March 16-22

If you follow the game – and we know you do – you’ve read the headlines about Miami OH Henry Parrish Jr.and Iowa (or is it Alabama?) OT Kadyn Proctor. Their pending movement in the April transfer portal window (especially Proctor) has touched off outrage in some quarters of the college football world. 

However, to hear the experts tell it – the experts being the college scouting and recruiting personnel who are running portal protocols for colleges across the nation – you ain’t seen nothing yet. We spoke to 10 personnel directors at schools large and small on the FBS level, all off the record, and they had some interesting observations, to say the least, about the current state of the portal and about expectations for April. 

Here are their 10 main points.

• The momentum is, without question, in the direction of encouraging (if not demanding) that all players at least consider the portal every time it’s open. The prospect of transferring without participating in spring ball means nothing. “Every cycle since the portal has opened, it has grown, and I personally won’t believe in it slowing down until it actually does for a cycle,” said one college staffer. “Further, given the TRO and injunction that has reopened multiple-time transfers, I expect there to be a good amount of kids on that category who enter, as well.”
• Players are embracing the chaos; they seem willing to continue transferring until they find a favorable situation. But so are the teams. “You have a good idea after spring of the top and bottom of your roster and so you can push the bottom out and bring new guys in,” said one personnel director. “You’ve had more time to figure out exactly what your team needs instead of reacting off the cuff based on how your season went.”
• Not only will there be a mountain of players entering the portal, many of them – as we’ve already seen with Proctor and Parrish – will be good players. “There will be 10 times the amount of quality kids in the portal (this window),” said one college personnel director. “The past few years have shown us that there will be some surprises once the window opens up,” said another.
• Coaches are approaching spring ball differently, attempting to manage snaps more equitably in an attempt to head off discontent. “One coach says, ‘we’re all under fire all the time, (so) know your room and players better than anyone,’” offered one portal specialist. “I say to our best players’ position coaches that their best players are being actively recruited off our roster.”
• Today’s player is less likely to accept being second string, even in the case of youth and/or sitting behind a supremely talented starter. “Everyone thinks they’re an NFL player, and if they’re not playing at their school, it’s because they’re being overlooked or screwed over by their coaches,” said one personnel professional.
• Agents are getting more aggressive about enabling tampering. “I had agents at pro day today trying to talk about kids that weren't even in (the portal) yet,” said a personnel professional.
• Meanwhile, schools are beginning to accept that the risk of getting caught tampering is just part of the game. “All these (mid-major) kids are being courted by schools and collectives,” said one member of a G5 staff. “It’s always been going on. You think Josh Wallace from UMass didn’t know he was going to Michigan when he entered the portal on the last day of last year’s spring window?” “Essentially, the injunction allows tampering without many consequences,” said another veteran college staffer. Said a third: “I think, sadly, it’s the window where the most pre-portal tampering will happen for the top level prospects. There’s a longer amount of time, and teams who would be willing to tamper are more likely to be a little more desperate with glaring needs. . . .”
• Schools are making promises they aren’t keeping, spurring even more movement. “We had several kids leave here at midyear who have not received what they were promised (some have received nothing at all), and we are expecting kids like that to re-enter the portal,” contended one team’s director.
• Just like players, schools often prefer “new” over “familiar,” even when talent is comparable. “Some teams will just take guys to take ‘em,” said one frustrated evaluator. “Have to vet and be very careful.”
• Despite warnings about donor fatigue, schools are spending their available dollars on any players that might help. “It’s like having a gift card to a store that’s about to run out, and the store just got cleaned out before a storm,” said one staffer. “You might as well spend that money instead of lose it.”

Get ready for a wild and woolly April, which could mean good or bad things, depending on the size, success and budget of the team you’re working for, rooting for, or negotiating with. We’ll be watching right along with you.

This week in football: Here are a few more things we thought worth noting this week.

