Sept. 26-Oct. 2

This week, with the passage of the Protect College Sports Act by the U.S. Senate, there’s been a lot of talk of “saving” college sports generally, and college football specifically. We’re hopeful, as are many, though there’s still a long way to go before the PCSA is passed by the House and signed by the President.

While the PCSA will do many things that look like positives, one thing it does not appear to do, at present, is to present any specific standards for NIL agents outside of capping fees at five percent and requiring state registration. Without a broad listing somewhere of all representatives, as the NFLPA provides, it’s hard to know who’s doing the best work in the business. With that in mind, we reached out to 20-plus G6 general managers to get a consensus on which agents are the most professional, reasonable and otherwise positive for the industry. The feedback we got back was fascinating, for reasons we’ll detail later in this piece. 

Some of the GMs we contacted were especially generous with their description of some agencies and their praise for specific agents. 

“I actually think the ones that I’ve found myself enjoying the most are the ones with the fewest clients,” said a GM at a West Coast school. “Cliff Brady (of Capital Sports Advisors) is the first one that comes to mind. Reps one kid we signed this offseason and just very transparent and honest through the whole process. Really enjoyed working with him. The Standard does a really good job as an agency. Billy Cress and Deen Augustin are the two I’ve dealt with the most there, but they’ve been really good advocates for their clients. Really like working with Buddy Baker (of Exclusive Sports Group) as well. He’s straightforward, to the point. Also stays in touch about his guys making sure they’re doing a good job. Was easy just because we saw the process the same way. 

“Feel like I’m missing a whole bunch that do a really good job. Have had great experiences with Juan Lozano and the Red Envelope crew, and well as Will Scott and the A&P guys. I’m sure I’m missing a (bunch) more but a lot of solid people in that space.”

We reached out to more than a dozen G6 GMs, and while few were similarly as expressive, many had opinions. Here’s an overview of the feedback we received, followed by a few observations.

• “The three most professional guys that I have worked with are Daniel Fevrin (of Fevrin Sports), Zak Rodriguez (ZRod Law) and Johnny Townsend (of The Alumni Agency).”
• “Top of mind are Nick Wisinski, 3 Strand Sports; TJ Linta, JL Sports; and Michael Salvo, Nilson.”
• “That’s a tough one. Transparently, I’m not really a fan of most of the agents in our world. Walker Moore from (The Business of Athletes), I’ve had some positive experiences with even when I didn’t sign his guys.  If I had to pick two others, maybe (Will Scott of A&P Sports) and Evan Pobuta (of Vienna Talent). But (to be honest), with most agents when I scroll through my contacts I have a pretty negative taste in my mouth.”
• (Texted the names Alec Easton of Nilson Sports and Walker Moore of The Business of Athletes) “Both high up (as) major players in the space.”
• “Peter Webb (of QB Reps), CJ Cavazos (of CJ Recruiting), Alec Easton (of Nilson Sports) were probably the easiest to work with. . . Brian Simmons (of Continuum Management Group) was another really good one.”
• “You get five . . . in alpha order:  Aaron Bartko (of Bartko Sports Enterprises), Alec Easton (of Nilson Sports), Harold Lewis (of National Sports Agency), Nick Linta (of JL Sports) and Will Scott (of A&P Sports).”
• “Charles Cox (of Red Envelope Sports) and Chris Martin (of OTG Sports) have been the best with us in my experience. Those are two I would vouch for the most.”
• “Joe Sanfilippo (of Upper Edge Sports), Evan Pobuta (of Vienna Talent), Austin Wilson (of Prolifiq Sports Group). Those are my three.”
• “I’ve had a lot of positive experiences with agents. Honestly hard to narrow it down . . . here are a few that come to mind: Warren Barreiro (of The Familie), Alex Styrt (of Premier Athlete Agency) and Zach Cardenez (of Brick Athlete Enterprises).”
• (Texted the names Matt Glose of Generation Sports Group, Miles Jordan of Jordan Sports Group and Lindsay Crook of Grand Central Sports) “These are the best three by far. Not even close in my opinion. Matt and Miles are in a league of (their) own. Professional, ‘how do we get this guy to the NFL?’ is the real priority with these three.”
• (Texted the names of Emily Staker of Christine Brown Sports Law and Sarah Jackson of 3XL Sports) “I think she gets it,” the GM said of Staker. “She doesn’t ask (for) crazy things.”
• “1. Pat Curran (Curran Sports Group). 2. Justin Brashear (Brash Sports). 3. Alex Beglinger (Disruptive Sports).  4. Will Scott (A&P Sports).  5. Connor Madden (Ethos Sports Group).”
• “Buddy Baker at (Exclusive Sports Group, or ESG) does a good job. He’s blunt and tells you where you stand. You may not always like it, but there’s little gray with him. Kelly Donigan at Ethos is a good one, too. Easy to deal with. Good dude.”

