Jan. 24-30

With the all-star circuit coming to an end after this week, we offer our off-the-field thoughts on the Senior Bowl later in this email. However, for a look at the players who showed out, we turned to Ric Serritella of All Access Football. Here’s what he told us.

SENIOR BOWL (Mobile, Ala.)

Last year, the Senior Bowl saw 50 players chosen within the first three rounds. It will be interesting to see if they can match that total. Here’s who caught my eye.

Malachi Fields, WO, Notre Dame (6040/218): Few names have popped up more often than Fields this week, who boasts rare length, combined with fluid movement and the speed to separate. The Notre Dame playmaker had his ‘Mobile Moment,’ making the catch of the week on the second day of practice, tracking an over-the-shoulder pass from Arkansas QB Taylen Green, which traveled 55 yards through the air. He hauled it in with Willie Mays-like grace. Fields is now knocking on that first-round door.

Lee Hunter, DT, Texas Tech (6034/320): How high can ‘Big Game’ Hunter go? The Red Raiders DT has been a one-man gang during one-on-ones, running through bag drills with deliberate intent and only getting better as the week wore on. A dominant run defender, Hunter possesses a quick get-off, stays extremely low to the ground, moves well laterally and is quick to close on the ball. He could climb all the way into the top-half of the first round.

Bud Clark, FS, TCU (6010/185): A human drone, Clark covers immense ground due to keen instincts and awareness as well as excellent anticipatory skills. He constantly showed up around the football this week, getting his hands on batted balls and making plays against the run. Blessed with prototype size and length, Clark is a high-energy player whom teammates gravitate towards. He projects as an immediate plug-and-play starter.

Special recognition: LSU WO Chris Hilton has made the rounds during the all-star circuit. The Tigers target participated in the Hula Bowl, American Bowl and East-West Shrine Bowl before reporting to Mobile on Wednesday. It only takes one team to fall in love and Hilton Jr. has had every opportunity to impress. Kudos to this young man for his passion and competitiveness!

EAST-WEST SHRINE BOWL (Frisco, TX)

Overall, the East-West Shrine Bowl had one of the more talented rosters we can recall in recent years. Furthermore, in terms of event access, the Shrine Bowl takes the cake. Credentialed attendees are allowed to roam freely without any restrictions, making for excellent intel-gathering and networking. Most impressive is the player availability, as every participant of the event is made accessible to the media. The event also seems to draw a more sophisticated football audience, as data and analytics are provided constantly throughout the week, an area of emphasis for executive director Eric Galko. One negative came on game-day, as a whopping 54 players were listed as opt-outs. It’s a big reason why both the Senior and Shrine have increased their roster size. 

Kaden Wetjen, WO, Iowa (5086/195): Wetjen was the star of the show, as there wasn’t a single one-on-one rep that Wetjen hasn’t won. His route-running was sharp due to elite change of direction agility and the ability to separate swiftly out of his breaks. What’s more, once he has the ball in his hands, Wetjen possesses breakaway speed. After this week, he should be viewed as a Day 2 prospect.

James Thompson, DT, Illinois (6052/301): No one turned more heads than Thompson, whose imposing size, brute strength, quick get-off and high motor stole the show on Day 1 of practice. Has has checked every box thus far, from weigh-ins to interviews to performance. Like a bull in a china shop, Thompson is able to dislodge opposing linemen with relative ease. Presuming his medicals check out, his stock is soaring.

Avery Smith, DC, Toledo (5110/179): It was a pure delight to watch Smith lock down wideouts during one-on-one drills. Most impressive was his ability to match up against both speed and size. On two occasions, he matched with LSU burner Chris Hilton, denying him on back-to-back reps. Next up was the lengthy and physical Colbie Young of Georgia; Smith guarded him to perfection. Smith should be viewed as another potential top 100 selection.

AMERICAN BOWL (Orlando, Fla.)

