every college football team have depth like this now?" Let me assure you: they do not.