So here are our takeaways. 

• It is remarkable that there was such a diversity of opinion. We hoped we’d get a better sample of preferences from general managers on the lower tier – the dollars are smaller, which hopefully leads to less of a transactional relationship – and we feel we did, but that doesn’t explain how little consensus we got.
• A grand total of one agent – A&P’s Will Scott, who was among the panelists at our most recent symposium – got four mentions. Nilson Sports’ Alec Easton was the only one with three mentions. Walker Moore of The Business of Athletes (TBA) got two mentions, as did Evan Pobuta of Vienna Talent and Buddy Baker of Exclusive Sports Group. That’s it. 
• As far as agencies, in addition to A&P, Nilson Sports, TBA, ESG and Vienna Talent, the only firms with multiple mentions were JL Sports and Red Envelope Sports with two each. 
• In all, 37 agents got at least one mention, and countless agencies. If we’re being serious, we didn’t even know there were so many firms with a good-sized practice. It’s just one more indicator of how fragmented and vast NIL player representation is. 
• The bigger surprise, however, is how little agreement there was on the best agents out there. We chalk it up to agencies and agents reaching a comfort level with certain schools (this may be due to regional or geographical reasons), and fewer player reps that truly canvas the nation for opportunities, though that’s just a theory and might not be accurate. 

We’re not done taking the temperature of the industry, especially as it relates to player representation in a largely unregulated and unmonitored industry. The goal, as always, is to improve understanding of the business and help people work more effectively. We hope to take a sampling of P4 GMs soon, as well. Stay tuned to the Wrap, in the meantime. 

Now here’s a look at the week’s big stories in college and pro football, courtesy of All Access Football’s Ric Serritella.

NFL Week 4: The NFL kicked off this week with the Browns upending the Steelers by a score of 27-24. Here's a look at the full NFL schedule for Week 4 ... Earlier in the week, the Steelers finally parted ways with DC Joey Porter Jr., trading him to the Cowboys in exchange for a sixth-rounder in 2027 and a second-round pick in 2028 ... Several major headlines have emerged early in the season, including the trade this week of former Vikings first-rounder JJ McCarthy to the Giants in exchange for a 2027 fifth-round draft pick. After 29 months on the job and 10 games started, this is just the most recent example of why the NFL also stands for 'Not For Long' ... Too much, too soon? In a rare move, the NFL slashed ticket prices for the London matchup between the Colts and Commanders this Sunday due to low demand ... Much of the NFL talk this past week surrounded several debatable defensive pass interference calls that transpired in Week 3. FOS points out the NFL’s past failure to make pass interference subject to instant replay review ... ITL 2022 Best Draft Award Winner and Seahawks GM John Schneider built Seattle into a Super Bowl champion twice. What’s his secret? The Athletic did a deep dive to find out ... Lastly, on the NFL side, you can never rule out a Tom Brady comeback; biographer Lars Anderson states he 'would not be shocked' to see Brady return to the football field next year.

