ITL Friday Wrap

Feb. 28-March 6


The list of the 50 people invited to President Trump’s roundtable on college sports has been released. Apparently, ours was lost in the mail (stupid postal workers). No big deal, really. We’ve been busy decompressing from last week. 

 

That doesn’t mean we don’t have thoughts. Obviously, players are still being paid for their name, image and likeness, not their performance on the field (wink wink), so their money is not collectively bargained and there are a lot of obvious problems that can’t be solved in the current structure of things. However, there are a few that we think could after discussing things with our two panels and 400-odd guests a week ago at the Indiana Convention Center. 

 

If we get invited to the next roundtable (fingers crossed), here are a few problems that, with a little help, could reasonably be addressed.

 

NIL Agent Directory with client lists: We’re often critical of the NFL Players Association, but it still serves a lot of functions. One of them is keeping complete and up-to-date rosters of players and their agent(s). With our panelists at last week’s symposium estimating that up to 90 percent of their rosters have representation (yes, high schoolers, too, and sometimes even walk-ons), someone has to do this. At present, college GMs are left waiting for the agents to make the first move (or even asking members of college football media). If the NCAA is serious about stopping tampering, its first move should be to track and publish (somewhere) a full list of players represented by agents. Granted, a lot of players’ ‘agents’ are actually family members, coaches or family friends, but the NCAA could start with NFLPA-licensed contract advisors and go from there. But agents couldn’t be compelled to give up their clients lists, you say? That’s correct. But anything is better than nothing, and with attitudes toward the NCAA not so positive right now, it would be a tremendous act of goodwill. It would also help to see which NIL firms are most active. We got estimates of anywhere from 30 to 90 firms that GMs saw as reputable and having a significant book of business. Let’s get it all out in the open and really see who’s doing what.


CSC transparency: The College Sports Commission and its NIL Go clearinghouse operate with a heaping helping of mystery. Maybe that’s by design – nobody likes accountability. At any rate, last week, GMs and college executives seemed to continue their hopes that the CSC could provide some semblance of sanity to the college landscape (even in the face of a “clerical error” that made it look like the body was making a lot more progress than it has). However, clearly, their patience was wearing thin. The overwhelming complaint last week concerned basic feedback. How long would it take for a matter to be settled? What kinds of issues were they seeing most often (and how could they be avoided)? Who are the right people to contact when there’s a question? Opening up the lines of communication would do wonders to restore faith in the CSC in college personnel offices. A strict deadline for settling disputed NIL matters (30 days? 60 days?) would also be quite handy. A phone bank of experts who could handle pointed questions would also be helpful.


High school restrictions (or at least education): This is probably pie-in-the-sky dreaming that would most assuredly be challenged in the courts, but here goes: what if the four conferences would find a way to eitheragree to cap NIL payments for high school recruits (highly unlikely, probably not legal) or provide some form of detailed education in the form of education that might more clearly set expectations (more likely but still not binding)? We feel that would be a giant leap in the right direction. College GMs don’t like being forced to overpay for an unknown commodity, but if they could at least expect prep athletes to have some understanding of the marketplace, best practices for NIL agents and general financial guidelines, that would be beneficial. 

 

A moratorium on scholarship changes after the end of the year: Yes, the hard truth is that scholarships are not forever. However, we think it’s reasonable to allow a player to have some idea of where he’ll be playing the following spring by New Year’s Eve. We’re fuzzy on the date here, and there are probably issues we’re not thinking of, but we feel a school should have most of its deep roster thinking done by portal time. 

 

These are our modest proposals. We’re not looking to solve all the problems, but incremental progress would be better than no progress at all. We’re just shooting to make people “sort of happy.”

 

Coming off a busy week in Indianapolis, we were thinking about more than just how to improve the portal. We also considered a few changes aimed at improving our events, as well. We outlined our thinking in this week’s post at Succeed in Football. 

 

Wished you could have made it to the Ellison Kibler at Merrill Lynch ITL Combine Seminar (Wednesday) or the Dropback ITL Symposium (Friday)? We got you. Here are our “sizzle videos” for Wednesday and Friday. Got a little more time? Watch the entire presentation from Wednesday here. As you recall, we don’t film our symposium to ensure more candor and transparency. We hope you understand. 

 

Now let’s take a look around the league with Ric Serritella of All Access Football.