Team Warhawks (led by Brian Billick) defeated Team Guardians (coached by Mike Smith) by a score of 7-6. Despite being new to the circuit, the event was very well organized, as director Scott Phillips assembled a highly competitive roster with help from veteran football executive John Peterson and others. Approximately two dozen players were called up to either the Senior or Shrine Bowl from the game. Nearly every team was in attendance from the NFL and CFL, plus several representatives from the UFL. Check-in, weigh-ins and practice all ran smoothly. 

Anthony Smith, WO, East Carolina (6015/191): An explosive playmaker who is a threat to take it the distance any time he touches the ball, Smith was clearly one of the best athletes in attendance during the week. He does a nice job getting in and out his breaks and defenders had a hard time sticking with him during one-on-one reps. Smith brings solid size, excellent route-running and quickness.

Alan Herron, OT, Maryland (6047/319): Somewhat of a late bloomer, Herron made great strides this past season at right tackle for the Terps. Blessed with excellent size and tremendous power, Herron utilizes his violent hands upon contact to redirect defenders. He demonstrated the ability to sit and absorb bull-rush attempts during one-on-one drills, while being showing his stuff as a mauler in the run game. Herron received an elevated winter grade from BLESTO and has now worked himself into the Day 3 equation. He also earned a ticket to Mobile.

Aaron Graves, DT, Iowa (6044/298): The motor runs hot on Graves, who brings relentless energy and constant pursuit. His quick get-off was impressive, and once he latches his paws onto opponents, Graves understands how to win the leverage battle. Overall, Graves profiles as a rotational interior lineman who can contribute as a run-stuffer and situational rusher, drawing comparisons to Denver’s Zach Allen in terms of his NFL projection.

HULA BOWL (Daytona Beach, Fla., for workouts)

While the Hula Bowl celebrated its 80th game this year, the event went on a 10-year hiatus from 2009-2019. Since its return, it has maintained its relevance but also has a little room for improvement. The planning and execution of the event was rough, as late equipment arrivals hindered the ability to conduct fully-padded practices. Part of this can be attributed to its early start date. However, both teams practiced simultaneously, forcing evaluators to pick and choose their spots. 

Derek Robertson, QB, Monmouth (6013/203): More so than previous years, NFL decision-makers will be on the hunt for a developmental quarterback due to the relatively slim crop for this year’s draft class. A handful of signal-callers made their presence felt in Daytona, including Robertson. A pocket-passer with adequate height, Robertson was praised by the Hula Bowl coaches for his cerebral mind, with one NFL scout telling us that he is one of the smartest quarterbacks he has ever met. Robertson could be worth a late-round roll of the dice.

Micah Pettus, OT, Florida State (6067/351): Standouts from the third day of practice included the mammoth Pettus, who boasted enormous size and vast experience, along with tremendous power. The 6-foot-7, 351-pound Pettus started all 11 games for the Seminoles at right tackle this past season and previously had 29 starts for Ole Miss (2022-24). He has flashed excellent movement skills in Daytona and possesses the ability to climb to the second level. 

Shad Banks, OB, UTSA (5113/227): Another player who caught the attention of NFL scouts was Banks. Though undersized, he excelled in one-on-ones, demonstrating fluid movement agility and elite speed. The former Texas A&M wideout converted to defense upon his arrival at TCU in 2021 before transferring to UTSA for his final season of eligibility. He screams out core special teams player.

Thanks Ric! 

Now let’s take a look at the 2026 Senior Bowl from an off-the-field point of view.

