Jan. 10-16

If you’re planning to enter the 2026 transfer portal, you’ve got about five-and-a-half hours left, so don’t delay. Of course, understand that most of the money has been spent and most rosters are set. 

It’s been a wild and woolly two weeks for the first-ever January window, the one-and-only opportunity to change teams for another year. Though headlines have been plentiful, the real takeaways will be developed in the coming weeks. Of course, some of the things we’ve seen and heard, online and on the all-star trail, have already stimulated thought about where it’s all going. With the portal mostly wrapping up, here are five questions we’re asking. 

Are the early all-star games a chance to test the draft waters?: Last weekend, West Florida’s Ja’Kobe Clinton was part of the 2026 College Gridiron Showcase in Fort Worth. Apparently, given time to reflect on his future, he decided to enter the transfer portal instead of the draft. Is this the new normal? There was once a day when NFL scouts weren’t allowed to evaluate players with outstanding NCAA eligibility, but these are uncertain times. 

Will we ever see major numbers applying for early entry again?: Consider the trend. In 2021, 128 players were granted special eligibility for the NFL draft. Later that year, the NIL era began, and since then, we’ve seen a steady decline in applicants. In 2022, it was 100. In 2023, 82, followed by 58 in 2024, 70 in 2025 (an anomaly), then 42 this year. 

Is Uncle Sam watching?: With the amount of money changing hands, it only makes sense that the federal government is raising an eyebrow. This week, we heard that the Federal Trade Commission is monitoring one P4 school that might have gotten sideways on a few of its recent pursuits. 

Can scholarship players get assurances that their roster spots are secure before the portal opens?:Kansas State OB Maguire Richman found out midway through the portal that his services would no longer be needed in Manhattan. It’s a situation that made it painfully obvious that there are no safeguards, other than the word of school officials, for players. Maybe that’s not enough.

Can TJ Finley somehow, some way, fit in an eight team?: Presumably, the new Incarnate Word passer wants to play in the NFL someday. If that’s the case, boy, would we ever love to be a fly on the wall when he explains to scouts how he wound up playing for seven teams during his college career. C’mon, TJ, make it eight. We believe in you.

These and many more questions are on the minds of people in the game, both on the team side and the player representation side. As we did last year, we’ll be providing a forum for everyone in the business of college football to air grievances, ask questions and, hopefully, make progress on solutions in Indianapolis in February. More on that later in the Wrap. 

Now let’s take a look around the world of college and pro football with Ric Serritella of All Access Football.

As the carousel turns: The NFL head coach hiring process is in full throttle. So which is the most desirable job opening, which is the least attractive and what are the latest trends making the rounds during the interview process? FOX Sports’ Eric D. Williams and Ralph Vacchiano surveyed executives, scouts and personnel people around the league to find out. In terms of the best franchise amongst current openings, the Ravens received the most votes due to their stability and track record for winning. "It’s No. 1, but will have high expectations right away," a league source told FOX. "It’s boom or bust." Added an NFL coach: "The organization alone puts them at the top." Some believe the Browns had the best rookie draft class this year and own plenty of young pieces to build around. "Cleveland let a good coach go," a longtime NFL scout told FOX. “Owners need to have patience, insight and pay better to improve situations.” The most unstable head coach vacancy could be Miami, based on the poll. An aging roster, salary cap restraints, questions at quarterback and lack of clarity in terms of organizational infrastructure were given as reasons. "Dolphins’ job should’ve been the first to open!" a longtime NFL personnel man stated. "You need a firm hand on the team," another NFL coach said. "In Miami, you deal with a lot of distractions. . . Miami will eat a weak leader for breakfast." In terms of latest trends, many organizations are starting to value experience more after a slew of recent coordinator hires backfired, which is one reason why former Ravens head coach John Harbaugh was in such high demand. For more NFL survey results, click here.