 

Inside the scouting report: ITL’s scouting awards are designed to highlight the individuals who work hard behind the scenes and don’t necessarily receive the credit they deserve. This week, ‘The Athletic’ penned an article provding an inside look at just how scouting reports are assembled. Writers surveyed four NFL scouts to gain perspective on what their process details, including various traits they seek out when assessing certain positions, the advancement of technology and how it has helped ease some of the job responsibilities, especially when tracking down film. The Athletic also provided a look at how NFS and BLESTO help shape the responsibilities for the season ahead. “They don’t get enough credit,” one senior AFC scout said of area scouts, adding, “they do the majority of the work on player background (for most organizations) … they are the true soldiers of an organization.” It’s true. As the article points out, the scouting report is a living document, compiled over months or even years. It all takes place against a backdrop of analytics data that made sorting and finding data much easier. “The backbone is the internal database — player profiles, grade entry, report archiving, alerts. Everything lives there,” another senior NFC scout said. “Analytics and player tracking tools run alongside traditional scouting evaluations, with formal processes to compare the two and identify where they diverge. Video integration provides context to what you’re seeing on film and in character reports, and predictive modeling gets worked directly into the process by the analytics team.” Thought emojis were strictly for your text messages amongst friends? Think again. One scout discussed the different tags, or emojis they use to describe certain characteristics of players. For example: 

 

  • Bounce dryer sheets = Player lacks bulk
  • A raw steak = A player lacking polish
  • An orange juice carton means a player has juice
  • A pacifier = Player is immature
  • A T. Rex means the player has short arms
  • Eddie Haskell = Team feels player is not being honest
  • Stick figure = Player weight is below a certain threshold. 

 

Obviously communication is one of the most important elements of being an efficient scout. “I do think it’s an art to turn everything you scouted on the player into a snapshot for the GM,” the AFC area scout said. “It also reveals how effective a communicator the scout is.” Whether you are a seasoned scout or a beginner, the article is worth a read. 

 

Earning his stripes: The Clemson Tigers made a big addition to their coaching staff this week with the announcement of Rich Bisaccia as special teams coordinator. The 65-year old Bisaccia recently stepped down from his role with the Packers, where he served as special teams coordinator and assistant head coach. Previously, he held the Raiders interim head coach position in 2021, finishing out 7-6 overall. However, Clemson takes Bisaccia back to familiar grounds as he was a member of the Tigers’ staff in 1994-98 as running backs and special teams coach. "I am really excited to have the opportunity to work with the young men in the Clemson Football program and be part of a tremendous staff," Bisaccia said in a statement released by the university. "After I made the decision to move in a new direction, Coach [Dabo]Swinney approached me with the opportunity to come back to a place that holds special meaning for me and my family. I'm thrilled to be able to return to the Clemson community and serve this program in any way I can." Bisaccia brings an accomplished resume, with stints as a special teams coordinator with the Buccaneers (2002-10), Chargers (2011-12), Cowboys (2013-17) and Raiders (2018-21), along with collegiate experience as an assistant coach at Wayne State (1983-87), South Carolina (1985-93) and Mississippi (1999-2001) as well as Clemson.

 

From Heisman pose to off-field roses: Any entrepreneur knows that funding a startup can be difficult business, especially when it comes to startup sports leagues. Former Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush, along with former NFL player Terrence Murphy, are here to help. The duo have announced the launch of a new private-equity firm called Synergy Sports Capital, which will focus on controlling stakes in emerging startup leagues and plans to raise $150M towards the duo’s efforts. Currently the firm is working with USL Championship soccer club Atlético Dallas (founded in 2024) but they have their eyes set on the mid-level market leagues such as Unrivaled, National Women’s Soccer League, Major League of Pickleball and TGL Golf. In fact, golf specifically has become a major interest for Bush, whose United Athletes Tour is also expected to fall under the Synergy Sports Capital umbrella. “Once I retired, golf became that safe place for me,” Bush told FOS. “I started to see that there’s a massive community of athletes that love golf. But at the same time, there’s no tour where these guys can actually go compete, earn sponsorships, and prize purses.” What about football you ask? Well, the firm also plans to extend their services into buying minority stakes in NFL and NBA teams. “We will be leaders in the lower-middle market space of PE in sports,” Murphy tells FOS. “It’s gonna happen. It’s destined for Reggie and I to lead that pack.”


