ESPN: Insiders Expect Cowboys to Check On Riley, Sarkisian, Freeman amid Deion Buzz

While most of the attention is going to be on Deion Sanders for the Dallas Cowboys' vacant head-coaching position, Jerry Jones is expected to look at other options from the college ranks.

Per ESPN's Dan Graziano, USC's Lincoln Riley, Texas' Steve Sarkisian, Notre Dame's Marcus Freeman and Iowa State's Matt Campbell are among the college coaches people around the NFL are expecting the Cowboys to at least check in on to gauge their interest.

Jones announced on Monday that Mike McCarthy wouldn't return as head coach in 2025 after five seasons as head coach.

Hours after that announcement, Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports reported Jones had a conversation with Sanders about the Cowboys' job and talks were expected to continue as they also interview other candidates.

Sanders told ESPN's Adam Schefter it was "truly delightful" to speak with Jones, but he's still focused on his current job at Colorado.

Freeman, who has led Notre Dame to the College Football Playoff Championship Game, has become an attractive candidate to NFL teams. NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported on Sunday the Chicago Bears want to interview him.

Schefter noted on The Pat McAfee Show that Freeman is "happy" with his current job at Notre Dame, but Sarkisian's name "has swirled around" league circles for weeks if he wants to leave Texas.

Riley's NFL prospects are hard to pin down because he's really struggled since leaving Oklahoma for USC. He went 55-10 in five seasons with the Sooners, but is just 26-14 in three years at USC.

Conor Orr of Sports Illustrated noted in November that Riley wasn't generating much "excitement" from NFL teams.

Campbell just led Iowa State to a single-season program record 11 wins and an appearance in the Big 12 Championship Game this season. He's a four-time conference Coach of the Year, including three times in the Big 12 and once in the MAC.

Sarkisian is the only member of this group with previous experience working in the NFL. He was a quarterbacks coach for the Oakland Raiders in 2004 and spent two seasons as offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons from 2017 to '18.

The Cowboys are looking for a new head coach after a disappointing 7-10 record this season. They have a good roster foundation in place led by Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and Micah Parsons to build around.

McCarthy went 49-35 with three playoff appearances and two NFC East titles during his tenure in Dallas.