Category Archives: NFL draft

Work in Football? First Combine? Here Are a Few Tips

10 Tuesday Feb 2026

Posted by in combine prep, Getting started, NFL draft, Scouts

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I always kinda thought people who work in college personnel offices knew the drill when it comes to the NFL Combine, but I recently came to the understanding that they don’t, given how busy their jobs are. I’ve previously written about how to approach the NFL Combine if you’re a job-seeker, but let’s say you work as a personnel director at a P4 school. When should you get to Indy? When should you leave? Here are a few thoughts.

First, know the deadline for getting credentialed: It’s Saturday. You’re going to want to apply before then if you want access to Lucas Oil Stadium. This page has all the details. This is where you actually apply.

But before you apply: You need to know which (if any) of the players at your school are invited and when they’ll be working out. If you haven’t already heard from the players at your school, sometime this week, the NFL will publish the entire list of 350-odd players. Obviously, they don’t all work out on the same day. Click here to find out when they will test. Obviously, this will determine when you need to be there to offer support.

What if your school doesn’t have any combine invitees?: I recommend one of two schedules. At the very least, come in Thursday night so you can attend our symposium Friday morning. We’re hopeful that there will be 50 P4 schools represented, most by their GMs. We’re also going to have a who’s who of top NIL agents there. It’s going to be big. Here’s a more detailed rundown of what to expect. Best of all, if you’re a member of an FBS college personnel staff, you don’t have to pay. You only have to register, which you can do here.

So you arrive Thursday. When should you leave?: Here’s what I recommend. Indianapolis will be filled to the brim with NFL and college football types Friday night. Hit the town. I’d recommend grabbing a meal downtown, then hitting High Velocity, the bar at the JW Marriott, that evening. It will be jam-packed with NFL scouts and executives, agents, wealth managers, and others in the industry of every stripe. It’s a great chance to renew acquaintances or make new ones. Come to think of it, it’s probably not a bad idea to hit High Velocity Thursday night as well.

What if you have more time?: I strongly recommend you come in Wednesday afternoon and join us at our seminar. It’s the Academy Awards of the scouting business, and it’s free (you don’t even have to register). It starts at 5:30 p.m. and will go about an hour. We’ll have 150-200 scouts there and it’s a lot of fun. We’ll hand out more than 30 awards and there’s a celebratory atmosphere that you don’t always find in football. I hope you can join us. More details are here.

Six Points: A Few More Tips and Ideas for Getting a Job This Time of Year

06 Friday Feb 2026

Posted by in Getting started, NFL draft, NIL, Scouts

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This time of year I get a lot of people reaching out to ask about tips on getting a job in scouting, college or pro. Here are a few more things to think about and/or ideas for you.

Update your LinkedIn: I used to dismiss people who serially updated their LinkedIn page, but I have to admit it’s nice to have someone’s complete employment history readily available. I know some people really overdo it, but if you use it judiciously it can be a really positive tool. I know it’s been easy to advise people when they ask for counsel on finding a job when I can review their LinkedIn pages first. By the way, if you really want to go the extra mile, set up a Linktree.

Go to the Combine: I know it’s intimidating, and can be costly, but you can figure it out. The Senior Bowl is no longer the best place to network. Indy isn’t easy — there are a few events you can attend, including ours — but mostly you’re going to need to be in the right place at the right time, eager to seize an opportunity. It’s a risk you have to take.

Seek out volunteer opportunities in Indy: It’s too late to land something with an NFL team or with combine organizers, but there are enough things going on that a helping hand might be needed. Think outside the box. There’s no better way to make a connection than to be a good worker. If you can’t find a football organization, maybe reach out to an agency that you know has players at workouts.

Renew all your key acquaintances: It’s not easy to stay in contact with everyone in your neighborhood 24-7, and if you’re not carefully, you can come across as inauthentic. Still, you should be able to think of a reason to reach out to everyone who could be pivotal, job-wise, over the next 60-90 days. For example, you could ask when they get in to Indianapolis. Or wish them a happy President’s Day, I guess. If they show up on a podcast, make sure you compliment them — genuinely — and make it clear with context that you actually listened. Obviously, a job change (especially a promotion) gives you an automatic opportunity, as well. The key is to remind them, subtly, that you’re around.

