March 7-13

How do we stop tampering in college football? 

It’s a question that’s drawn eye rolls, shrugging shoulders and exasperated looks when posed, in one form or another, at each of our last two symposiums. Granted, it’s a problem with no easy solutions, but if sanity is to be restored in college football – and a presidential forum was devoted to just that cause a week ago – we have to try something. We made several proposals in this space last week that might improve college athletics (and football in particular), but today, our focus is on one thing – restricting or ending the practice of schools actively recruiting players on competing rosters. 

We haven’t thoroughly vetted the following ideas with people in the game. Also, these aren’t the kind of sweeping, drastic measures that will turn back the clock to better days. However, we have to start the conversation somewhere, and we’d rather do that with gradual changes. What’s more, we’re willing to draw criticism, even ridicule, if that’s the price for considering solutions. Here are a few ideas.

No automatic transfer window following a coaching change: We no longer live in an era in which players are indentured servants. Based on our discussions with people in Indianapolis, 90 percent of players on P4 rosters have representation, and a considerable number are getting some form of compensation. Of course, coaches remain free to roam without limitation, but maybe if it weren’t so easy to take their best players with them, they might think twice about seeking greener pastures. Such a rule change might have little to no effect, but at least it’s a step toward making it harder to change schools, rather than easier.

A ‘no prior contact’ declaration for players transferring into P4 schools from G5 or lower: This may or may not have an impact. However, if a player knows he will have to sign a legal document affirming that there was no contact with other teams prior to his portal entry, maybe he’s less likely to be tampered with. A player who didn’t sign such a document might face some kind of automatic penalty (a one-game suspension the following season?). 

Publishing the client lists for the top 30 NIL agencies: Earlier this week, we compiled the top 30 NIL agencies (published here). It’s not scientific, per se, but based on our conversations with people in the transfer portal space (agencies and team executives). Then we reached out to some of them about volunteering their client lists. One “hearted” our text before quickly removing it. Another said the question required some consideration; we haven’t heard back since. Some agencies are out front about their client lists and publish them on social media platforms, but for others, it’s a closely guarded secret. We think that if everyone knew who repped whom, there would be less reason to start the recruiting early. 

A ‘legal tampering’ week before the portal window opens: When we pitched a three-week, phased, pre-portal communications period, it was shot down pretty unanimously by GMs and agents alike in Indianapolis. Too long, everyone said. OK. How about if there was a week when everyone could communicate, penalty-free, before the action started? Still too long? OK. How about 72 hours? If the NFL benefits from it, why wouldn’t college football?

Harsh penalties for coaches caught tampering: This would require buy-in from the P4 conferences, but with the SEC commissioner talking about the conference making its own rules this week, the days of waiting for someone else to act are over. At the end of the day, it’s the coaches who are driving the tampering epidemic, and with no penalties for anyone, the only imperative is making sure your coaches are better at it than your rival’s coaches. This has to stop. 

Naturally, the big question is, how is this policed? Who’s calling the shots? That’s the question no one wants to answer. We feel the above measures could be incorporated collaboratively by the NCAA, the major conferences, and the schools themselves. The hard part is getting started. We hope it doesn’t take more litigation to motivate all parties toward some semblance of a solution, but that’s been the only thing sparking change so far. 

Again, maybe only some of these ideas have merit. Maybe none of them. It’s also true that the game has never been more popular, due in part to the “free agency” aspect. We don’t feel that has to go away. We just think there are ways to level the playing field and create conditions that are more equitable and, yes, fair. And though no one important is asking our opinions, we remain ready if that changes. Not out of some sense of heroism or ego, but a desire to see the game continue to flourish. 

Now let’s take a look at the stories developing this week in college and pro football, courtesy Ric Serritella of All Access Football, starting with the topic that’s on our minds.