• After previously segregating NFL scouts and executives on one side of Hancock Whitney Stadium in recent seasons, this year, organizers went one step further, including agents with the scouts. This left media, local townspeople and a handful of wealth managers and others on the other side. 
• Speaking of the media, at least anecdotally, there were far fewer members of the print, online and broadcast communities in town than in previous years under former Executive Director Jim Nagy. This could have been a casualty of the harsh winter conditions and travel restrictions across the country. 
• It was difficult to gauge the presence of head coaches and GMs due to the new policy, but it seemed like there were fewer familiar faces on hand. A lot of this can be attributed to travel conditions as well as the unsettled NFL head coach picture this offseason.
• Travel considerations also delayed the arrival of SMU WO Romello Brinson, who ultimately opted out of attending altogether. On the other hand, in-week additions to the lineup included Illinois OG Mel Priestly, Texas A&M DE Dayon Hayes, Florida State DT Darrell Jackson and LSU WO Chris Hilton. Priestly arrived after playing in the Hula Bowl; Hayes in the American Bowl; Jackson in the East-West Shrine Bowl; and Hilton, as you may know, in all three (Hula, American and Shrine). Saturday, teams are scheduled to be briefed on other players who opted in and out during the invitation process. 
• As has been the trend over the past 2-3 years, there was a very diverse list of agencies representing the players on the American and National rosters. Senior Bowl mainstay Athletes First led the way with 16 clients, but other established firms had far fewer. 
• Among firms believed to be sending their first clients to Mobile this year are Born Ready Athletes, CMV Sports, Ethos Sports Group and ProSport Management. It’s a reflection of the changing attitude toward all-star games as well as a signal of the impact NIL representation has had on recruiting for NFL representation. 
• Many of the agency names are new not just to the Senior Bowl, but to the game itself. However, Diamond Management is not one of them. Ferrell Elliott, who owns Diamond, represents one of the week’s sensations, John Carroll WO Tyren Montgomery. It’s Elliott’s first Senior Bowl client since 2018. 
• The new practice schedule, which featured an afternoon start and player interviews conducted in the morning, was a little disorienting at first, with the second practice ending after dusk. For whatever reason, the shift in interviews didn’t seem to have an impact on Mobile night life. Reportedly, last call Tuesday night at one downtown drinking establishment, The Haberdasher, was 9:45 p.m.
• Though many attendees expected frigid temperatures (at least based on conversations at The Star during East-West Shrine Bowl practices), the weather was perfect: sunny, breezy and comfortable, if a little cool during the last hour of practice.

As always, Mobile was inviting and hospitable. See everyone next year. 

Mark your calendars: The ITL Seminar is Wednesday, Feb. 25, at 5:30 p.m. in the Indiana Convention Center. The ITL Symposium is Friday, Feb. 27, 8:30 a.m., also in the Indiana Convention Center. Right now, that’s about as much as we can spill. We’ll be spending the week making final preparations for our two big events in Indianapolis, and we’ll begin registration with college staffers in hopes of having several commitments in hand when we launch registration for our symposium in next week’s Wrap. We’re excited, and we think you should be, too. As you know, Wednesday night is free to pro and college football personnel, while Friday costs $100 for members of the football business community ($400 agency fee with up to six agency members included). College staffers, however, are free. We hope to double the number of attendees this year, and we think that goal is highly possible. Here’s a look at last year’s event. We can’t wait to roll out all the details next week. 

Saying goodbye: In the past week, we learned of two former NFL scouts who’ve turned in their watches and their final reports. Oscar “Big O” Lofton spent 15 seasons in scouting with the 49ers, helping the team to a Super Bowl XXIX victory over the Chargers in 1995, before passing away in early January. Oscar, who also played for the Boston Patriots after a distinguished playing career at Southeastern Louisiana, also coached at the high school and college level as well as interrupting his playing career with a stint in the US Army. A friend to all, he sat for an interview with ITL’s Neil Stratton in the early days of the service. We interviewed him for the Catching Up series in 2022. Also passing on was Tom Marino, who departed for the hereafter last weekend. Tom scouted for the Bears, Giants, Saints and Rams, as well as the USFL’s Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars. He was a leader in discovering former Cardinals first-rounder Eric Swann, who was drafted in the first 32 and played a decade in the league despite not playing college football. Tom was kind enough to allow us to interview him for the Catching Up series in the first week of 2023. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of both Oscar and Tom. 