One down, eight to go: While an official announcement has yet to be made as of this post, all indications are that the Giants will name Harbaugh as their next head coach, with the New York Post reporting a contract is expected to come in at the range of five-years, $100M. The 63-year-old Harbaugh ranks 12th in NFL history with 193 wins, having earned NFL Coach of the Year honors in 2019 and having guided the Ravens to a Super Bowl title in 2012. He was fired after 18 seasons at the helm. The Giants have interviewed several candidates, including Mike McCarthy, Kevin Stefaski, Raheem Morris, Antonio Pierce and Mike Kafka, but quickly turned their attention to Harbaugh once he became available. While the two sides were yet to finalize the deal at press time, Harbaugh has already begun to shape his coaching staff, which is expected to include former Ravens coordinators Todd Monken (offensive) and Zach Orr (defensive), former Ravens player Jim Leonhard, and former Ravens position coaches Anthony Weaver and Dennard Wilson. For more on the story, ESPN has more details.

Best of the rest: With legendary former Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin stepping down this week, the Steelers are set to interview Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley for their head coach opening, according to PFT. Hafley has also interviewed with the Raiders. Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter has also been making the rounds, having completed interviews with theFalcons and Browns. The Falcons have also requested to interview Bears Assistant GM Ian Cunningham for their GM vacancy, according to Yahoo! Sports, and have scheduled a total of eight head coach interviews. 

Countdown to Pittsburgh: The 2026 NFL Draft is less than 100 days away, and the host city of Pittsburgh is currently under construction working to meet the deadline. The city has invested in several downtown projects that are expected to wrap up before the draft, and they’re tied to a broader, $600-million years-long plan to revamp the Golden Triangle, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “We can use this as an opportunity to amplify our message of optimism, hope and progress,” Mayor Corey O’Connor said Monday during his inaugural address. “We will tell the Pittsburgh story — its people, its neighborhoods, culture, industry, educational institutes, and much, much more.” At the state level, Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro set aside $10M in the state budget for draft expenses, funding to support transportation, and public safety costs. The draft is expected to be the largest event Pittsburgh has ever hosted, as the event will be held across the Allegheny River and Point State Park will house the Draft Experience. Draft weekend is expected to generate between $115M and $215M in direct spending, with 500,000-700,000 visitors expected to attend, according to estimates from VisitPittsburgh, the tourism agency leading draft planning. According to booking.com, 73% of hotel rooms in the greater Pittsburgh area are already unavailable during the three days. Also, as of now, 149 properties in the Pittsburgh area have available rooms on booking.com. A one-bedroom apartment in the Placemakr Downtown Pittsburgh, for instance, is going for $1,493 a night during the draft, versus $273 a night right now.  

Underclassmen deadline arrives: The NFL announced on Thursday the names of 42 players who have been granted special eligibility for the 2026 NFL Draft, as well as 21 underclassmen who have fulfilled their degree requirements with college football eligibility remaining and are also eligible for selection in the draft. Sixteen players applied for special eligibility prior to the newly instituted early “soft” deadline of Jan. 5, which was added to assist players and all-star game organizers in the planning and invitation process. Twenty-six additional players submitted their petitions prior to the traditional deadline of Jan. 14 to apply for special. This list does not include players that are playing in the FBS National Championship Game Jan. 19. For those players, a “championship” deadline of Jan. 23 has been added. For the complete list of all 63 underclassmen, click here.

Ready to get started?: The portal isn’t the only thing that comes with a deadline this time of year. We’re about three weeks away from the end of NFLPA registration for the 2026 exam, and we’ve been in contact with dozens of people who are already itching to get started. We understand. It’s a very difficult test, and there are lots of people hungry to call themselves NFL agents once and for all. We want to help, but our first Zoom session isn’t until next month. What’s more, we’re working on enhancing our practice exam, building it into one comprehensive site (instead of two currently) with more variety in the questions. If you’re raring to go, could we make a suggestion? It’s our study guide. It’s $400 plus tax, but don’t the sticker price throw you. There is no better resource on the market for passing the exam, bar none. Once you order our guide, we’ll have it in your email within an hour, and once you print it out, load it into a binder and tab it up. You won’t be sorry. Order today so you can start getting the toughest concepts of the CBA down pat. By the way, if you order everything we offer – our monthly Zooms, our study guide and practice exams, our pressure test and final review sessions, and you’re just over $1,000. That makes us not just the first exam prep service and the best, but also the cheapest. Got questions? Respond to this email or reach out at Inside the League.