Don’t forget about business cards: I know they’re passe’ but the fact is, they’re cheap and they fit easily into someone’s wallet. You don’t have to walk around with a wad of cards in your hand. Just have them ready if the need arises.

Remember that information is key: You need to know something that potential employers don’t. I do not think you should carry around your latest mock draft. But I do think you need to be ready with information on the upcoming players on your current team, or inside information on what jobs might be available on your own team, or anything else. If you don’t have anything, don’t fake it. But there’s no better way to prove your future value to a potential employer than by having something you can offer now.

One more thing — make sure to know where recent scouting hires have come from, which teams you should be focusing on and, well, read this, too. Good luck.

Are We Entering the Post-All-Star Era?

30 Friday Jan 2026

Posted by in All Star Games, NFL draft

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Wednesday night, I drove home from the Senior Bowl. It’s about seven-and-a-half hours on the road alone, which gives you a lot of time to think. One of the things I considered was the plight of the modern college all-star game, especially the Big Two, the East-West Shrine Bowl and the Senior Bowl.

Unlike the other all-star games, these two have the distinction of attracting Day 1 and Day 2 draft prospects. The big question is, how much longer can we expect top-100 players to even take part in all-star games? Consider:

  • The national championship game featured two players who will be top-five picks (Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza and Miami’s Rueben Bain) along with three other players who might be Day 1 picks (Miami’s Francis Mauigoa and Akheem Mesidor in addition to Indiana’s Carter Smith). As you may know, the Hoosiers and Hurricanes each played 16 games. Sixteen! That’s almost a full NFL season. At some point, players need to take a break. What’s more, the teams that made it to the semis played 15 and the ones who got to the quarters played 14. That’s a lot of football for a lot of talented players who might say enough is enough.
  • The national championship game next year will be Jan. 25, 2027. For comparison, the Shrine Bowl was played on Jan. 27 this year and the Senior Bowl will be played Jan. 31. That pretty much takes the players from the top two teams out of consideration for the top two games.
  • As recently as 10 years ago, you’d see most NFL head coaches and GMs at the major all-star games. For a number of reasons, that’s just not the case anymore.
  • It’s a really popular take to call the NFL Combine the “underwear Olympics,” but the fact is that pro days and workouts matter. The best prospects in the draft can’t risk running or jumping poorly. That week spent playing another game may be better spent focusing on the 40.
  • In 2016, North Dakota State QB Carson Wentz used the Senior Bowl to vault into the conversation for the top pick, as I detail in my latest book. Almost a decade later, it’s probably true that another member of the Bison, OG Grey Zabel, went from a late Day 2 prospect to a first-rounder based on his play in Mobile. However, in the era of the transfer portal, the number of sub-FBS players in the top 100 is limited.
  • There’s one more critical reason that no one wants to talk about: more and more, what we call “college football” is really pro football. When the better players are making more than a million dollars per season, it’s hard to convince them to prove themselves (for no pay) in an all-star format. It’s human nature.

I think the lower-tier all-star games can still make a convincing argument to players. More often than not, they’re attracting prospects who are just fighting to make sure they play in the NFL. The problem there is that those names don’t sell tickets or create ratings, which makes it hard to recoup the investment (stadium rental, flights, hotels, jerseys) that is necessary.

This is why we might be entering the post-all-star game era. It’s been such a successful model for so long, and frankly, covering the ins and outs of the invitation process, the people running the games, and the games themselves have been a big part of ITL for more than two decades. For this and many other reasons, I hope I’m wrong, but I fear I’m not.

Getting to Know New Dolphins GM Jon-Eric Sullivan

16 Friday Jan 2026

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A year ago, we had a good time talking to people about new GM hires such as Mike Borgonzi (Titans), John Spytek (Raiders) and Darren Mougey (Jets). The newest GM of this cycle is Jon-Eric Sullivan, who’s taking over in Miami as the successor to Chris Grier.

Jon-Eric is an interesting guy. He’s got a strong pedigree as the son of an NFL lifer (longtime receivers coach Jerry Sullivan), as well as a very strong, very stable foundation in player evaluation after rising through the Packers front office over two decades. He’s also been honored by his peers twice (2022, 2025) as a winner of a BART List Award for scouting excellence. However, I’ve never worked with him, so I reached out to several people who have. Here’s what they told me — off the record so they could be completely candid.