Bridge to school: In case you missed it (we did), Marc Lillibridge is the new head coach at Missouri Baptist University in Creve Coeur, Mo., just outside of St. Louis. Lillibridge, who accepted the job the week before Christmas, now fulfills maybe the final post he hasn’t already filled: college head coach. After finishing his playing career at Iowa State, “Bridge” played for four NFL teams over five seasons (he was also allocated to the Amsterdam Admirals for the 1997 season). Since then, he’s served in pro and college scouting on the NFL level; represented players as an NFLPA-certified agent; spent time in online and radio media; led a training facility; coached as an assistant at the DIII level; and served as a scouting executive for two spring leagues (XFL and UFL). In all, it’s been three decades at every level of football, which has culminated in his current position. Best of luck to one of the true good guys in the game.

Good news, bad news: There was a time when general managers were fired post-draft and hired sometime in the summer. Then, it became commonplace to release them shortly after the season, moving quickly to assemble a team that could plot a new direction in time for the draft. These days, however, terminations are unpredictable. Such was the case today as it was announced that Kwesi Adofo-Mensah would no longer serve as GM of the Vikings. Adofo-Mensah, among the wave of former 49ers front office members who took over front offices the past five years, was 43-25 in four seasons in Eden Prairie and signed a multi-year extension in the summer of 2025. Adofo-Mensah arrived with a foundation in analytics, and was part of the vanguard of new-age hires integrating new technology into old-school ways of player evaluation. Feedback we received today from Vikings scouts ranged from shock to resignation. On the same day that one campaign ended, however, another began as the Falcons announced Ian Cunningham as the new GM in Atlanta. Highly regarded in NFL circles for years, Cunningham previously interviewed with, and was a finalist for, jobs in Washington, Arizona and Jacksonville. Finally, he’s found the right fit in Atlanta after 18 seasons in player evaluation with the Ravens, Eagles and Bears. He joins the team’s new brain trust that already includes President of Football Matt Ryan and head coach Kevin Stefanski, and we wish him the best. Both Adofo-Mensah and Cunningham have been added to the NFL Scouting Changes Grid. 

Movement continues: College personnel staffs across the country saw significant shakeups in December in preparation for the combine transfer portal session. What we’ve found out since is that the movement didn’t end on Jan. 2. Just this week, here’s a selection of the moves we’ve seen across the college scouting landscape:

• Joe D’Orazio moved east, leaving USC to take over as GM at Utah, per this tweet.
• Austin Furgatch moved West, going from Player Personnel Associate at TCU to GM at UTEP.
• Zach Kramme, an October guest on the Scouting the League Podcast, got bumped up to GM from Director of Scouting at Western Kentucky.
• Per his LinkedIn account, Jackson Mercer is the new Assistant Director of Player Personnel at Colorado State. He spent most of 2025 as a recruiting analyst at Michigan.
• Also per LinkedIn, Coleman Minnis is joining Mizzou as Assistant Director of Player Personnel. He spent most of the last four years in Knoxville.
• Former Jaguars staffer Drew Hughes is expected to join the staff at Florida, per this tweet.
• After three seasons in Nashville, Kevin Mashack has vacated his role as Director of Recruiting at Tennessee State to take over as Director of Scouting at Texas, per this tweet. We interviewed Kevin as part of the Catching Up series in 2024.

We’ve added all the moves to our big board. Check it out here.

Big get: It was a big week for the Scouting the League Podcast, and it had nothing to do with the Senior Bowl. Colts Assistant GM Ed Dodds, a four-time BART List award winner, joined co-hosts Rodrik David and Neil Stratton to discuss his start in the business, his philosophy on player evaluation, his years with the Colts, his work with several notable scouts and executives and other topics. Here are a few highlights.