NCAA Week 5: Here's a look at this week's college football schedule ... The College Football Playoff is on the verge of expanding to a 24-team format. Discussion have centered around buyouts of conference title games and the scheduling logistics of doubling the field. Said one official, “If we can get a decent (TV) deal, we are definitely going to 24.” ... Big news out of Auburn this week: police arrested former Auburn football staffer David Rudolph Jenrath on Monday on felony charges of theft of trade secrets and computer tampering after he allegedly shared Auburn's recruiting plans with up to 11 other schools ... A Louisiana Board of Regents member suggested that Louisiana Tech, La.-Lafayette and La.-Monroe drop to a lower tier of Division I football due to financial deficits totaling tens of millions of dollars ... This is not a misprint: Rams coach Sean McVay and Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol were sitting in a room together this summer trying to figure out how to turn Miami (Ohio) into an athletic juggernaut ... North Carolina is set to unveil new permanent displays inside Kenan Stadium honoring the program's College Football Hall of Fame and Pro Football Hall of Fame members on Saturday against Notre Dame ... In what might be the ultimate recruiting flex, head coach Dan Lanning has a ticker in his office displaying the NFL career earnings of Oregon players ... With its revenue-based model, Trbine proposes to help schools raise capital in exchange for a percentage of future athletic revenue. It aims to provide athletic departments a financial life raft and an alternative to private equity ... Rice has agreed to a 20-year stadium naming rights agreement with First Community Credit Union. Rice is also offering $19.62 tickets for Saturday’s home game against UTSA, in honor of John F. Kennedy’s 1962, “we go to the moon” speech at Rice Stadium.

CFL Week 18: The CFL trade deadline passed on Wednesday. The most notable move was made by Montreal, which acquired defensive lineman Julian Howsare from Hamilton. Howsare has played 15 games this season, recording 32 tackles and four sacks. The Alouettes have already clinched a playoff berth and can lock up home-field advantage this weekend. Montreal (11-3) hosts Winnipeg (7-7) on Saturday night. Also, Saskatchewan acquired K Brett Lauther from Ottawa, marking his second stint with the team. Saskatchewan (8-6) can clinch a playoff berth with a win over Calgary (7-8) tonight. The first game tonight features two teams eliminated from playoff contention when Hamilton (4-11) visits Ottawa (0-14). The Redblacks are attempting to avoid becoming the first team in CFL history to go winless during the regular season. Meanwhile, the game of the week occurs on Saturday afternoon as red-hot BC (8-6) visits Toronto. The Lions have won seven of their last eight games, while the Argonauts have clinched home-field advantage for the first round of the playoffs. For a full look at the CFL playoff race, click here.

Football, etc.: The UFL announced several coaches switching to new franchises, including AJ McCarron to Rhode Island (from Birmingham), Rick Neuheisel to Colorado (from Dallas) and Kevin Sumlin to Dallas (from Houston). For those who want to learn more about the UFL expansion plans, check out this interview with owner Mike Repole. For any players currently on the unemployment line, there's still a handful of upcoming UFL tryouts ... ESPN analyst Nick Saban will be profiled in the upcoming documentary, 'Saban,' which premieres Oct. 8. HOF offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth recently spoke in-depth about how Saban was the only coach willing to tell him the uncomfortable truth during his recruitment ... Amazon Prime Video has agreed to an extension with Kirk Herbstreit to remain as its NFL game analyst on Thursday Night Football ... Ever wonder what happens when WAG culture and the football universe unite? Find out here.

Reid all about it: Sure, it’s early, but Scouting the League co-hosts Rodrik David and Neil Stratton like to take the early temperature on the rising draft class in September by surveying some of their favorite draft experts. After checking in with The Athletic’s Dane Brugler last week, this week’s guest was ESPN’s Jordan Reid. As always, Jordan delivered, giving decisive and insightful opinions on several members of the 2027 draft class. Here are a few highlights:

• On being part of “football time in Tennessee” and where it stacks up among college football atmospheres (6:12): “This was my third time going to Neyland (Stadium). This is the loudest that I’ve ever heard it before, just 105,000 strong. The No. 1 team in the country. So much drama attached to this game. You know, they didn’t have a lot to cheer about during the game, but pregame, you could really feel the energy and the atmosphere.”
• On Jordan’s surprise top QB (9:16): “One I will say, and he’s surging to be my QB1, is Drew Mestemaker at Oklahoma State. I love me some Drew Mestemaker, man, and I needed to see it on the Power 4 level, and he got off to the rough start against Tulsa, but that kinda unlocked him somehow, some way, having a bad game. He goes out, he plays really well against Oregon in the second game. He’s been really sharp the last two weeks. With him, the sample size is still small on the Power 4 level, but now, I think Oklahoma State is going to be in the mix to win the Big 12. . . I’m really excited about Drew Mestemaker.”
• On a post-hype passer that’s regaining momentum (18:34): “You know one that’s kind of grown on me over the past two weeks is Nico Iamaleava at UCLA. He’s been steady so far in that offense. He has the big frame that you love to see, 6-6, a comfortable 215, 220 pounds. He has a really good arm. Coach (Bob) Chesney is doing a really good job with implementing him in the system. The big thing for him was just overcoming what happened (with the transfer from) Tennessee.” 
• On the uncertainty at tackle in the 2027 draft class (27:54): “If there was one position (where) I had some question marks and did a lot of projection with in (the end-of-August) mock draft it definitely was offensive tackle, just because outside of (LSU’s Jordan) Seaton and (Texas’ Trevor) Goosby, I think there was a lot of question marks with this class.”
• On the lowest South Carolina DE Dylan Stewart will go in the draft, despite his suspension (34:12):“That’s a great question. Just because of the athletic upside and what he has put on tape so far, I definitely think he still goes inside of the top 12, if I had to guess. It’s just because we know defensive ends are a premium position. He’s going to be a very freaky tester. Like he’s gonna have some numbers that we have rarely seen at the position, and we’ve seen teams – some teams, I should say – that don’t really care (about disciplinary disputes).”
• On weighing positional prejudices against a player’s overall ability (42:13): “There’s always that golden rule that you can’t take players (early in the draft) at certain positions, and safety was one that a lot of people have reservations about taking inside the top 10. If I was in a draft room, I would have been comfortable taking (Ohio State safety) Caleb (Downs) inside the top 10 (in last year’s draft).”

If you don’t enjoy talking draft, you probably wouldn’t have read this far. Make sure to check out more of Jordan’s thoughts in this week’s episode of the podcast here.

Keep out: Several scouts reached out this week disappointed in Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian’sdecision to close practices for the rest of the year. While scouts may still come to Austin to watch film and gather character information, workouts will be strictly off-limits. Scouts we spoke to made the following points.

• This does not seem to be a response to any specific oversteps by NFL scouts or executives. Instead, it seems to be prompted by the pressure of being No. 1 and the challenges of an SEC schedule.
• More than one scout speculated that Sarkisian may be dropping the curtain on his college career after this season, and he wants to seek NFL opportunities with a maximized resume. Distractions can only harm his profile.
• Texas is far from the only school that reduces access when things get heated. In fact, some Area Scouts said they made multiple visits in August and September in anticipation of this happening. They faulted GMs and upper-level executives – who were just now making their pilgrimages to Austin – for not having more foresight.
• This does not seem to be a precursor for other schools to follow suit. 

In the meantime, expect the clamor for gameday credentials to rise sharply among NFL evaluators scouting the Longhorns. Body types will have to be gathered on Saturdays rather than Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Otherwise, it’s mainly business as usual. 

In with the new: As of the first week of August, there were 1,070 NFL agents. As of today, one day after the NFLPA published the names of the new contract advisor class, there are 1,201. Without knowing how many agents ended their NFL dreams this fall, it’s hard to know exactly how many members of the 2026 agent class were added . . . for now. However, next week, when we work through the new list, sifting out the agents who opted out and adding the new player reps, we’ll have a better idea. 

At any rate, if you’re a member of the newly certified class, you might be asking questions and wondering what your first move needs to be. For you, we wrote today’s post at Succeed in Football. We pass along six points (like a touchdown – get it?) for people being introduced to the NFL agent world. Some are “do’s” and some are “don’t’s,” but all are important, in our estimation. 

Seventh Point: Actually, there’s one more tip: make sure to check out our Agent Basics Zooms, which are now completed but still available on YouTube. Tuesday, we were joined by Detroit VP of Roster Operations Rob Lohman, Stealth Sports Group’s Molly Crowe and Evan Pobuta of Vienna Talent. Rob provided tips for new agents preparing to work with pro directors and scouts; Molly provided insights on how to get a player on a 53-man roster before your third year certified; and Evan talked about how to convert your NIL client into an NFL client, even when you’re a first-year agent and even when the player is a Day 2 prospect. Their contributions wrapped up two-plus weeks of observations and advice from NFL scouts and executives, contract advisors and even a top speed trainer. It’s all recorded and waiting for you if you’re new to the business, all for a cost of $400 (no tax). It’s October, already. These days, hundreds of members of the next draft class already have relationships with the agents who’ll take them through the draft phase, and the battle for the best remaining prospects is under way. Make sure you know the finer points of the business before it’s too late. 

