Introducing Our New NFL Agent Exam Prep Application

29 Friday May 2026

Posted by in Agent Exam, Agents, Getting started

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We are now 51 days from the 2026 NFL Agent Exam. Typically, people really start to focus on the test after Memorial Day, when, apparently, things become real. We’re really excited about our coming upgrade to the Inside the League exam prep offering, our new exam application, which will give users an unlimited number of 60-question practice exams. We think it’s the missing link to the exam prep universe, and immeasurably improves our two current practice exam offerings.

We’re rolling it out on Tuesday, when it goes live. In the meantime, you probably have questions. Here’s our attempt to clear up any of them before launch.

So how does it work?: Once you register and pay ($250 plus tax), you can create an unlimited number of practice exams. Each one will have 60 questions that come from our “well” of 200 questions. You might get the same question if you create enough practice exams, but the order will change every time and, for the most part, it will be different questions each time. You can create an exam, then come back to it if you run out of time. Or, if you’re just not feeling that one, you can create a completely new one.

Will there be an answer key?: Of course, and we’ll be able to tell you how many you missed, as our current practice exams do. However, unlike our current practice exams, when you answer a question, you’ll find out immediately if you got it right or wrong. There will also be an answer explanation for each one of course. We’re toying with including video explanations of how to work the problems, as well, but that would be down the line.

What if I read the answer explanation and still don’t understand?: We’re hoping our explanations will be complete and thorough, and will not require any extra explanation. Right now, we don’t have a mechanism for providing extra instruction beyond what’s on the exam application. At some point, we will probably provide links to our videos that further explain the topic relevant to the question, but you will have to have purchased that video to gain access ($50 plus tax for each of our six monthly sessions).

Is there any way to gauge how quickly I’m completing a practice exam?: Yes. We’ve added a clock to each one. As long as you are actively using the exam — you’ve logged into your account and the page is engaged — the clock will run. When you move to another page, it will stop. That way, we hope you’ll get a good sense of how quickly you’re moving through the content. The most common reason for failing the exam is running out of time.

How long is my registration good for?: A year. If you get bad news in July, you’ll have the remaining 12 months after purchase to practice up before the next one rolls around. The end date will be readily available, so it won’t sneak up on you.

The actual exam is made up of questions from five topics. Will the exam application follow these ratios as well?: Yes. Questions will come from the NFLPA memo setting forth the ratio of questions in each of five categories. The categories are CBA (39), Salary information resources (2), NFL Policies and Procedures (9), NFLPA Regulations Concerning Contract Advisors (8) and NFLPA Players Inc. (2). Sixty questions total.

Will the two current practice exams remain available?: Eventually, no. They’ll both be taken down. The exam application will be all we maintain.

Will more questions be added later?: Maybe. We envision having as many as 300 questions in the well at some point. However, for the current exam cycle, we’ll probably stay at 200.

People who subscribe to ITL get a discount on the current practice exams. Will ITL subscribers also get a discount on the exam application?: We’re still figuring that out. Probably, later. For now, we’re going to have test-takers pay the introductory price ($250 plus tax) and that’s all.

If you’re taking the exam, we hope this new application helps you ready yourself for next month in a fair, cost-effective way. Still have questions? DM us at @insidetheleague on Twitter. We’re here to help.

Some Fun Facts About This Week’s Podcast Guest, Alonzo Highsmith

22 Friday May 2026

Posted by in College personnel, NFL draft, Scouts

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I guess when you’re around football as long as Alonzo Highsmith has, you wind up being associated with an awful lot of big names. That’s one thing that really struck me during this week’s episode of the Scouting the League podcast, which features the Senior Personnel Executive of the Patriots.

This week’s show was a lot of fun not just because I got to talk football with one of the top scouting minds in the game for an hour, but for all the interesting facets of Zo’s life that I learned during the pre-interview research phase as well as during the podcast itself. Here are a few things that I found especially interesting.