• On his start as an intern with the Raiders in the early 2000s (6:35): “Even though I was living 90 miles from the Mexican border, I was a Raider fan . . . you could call it an internship, I guess, but it really was just making copies, getting people coffee, whatever. . . I’d go out to training camp with the Raiders and spend, you know, three or four weeks, and then I’d have to come back, because I was playing high school football. But that just kinda continued throughout that same routine throughout college.” 
• On working in a pro scouting role under Raiders owner Al Davis (11:50): “It was a different deal, man. It was, you know, there was no, ‘hey, Mr. Davis, I only have the AFC North and NFC North.’ It’s like, no, you gotta know the whole league. . . you’re never gonna get it all, but that’s kinda what he expected. You better have answers. He was just demanding in that way.”
• On working under Seahawks GM John Schneider and learning his draft evaluation process (16:25):“Under John, obviously, it’s much longer (than under the previous Seattle GM), it’s more thorough, and everybody’s involved. I think it’s the greatest on the planet. I mean, if you watched (new Dolphins GM) Jon-Eric (Sullivan)’s deal, he talked about it. He’s a firm believer in it, and I’m the same way. . . it started, really, with (legendary former GM) Ron Wolf, and he took it to the Jets, well, really, Tampa, the Jets, then Green Bay.”
• On forging a relationship with Colts GM Chris Ballard (26:59): “So I (was a graduate assistant) for him way back in Kingsville and he left (Texas A&M-Kingsville) a year before me and took a job with the Bears as an area scout. Then, the next year, is when I started working for the Raiders as a pro guy, and we just stayed in touch over the years. . . we have totally different interests, totally different hobbies – I don’t think he has any hobbies (laughs) – we don’t hang out, but there’s this respect for each others’ work.”
• On making the pick (33:40): “There’s collaboration during the process, but not the decision, right? . . . Somebody’s gotta be in charge and make the decision. . . I remember having a conversation with one of our scouts in Seattle one time. We didn’t take a guy that he wanted or something, and he said, ‘aww, it’s no different (here).’ And I said, ‘no, it is different. There’s other teams that are just, “turn your stuff in, and we got it from here.”’ I said, ’this way, you just need to be thankful that you can give your opinion and sit through and watch the entire decision-making process.’ But at the end of the day, somebody’s gonna be in charge of making the decision.”

If you are fascinated by the selection process, especially as it relates to the Green Bay Way, this week’s episode. Though the Packers haven’t won a Best Draft Award yet, two proponents of the Ron Wolf philosophy (the Colts for 2018 and the Seahawks for 2022) have. Make sure to check out this week’s podcast on audio wherever you listen or on video here.

We want to know: . . . which team you think did the best job on draft day 2025. If you’re an NFL evaluator, that is. Saturday morning, we’ll distribute the ballots once more. If you haven’t voted already, we would appreciate your supporting the cause of determining the winner of the Best Draft Award. Was it the Bears? Browns? Giants? Panthers? Patriots? Saints? We’ve sent a ballot with the six finalists (as well as the “argument” for each in the form of each team’s best draft picks last year) to the in-boxes of all active NFL scouts and analytics staffers. If you haven’t yet, it’s your last shot at voting. This week, we’ll double-check to make sure that the surveys are as widely distributed as possible. Please help us by placing your vote. Only once, of course, and not for your own team. Thanks in advance. As always, we’ll present the trophy to the winner Wednesday, Feb. 25, at the Indiana Convention Center. See you there. Didn’t get a ballot? Respond to this email or reach out via nstratton@insidetheleague.com.

Catching Up: Will Ark, 27, spent the summer of 2024 interning with the Packers before landing a position with the BC Lions. We caught up with him this week.