Tampering 101: When it comes to tampering in college football, there’s a fine line players, coaches and teams walk. One of the more notable allegations of tampering occurred in January when Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney called out Ole Miss headman Pete Golding for tampering with then-California transfer Luke Ferrelli. Despite agreeing to terms with the Tigers, Ferrelli was still entertaining offers from Golding, who even texted him a picture of a $1M contract. Two days later, Ferrelli was back in the portal. "To me, this situation is like having an affair on your honeymoon," Swinney said. For more insight, ESPN surveyed more than a dozen general managers and agents about the current state of tampering in college football amid the Clemson-Ole Miss feud. As noted in the article, the situation could have possibly been avoided by the player’s agent, while others point the finger back at Clemson. "It's Clemson's damn fault for not having the contract done," one agent argued. "If you know all this is going on, what's taking you so long to execute the contract?" Another agent painted the current picture of ‘tampering’ more accurately. "I hate to say it, but the rules are a suggestion at this point," he said, taking the ‘if you ain’t cheating, you ain’t trying’ approach. One reason why tampering has not been thoroughly policed is because everybody’s doing it. "We're doing it ourselves, too," one ACC GM said. "If we're doing it, we're not going to turn other people in for it." One G5 GM allowed that "nobody's clean -- except maybe Dabo." Tampering seems to be as commonplace as ever, but that hasn’t deterred Swinney from his stance. "Right is right, even if nobody does it," he said. "And wrong is wrong even if everybody does it." However, others simply chalk it up to the times. "I don't think anyone's ever going to call a press conference and be like, 'I lost a player because he went to his agent and said he wants more money in the portal, shopped his name around and got three offers,'" another GM said. "That's called recruiting nowadays." In fact, some sound almost numb to it. "In the NFL, if you ever had somebody agree to terms and then go somewhere else two days later, that would be a f---ing problem," one Big Ten GM said. "But it happens a lot in this space." So much so that there doesn’t appear to be an end in sight, as one ACC GM said with resignation. "It's like trying to stop a runaway train, man."

Free agent frenzy: To call the pace of NFL free agency frenetic might be an understatement. After a wild week of signings and trades, FOX Sports attempted to get the lay of the land by surveying NFL executives, agents and scouts from to gauge this year’s winners and losers so far. Opinions vary and some might surprise. Two of the biggest spenders were the Raiders and Jets. Often, overspending in free agency can lead to fool’s gold, but the general feel was that both teams vastly upgraded their overall talent. "I’m not saying either one of them will be good," an assistant general manager told FOX. "But I liked their approach (to free agency). They didn’t do anything stupid." With the Jets adding players such as Minkah Fitzpatrick and Demario Davis, another scout said they "completely rebuilt their defense." On the other hand, the defending champion Seattle Seahawks showed that winning a Super Bowl can be costly after being raided in free agency. Seattle lost Kenneth Walker (Chiefs), Boye Mafe (Bengals), Tariq Woolen (Eagles) and Coby Bryant (Bears), all within the first few days. "It’s the price of winning a championship," an NFL executive said. "Everyone suddenly thinks they’re the best player at their position and everyone thinks they’re worth more than you do." One deal that was scrutinized was the four-year, $100M ($88M guaranteed) contract the Commanders gave to DE Odafe Oweh, who was dealt to the Chargers by the Ravens last year. "There’s a reason Baltimore traded him to the Chargers last season," one agent commented. "Moreover, I’m not sure that his one year of production in Los Angeles [relative to his lack of production in Baltimore] equates to $25 million a year to me." Other winners included the Rams and Steelers. For the full results, check out the column here.

Interview insights: So what’s it like to be a fly on the wall as the Seahawks conduct business at the NFL Combine? Team reporter Ari Horton was allowed to sit in on a day of combine interviews to provide perspective. Seattle Assistant Director of College Scouting Jason Barnes told Horton there’s not a lot of mystery to what scouts and executives seek. "Just how the kid comes across, his personality," Barnes said. "How well he picks up what the coaches are trying to relay to them. If our coach is installing one of our plays, see how his recall is, after the fact. And then just listening to the personality, how confident they are, or if they're not confident. Of course, in some of those settings, you can't really get a true read on the kid all the way. But you can get some indicators." Bottom line, Barnes said team officials want all their players to be “fast, tough, smart and reliable," which requires some guesswork with more players making teams wait for workout numbers. "We want to see the workout, but it's becoming more the norm where guys aren't going to work out,” Barnes admitted. “So, these interviews, with the coaches getting in front of these kids, and us too, because we haven't got our hands on everybody . . . it's very important for us, especially for how we build our team, to get to know the person.” At the end of the day, it’s about more than the triangle numbers. “(Seahawks GM) John (Schneider) really is big on that, getting to know the person,” Barnes said. “So, therefore, it translates.”