  • Alonzo was the No. 1 prospect in his class at his high school position — linebacker. Not fullback, where he was eventually a first-round pick by the Houston Oilers in the 1987 draft. He said he cried when head coach Howard Schnellenberger asked him to switch positions, but a desire to help the team drove him to make the change.
  • None other than Florida linebacker Wilber Marshall, who went on to stardom with the Bears, basically knocked Zo out of the 1983 season. He barely got healthy in time to return late in the season and even score a touchdown in the Orange Bowl win over Nebraska.
  • Zo was basically drafted by the Oilers to be the successor to Earl Campbell, who had been traded prior to the 1985 season.
  • His head coach in Houston was Jerry Glanville, which is funny because, ideally, Zo would have given Houston a power rushing attack. When I think of Glanville, I think of the guy who brought the Run and Shoot offense to the NFL as head coach of the Falcons.
  • After his playing career, during his four years as a heavyweight boxer, Zo actually signed to fight George Foreman. However, the fight was cancelled because promoters didn’t want to risk Foreman losing before he could fight Larry Holmes, who was scheduled to be his next opponent after Zo.
  • Zo and his son, AJ, actually room together in Foxboro. Presumably, that will change soon, as AJ, the Patriots’ pro director, is getting married next month.
  • Until we talked, I never thought about how so many super-talented people who came out of Green Bay’s front office have almost no ego. It starts with Executive VP of Player Personnel Eliot Wolf; I could give you a half-dozen examples of Eliot going out of his way to make me, a nobody who has never worked in the league, feel important. However, it’s also true of Seahawks GM John Schneider and Dolphins GM Jon-Eric Sullivan in addition to Zo. Each of them have every reason to think they are hot stuff, but they are all just regular guys.
  • Maybe one reason Zo has had so much success helping draft QBs (Aaron Rodgers, Baker Mayfield and Drake Maye have all been selected on his watch) is because of the QBs he’s played with. His QBs at Miami (Fla.) were Bernie Kosar and Vinny Testaverde. His QB in Houston? Warren Moon. In Dallas? Troy Aikman. Even Steve Deberg, who shared the QB position with Testaverde during Alonzo’s time with the Bucs, was not half-bad. Wow.

So there you go. Eight fun facts about Alonzo Highsmith that are part of this week’s podcast and I haven’t spoiled one bit of Zo’s thoughts and philosphy on scouting and player evaluation, which he discusses at length. If you haven’t listen in yet, do yourself a favor and check it out.

Why No Transition in NFL Scouting So Far?

15 Friday May 2026

Posted by in College personnel, Getting started, NFL draft, Scouts

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The question I’m getting non-stop right now is, ‘why has it been so slow?’

The “it” in this case is the normal transition that takes place on NFL scouting staffs this time of year. The young people trying to break into the league, as well as unemployed scouts trying to get back in, are constantly lamenting the lack of openings. Here’s why they say things are running behind.

  • It’s highly anecdotal, I know, but by this time last year, we had tweeted 42 times on scouting moves. This year, 30 tweets.
  • So far, there have been only five newly hired/promoted Area Scouts. Last year, there were 36, though that number reflects the entire offseason. There’s still time, but we’re way off pace.
  • On the pro side, we saw 13 scouts earn designation as an in-house evaluator. So far this season? Five.
  • Last year, there were 11 new National Scouts. This year? Two.

Rookie mini-camps (for the teams that still have them) are over across the league (one reason why I had expected this to be a busy week for scouting changes). Most staffs have been sent home. That means, for a team to even let an evaluator go, it will have to be over the phone (to say nothing of giving them a head start on job-seeking).

As someone who’s a big advocate for scouts and someone who hates to see people lose their jobs, I hope there aren’t any more job losses all summer. Still, it’s inevitable that there’s some level of transition. So why has there been so little change so far? I’m not sure, but here are my theories.

  • Many of the people who’d normally be seeking a job in the NFL are now making decent money on the college side, leaving fewer hotshot prospects ready to move up. For this reason, front offices are going status quo.
  • Teams are focused on getting their respective analytics staffs right first. There has been a decent amount of movement on the numbers side. Maybe teams are just being methodical.
  • The two teams that went to the Super Bowl have leadership off the Packers tree (John Schneider in Seattle, Eliot Wolf in New England). Green Bay is old-school, leaning much more on their Area and National Scouts than is popular in most front offices these days. Maybe teams want to emulate their success.
  • Dozens of Scouting Assistants are completing their second years, respectively, with NFL teams, as we’ve noted previously. Maybe changes are coming, but teams want to make sure they know which Scouting Assistants are deserving of promotions and, more importantly, they’re still devising a plan for replacing those Scouting Assistants.
  • It’s still early. We’ll see changes. They just haven’t hit yet.