• Where are you living and what are you doing now?: “I started a year ago with the BC Lions as their U.S. scout. I live and operate out of Green Bay, but I do a lot of traveling, too.” 
• How is working in the CFL different from your experience in the NFL?: “There are definitely differences. (The CFL is) kinda unique In the sense that when you are scouting in the NFL, or at a P4 program, you kinda look for the cream of the crop, the best of the best. It’s unique in the CFL in that you are looking for the guys not good enough, for one reason or another, to play it the NFL. It can be a laundry list of “deficiencies” of why they’re not in NFL, but the two things as a player that are different are the extra man on each side and the forward motion rule. . . Like anything else, it takes time to get used to that.” 
• Do you keep in touch with any of your former colleagues?: “Yeah, I talk to a handful of those guys every couple weeks or so, and see them on the road. The NFL guys are split up by in-house (pro) or on-the-road scouts. Up north, we don’t have the manpower to split everything up like that, and that’s fine. But I’m always able to see those guys on the road. My guy Jon-Eric (Sullivan) just got hired by the Dolphins, and that’s incredible. I’ve known him for awhile and we stay in touch. That’s awesome that he’s getting a chance to run the show down there. The Packers are awesome not just because of being a fan, but also being able to work for the team, and to experience first-hand what I was told was a first-class organization. To be able to see that on my own was great.”
• Do you go to any live games (HS/college/pro)?: “We didn’t do as many of those (college games) this fall. I don’t think that’s the norm, necessarily. But not as many high school games. We have a family friend coaching a team, so I went to a couple of those, but we’ll do more college games when we’re traveling. I know, for the most part, we roughly have regions, one in the Pacific Northwest, one in the Southeast, and (GM) Ryan Rigmaiden is in North Carolina. I’m in Wisconsin, but I do my best to fill in the gaps.”
• 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?: “There’s a couple of things. I want to be professional, so I do my best to not have any bias that gets in the way, but I’ve heard people say this: that maybe they don’t have a team, but root for guys they worked with. Me personally, there are players and organizations that I like. I said it already, but because I played quarterback, I’m horribly biased to offensive football. I like points. I like . . . creativity is great, but I love well-run football. Not that I don’t like defensive play, but if I see what the offense is trying to run, and I can key in on the guy on the screen . . . that gets me fired up. That will make my stand up out of my seat.” 

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: Hard to believe we are less than four weeks away from the NFL Combine and all that entails for us at Inside the League. There’s a lot of work to do to get ready, and we’re digging in. In the meantime, we’ll have all the content you’ve come to expect from us. Here’s a look at what’s ahead.

• We’re running behind on several of our regular features, including our Agent Changes and Agents by Total Clients features. With travel over for a while and teams going into meetings to prepare for Indy, we’ll be playing catch-up. Watch for these reports next week.
• Even though February looms, there are still a few guaranteed draft picks whose agency choice we haven’t yet determined. We’ll be rounding those up and adding them to our Signings Grid this week.
• The football world is busier than ever this time of year with draft preparation in full swing, free agency about a month away, GMs getting hired and fired, college personnel departments making post-portal revisions, UFL camps starting in mere weeks and agencies adding and subtracting employees. The best way to track it all is in our Rep Rumblings.
• The Rep Rumblings may be the best way to keep up with the changes in scouting, but you also need to have the NFL Scouting Changes Grid and the College Scouting Changes Grid on your radar screen. 
• There are still two vacancies (Cards and Raiders) on NFL sidelines as we go to press. Want to catch up on all the hires and who reps whom? Do that with our NFL Head Coaches and Agents Board.
• Maybe the college game is more of your interest, and you want a rundown of all the head coaches and their representation along with the GMs for each school. If so, click here.
• Whether you’re gearing up for your first ITL Seminar or you’ve become a regular at the Indiana Convention Center on Wednesdays in Indianapolis, you might want to review the award winners since we started handing out hardware less than a decade ago. To do that, check out the Best Draft winners (and finalists) here, the BART List winners here, and an overview of all the winners (team and individual, college and pro) here.
• We’ll begin gathering pro days this week and hope to have our big board up sometime next week. In the meantime, if you’d like to get a sense of when your clients’ schools have had their workouts in the past, click here.
• Lots of people have begun asking us when our 2026 NFLPA Exam program will begin. Here’s the good news – it never really starts or, for that matter, finishes. You can access Practice Exam 1 here and Exam 2 here. Interested in our highly renowned study guide? Start here. Our first Zoom session will be next month (February). Get ready. 

It’s a busy time in the game, and the stakes are as high as ever, but that’s what makes things fun. Let’s enjoy the insanity together.