Know the scout: Few current or former NFL scouts are more well-known than Mark Gorscak. The winner of the ITL 2022 C.O. Brocato Award, Gorscak spent over three decades as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers organization but might best be known as the ‘start man’ for the 40-yard dash each year at the NFL Combine, a job he has held down for the past 23 years. Few individuals can share the lifetime of experiences that Gorscak has endured throughout his career, which is why the latest edition of the Scout’s Honor Podcast (In memory of Dave Te’ Thomas) is a must listen for anyone who works in football, or aspires to be a scout. Be advised that the interview lasts nearly two-and-a-half hours, but it’s worth every minute. Gorscak reminisces about his early days with the Steelers and how he got his start, but also relays tales from the scouting trails with stories on legends of the game such as Gil Brandt, Al Davis and Bill Parcells. He also dishes on his favorite combine memories, life lessons and so much more. It’s the perfect listen for anyone with a long car drive on tap for the weekend. Enjoy. 

Just around the corner: Lost in the attention given to NFL free agency and the post-Combine buzz is the fact that today marks two weeks until the UFL kicks off the 2026 season with the Birmingham Stallions visiting the Louisville Kings at 8 p.m. EST (FOX). Like any league, success depends in great part on the talent on the field, and Senior VP of Player Personnel Doug Whaley is committed to finding the best players, whatever it takes. With that in mind, he asked us to pass along the following: 

• The league is open to any 2026 draft-eligible players interested in elevating their draft status. Though pro days are at hand, there’s still time for players to work their way onto UFL rosters. There’s even precedent for this as former West Virginia FS Kenny Robinson joined the XFL after getting expelled at WVU, playing in the 2020 season before getting drafted by the Panthers in April of that year. 
• Also, any player interested in becoming part of the UFL player pool should visit the XFL website click on the “Prospective Players” link. There, they’ll find a Google document seeking basic information (including name, position, draft year, agent, contact information and more). From there, the league can get the evaluation process started. 

Check out the full season schedule here.

The beat goes on: Though the portal window is closed for 2026, colleges are still rebuilding (or just building) their front offices. Here’s a look at the activity we noted in personnel circles this week and this year. 

• Chase Lane is the new Director of Scouting at Western Kentucky. He previously spent seven months in recruiting with Georgia Tech’s collective.
• The Ramblin’ Wreck added Jackson Boras as the new Assistant Director of Player Personnel after two years as a Player Personnel Assistant at Clemson.
• After eight months in personnel at Arizona, Tayven Penninger is the Assistant Director of Player Personnel at Ball State. 
• Florida State has added Brandon Centeno as the Seminoles’ new Assistant Director of Scouting after almost four years as a Recruiting and Player Personnel Assistant in Tallahassee.
• Joshua McDade is the new Assistant Director of Player Personnel at Georgia Tech. He comes off a year at Prairie View A&M, where he was Director of Player Personnel and Scouting.

We’re up to 119 moves in our College Scouting Changes Grid and there’s no end in sight. Check it out. By the way, if you’re looking for leads, we had two job postings in the FBS personnel world in Monday’s Rep Rumblings. 

Back to school: While the world focuses on the contracts free agents are signing this time of year, the next generation of negotiators is gearing up for July’s exam. We’re doing our part by holding our second monthly Zoom session with Chicago-based agent Ian Greengross Thursday at 9 p.m. EST. We’ll go about an hour, and here’s what we’ll cover: 

• Eligibility (accrued, credited for benefits, credited for salary) and free agency (Tenders, ROFR, exclusive rights free agency, restricted rights free agency, unrestricted free agency; transition tag, franchise/non-exclusive with terms, franchise/exclusive with terms); determining if a player has accrued a season, earned credit for benefits, earned credit for salary; deadline for payment (if cut on Tuesday, does he get paid?). 
• Split contracts 
• Termination pay

Cost is $50 plus tax (or $25 plus tax if you purchased the Zoom last year and want to sit in again). As always, the video will be provided to all participants afterwards. If you’re getting ready for July, sit in with Ian for some critical instruction. Missed our February Zoom, but wish you hadn’t? Order it here and we’ll have the video link in your inbox before you know it. Also, don’t forget: 

• We have a study guide ($400 plus tax) that you’re gonna really be happy to have 
• Our practice exam (actually, we have two, but start with the first one) is essential, as well
• The Stratic program starts up next month if you need something a bit more rigorous; we can provide details and refer you to the program’s directors if you’re interested

No matter what you need, we’ve got it or we can find a way to provide it. Got questions? Just respond to this email. At your service!