  • “First of all, he’s a football junkie. . . with his dad being . . . arguably one of the best receivers coaches in the history of NFL, you know, and the things that he learned from being around him, he just simply knows football. He is a grinder. He works his ass off . . . not only from a football standpoint, but he takes care of himself (as a) healthy, fitness-oriented type of person. . . He’s a great family guy with a beautiful family . . . fun to be around. Good energy to be around.”
  • “Incredible eye for talent, sees the big picture. Outstanding at fostering and maintaining relationships. Most importantly he LOVES football and is passionate. Does a great job listening while still having his own convictions!”
  • “He is a true football guy through and through . . . from coach’s son, to player, to scout. The guy knows players and he knows ball. If given the time and proper supporting staff he will be one of the best GMs in the NFL no question! Honestly, this is long overdue!”
  • “Love Jon-Eric Sullivan. Great guy. Smart. Good evaluator. Raised the right way in this business.”
  • “Obviously, great human being and evaluator, but he’s well-equipped on the salary cap side as well. Green Bay does a good job training their guys in that regard. Not an indictment or anything negative about Miami’s roster, but there was an emphasis on building the culture in addition to the talent pool in Green Bay, and I’m sure he will take that with him. I’m excited to see how he builds the roster and who he hires as head coach.”
  • “Good man who knows how to lead. How he makes up his staff will tell you more than you think.”

Best Draft Award 2025: Struggling to Define the Finalists

02 Friday Jan 2026

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With the end of the NFL regular season at hand, we’ll start voting on the Best Draft Award next weekend. That means that the next Friday Wrap will list the five finalists. We’ll also send out ballots to NFL scouts so we can begin voting. The problem this year is picking the five finalists.

I’ve read in some places that the 2025 draft class didn’t yield the normal crop of talent, but I disagree sharply. Look at all the teams, listed alphabetically, who got big-time contributions from their rookies.

Bears: If you think a turnaround on the field is the biggest consideration when choosing the best draft class, Chicago — which was 5-12 last year and won the division this year — is probably your choice. Their title probably doesn’t happen without the contributions of first-round TE Colston Loveland, second-round WO Luther Burden and seventh-round OH Kyle Monangai.

Browns: If you believe sheer volume of contributing players defines draft excellence, you gotta go with Cleveland. From first-round DT Mason Graham on down, you could argue that the team got at least some output from seven players: IB Carson Schwesinger, OH Quinshon Judkins, TE Harold Fannin, OH Dylan Sampson and QBs Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. They even got good play from a UDFA, DT Adin Huntington. It wasn’t a great season for the Browns, but they are set up with an excellent foundation for the future.

Bucs: Tampa Bay already won a Best Draft Award for the team’s work in 2020, but maybe they need to clear the trophy case again. In fact, if WO Emeka Egbuka had finished the season the way he started it, they might even be the favorite. Not only did they hit on Egbuka, but they also struck gold on Day 2 with a nickel corner (Jacob Parrish) and on Day 3 with a defensive tackle (Elijah Roberts). There’s a lot to be said for a defending division winner that finds three major contributors in one draft.

Cardinals: Like the Browns, it wasn’t a great season for the Cardinals, but they had a lot of depth in their draft class. Like the Bucs, if first-round DT Walter Nolen was healthy all season, the Cards would have an even stronger case. As it is, the team seems to have reinvigorated itself at cornerback (Will Johnson and Denzel Burke) and defensive end (Jordan Burch).

Chargers: Once again, this is a good team that still got big-time reps from rookies. The record is almost unchanged — last year, the team’s record was 11-6, and they’re 11-5 entering the finale with the Broncos — but you have to like LA’s future after first-round OH Omarion Hampton made an impact along with third-round DT Jamaree Caldwell and two Day3 picks, TE Oronde Gadsden II and FS RJ Mickens.

Falcons: It’s not the depth of the class as much as the value they got at key positions. Nailing the picks on two first-round pass rushers — OB Jalon Walker and DE James Pearce — counts for a lot. Throw in third-round FS Xavier Watts, who has five picks, and you’ve got a really good draft class.

Giants: If the vote were held at midseason — before OH Cam Skattebo (4/105) went down, and while QB Jaxson Dart was making plays with his feet and his arm — the Giants would probably have won. Throw in DE Abdul Carter and the Giants got the most out of their two first-rounders plus a rock-solid running back on Day 3. That’s impressive. People take for granted that Day 1 picks are going to step right in and start, but that’s certainly not the case.