It could all change at any moment, but so far, it’s looking like this offseason could be an anomaly. We discuss this and other facets of scouting and job-hunting in our weekly newsletter, the Friday Wrap. If you aren’t already registered for it, do that here.

2026 G5 GM Zoom Series: A Few Thoughts

08 Friday May 2026

Posted by in College personnel, NIL, Transfer portal

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I felt really good about our symposium at the NFL Combine in February, and I wanted to keep the momentum going. A couple of our panelists then discussed a chat loop set up among GMs in the conference, so I thought I’d give personnel staffers on a lower level a similar platform. That’s how the 2026 G5 GM Zoom series started.

Tonight was our second session. Here’s a brief overview of how the first two sessions have gone.

Tuesday: We had about 17 GMs discussing the art of having hard conversations, or, more specifically, saying no. In this business, simply disagreeing on something can mean the end of a relationship. The topic led to a pretty robust discussion. One GM said he and his staff develop a detailed scouting report — not just on-field, but also detailing tardiness, failed wiz quizzes, poor effort in the weight room — that they can cite if a player comes in saying he’s not getting what he’s worth. I was also a little surprised by the responses to some of the questions. I asked if any of them would have an interest in fundraising or other outside-the-office duties, and to my surprise, some said they’d look forward to such an opportunity. I think there’s a desire to really be authentic with potential donors. I can’t think of a better way than that.

Tonight: The topic was building and maintaining a volunteer staff, a tough job when you’re asking people to put in long hours for no pay. One GM is highly skilled at finding work-study opportunities for his staffers, which is one way to at least show some appreciation for the hours put in. Some schools are having success asking volunteers to work full-time (something we’ve discussed in this space before), but these are very special circumstances. One of the more seasoned GMs has placed around 20 former volunteers in full-time jobs in sports (not all in football, but still). Being able to show your volunteers that there’s a path to success is a great way to keep the fires burning.

Our final three Zooms will cover software service preferences (what’s good, what’s bad, what’s the best value); development and compensation of paid staff; and how to stop, or at least contain, tampering.

Many of them are on the road, so I don’t expect perfect attendance. The key is having a space for them to be able to draw on their peers’ experiences and come up with ideas for solving problems.

Anyway, it’s been fun so far, and really educational. Hopefully this is something we can extend to other strata of the industry soon. The beauty of technology means people don’t have to sit in one room to share ideas anymore. Might as well take advantage of it.

2026 NFL Agent Exam: Building Community

01 Friday May 2026

Posted by in Agent Exam, Agents, Getting started, NFL draft

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Houston is a pretty good football town, so it’s no big surprise that many of its residents pursue a career in player representation. For years, I’ve kicked around the idea of getting some veteran agents together with people taking the exam, just the veterans can share ideas and the aspiring agents can ask questions about the exam or just the business, generally. We finally did that last night. Here are a few thoughts after a fun time with four agents and three agents-to-be.

  • I guess it’s no surprise, but there were probably as many questions about succeeding in the business as there were about simply passing the exam. That’s natural. I did my best to help the exam-takers keep their respective eyes on the ball, but it’s an interesting profession. Why wouldn’t they be curious?
  • We brought several generations of veteran agents together, including Chiquia Roberson (certified in 2013), Everett Coleman (2021), Chris Gaddis (2019) and Teron Greene (2025). It was fascinating to hear how their test-taking experiences differed; so much has changed in the last 10-plus years.
  • Chiquia’s experience was a bit more old-school, as she was part of a class that had to travel to Washington, D.C., and sit in a big room over two days with hundreds of other people. The procedure then was a full day of lecture on Thursday, then a morning lecture and Q&A Friday morning before the exam on Friday. It’s probably better that it’s not done that way anymore. I used to hear stories of NFLPA officials rushing students through questions on Friday morning and asking to get the test going mid-lunch hour. I guess they were a little bored and hoping to get ahead of the evening’s traffic.
  • The same was true of Chris, another guy who had to go to D.C. Most of his focus was on the trickier topics and the value of time management. This is a common theme. It’s so, so easy to get wrapped up in a few questions and get behind. Three hours go quickly.
  • Everett’s was interesting because he was originally scheduled for 2020 before the Players Association pulled the plug due to the lockdowns. He made it work for him. He continually cited his 18-month run-up to the 2021 exam as a benefit, and his recall of the questions and topics of focus were surprising. It was also interesting because that year, everyone took the exam from their own homes, and as it was the first time the NFLPA did it this way, there were numerous technological issues. Everett said he spent several minutes having his study notes and test materials examined by the proctoring service over the webcam, just to make sure he was meeting regulations.
  • For Teron, who just got certified last summer, the memories focused on taking the exam at a testing center, surrounded by cameras. I could tell the surveillance there really made things awkward for him. I guess it’s the only way the NFLPA can make absolutely certain no one is cheating.