Remembering Dr. Lou. The football community lost an icon this week as Lou Holtz passed away at the age of 89, the family announced on Wednesday. Best known for guiding the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to a national championship in 1988, Holtz compiled a 249-132-7 record during a coaching career than spanned coaching posts at William & Mary, NC State, Arkansas, Minnesota, Notre Dame and South Carolina. He also coached the New York Jets during the 1976 season, finishing 3-10. A man of faith, Holtz will be best remembered for restoring the glory days at Notre Dame (they have yet to win a title since). "I remember at school that we would pray every Friday before a game for Notre Dame's success,” he was once quoted. “So it's just part of our religion. It's a part of the way we are, and the football team should reflect the values of Notre Dame. That means we had to play with great enthusiasm, we had to play together. We had to play with great character, great integrity, but we also should be playing for Our Lady on the Dome." We may never see another person with the combination of wit and humor Holtz possessed. He later went on to work at ESPN for nearly a decade, earning the moniker ‘Dr. Lou.’ Tributes from legends of the game poured out after news of his passing broke. "Lou Holtz was the rare blend of fierce competitor and master storyteller," Class of 2026 Pro Football Hall inductee Tom Coughlin said in a statement. "His wit was razor-sharp, his timing impeccable -- he could set you up for a punchline better than anyone. But beyond the humor was a man of deep conviction and character who supported his peers and led with integrity. The game is stronger because he was part of it, and all of us who knew him are better for it." Holtz was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008 and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Donald Trump in 2020. In his book, "Wins, Losses, and Lessons," Holtz once wrote, "When I die and people realize that I will not be resurrected in three days, they will forget me. That is the way it should be." Let’s hope that’s not the case, coach. Our condolences go out to the Holtz Family and his four children Luanne, Skip, Kevin and Elizabeth.

 

Zoom boom: This week, we posted the NFL Combine participants based on 40 time and Relative Athletic Score (RAS). Our focus was on spotlighting the training services that got the top performers ready for Indianapolis. We were excited (but not surprised) that our training partners were behind several top-10 performances in both categories. X3 Performance and Physical Therapy turned in the only perfect 10 in Arkansas OH Mike Washington Jr. plus a 9.99 score in Cincinnati WO Jeff Caldwell. Also, XPE Sports (Stephen F. Austin DC Charles Demmings with a 9.97) and EXOS’ Arizona facility (Clemson DT Demonte Capehart, also with a 9.97) had standout performances, while Excel Academy had three in the top 10 (Arkansas QB Taylen Green, Georgia OT Monroe Freeling and North Dakota QB Cole Payton). Turning to official 40 times, the news was also good as EXOS Arizona had three top-10 finishes (Mississippi St. WO Brenen Thompson who led everyone with a 4.26, along with Oklahoma WO Deion Burks at 4.3 and Arizona DC Treydan Stukes at 4.33). Also, Cincinnati’s Caldwell was fifth at 4.31 and Arkansas’ Washington was ninth with a 4.33 (both at X3 Performance) and Missouri DC Toriano Pride at 4.32 (XPE Sports). Make sure to check out all the totals to find out which facilities topped all others on the track in our 40 and RAS lists.

 

Closing the gap: Our rundown of RAS and 40 times with training facilities was only possible after some real hustle figuring out the agencies, training facilities and pro days for all 319 invitees to Indy in our Combine Grid. We didn’t have it all gathered pre-combine – in actuality, there are still two players whose training locations we haven’t identified – but better late than never, right? If you have any questions about the agencies, training facilities, pro days or all-star games for any of the workout warriors, click here.

 

Ready, set, go: This week, we rolled out the pro day dates for 178 schools in our big board. As we always do, we listed the previous pro days for every school listed going back to 2015. We’ve also separated out the Pro Day and Rising Senior workouts for each school. As always, workouts are heavily tilted toward the end of the month; just 46 of the 178 are scheduled before March 15, and 78 (including Alabama, Auburn, Florida, LSU, Miami, Notre Dame, Ohio State, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and Virginia Tech) are slated for the last full week of March. Still hoping to find a pro day with more eyeballs for your client? Start here.


Getting down to business: With the Combine behind us, our focus turns to exam prep and getting the next class of NFL agents ready for the toughest certification process of the four majors. One question we get consistently is, what is the ITL program? Well, we don’t really have one. Instead, we have a series of products and services that allows people to buy what they need, when they need, instead of paying one big cost regardless of need. Here’s a quick overview of what we offer.