Panthers: Carolina was 5-12 last season, but plays for the division title Sunday. That’s a massive turnaround, and it doesn’t happen without first-round WO Tetairoa McMillan, along with a second round DE (Nic Scourton) and two Day 3 hits (FS Lathan Ransom and TE Mitchell Evans). A month ago, ESPN called the Panthers’ draft class the best.

Saints: New Orleans is also a repeat winner (the Saints won it in 2017 for the Lattimore/Kamara/Hendrickson, etc., class) and might have a shot at being the first ever to repeat. Second-round QB Tyler Shough may win the OROY, and he’s deservedly gotten the headlines, but New Orleans also smashed it with first-round left tackle Kelvin Banks and three Day 3 picks (FS Jonas Sanker, IB Danny Stutsman and DC Quincy Riley). Even sixth-round OH Devin Neal looked good before a season-ending injury.

Titans: Bet you don’t know who holds the NFL rookie record for most all-purpose yards in a single season (2,371 yards). It’s Titans fourth-round WO/KR Chimere Dike, who beat Tim Brown’s 1988 mark. Oh, by the way, the team also took a QB who’s looked better every game over the second half of the season in Cam Ward, and Day 3 DC Marcus Harris has also won praise.

Ready to Get a Job in NFL Scouting? Here Are a Few Tips

19 Friday Dec 2025

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Looking to be an NFL scout? Is this the year you want to make a big splash? Now’s the time to start getting your name out there.

Here are a few teams on which you should focus your efforts (or avoid altogether).

Teams with second-year GMs: Very often, GMs are forced to keep scouts (who are usually on two-year deals) for a year that they would rather replace with scouts who know their respective systems. Among second-year GMs are the Jaguars, Titans, Raiders and Jets.

Teams with shaky GMs: Obviously, teams that might be cleaning slate are likely to have more openings. Here are four possibilities, but there are always surprises, as well. Be ready.

Teams with second-year Scouting Assistants (also called Player Personnel Assistants): Like scouts, most scouting assistants get two years before a team decides to promote or terminate them. Teams that fit this description — there are a lot of them (19) — are the 49ers (2), Bears (3), Browns (4), Cardinals (1), Chiefs (1), Colts (1), Cowboys (1), Jaguars (3), Jets (1), Lions (2), Panthers (3), Patriots (1), Raiders (2), Ravens (1), Commanders (3), Saints (3), Steelers (2), Texans (1) and Vikings (2).

Some teams don’t carry Scouting Assistants at all: No use applying with them. Teams that don’t list scouting assistants or scouting interns are the Bengals, Broncos, Chargers, Dolphins, Eagles and Falcons.

Teams that have had Scouting Assistants in the past, but no longer: The Packers and Eagles don’t currently have any listed on the team website, but last year, they had two each. The Rams had two Scouting Apprentices in 2024 who have each been elevated to full-time positions; they currently have none listed on the team website.

Teams with Area Scouts who’ve been in the league for 10+ years: The simple fact is that modern NFL teams don’t want veteran evaluators running the roads (as counterintuitive as that sounds). They’re too expensive. Instead, they want to be young when it comes to their area/college scouts. The only way to determine which teams have such scouts is by studying all the teams. Start with our Know Your Scouts feature, which breaks down the complete evaluation staff for all 32 teams.

Really want to be aggressive? Visit the more established all-star games. You’ll see scouts at a lot of all-star games, but the only place you’re consistently going to see director-level scouts (i.e., decision-makers) is at the top two games, the East-West Shrine Bowl and Senior Bowl. You might get lucky at the other games, but the Big Two are really where you could meet someone who might be in a position to help you.

Best of luck. See you out on the trail.

Want To Work in Scouting? Here Are a Few Tips

12 Friday Dec 2025

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This time of year, with the off-season at hand and the draft getting closer by the day, I hear from a lot of people who aspire to work in scouting. Here are a few observations for those people (some of this is review).

Is scouting a relationship business? Sure, but there’s a caveat. On the college side, for example, there are a lot of technological force multipliers, software that makes the job manageable. So you’d better be comfortable with technology. On the NFL side, new-guard owners are literally every day trying to come up with new ways to evaluate players (using analytics and AI) without having to employ scouts. So yes, of course, cultivate relationships, but realize that there’s more to it than just that.