A lot of the themes were in tune with what I always hear. They raved about the study guide; most people do. They were very complimentary of Ian Greengross, our Zoom instructor, and his teaching methods. Everett was excited about a CFL client who’s near reporting for camp up north; he signed the player on a referral from the ITL community.

Anyway, it was a lot of fun, and something I wish we’d done earlier. It’s certainly not the last time the ITL team will gather before the exam, though future groupings will probably be online, in some form or fashion.

If you’re taking the exam, there’s plenty of room on the roster, and we’d love to have you. Just 80 days to go! Come with us. Start by contacting me at nstratton at insidetheleague dot com.

From NFLPA Exam Prep to First NFL Draft: Rookie Agent Reactions from Team ITL

24 Friday Apr 2026

Posted by in Agent Exam, Agents, Getting started

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If you’re reading this, the NFL Draft is probably something you find exciting. Well, imagine your excitement if this was the first draft you were actually a part of.

That’s actually the case for dozens of our clients who started off with us last summer in preparation for the NFL agent exam. Given that they’ve gone from wondering what it would be like to represent NFL players to nearing making that a reality, we thought we’d reach out to some of them to get their feelings, in their own words.

Here’s what they told us.

“I think at this point it’s kind of hard to put into words because there is still a lot of uncertainty of what to expect and how the process actually will play out. Certainly a lot of emotions which probably won’t fully be realized until the weekend is over and hopefully all my players have at least (rookie mini-camp) invites. I am also trying to separate the draft which I have watched on television for years and the process I am participating in this weekend because of the likelihood that my players do not get drafted. I took a somewhat conservative approach this cycle as I am co-repping four players but only the lead agent on one. . . although there is a feeling of uncertainty, there is also a feeling of excitement and hope and I am optimistic that all four of my guys will at least get an opportunity.” — Lane Macaluso, Macaluso Law

“Definitely a surreal feeling going from watching the draft as a fan my whole life to now experiencing it as an agent – it’s a completely different perspective. With two prospects who are potential Day 3 picks or priority free agents, I’m locked in on every pick and tracking who the interested teams are taking. The last few months have been a whirlwind, but I feel great going into the weekend. I’ve learned a ton since getting licensed and (Inside the League) has been a huge help along the way.” — Will Scott, A&P Sports

“This being my first draft I have the feelings of nervous excitement and strong confidence… (Inside the League) has directly helped me forge powerful relationships and opportunities that have rapidly advanced my career… I will never forget this draft because I feel like I’m in it!” — James Tortorelli, Reliant Athletic Management

“First draft… excited, nervous, but feeling as prepared as I can be. Honestly, having (Inside the League) and the Stratic team in my corner has been a game-changer. Incredible group of people who have really helped show me the ropes.” — Blaise Rosati, NXT ERA

“Being at my first NFL Draft with a client is honestly surreal. I’ve watched the draft every year for as long as I can remember and used to make mock drafts just for fun, so to now be part of this process on the professional side is both nerve-wracking and incredibly exciting. I’m fortunate to represent a client who has late-round draft potential (Virginia Tech DT Kody Huisman), and the possibility of seeing him hear his name called is a feeling I never imagined I’d experience when I was just watching from home as a fan. What makes this experience so different is that I’m no longer focused only on my favorite team’s picks—I’m watching every selection and every team need to understand how each decision could impact my client’s opportunities. In many ways, it feels like I’m in my own war room, which makes the entire experience even more exciting. I’ve also never been more aware of my phone notifications in my life (haha).” — James Winn, First Winn Sports & Entertainment

