"I'm happy for all those guys, I pull for them," Kelly told CBS Sports as he exited an American Football Coaches Association meeting Tuesday in Charlotte. "A lot of the guys there that are on both sides of the ball, I recruited. Obviously I want to see those guys win it all, and I think they're in a great position. Totally excited for those guys."

Brian Kelly shocked the college football world by leaving Notre Dame for LSU. Fast forward a little over three years later, and the Fighting Irish have made it to a national title game under his successor,

The program he left, Notre Dame, is preparing for the College Football Playoff national championship against Ohio State on Jan. 20 in Atlanta, under the guidance of Marcus Freeman. The program Kelly joined after leaving Notre Dame in November 2021, LSU, missed this year's College Football Playoff for the third consecutive season under his watch.