Sorting it all out: This week, we tuned up our NCAA Head Coaches/Agents Grid, which now includes the GM (or equivalent, usually Chief of Staff) for all FBS teams, as well as our College Scouting Changes Grid, which is now up to 56 people in new roles. Here’s a quick rundown of what we’ve found, especially among moves that weren’t widely publicized.

• New GMs for 2026 include Dave Caldwell (Florida), Gaizka Crowley (Arkansas), Andy Frank (Virginia Tech), John Garrett (Florida State), Bryan Gasser (Michigan State), Billy Glasscock (LSU), Derek Hoodjer (Penn State), Errin Joe (North Texas), Aaron Knotts (Arizona), Binuk Kodituwakku (Duke), Brad Larrondo (Washington State), Raj Merti (Oklahoma State), Logan Meyer (Toledo), Corey Phillips (Memphis), Zach Potter (Connecticut), Reed Stringer (Southern Miss), Austin Thomas (Ole Miss), Andrew Warsaw (Auburn), Kenyatta Watson (Boston College) and Darrick Yray (UCLA).
• Among GMs who are no longer in the roles they held in 2025 are Cole Brown (Michigan State), Khary Darlington (UCLA), Spencer Dickow (Boston College) and Will Redmond (Auburn). Also, Oklahoma State’s Kenyatta Wright, who acted as GM in his role as Director of Football Business, has moved on to a number of football roles in private business, including agency-related work with The Familie.
• We counted 36 FBS schools who do not have a titular GM, though they may have one person whose role includes scouting and salary management roles. At this point, few teams have specialists who handle one or the other. 
• Of course, it’s hard to determine specific roles based solely on title. What we can say is this – just two schools hired new officials whose new post sounds like it will have some kind of salary-related duties. They are Penn State (which brought in Justin Cummings-Morrow to handle Recruiting/NIL Operations) and Texas A&M (which hired Stone O’Neal as its Director of Recruiting/Acquisition).
• Of the 36 without a GM, 12 are FBS schools. However, two of them play Monday night; two others (Oregon and Georgia) made the CFP; four are SEC teams (South Carolina, Tennessee and Missouri along with the Bulldogs); and four are Big Ten teams (Rutgers and Washington along with Indiana and Oregon). So though the 36 are outliers, they are far from doing things wrong. We’re just at a point where there’s no one way of doing things . . . if there ever is.

Is our list exhaustive? No, but it’s the best we could do. Is every website updated with new employees and new titles? Not at all. A few schools still list officials who are clearly at different schools in new jobs. Still, we think (hope?) this grid brings clarity to a very muddy jobs picture over the last 30-60 days. Make sure to check it out if you are in the job market and want to see how things are moving.

More scouts on the move: Of course, our college scouting grid is a new feature at Inside the League. For the past 14 years, we’ve tracked every change in an NFL front office or scouting staff we could find and put it in our NFL Scouting Changes Grid, which we debuted for the 2026 offseason this week. At this point, the Dolphins, who’ve got a new GM (more on that in a minute) dominate things as Jon-Eric Sullivan has already begun remaking Miami’s staff. However, as we roll through January and February we’ll see more activity before things really kick in after the draft. Make sure you don’t miss any of the action by checking in on our big board regularly. While you’re there, survey all the moves in the league going back to the 2012 offseason.

Speaking of Sullivan. . . : The Dolphins named him as the team’s ninth general manager this week; though the idea of a college GM is a new one, it’s easy to forget that the job wasn’t even prevalent on the NFL side until the late 60s/early 70s. It’s special for us because Jon-Eric is the second GM to receive the job after his peers voted him to the BART List for scouting excellence (he won in 2022 and 2025). New England’s Eliot Wolf (like Sullivan, a winner in our first year offering the award, 2022) was the first with that distinction. Hats off all around. In the meantime, though we know Sullivan by his reputation, it’s the people who’ve shared the war room with him that know him best, so that’s who we spoke to this week. We got glowing responses from six of his colleagues that we reached out to, and we put their words in this week’s post at Succeed in Football. Based on the feedback we received, it looks like Miami made a good choice. 