“I’m excited every draft as a fan, but it feels particularly special being a part of this process as an agent. The anticipation of your favorite team’s draft selections is nothing compared to when it’s your client’s future on the line. If I hadn’t connected with (Inside the League) and (the ITL) community (the other agents, Stratic, etc.), I probably wouldn’t have a client this draft but, if I did, I know I wouldn’t feel nearly as prepared for the next steps. In short… I feel excited, hopeful, and as prepared as I could be without having been here before.” — Gabriel Opatken, 8180 Sports

“It feels great. I’ve been excited all week and waiting for this day like a kid waiting for the toy store to open. It’s just so rewarding to know that all the work I’ve put in since recruiting and through the pre-draft process culminates to this and having the chance to hear my client’s name called. Days 1 and 2 will still feel the same for me as a fan of the game. But I’m looking forward to Day 3 where that day will matter most for my clients, and I’ll be involved more as an agent and not a fan.” — Alex Nguyen, McRae Sports Group

“Of course, it feels good! Feeling all of the feelings – nerves, excitement, etc. I think with my guys being more on the radar (Friday) and Saturday, it will start to feel more real then. But all of the work it took to get to this point between graduate degree, test prep, passing the test, recruiting, pre-draft, etc., it feels like a dream come true and we’re only getting started.” — Evan Pobuta, Vienna Talent Group

If you’re taking the exam this summer, don’t risk not being able to have these same feelings this time next year. As the most established NFL agent prep program in the business, and the one with the most active NFL agents (by a long shot), we love helping people achieve their dreams. It’s not too late to get going. Start here.

For more thoughts from first-year agents experiencing their first draft, make sure to check out today’s Friday Wrap. Register here.

Why Do NFL Agents Fail? Here Are My Thoughts

16 Thursday Apr 2026

Posted by in Agent Exam, Agents, Getting started

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Tonight, we’ll have our third Zoom session for aspiring NFL agents, covering several key concepts that could be part of July’s exam. With less than 100 days until the test, things are ramping up.

Simultaneously, we’re hearing from agents who are facing their third draft class and, without having signed anyone who made it to an NFL roster so far, they’re facing professional mortality. Basically, they have five months to get someone on a roster, and if next weekend goes poorly for them, they’re in a real bind.

So how does this happen? How do so many talented people — many of them accomplished attorneys, all of them having achieved a postgraduate degree — come into the business every year but find themselves ousted from the business three years later? More generally, why do people hoping to represent NFL players fail? Here are the top reasons.

They can’t pass the exam. In our decade-plus working with aspiring agents, we’ve seen our share of people who failed the test twice. It sounds ridiculous, but it’s not at all uncommon. It’s a very complicated exam, and if you don’t use prep services like ours, that’s doubly true. You’re talking about a 700-page CBA with lots of complicated topics, and the NFLPA does you few favors. It’s open-book, yes, but that doesn’t mean it’s a walk in the park. And given the responsibilities an agent has, the test should be challenging.

They don’t make the right relationships. Every year, there are dozens of people who sit for the exam because they’ve been asked to get certified, either by someone in the league or someone who’s draft-eligible. They then find out, to their surprise, that those players were less serious about signing with the agent than previously believed. Often, the agent doesn’t find this out until October or November, at which point he’s left trying to find someone else to recruit. Make the wrong recruiting decisions and you’ll never make other key contacts (scouts, college GMs, trainers). It’s a vicious cycle.

They trust the wrong people. From the players they sign to the trainers they hire to the draft analysts that solicit them, there are countless people who enter a new agent’s orbit. Some know more about the game than others. When you’re new to an industry, you don’t know where to place your trust, but you’re desperately seeking people worthy of it.

They run out of money. This is the most common one. So many people enter the game thinking their first $2500 (just to take the exam) and second $2500 (for fees and malpractice insurance) are a considerable barrier, but once they get past both, they’re home free. You haven’t even begun to spend money at that point. We’ve discussed this ad nauseam. Here’s one example.