College or pro?: If this week has shown anything, it’s how valuable college personnel staffers have become to winning on Saturday. As coaches have crisscrossed the nation taking new posts, we’re seeing DPPs, Directors of Scouting and GMs being towed right behind them (we’ve even begun tracking all the moves on our site). That was almost unheard of 10 years ago, but these are new days. For this reason, it’s much more attractive (and even profitable) to work on the college side. That’s especially true when you compare it to the vagabond lifestyle and relatively low pay of an NFL area scout.

Reversing course: For people going to Mobile to meet scouts and maybe do some networking, the “book” was to stay near the team hotel and stake out the downtown bars for an opportunity to mingle with NFL evaluators. However, now that practices are held at Hancock Whitney Stadium, more and more scouts are staying closer to the airport, making Mobile a ghost town. That’s especially true now that the official hotel is mostly off-limits unless you work for an NFL team. If you’re looking to make contacts, consider booking something closer to the South Alabama campus.

Making way with no pay: If you’re truly serious about clawing your way to the top of the college personnel world, you might have to find a school where you can volunteer while finding work elsewhere. This might sound a little unorthodox, but schools are actively seeking people willing to do just this. There are success stories, too. I know a lot of people might never consider this, but this is exactly why, maybe, you should.

Get in early: I always get asked, when should I send out my resume to NFL teams? I recommend doing it now. It may be a little on the early side, but especially if you’re going to be on the all-star circuit or at the Combine, you might be able to make your case with scouts you meet along the way. A lot of people send them out in March. That’s way too late. Don’t make that mistake.

If the business of scouting interests you, it might be worth it to get our newsletter. It’s free. Register here.

Reviewing Best Draft Winners and their Best Bets as Future GMs

28 Friday Nov 2025

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This week, I joined my podcast partner, Rodrik David, to discuss what’s ahead this offseason on the NFL side. Rodrik’s assignment for me was to give him at least one person who’s a legitimate GM candidate from each of the Best Draft Award winners, going back to our first one for the 2017 draft.

The complete recording is here, but in case you’re in a bit of a hurry, here’s a recap of the Best Draft Award winners, the names I came up with, and why.

Jeff Ireland, Assistant GM, Saints (2017) — The results don’t show it lately, but Jeff is still respected. Architect of one of the best drafts in the last decade, he’s slowly restocking the Saints. The 2025 draft class is a step in the right direction.

Ed Dodds, Assistant GM, Colts (2018) — Has been a member of the BART List every year since we started polling in 2022. With the Colts surprising this season, he could have the momentum to land a GM position this offseason. Director of College Scouting Matt Terpening has also been honored four times on the BART List, and there are a number of other Colts staffers who’ve been recognized. Talented staff.

Tariq Ahmad, VP of Player Personnel, 49ers (2019) — A three-time BART List Award winner, Ahmad is universally admired. I get unsolicited praise of Tariq from rival executives all the time. But the 49ers are another team with a front office full of talented people. Assistant GM R.J. Gillen and Director of College Scouting Dom DeCicco are others at the director level in San Francisco who are on the rise. Both have gotten previous BART List recognition.

Mike Biehl, VP of Player Personnel, Buccaneers (2020) — When the Bucs won the Best Draft Award, GM Jason Licht chose John Spytek and Biehl to join him on the “virtual dais” in accepting the trophy. Spytek got his GM title last offseason. It’s Biehl’s turn. The Bucs are quietly one of the best-drafting teams in the league.

Cody Rager, VP of Player Personnel, Broncos (2021) — When Broncos head coach Sean Payton couldn’t lure Ireland to Denver, he settled for Rager, who has quickly climbed the ladder for the Broncos. No BART List Awards yet, but he’s a consistent vote-getter.

Matt Berry, VP of Player Acquisition, Seahawks (2022) — Berry won his first BART List Award last offseason, but he may be starting a string. He’s a lot like Ahmad in that other teams recognize his talent. Also, don’t forget about VP of Player Personnel Trent Kirchner and Director of College Scouting Aaron Hineline, who have also been honored in the past.