Irregularities: We’ve always asked NFL scouts to cast their votes for the Best Draft and BART List awards based on the honor system – don’t vote for your own team, or anyone on it, and don’t share the voting link outside of strictly active NFL scouting circles. Though it’s natural that there may be some who go outside the rules, this week was the first time we identified irregularities that were clear and obvious. On Wednesday, we received dozens of responses over a 90-minute period, with all but one of them for the same finalist. Some of them even came from similar or identical IP addresses. Fortunately, Survey Monkey’s software was able to help us identify the ballot-stuffing. We’re not making any accusations about what happened and how, but we’re happy we were able to head it off before balloting was called into question. In the meantime, we’ve logged the offending IP addresses and are on our guard for any further asymmetric results. While it’s flattering to think someone with one of the finalists cared enough to try to rig the results, at this point, we think it could have just been a runaway virus of some kind. In the meantime, we are keeping an eagle eye on the results, and hopeful we won’t have to act if there’s a second instance similar to the first one. If you didn’t vote last week, we’re hoping you’ll have time this week. Ballots will be in respective inboxes tomorrow morning. If you don’t receive it, please reach out by responding to this email or contacting ITL’s Neil Stratton via DM on Twitter (@insidetheleague). We look forward to presenting the hardware for the 10^th time in late February in Indianapolis.

Save the date(s) . . . really: This week, several people reached out about the two events we hold annually at the NFL Combine. As a faithful reader of the Friday Wrap, you already know the answer(s). However, for those who are new to our newsletter, here’s what you need to know: 

ITL Seminar: Ellison Kibler at Merrill Lynch returns as our title sponsor Wednesday, Feb. 25, at 530pm EST at the Indiana Convention Center, Room 205-206. As we always do, we’ll be honoring the best and brightest in NFL scouting as part of our annual program. We’ll have a few new awards recognizing the people and schools that make scouts feel most at home, but the biggest headlines will be reserved for the winner of the Best Draft Award, the C.O. Brocato Memorial Award for Lifetime Service to Scouting, and, of course, our 30-plus BART List Award winners in three divisions. If you work in player evaluation, aspire to, or are just interested in the business, you don’t want to miss it. Admission, as always, is free, and this year, we’ve gone to two rooms to ensure everyone gets a seat. 

ITL Symposium: Last year, we brought the transfer portal world – college staffers, agents, wealth managers and others from around the business – together in Indianapolis and far exceeded our expectations with the turnout. This year, in part due to our partnership with title sponsor Dropback, we’re hoping to make it even bigger. On the morning (8am) of Friday, Feb. 27, we’ll do it again in Rooms 205-207 of the convention center. We’ll have a formal rollout of the program and begin ticketing Feb 6 in the Wrap. As we did last year, members of FBS scouting departments are free to join us, with other members of the community joining us for a $100 entry fee ($400 for agencies with up to six admissions included). It’s going to be a fast-paced morning of special recognition, running the January portal through a post-mortem, and taking a long look at where college football is going. What’s more, we hope to do it in two hours or less. It’s going to be a who’s who session filled with networking, and we hope to see you there.

Where’s Neil?: Over the next week, the schedule goes from hurried to an all-out sprint. ITL’s Neil Stratton touches down in Orlando tomorrow afternoon for a four-day stop at the American Bowl. He returns on Tuesday before heading to Frisco, Texas, for the East-West Shrine Bowl on Thursday and will be there through Saturday before returning to ITL Central on Sunday. Then it’s off to Mobile Monday, returning the following Thursday. By the way, if you’ll be in Orlando for the American Bowl Saturday, American Bowl organizers are hosting a social in the Boca Foyer of the Caribe Royale Orlando (official hotel of the American Bowl) in conjunction with JP Morgan Chase. It all starts at 7 p.m. EST, and all agents in town for the game, as well as scouts and executives, are welcome to come grab a beverage. See you there!

A new day in the Steel City: With “Mike T” moving on, there are a lot of emotions out of Pittsburgh these days. One of those people with mixed emotions is longtime former Steelers scout Mark Gorscak, winner of the 2022 CO Brocato Memorial Award for Lifetime Service to Scouting. Mark was there for all 19 seasons with the former Steelers head coach and he had much to say about almost two decades of seasons without one losing mark, but even more so, the character of the legendary coach. Here are a few highlights. 