They run out of time. As mentioned earlier, the new agent gets thrown into the fire rather quickly, and Year 1 is over almost before it starts. As an independent agent, if you don’t get a player on a roster in that first year — and only about 20 percent of independent agents pull that off — you now have two years to get it done. Maybe you make a contact here or there in scouting, get a decent referral or two in Years 2 and 3, but neither actually hit. You’ve finally built a network and kinda learned what you need to know . . . just in time for the clock to run out.

Ego, pure and simple. It sounds ridiculous, but there are still people who try to get into the industry because they want to be big shots. They want to have cool jobs that make their friends jealous. You see it all the time in their LinkedIn pages, their Instagram accounts, the pictures in their social media bios. When you enter the business with this kind of attitude, you don’t realize that there’s stuff you don’t know, and it is absolutely crucial to enter this business with humility.

What Does an ‘Expendable’ National Scout Look Like?

10 Friday Apr 2026

Posted by in Scouts

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There was a time when NFL teams would keep their most trustworthy and steadfast scouts around, basically, until they wanted to retire. Venerable NFL evaluator C.O. Brocato stayed on with the Titans well into his 80s, finishing up as a “scouting consultant.” Some teams still do this, handing out titles like “executive scout” or “senior scout” or something along those lines.

With a few exceptions, that stopped in 2018. That’s when two seasoned, experience National Scouts were let go. We didn’t see it happen in 2019, but since then, every year except one (2023), we’ve seen at least one National Scout with 10+ years in the league — in other words, a person with years of experience and a deep network of sources — let go. Last year, it happened to four National Scouts (Robert Haines, Panthers; Mike Derice, Giants; Jim Abrams, Dolphins; and Dujuan Daniels, Raiders). Two others — Michael Pierce (Rams) and Antwon Murray (Bucs) — left voluntarily, mostly due to reduced opportunities.

We can be almost certain that it will happen again this summer. Owners are looking for non-human sources of football intel (like analytics) while stocking their staffs with young (and cheaper) upstarts. Meanwhile, higher-salaried executives are being stockpiled as decisions are made at the highest levels. That means national scouts (who are usually making in the $200K-$300K range) are getting squeezed out.

So who are the best (?) candidates for seeing their scouting days come to an end this summer? We looked at 11 national scouts who were cut since 2018 to develop a profile. Here’s what we came up with.

They have lots of experience. On average, National Scouts let go over the last eight offseasons had 22 years in the business. So, basically, they were a little long in the tooth for national scout, the team decided they weren’t college director material, and they cut the cord. The least experienced had 13 years in. I’d say any National Scout with 15-plus years is vulnerable.

On average, they had been with their respective teams for a decade. I guess that’s plenty long enough for a team to know what it has. Actually, for most teams, it took a lot less than a decade. Of the 11, six had seven years or less with the team. So, lots of experience in scouting and 5-10 years with the team is pretty much the profile.

Most had been with at least one other team. On average, the 11 had been with at least one other team. Only two of the 11 were let go by the only team they had ever worked for. Again, that makes sense. These are veteran scouts that teams see, probably, as spare parts, hired guns, not people the team has developed. Eminently replaceable.

So who fits the profile? We counted 43 national (or regional) scouts in the league right now. Of the 43, we counted 15 with at least 22 years in the league. About a third of them have been with multiple teams.

Will the trend hold this year? We certainly hope not, and we’re not going to name them . . . it just doesn’t feel right. But we’ll be watching to see, and if any of those who profiled as job loss candidates do indeed get dismissed, we’ll let you know in this space. And if you’re one of those who fit the profile, we wish you the best of luck in the coming weeks.

Six Points: How to Be an NFL Agent on a Budget

03 Friday Apr 2026

Posted by in Agents, combine prep, Getting started, NFL draft, NIL, Transfer portal

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This week, I broke down the agent signings for the 1,700-plus prospects who’ve signed with contract advisors so far, per the latest NFLPA SRA report. Basically, I listed the players — sorted by P4, G5 and non-FBS schools — that each NFL agent has signed for the 2026 class. It paints an interesting picture.