Agent 102: Maybe you already passed the exam and you’re working furiously to get your first clients onto 90-man rosters in April. If that’s the case, this week’s post at Succeed in Football is for you. In it, we make five points about pro days, the workouts that are oh-so-important in determining whether a player makes the (NFL) grade this spring. Lessons include: 

• The critical nature of workout numbers (no matter what some scouts may say)
• Why you shouldn’t expect scouts to drop everything to time and test your client
• What the APT Coalition is (and why it matters)
• The bad news about getting your client a guest appearance at another school’s workout 
• One person you might not trust as much you’d expect during the pre-draft process

If you missed our Zoom Thursday, we’re sorry – we don’t tape them. However, we have detailed notes, and if you’d like a copy, and you’re an ITL client, just let us know and we’ll get it to you ASAP. If you’re not part of the ITL family, but want to be, start here.

Speaking of Thursday’s Zoom: One thing we unpacked was the NFL local pro day slate. Many teams invite local members of the draft class in for one last look before the draft. Usually, the invite includes a full or partial workout as well as lunch and swag. In many cases, it’s mostly an act of community goodwill, but it’s also a way to make your client top of mind when it matters most. Which teams are having workouts? When are they? Find out on our big board. 

Dishing on the deals: Free agency captured the attention of fans across the country this week, and Scouting the League co-hosts Rodrik David and ITL’s Neil Stratton wanted to get in on the action. To do this, they invited former NFL pro scouting executive (Titans, Patriots, Texans) and former North Carolina running back Ronnie McGill to the Scouting the League Podcast. Ronnie had thoughts on preparing for the free agent process; working with Belichick, Caserio and others; and several recent free agent deals. Here are a few highlights.

• On choosing pro scouting (5:24): “In the old days – young guys won’t know this – you used to have to send mail out, so (my sister) helped me stuff a bunch of letters, probably 300, send them to every single GM, Assistant GMs, player personnel, directors of player personnel. She helped me do that. So I told her . . . ‘I want to be a college scout, I want to go scout these college guys.’ I get to the office in Tennessee and I was still kinda on the fence. When I got to New England, that’s when I realized that the college guys are out of the building, and I loved the structure, and I love that you know what your week is gonna look like.”

• On the value of working for people with different philosophies (10:26): “One of the good things about going to a different organization is, you see different people doing different things. So, (former Texans Director of Player Personnel) Matt Bazirgan, I give him absolute credit. He is a guy who, when he was doing the pro department, he wanted to have every player in the league watched. . .  To (Bazirgan’s) point, again, it’s hard to know what the league is if you’re not watching the league. He wanted to get as many guys done as possible per year. It’s a little bit harder but you have to start early. It was two different ways. (Texans GM Nick Caserio’s) way is, let’s hit these guys that are important when we kinda get to these different points, and Baz was, let’s just hammer all of them out.”

• On having the courage of your convictions when it comes to making picks and engineering trades (15:32): “If you want to make a trade, and you think a player is good enough to trade for him, then go out and get the player. Go out and do the trade to get that player. (Rams GM) Les Snead does it all the time. Nick did it when (Alabama OB) Will Anderson came up (in the 2023 draft). . . I personally think a lot of GMs in the league are scared to pull the trigger. There’s not many Will Andersons in the league right now, and we didn’t think there were very many Will Andersons in that draft.”

• On the difficulty of ascertaining character in NFL free agents vs. in the draft process (27:32): “You’re banking on any coach that you have on your staff, being able to get something from a coach on another staff, not knowing if that player is going to go back. So you’re not always sure if the information you’re gonna get is true, but you’re hoping that it is.”

• On Washington’s deal with Odafe Oweh (four years, $100 million, $68 million guaranteed) (44:16): “I’m not chasing pass rushers in the NFL unless it’s (Las Vegas’) Maxx Crosby or one of those guys. (Houston’s) Danielle Hunter. Those guys, I’m going to go and pay a pretty penny for in free agency. The guys that are showing me they are 5-10 sack guys, I try to find one of those guys in the draft for a lot cheaper.”