• On Mark’s feelings the day after the announcement (3:14): “It’s sad. I went through this before with (former Steelers head coach) Bill Cowher and it’s shocking, but it’s (understandable), too, because of the fact that, you know, he looked tired the last couple press conferences. . . what the man means to me is something else, because (I) learned so much ball, he has so much humility to him, and he just had that presence where he touched everybody in the office. He was that dude that walked down the hallway, walked by somebody or someone’s cubicle or whatever, and (offered) just a quick hello. And he did that throughout the whole building.”

• On Tomlin’s effectiveness as a communicator (6:20): “Charismatic personality, wordsmith, catchphrases, things that stick with you. . . I listen to his press conferences every week because it’s a master’s class in how to handle the media, it’s a master’s class in giving people what they need to know but not anything more, and also the wording.”

• On Tomlin’s attitude and relationship with scouts (8:20): “He would ask your opinion, OK? If he knew you scouted somebody, and you didn’t really say something or say enough, he would ask you, OK? He wanted opinions. Sometimes he would call you out, but in a polite way. You know? He’ll put you on the spot because he wanted your opinion. And him and (former Steelers GM) Kevin Colbert used to work so well in unison, where they both listened to each other and they came to a mutual agreement. You never saw any arguments or anything like that from Mike Tomlin.”

• On why now was the right time for Tomlin (12:17): “Maybe he wants to go ahead and watch his daughter. She’s a scholarship gymnast at the Georgia. Maybe he wants to invest some time with her. His two boys are out of college now, and they’re getting on with their life. So you don’t know about that.”

• On the Steelers’ strategy for his replacement (17:05): “I think they want a guy for the long-term. That’s one thing about the Rooneys – they’re patient. They’re going to give the person time, unlike other organizations.”

• On his attitude toward Tomlin (18:37): “Hey, all I know is that Bill got me a ring and he got me a ring, and I’m grateful for it, because there’s not that many people that can say they’re champions.”

Check out Mark’s somber but thoughtful reflections on a Steelers legend in this week’s edition of the podcast, whether it’s via audio (wherever podcasts are found) or via video here.

The Dotted Line: There was a time when every serious NFL Draft Prospect was signed and training by the first Monday of the year. Due to the CFP, however, and a few other factors, there’s no rush to sign, which means our efforts to gather up the classes for all the big agencies (and the small ones, too) require a lot more patience. With that in mind, let’s count down the picks in the order the mock drafters told us they would go earlier this month. 

• No. 1: Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza: Obviously, with the Heisman winner playing Monday, his agent decision is still on the back burner. 
• No. 2: Ohio State OB Arvell Reese: There’s still nothing official, that we know of, but we’re confident he’s headed to Klutch Sports Group.
• No. 3: Oregon QB Dante Moore: Whether it’s to avoid a team or not, Moore has declared his intentions to return to Eugene next year.
• No. 4: Ohio State WO Carnell Tate: The fleet Buckeye has signed with Rosenhaus Sports. 
• No. 5: Miami DE Rueben Bain: Like Mendoza, Bain isn’t finished playing yet. However, the buzz is that he may be this year’s no-agent top-five draftee, a la Cam Ward last year.
• No. 6: Ohio State FS Caleb Downs: Again, no announcements yet, but we’re confident he’ll land with Excel Football.
• No. 7: Arizona State WO Jordyn Tyson: The presumed WR1 in the 2026 draft signed with WIN Sports Group.
• No. 8: Miami OT Francis Mauigoa: Like Mendoza and Bain, Mauigoa has business to attend to Monday. However, once he’s done, he’s expected to sign with the same agency as his NFL-playing brother before him, Kiko, did: QBs Limited.
• No. 9: Auburn DE Keldric Faulk: The ex-Tiger has chosen Athletes First.
• No. 10: Notre Dame OH Jeremiyah Love: Like Faulk, Love picked A1.