  • Our study guide ($400 plus tax) is a 70-page PDF. Pricey? Maybe, but worth double that. If you get one thing from us in prep for the exam, make it that. We try to have it delivered to your inbox within an hour of purchase. We get a lot of people who say they wouldn’t have passed without it.
  • We have two 50-question practice exams with questions that are very similar to the ones you’ll see in July. They are $200 and $100 plus tax, and must be bought in sequence (we try to save you some $$ if you need extra work; register for Exam 1 here). Once you purchase them, you can take and re-take them. We are working on upgrading this into one program that gives you a different exam every time you log in. More information to come.
  • We have monthly sessions with Chicago-based agent Ian Greengross covering the content for the exam. Each session is $50 plus tax and you get the video afterwards. These will continue through July. Our first session was in February (purchase it here). Our next session will be Thursday, March 19, at 9pm EST.
  • We also have an exam review the weekend before the exam. It’s a little more costly ($65 plus tax) but we will go over questions from previous exams. 
  • We also work with a company that has a more rigorous (and a bit more expensive, but worth it) program that is a bit more clearly defined. They offer a Slack channel, weekly quizzes and Zooms, etc., for a slightly higher cost. The program is run by two active NFL agents who are incredible, accessible and knowledgeable, and it starts in late April. We’re happy to provide more details on that if you’re interested. Just respond to this email.


We’ve gone a little light on our program so far, but the intensity is building, and will continue to as we roll toward July. If you’re sitting for the exam, don’t take it lightly. Strongly consider our services. We’re the cheapest, we’ve been around longest, and our team is clearly the best. Reach out if you have more questions.

 

Rising and falling: This week, with ITL’s Neil Stratton unavailable, Rodrik David took over the microphone by himself while welcoming ESPN’s Jordan Reid for a rambling discussion on the 2026 draft class post-Combine. Here are a few highlights.

 

  • On Arkansas OH Mike Washington Jr. (9:43): “I didn’t expect him to run 4.33 at 223 pound. I thought he looked plenty fast on tape – I thought he was, like, a mid-4.4 player – but low 4.3s, I was not expecting that at all. . . There’s a clear No. 1 at the position, but after that, it’s a huge cluster or a mixture of a lot of guys in a similar bucket . . . (Washington) going out there and testing as well as he did, that really helps him stand out.”
  • On his opinion on Arkansas QB Taylen Green after the Hogs passer lit up the Combine (13:22): “I like to call those mid-to-late-round quarterbacks lottery tickets. You’re hoping you can eventually cash in on one of those. This is the type of lottery ticket that you take in the mid-to-late rounds. I had a late fourth/early fifth grade on him coming into the Combine, but I think somebody could take him early Day 3. . . He has much more arm power than (Miami’s) Carson Beck or (LSU’s) Garrett Nussmeier. He has better size than all those players, as well.”
  • On whether the lack of arm length for Miami DE Rueben Bain is overblown (20:10): “Everybody already knew that his arms were short. . . . I don’t understand. Historically, he has some of the shortest arms ever, but everybody knew coming into the process how short his arms were going to be. Now that we have an exact measurement, everybody’s freaking out about it, but despite that, we all saw what he was able to do.” 
  • On an impressive effort Reid saw up close last week (23:34): “I like to sit behind the vertical jump, because the vertical jump really tells you who some of these explosive athletes are, and the broad jump right beside it, as well. . . So, when (Ohio State IB) Sonny Styles jumped, my head just kept going up, just because, like, he kept going further and further up. I was sitting beside one of my buddies, and he said, ‘man, he might have just jumped 40-plus.’ And the guy entering the stats said ’43-and-a-half.’ I couldn’t believe it, man.”
  • On teams to watch for Oregon TE Kenyon Sadiq (28:19): “I think his market really starts, I would say, 9 to the Chiefs, just because they need an explosive weapon. Depending on what happens to (Chiefs TE) Travis Kelce, they still need somebody behind him for the long-term future. . .  One spot I think is really intriguing for him, I keep saying the Rams . . . I really like his fit there. Nineteen to Carolina makes a lot of sense to me, as well.”
  • On projecting the number of offensive linemen on Day 1 and how that may be determined (33:51): “I think we’re gonna get a ton in the first round, though, especially with it being such a top-heavy group right now. I think we’ll get as many as six or seven in the first round, honestly . . .  It’s the whole ceiling debate with this entire offensive line class, honestly. Who do you feel has the highest ceiling?” 

 

Everyone loves to talk draft, and with the big day less than two months away, the time is now. Check out Jordan and Rodrik wherever you get your audio podcasts, or to watch, click here.

 

Making a list: So we got a little behind, in a number of areas, last week. One of our biggest backlogs was in the area of college scouting and personnel moves. Let’s get caught up. Here’s a rundown of the moves we’ve seen in FBS personnel departments which may be far from comprehensive, but better than nothing. Some of these are newer than others, but even if it’s been a few weeks, we want to cover as many moves as possible.

 

 

We’re well past 100 moves (and counting) in our College Scouting Changes grid.

 

On the NFL side: There have been several moves on the NFL side worth noting, as well. They include the following: 



We’ve updated the NFL Scouting Changes board as well.