• Prescott to Florida: Former NFL scout Chris Prescott is the new Assistant Director of College Personnel at the University of Florida; he’ll help evaluate the team’s personnel and assist with the transfer portal. Prescott has spent time with the Bears, Jets and Jaguars on the NFL level and was most recently part of the Senior Bowl’s evaluation team. He’s the second former NFL scout to join the team’s scouting operation, following former Lions staffer Bird Sherrill. 
• Joe Bushofsky, 1939-2024: NFL scouting veteran Joe Bushofsky, whom we were fortunate enough to interview last year, passed away earlier this month at 85. One evaluator took to Twitter to say his goodbye, while others paid their respects at Thursday’s visitation. Bushofsky evaluated players for the Lions, Dolphins, Panthers and BLESTO, wrapping his career in Charlotte alongside his brother, Jack, who had a lengthy scouting career of his own. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Bushofsky family. At a mass this morning, friends and family said farewell. 
• On the block: Last week, we got some clarity regarding the first pick in the draft as the Bears shipped last year’s starter at quarterback, Justin Fields, to the Steelers. Things got more interesting inside the top five, however, as Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort declared that the team was open to dealing the No. 4 pick in the draft. Depending on what happens, that pick could be one of the top passers on the board, a top receiver, or even the presumed OT1, Notre Dame’s Joe Alt. Things are certainly getting more interesting.  

Catching Up: Jack Mula, 66, spent a decade in the Patriots front office after several years representing players in the 80s and 90s, including Fred Smerlas, Doug Flutie, Jim Haslett and many more players, especially former Bills. We caught up with him this week. 

Where are you living and what are you doing now?: “I’m living in Naples, Fla. I came down during the pandemic, and I also live back in Boston part of the year. I spend most of my time in Naples. I’m still working as an attorney and consultant. But I also spend time back in Boston.” 

• Do you miss the job? What do you miss most?:  “Of course I do. I think anyone who working in the league, if they’re honest, they will tell you that they miss it, and most likely because of the people involved. I was fortunate to have a background working with players and I still stay in contact with a lot of the players, be it (former NFL QB Doug) Fliutie or (former NFL defensive linemen Fred) Smerlas or Sean Jones. Just some great guys, and that’s just on the players side. On the club side, guys like (former NFL executive) Bill Kuharich, wonderful people. (Former NFL executive) Bucko Kilroy with the Patriots, who has since left us, but Bucko was a wonderful person, a really tough son of a gun. He introduced me to a lot of people. (Former NFL executive) Joe Mendes, whom I’ve had the good fortune of working with, too. But I just loved Bucko, and he was a walking encyclopedia. I miss those people, some who are still with us, some have passed on. It’s the relationships that matter. You can’t be a human being with a beating heart without understanding that it’s about the people. Anyone who says he does it by himself is so full of crap. I miss the relationships with the players, too. You’re meeting them at age 21, 22, and some of them have sons in the league. Some have sons in the league that have retired! I still miss all those guys.” 

• Do you keep in touch with any of your former colleagues?: “It’s easy now because we’ve got this device in our hands, everyone has one in your pocket or your hands, and you’re sending out texts. You don’t have to find a pay phone or sit down and dial them. You’re staying in touch with them through a text, through a chat room, through LinkedIn. You can find people because of this device. It just keeps you in touch with people and it’s so easy to do. So all those guys I discussed, I still stay in touch with. I still do consulting with owners and aspiring owners and existing franchises or expansion teams, and that’s extremely valuable to have that communication and the technology that allows you to share documents. When this whole thing started, you had to send stuff by snail mail, and communication and technology are so easy now. Not staying in touch with someone is a sin, even if it’s just a happy birthday or a merry Christmas. I will do that till I take my last breath. It keeps you young.”

• Do you go to any live games (HS/college/pro)?:  “All of them. I still go. I started seeing some high school football down here in Florida, which is really top-notch, but I’ll go back and I live (in Massachusetts) . . . and I will go to Harvard games, sitting in that old stadium. I go to Boston College games a lot, and I’ve taken a trip across the state and gone to Florida and Florida state games. I absolutely love it. But I go to more college games. Pro games, it’s just so wonderful to be able to wake up and watch an entire game of football, so I’m part of the TV viewing audience for pro games, but high school and college I go to in person.”