That’s not all, of course. Projected first-rounders including LSU DC Mansoor Delane, Texas Tech DE David Bailey, Oregon TE Kenyon Sadiq, Utah OT Spencer Fano and South Carolina DC Brandon Cisse are among others whose representation for 2026 is decided. While there are still blanks to fill, things should be a lot clearer after Monday’s championship. By then, of course, we will also have wrangled the representation for everyone at the inaugural American Bowl and a whole lot more of the agency decisions for players in the American Bowl. If you care about where today’s top picks are training, playing or signing (agency-wise), there’s only one place to go. That’s our Signings Grid.

Catching Up: Dane Vandernat, 42, spent a decade with the Raiders, mostly on the pro side, before running the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl another five years. We caught up with him this week.

• Where are you living and what are you doing now?: “I'm living in the Kansas City area and entering my second year with the CFL's Hamilton Tiger-Cats as the Director of US Scouting. The title is slightly adjusted from last year, but it's the same role, working with a great set of guys and coaches. I've been in KC since I departed from the Raiders, and have been fortunate to work remotely with both the NFLPA Bowl and, now, Hamilton.”

• Do you miss the job? What do you miss most?: “I miss the ease of signing players! So much more recruitment and constant follow-up in my current role. But working in-house for an NFL team is incredible, and I was part of an outstanding camaraderie at the Raiders that was special. I'm fortunate to work remotely now and be more available to help with my kids, but I do miss being at the facility daily and being around the action with the boys.”

• Do you keep in touch with any of your former colleagues?: “As I mentioned, I had a great core group of colleagues at the Raiders, whom I really enjoy spending time with, and also Shaun Herock (laughs). . . Jokes aside, I do still keep in touch with many of my former colleagues, and look forward to seeing them at all-star games, school calls, and pro days -- Shaun included.”

• Do you go to any live games (HS/college/pro)?: “Yes, I still enjoy the challenge of identifying and evaluating players in my current role, and attending both NCAA and NFL games is part of the assignment.”

• Do you find yourself rooting for the NFL team in your region, the one you grew up rooting for, or the one with the most people you’ve worked with?: “No. Aside from the Ticats, I'm a nomad who just enjoys watching good football. My wife and in-laws are all Chiefs fans, naturally, so I do find myself in the thick of all things KC. But I think we're all blessed to see such great games like the Pitt/Balt in Week 18 or the CHI/GB playoff matchup. Football is such an incredible sport, and it's an exciting time of year.”

Review the latest from other former NFL scouts and executives by accessing our Catching Up archive here. Want to hear from a former scout, or know someone who may be interested in being interviewed? Let us know.

Next week: The road beckons. With the preliminaries out of the way, the Nos. 3 (American Bowl), 2 (East-West Shrine Bowl) and 1 (Senior Bowl) all-star contests are straight ahead on the calendar. We’re ready and looking forward to the players, of course, but even more so, the renewal of friendships and the birth of new ones. We’ll be out and about this week, but the wheels never stop turning for ITL. Here’s what’s ahead.

• There are front office vacancies to fill in Miami and a GM seat that’s open in Atlanta. There are also plenty of top prospects who’ve not made their agent choice, and the we’re about a month away from players reporting for the 2026 UFL season. Meanwhile, there still could be movement in college front offices. Make sure you’re keeping up with what we hear in our Rep Rumblings.
• As those jobs get filled, on both the NFL and college side, we’ll be adding it to our big boards. Keep an eye on our NFL Scouting Changes Grid as well as our College Scouting Changes rundown.
• By the way, if a new GM gets hired this week, we’ll ask people around the league what they think of him and put their thoughts in the Succeed in Football blog.
• We’ve got some exciting guests lined up for the Scouting the League Podcast. We also hope to have appearances from Orlando and Dallas next week. Stay tuned.
• The Signings Grid just keeps growing this time of year. We’ll be adding names from Orlando and Frisco next week. Make sure to check the list regularly to know what’s going on in the draft from a business perspective.
• Thought we’re focused on what today’s NFL agents are doing in the industry, we’re also getting ready to guide the next prospective class through exam prep. Click here for look at our study guide and practice exams.

Will there be more? Probably. There’s so much going on in the football world right now that it’s hard to track it all. But we’ll give it our best shot. Check us out.