One takeaway: 58 agents who just passed the exam last summer have not signed one client for the 2026 draft class. That’s about a third of all agents who got certified who have zero to show for their first year certified. And look, I know why — repping a players, a legit prospect, one who could be signed/drafted, costs at least $15,000.

Still, even if you don’t have the cash, there are ways to not waste Year 1. Here are a few suggestions.

Get into the NIL game: Even if you don’t sign a five-star high school player or a headline-grabbing potential transfer, repping college players gives you hands-on experience. But the best part is, there’s no training costs associated, so you’ll have something big to do in January that gets you used to dealing with players, their parents, coaches, schools, etc.

Sign a player after the middle of February: The main advantage here, obviously, is that most players already have their training plan in place by mid-February, which means you’re off the hook. Obviously, the draft class is a lot thinner by then, but it’s not too late to sign a good player if you’re careful. Believe it or not, 37 of the 450 players who made it to 90-man rosters as UDFAs didn’t sign with agents until after Feb. 16. What’s more, 116 of the 437 players brought in for tryouts signed Feb. 16 or later. Obviously, a rookie mini-camp invite only isn’t optimal, but at least it’s a chance to communicate with scouts.

Don’t sign a specialist: You want to start building your scouting network in Year 1. If you sign a kicker, punter or deep-snapper, you will be working mostly with special teams coaches. That’s not terrible, but it limits you. Specialists cost less to train, but you’re signing late enough that training costs shouldn’t be much of an encumbrance anyway.

Make sure your clients play positions with scarcity: Which positions are most in demand? Which ones aren’t? It’s all here. Sorry, it’s a pay link.

Make sure you sign a player in an NFL team’s metro market: This gets your client into a team’s local pro day. That’s big, even if it’s a team that doesn’t actually host workouts. The thing is, fewer teams are even having local pro days. Make sure you don’t sign a player from one of those nine markets.

If at all possible, sign a player from a P4 school: Obviously, we’re seeing an overwhelming accumulation of talent in the four most powerful conferences. Scouts have noticed. That’s not to say that smaller-school prospects don’t have a shot, but obviously, the ones playing with the big boys have less to prove.

A Needed Disclaimer on NIL Agency Significance

27 Friday Mar 2026

Posted by in Agents, College personnel, NIL, Transfer portal

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Earlier this month, on the ITL website, we posted a list of 30 agencies that seem to be doing the most business in the NIL space. Predictably, it’s created quite a stir with some of the agencies listed there (as well as some of the ones that weren’t). I think this calls for a disclaimer and maybe a clarification about the post.

Granted, we should have known it had the potential to explode, no matter what. That’s what social media is for, right? Making a big splash? Still, we tried to couch things by saying we were/are “seeking opinions from people in the industry” and that it was “based on initial feedback” only. We also closed the post by asking “where are we wrong?” and “where are we right?” Bottom line, the idea was to start a dialogue, not create a proclamation.

We’ve gotten a lot of feedback and rightfully so. Some firms have claimed that though they don’t do the raw numbers, their clientele has more star power. Or, they get more money for their clients. These claims have merit. Is the best metric raw numbers, or biggest clients, or dollars earned in deals? It’s probably a combination of all three, but given how undefined this industry is right now, it’s hard to find any objective truth. Then there’s the total number of agencies we listed. Is 30 a good number? Should it really be 25? Should it be 50? I don’t know. Again, 30 seemed like a good starting point.

Maybe we let this “out of the lab” too quickly. The thing is, you have to start somewhere, right? If we’re really going to find answers, we have to risk bruising some egos, even if that’s not intended. Fresh off our symposium, and maybe a little flush with its success, we wanted to keep pushing the conversation. We ran our list past several GMs and several top NIL agents, but it was in no way exhaustive or scientific. Honestly, I don’t know how much vetting would be enough, but I’m pretty sure it hadn’t been vetted sufficiently when we posted it. Again, it was a starting point, not a finished product.

With all that said, you still might see some NIL agencies touting their presence on the list. I guess I can’t stop them. But I think our post needed more perspective, so here it is. We stand behind our posts, but we also think you deserve the full picture.

We have a whole lot more to say about agencies, their roles, and the positives and negatives they bring to the NIL space in today’s Friday Wrap, which comes out at 7:30 p.m. EST. It’s free. If you’re not already registered for it, do that here.