This morning, we welcomed 11 Power 4 GMs as panelists for the 2025 Vestible ITL Symposium Presented by Mascot Alliance and Powered by Dropback. Before an audience of about 300 members of the college and pro football community, they provided insights on the industry over a 90-minute period.

However, there was one thing missing — the thoughts of an equivalent member from a school competing in the Group of Five conferences. For that, we enlisted Jose Jefferson, who’s not only the co-founder of the College Gridiron Showcase but also the newly minted GM at Florida International University in Miami.

Here’s what Jose provided earlier this week regarding some of the hot topics in the college football business.

• What is the role and job description of the college GM?: “I think that varies with every GM role.   Everyone does it differently. I think it is based on your relationship with the head coach.  It involves managing the roster, managing NIL revenue, managing the recruiting process and evaluating the current roster vs incoming players. In short, if your team is good, it is your job to make the team better.  If you are great, it is your job to make the team exceptional. If you are exceptional, it is your job to keep the team exceptional and in front of the curve.”
• There’s been a trend of NFL scouts moving to executive roles in the college ranks.  Will this continue? “I think as the position evolves, there will be a trend of making college football front offices like NFL front offices. I think there is a learning curve; the evaluation process may differ as most of these players are not developed. There have been several players who are Hall Of Famers who weren’t recruited out of high school or who weren’t three-star prospects. I think if you are organized, flexible, and creative with your process, yes, NFL scouts would be great candidates for GM roles.”
• Do you see a day when colleges have NFL-style scouting staffs, or will coaches remain as the chief evaluators? “Coaches want to be scouts and scouts want to be coaches (ha ha). In the college game, I feel coaches will still be the main evaluators. Until they create an NFL-style draft, college is all about relationships. Now it is getting less that way as ‘bags’ are being dropped off and things seem more transactional. However, the relationship has to start with who the player will be working with; who he will be mentored by; and who he’s developing with. So yes, I feel coaches are still the front line. It is the GM’s job to take a deeper dive with their selections and make sure a player is a ‘fit’ with the team, the culture, and scheme.” 

For a closer look at today’s event in Indianapolis, make sure to check out the Friday Wrap this week, in which we recap all the award winners from Wednesday and the panelists’ responses this morning. Not registered? Fix that here.