"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."

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.

Brian Kelly is hated by the Fighting Irish fans. Despite all of that, he is still hoping his former team will win the first ever 12 team College Football Playoff.