 

Still giving: Back in mid-September, shortly after his passing, we memorialized former CFL executive Ted Goveia in this space. If you were at our seminar last week, Sports Management Worldwide (SMWW) decided to further honor him by awarding a scholarship in SMWW’s new analytics course in his name. Hailee Smithwas the first winner of the scholarship. It’s sadly ironic that just 10 years after Ted spoke at our 2016 seminar, he was still contributing, but in a different way. We asked one of Ted’s closest friends -- podcast host, Steelers beat writer and former Tiger-Cats scout Bo Marchionte -- to give us a few of his memories of Ted.

 

“Ted Goveia was a football man. He loved the game that traditionally plays second fiddle to his nation's sport in Canada, hockey. I knew Ted when he was with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League. Our relationship grew through prospects awaiting an opportunity to play under the flag of the red maple leaf rather than the stars and stripes.

 

“As his career grew, our relationship continued on the same trajectory. I remember being in a Cleveland hotel the night he got the news that he could be heading to Winnipeg to become Assistant General Manager and Director of Player Personnel. He told me, ‘If we turn this around, a GM job will follow.’ His foresight came to fruition. After a Grey Cup championship in Toronto, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers would enjoy success with the help of Goveia, winning two Grey Cups. That success springboarded him into the General Manager’s job in Hamilton, just a 10-minute drive from Burlington, Ontario, his hometown.

 

“Sadly, he was only a few months into his new journey with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats before facing the horrific news that not years, but months, were left for this beautiful soul who enjoyed every facet of life as much as breaking down tape. He was passionate about sailing, but also loved music so much that during halftime of the 110th Grey Cup on Nov. 19, 2023, we popped into the locker room for a quick second before he told me he wanted to catch Green Day performing during intermission. He loved sound and melody that much. 

 

“We shared dinners at each other’s homes, and while the game of football connected us, life in general was what truly brought us close. On the morning of Sept. 12, 2025, I received a phone call while sitting in a coffee shop with my son. We were leaving Toronto to make the 45-minute trip to Burlington, the purpose of which was saying goodbye to a dear friend and a friend to so many. Sadly, those words were never shared that morning. But the heartfelt impression will last with me and surely to all those who were lucky enough to know him.”

 

To apply for the scholarship, submit two paragraphs explaining why football analytics matter to you and how you hope to carry forward Ted’s spirit of mentorship, humility and love for the game. Also, include full name, email address and phone number in your email to info@smww.com. Deadline for applications is Jan. 31, 2027. For more information, visit the SMWW website.

 

Catching Up: Zimuzo Nwaigwe, 32, spent a year-plus in the Broncos scouting department after a summer with the Commanders; he also spent three years with the Arena League’s Washington Valor. We caught up with him this week.


  • Where are you living and what are you doing now?: “I’m back in Maryland now. I spent a few months in Nigeria (earlier this year) for some family stuff, but I’m back in Maryland now. On the football side, I do some evaluations for small colleges, some advising for agents, I’m a scout researcher with Telemetry Sports, and my family also owns a medical business.” 


  • Do you miss the job? What do you miss most?: “Oh yeah, of course. I miss the team aspect of it, of scouting, collaborating with scouts and coaches, getting through the draft process, free agency, training camp, and the season, with the common goal of winning a championship. At that level, ball really is life. So, of course, I miss that.”


  • Do you keep in touch with any of your former colleagues?: “Oh yeah. I talk to my mentors weekly and others in the business frequently. And everyone else, I try to see them yearly at the combine, see how their families are doing. You make a lot of connections and they last a long time. I frequently talk to everybody.”


  • Do you go to any live games (HS/college/pro)?: “I try to make it out when I have time. I love live games, and I know some high school coaches, so I try to make it out and support them. I also attend a few UFL games, just for the love of the game, to see how (the players) develop, and to do my reports on those guys, as well.”


  • 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 gotta root for the teams I spent time with, and the people I spent time with. I know how much work and the efforts they put in, the grind. I could never root against them. I gotta root for those guys.”


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: Free agency starts in just a few days, which always makes for plenty of action. We’ll be watching just like everyone else, but there’s a lot to work on, as well. Here’s a look at what’s ahead.

 

 

We’re 48 days away from the draft and the excitement is growing. Stay with us as we get ready. 

2025 Draft by Pick

Scouting Changes Grid

ITL Study Guide

ITL Practice Exam 1

ITL Practice Exam 2

Rep Rumblings

Friday Wrap

Succeed in Football
 
 
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