• Are there any players you love to watch and/or feel close to due to your work in the game?: “Growing up, the hometown team was the New York Giants. The New York Giants were New England’s team. They trained at the Yale Bowl, and (former Giants player) Andy Robustelli was a friend of my mom’s and dad’s. They were the team I grew up rooting for. Then, the New England Patriots I rooted for, and had such a great time there, from ownership to the people keeping the field. Wonderful time. I also like the Raiders brand of football because it was toughness. I like the Packers brand, too, a lot of running and toughness. That’s what the game is. But what’s wonderful about watching the games, it’s human performance. In this day and age, are you watching nature or someone who’s been nurtured? That nature vs nurture debate has been going on for years. For young people, it’s fantasy football and individual stats, but I think people watch for the performances. But if you’ve had decades of experience, it’s the identity of the particular team. The athletes are so much better now, quicker, faster, stronger. Are you watching pure talent or is it the coaching, the nurturing? Is it the innate talent, or the discipline, motivation and coaching? That’s the fascinating part to me: not just who’s gonna win and go to the Super Bowl, but the talent is amazing. Where does it all end? It’s that debate that grew up in scouting and identifying talent, and that’s what’s wonderful. The clubs that are trying to succeed. You have to have that talent, but within the talent, is it innate talent or because of the coaching? It’s both, actually, but that’s what’s wonderful about watching and rooting. Why is that kid, who’s a fifth-round pick, who runs a 4.7 (40), why is he Rookie of the Year when he wasn’t drafted till the fifth round, or sixth round in (former NFL QB Tom) Brady’s case or (Rams WO) Puka Nakua’s case? Where did he come from? Why is he there? How did he get there? A lot of young viewers get into that now because of the info available. The scouting part is growing and it's fascinating. But it still boils down to that debate, nature vs. nurture, which is as fascinating as the final score.”

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.

Scouting the League: Want to listen to a great podcast that offers insight on the profession of scouting, an insider’s perspective on the business, and a few great stories. Check out the Scouting the League podcast most any week, but especially this one, as former Steelers evaluator Mark Gorscak joined pod co-hosts Rodrik David and Neil Stratton. “Gors,” as he’s affectionately known by scouts, coaches and players across the country, discussed how he became the 40s starter at the NFL Combine; the future Hall of Fame QB who took his snaps in high school; the former Pittsburgh player who used the owner’s couch for pre-practice naps; the Steelers’ philosophy on the draft; and plenty more insights and takes on scouting. It’s an hour that feels like five minutes despite no hot takes and no cheap shots. You can check out the former C.O. Brocato Award winner’s thoughts here.

Thursdays with Ian: This week, we had our second Pre-Agent Exam Zoom Session with Chicago-based Ian Greengross. This week’s topics were: 

• 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 
• Veteran salary benefit

It was a busy hour covering some key concepts of the CBA. Didn’t make it? No problem. You can still pick up the video ($35 plus tax) by clicking here. Our next session is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, 3/18, at 9:30 p.m. ET.

Next week: One more busy week of pro days, then it’s the quiet month before the storm. We’re also just one week away from live football as the UFL kicks off a week from Saturday. What’s more, there are about three weeks until the April portal window officially opens. In other words, March madness applies to more than just basketball. We’re doing our best to keep up. Here’s what’s on deck.

• This week, we used our Succeed in Football post to shine a little light on how Day 3 draft prospects get pushed into undrafted free agency. A hint: there aren’t nearly as many draft-worthy players as many believe. Next week, we’ll use our weekly blog to shine light on another area of the industry. 
• With the spring portal window just around the corner, the guest for next week’s Scouting the League podcast will be an expert with insights on the transfer process that few can offer. More details are ahead next week. In the meantime, make sure you catch up on our previous pods here.
• It was an unusual week as we published five Rep Rumblings reports. Next week? We won’t likely have five again, but who knows? There’s plenty happening. Make sure to review all our signature reports going back more than a decade here.
• We won’t have a Zoom session for aspiring agents this week, but the videos for our February session, as well as our March session, are available for $35 plus tax each. Make sure to check them out, especially if you’re a visual learner. Need in on our popular study guide? Click here and we’ll get it to you ASAP.
• We’ll have our Agents by Total Clients feature for March next week; be aware that our March report is always a wildcard with hundreds of players not “officially” in the league during free agency. Things will begin to get back to normal next month. 
• We’ll also have our Agent Changes for the February-to-March period.
• The NFL local pro days grid is completed. Check it out here. 
• The Scouting Changes Grid continues to grow. It’s here. 

Even though it’s the offseason, there’s so much going on in the college and pro football worlds. We’re doing all we can to track it. Come see what we have.