Lane Kiffin, Top HC Candidates for Florida, LSU After James Franklin-Va Tech Contract

One of the biggest names of this year's college football coaching carousel is off the board.

Virginia Tech reportedly is finalizing a contract with James Franklin to make him its next head coach after he was fired by Penn State last month.

With Franklin reportedly heading to Blacksburg, here are some of the top candidates for Florida and LSU.

Florida's Top HC Candidates

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With James Franklin no longer available, Lane Kiffin becomes arguably the top candidate for a number of schools, if he wasn't already the top candidate. Kiffin has turned the Rebels into a championship contender year in and year out and currently has Ole Miss in position to make the College Football Playoff at 10-1.

Florida is looking for a head coach who can help it return to national prominence, and Kiffin could be the person for the job.

Assuming Kiffin is the most expensive option for the Gators, Eli Drinkwitz could be a cheaper option who is still capable of leading a team to success.

Drinkwitz has turned Missouri into a consistent double-digit win team and has asserted himself among the best coaches in the SEC. He hasn't quite reached national contender status yet, but he would presumably have the resources to get to that level in Gainesville.

Jedd Fisch couldn't be further from Florida geographically, but it's hard to imagine he won't at least get a call from the Gators, given his connection to the program. Fisch was a student at Florida and spent two seasons as a graduate assistant under Steve Spurrier.

While he wouldn't exactly be a home-run hire like Kiffin, he's done well in his first few seasons as a head coach at Arizona and now Washington, and may be ready for a promotion.

LSU's Top HC Candidates

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LSU's pursuit of Kiffin reportedly has already started.

Wilson Alexander of NOLA.com reported Monday that Kiffin "remains a top target and is the current focus of LSU's coaching search," and school officials "arranged for a plane to pick up several of Kiffin's family members Monday in Oxford, Mississippi, sources said, and they flew to Baton Rouge to tour the city."

As for whether Kiffin is willing to leave Ole Miss, CBS Sports' Chris Hummer, John Talty and Matt Zenitz noted that "there's considerably less confidence now that Kiffin will stay in Oxford."

If Kiffin decides to continue building a championship program in Oxford, the Tigers could pivot to one of the top coaches outside of the Power 5. Jon Sumrall has Tulane in the mix for the College Football Playoff in just his second season, making him a name to watch in this year's coaching carousel.

It could also help his case that he's already coaching in-state, as he's been able to familiarize himself with the slew of talent in Louisiana.

Brent Key has become a hot name in this year's coaching cycle thanks to his 9-1 start at Georgia Tech. Key likely wouldn't excite LSU fans the way Kiffin would, but he's proved this year that he's capable of putting together a competitive team, even without the recruiting budget that he would presumably have in Baton Rouge.