Last week in the Friday Wrap, I talked to several G6 GMs about the NIL agents they trust most, who are the most fair and overall most professional. We got a lot of feedback and I passed it all along in the newsletter. If you work in the transfer portal, make sure to check it out.
While we kept it limited to G6 last week (we hoped it would give us a good rendering of some of the up-and-coming agencies), the plan was always to do the same on the P4 level. We did that this week, and though big-school GMs are swamped and full of responsibilities, we got 20 responses, with 46 different agents mentioned. Some GMs were longer-winded and more detailed than others, of course, but I was struck by how thorough some of the texts were. So much so that I wanted to share a couple of them in this space and provide a few comments. Here’s the first one:
“As far as the best/most professional agents I deal with, there are a lot of them! In no particular order:
- Tom Povinelli – Athletes First: Extremely professional and honest. Has an even keeled temperament. Has close relationships with his players and their families. Typically will only work with the right kind of athlete. Easy to work with.
- Kelly Donigan – Ethos: Very professional with how he works and communicates. We don’t always have easy conversations, but that’s part of it. It’s always respectful on both ends and I feel like we can both be honest with each other.
- Miles Jordan – Jordan Sports Group: Young, but very professional and polished in my opinion. Doesn’t get emotional when temperatures rise. Not always easy conversations but he is a poised agent who looks out for his guys.
- Honorable Mention: Joe Gazza – Aurum Sports: Every time we talk, there’s no BS. It’s all meat and potatoes which I appreciate it. Joe doesn’t have time for the fluff. Realistic about each one of his guys which is always appreciated.”
This text was notable for a couple reasons. One, obviously, is the level of detail, but the other is that it includes both Miles Jordan of Jordan Sports Group and Kelly Donigan of Ethos Sports Group. Both of them were among the most respected NIL agents in the business, based on what I was told. However, the recurring theme among all four is professionalism, poise and maturity.
Here’s the second text:
“Pat Curran has always been great. More NIL than NFL, but probably growing some. Kelly Donigan with Ethos (Sports Group) is great. Kyle Strongin with Range (Sports) is awesome. Kyle McCarthy with (Athletes First) has had several of our guys. (Jack) Bechta and Ryan Hays (of JB Sports are) getting more into college but great to work with. (These) are probably our top ones we deal with on a consistent basis. . . Feel like bigger agencies (are) easier to deal with when negotiating because they want the NFL client, but get bogged down on stupid contract (issues) when it gets to their legal counsel.”
I liked this response because I was given more than just the minimum three names and, I felt, there was a comfort level that came through from this particular GM.
If you’re interested in more feedback on who the top NIL agents are, at least in the eyes of GMs at the highest level of college football, make sure you check out this week’s Friday Wrap (register here) and today’s report at Inside the League. We counted up the times agents were mentioned (and we have several winners). If you work with players, see if you were one of the nearly 50 that P4 GMs rated as top-three.