Ronnie had timely thoughts on the game behind the game when it comes to free agency, as well as some bold takes on which deals were smart and which ones seem risky. Make sure to check out a highly engaging hour, whether on audio (anywhere you get your podcasts) or on video here.

Speaking of money: If you’re part of the NFL personnel community – and especially if you are a national scout or college director – you may have questions about where you fit in the NFL pay structure. If so, make sure to take advantage of ITL’s Neil Stratton discussing salaries during the last 10 minutes of the 2026 Ellison Kibler at Merrill Lynch ITL Combine Seminar on Wednesday of Combine week. In it, he provides the results of his surveys with both groups, compares the numbers to the information gained in 2025, and makes a few other observations about the direction of salaries on the pro level, especially as they compare with salaries in the college personnel community. It starts at the 41:50 mark in the video and continues until the 50:32 mark, when Stratton begins his closing remarks. Each frame in his Power Point presentation is also clearly visible in the video. Make sure to check it out if you’re working about pay scales and dollars earned by today’s evaluation professionals. 

Catching Up: Tyler Claytor, 31, spent six years with the Commanders, two as a Scouting Assistant and four as an Area Scout. We caught up with him this week.

• Where are you living and what are you doing now?: “I live in Charlottesville, Va., as Director of College Scouting for the (Virginia Cavaliers) program.” 

• Do you miss the job? What do you miss most?: “I do. The part I miss the most is, as an area guy, going on the road, seeing the other scouts you’ve been accustomed to being around, the camaraderie among the area guys, that’s what I miss the most. Not going to the Combine this year, I wasn’t too beat up about not having to go, but you get to see everybody and catch up with the guys having come off holiday vacation, things like that.”

• Do you keep in touch with any of your former colleagues?: “Yes, quite a few, actually. Some of them, after I (left) the Commanders, some guys reached out to me, saying ‘good luck,’ ‘if I need anything,’ reaching out to help. It’s a small community, and any time you hear from somebody, especially that aren’t on your team(, it’s special), because you end up knowing a lot of them even though they aren’t on your team. I’ve had quite a few people reach out to me over the last couple of months.” 

• Do you go to any live games (HS/college/pro)?: “No. Because I’m doing more of the college stuff, I’m not going to high school games or going on the road, recruiting.”  

• 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?: “I root for the teams where I have good relationships and the people there. You want to see them win, especially guys I’ve worked with. As a BLESTO scout, I worked with a ton of (National Football Scouting) guys, so there’s a lot of cross-pollination there. I had a favorite team growing up, the St. Louis Rams. I’m from Atlanta, so watching them in the old days of the NFC Central, playing the Falcons twice a year, that’s how I got started in football. The Super Bowl vs. the Titans, that’s the first Super Bowl I ever watched. . . I’ll root for the Rams, or the Falcons, or any team with people I know when I happen to catch a game.” 

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 pro day schedule ramps up in intensity as Northwestern, Oregon, South Carolina and Virginia go off Tuesday; Georgia, Minnesota, Ole Miss, Penn State and Stanford on Wednesday; Cal, Michigan State and Utah on Thursday; and Michigan, Missouri and Vandy on Friday. Of course, there will be plenty more action besides just the running and jumping. Here’s what’s ahead. 

• We’ll continue to track all the moves in college front offices on our College Scouting Changes board as well as the NFL evaluators moving up, down and out in our NFL Scouting Changes grid.
• Our Rep Rumblings will remain the go-to place to learn about what’s going on in the industry, whether college or pro, player representation or player evaluation.
• Next week’s edition of the Scouting the League Podcast will offer a robust discussion on the state of college football with Kansas GM Rob Ianello, who was among the guests at the 2026 Dropback ITL Symposium two weeks ago in Indianapolis. 
• Thursday, Chicago-based Ian Greengross will teach the next generation of NFL agents what they need to learn to pass the toughest exam among the four major sports. Cost is $50 plus tax. 
• We’ll continue to chip away at the NFL Local Pro Day Grid, hoping to add the final three teams that elude us by early next week.
• The Succeed in Football blog is back, as well, providing tips to everyone trying to break into the business. 

Trying to keep up with the constant change in the game isn’t easy, but we’re doing our best. Check us out.