Catching Up: Joe Orsini, 30, spent four years with the Chargers, starting as a pro scouting intern in 2022 and rising to become Player Personnel Coordinator before exiting the team this year. We caught up with him this week.

• Where are you living now and what are you doing? “I’m still living in Southern California and recently joined the Concussion & CTE Foundation, leading Strategic Partnerships and Initiatives. I'm focused on expanding our reach across professional and former athletes, the military and veteran community, sports governing bodies, research institutions and industry. A large part of my role is developing partnerships that can accelerate CTE research, whether that’s recruiting for research studies and clinical trials, connecting former players with resources and care, or building new channels for concussion and CTE education. I also engage with organizations like the NFLPA, NFL alumni groups and numerous former Heisman Trophy winners who can help us reach and educate more athletes. I'd encourage any former player or family member looking for answers to check out our HelpLine resources at https://concussionandcte.org/helpline”

• Do you miss the job? What do you miss most?: “Football has basically structured my life since I was 7 years old, and this is the first fall since then that I haven’t been heading into training camp as a player, coach or member of an NFL personnel department. Scouting is naturally more transactional than playing or coaching, where you develop a real brotherhood with the guys around you. But I definitely enjoyed evaluating, too. I fell in love with studying players and the nuances of their game and defending my work in meetings. I don’t think I’ll ever completely lose that evaluator lens. I had no family or close connections in the NFL prior to getting in, so I never took my opportunities for granted. As much as I miss being part of a team, it's been strangely full circle now that I'm connecting with former players and advancing a mission to help them.” 

• Do you keep in touch with any of your former colleagues?: “Absolutely. I gained lifelong friends and mentors from my time in LA and still talk frequently with numerous people in the organization and with other teams. Some of my closest buddies and I spent an absurd number of hours together in that building and endured a lot together along the way, so you build a pretty unique bond. I also made some great friends around the league from being on the road and crossing paths at schools and all-star games. It’s been cool to start reconnecting with some of those people who are drawn to my current work, and I’ll always be rooting for them in their careers.”

• Do you go to any live games (HS/college/pro)?: “I stopped by a local juco game recently because I had actually never been to one prior. Aside from that, I've taken some time away. I'm sure I'll be back in the mix at some point.”

• 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? “Probably people more than specific teams at this point. Growing up in Pittsburgh, the Steelers had an enormous influence on me and my decision to pursue football. When I got to the NFL, I started viewing it much more as a business. I still feel connected to the Chargers and root for the success of my buddies in scouting and on the coaching staff. I also developed a great relationship with (Chargers OB) Khalil Mack during my time there, and I'm not sure I've ever met someone more deserving of a Super Bowl ring. One of the cool things about the league is that your circle eventually starts spreading to other teams. I find myself watching games and rooting for guys on both sides.”

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: We’ve now entered that section of the schedule where there’s either NFL or college football on every night until sometime in December. What a great time to be alive. Here’s what we’ll be working on (when we’re not watching).

• We’re almost caught up on the players in our Profile Reports and their NIL representation, which has covered the lion’s share of the content in our Rep Rumblings. We’re working our way toward building our new Signings Grid with not just NFLPA but NIL relationships. We hope it’s very illustrative of how players size up their league prospects and the people they trust to get to the pros. 
• Also in the Rumblings: we’ll compile the new agents on the NFLPA website and draw a few conclusions about who’s getting certified these days. 
• Oh, as for the Profile Reports, they’re winding down. Next up are Wake Forest, Washington, Washington State, West Virginia and Western Kentucky. If there’s time, we’ll also do Western Michigan, Wisconsin and Wyoming to finish up the year. Then it’s on to our team-by-team NFL front office updates as we get to the Know Your Scouts feature. 
• We hope to update our Scouts by Area Grid, updating the assignments in all corners of the country for each NFL team. Here’s last year’s board.
• If you are of a certain age, Peter King’s Monday Morning QB was required reading if you were serious about the game. The column is over, but King’s latest book, The Game, is like an extended MMQB post. We’ll talk to Peter in the Scouting the League Podcast.
• The Succeed in Football blog returns, as well.

We’ve got so much good stuff and you don’t want to miss it, especially if you’re a newly minted NFL agent. Come check us out.