Ray Agnew, Assistant GM, Lions (2023) — Why doesn’t he get more consideration, given the job the Lions have done in the draft and on the field? I don’t get it. The Lions impress me because they are one of the few teams consistently drafting for production and not promise, and the results have been there.

John McKay, Assistant GM, Rams (2024) — The Rams have won plaudits for their drafting, but McKay’s roots are on the pro side. That’s OK, however, because more and more teams are seeking pro experience in their GM candidates. The Jaguars stole much of Los Angeles’ front office talent last offseason, but McKay is still around for anyone seeking to steal some of the Rams’ thunder. Also worthy of consideration: Senior Personnel Executive Taylor Morton, who has no ego, and Senior Advisor to the GM Ray Farmer, who deserves another shot.

As always, we’ll discuss these topics and plenty more in today’s Friday Wrap, which is free. Register for it here.

Honoring the Best in College Football, My Dilemma, and My Thinking (So Far)

21 Friday Nov 2025

Posted by in Media, NFL draft, NIL, Scouts, Transfer portal

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Today, permit me to think out loud on a topic that’s been tying me up in knots for the past several weeks. It’s the ITL All-22, my way of honoring the college executives and teams doing the best jobs, and I’m trying to figure out how to attack it. I’m planning on introducing it at our annual NIL symposium in February at the Combine. I’m also going to solicit your opinion on it, especially if you think I’m way off track.

The original idea: Recognize the top executives in a college football world that is becoming more NFL-like in its model, yet at the same time more independent of the league (few college GMs, scouting directors and DPPs aspire to work in the league anymore) and growing more professional all the time.

The bumps in the road: Honoring the top executives and scouts in the league is much easier than doing the same on the college level. We’re talking 32 teams with, on average, about 20 members of the scouting department. Though NFL front offices are far from homogeneous, you still have three basic strata on the college side: scouting assistants and coordinators; area and national scouts; and director-level scouts who are managing things and making the big decisions. On the pro side, it’s usually two evaluators and a director. However, when it comes to college, it’s almost like no two GMs have the same job description, and while some teams (like Oklahoma) are building almost an exact replica of an NFL team, others are much more traditional, letting the coaches do much or most of the scouting. That’s to say nothing of the fact there are:

  • 136 college football teams on the FBS level
  • Four “power conferences” and five more who have far fewer resources
  • Despite the acceptance of revenue-sharing, there’s a wide variety of funding among schools (even within the P4)

The thinking on how to arrive at the winners: After two weeks of presenting my thoughts to GMs and scouting directors across college football (P4 and G5), via text and in-person visits, it seems there are three groups that could offer help. They are:

  • The agents who do business in the transfer portal and get an up-close (if adversarial) look at schools, big and small, on an annual basis
  • The GMs themselves, who at least have a handle on the job and what it takes to have success
  • The media that follow the transfer portal and the business of college football the closest.

Of course, all three come with drawbacks.

  • Who even are the agents doing the most business in the portal? There isn’t a list anywhere. Talk to members of college personnel departments and they tell you the number of people texting them a list of “their guys for the portal” seems to double every day.
  • In speaking to college GMs — and make no mistake, they are just a small part of the people making the portal work at their respective schools — and they say they don’t have enough of a handle on college football at large. Most are familiar with schools in their area, or schools in their respective conferences, but not the whole country.
  • We’re still at a point, media-wise, where there is a very, very small number of people covering the business of college football as it relates, specifically, to the portal and roster management. What’s more, the temptation would be there to give preference to the GMs who gave them the most access.

Here’s where I am: I need to come to some kind of decision, really, by Dec. 1, so this is what I’m thinking.

  • There are just too many key people making decisions to recognize just GMs. So I think I’m going to make it a team award and ask GMs to accept on their respective teams’ behalf at our symposium at the NFL Combine in February.
  • I have to cut the numbers some, so I am thinking the only teams eligible would be those that are bowl-eligible. It’s not a perfect metric, but hopefully, the teams doing the best job will rise to the top next year or soon after.
  • I think I have to break it down 14:8, P4 to G5. It’s only fair. Otherwise, it’s going to be 22 big schools.
  • Again, maybe not the best way of doing things, but I think I’m going to survey the GMs (or the GM-equivalent) on each draft-eligible team and see what we come up with. Hopefully it won’t be mission impossible finding their emails. Schools tend to publish a general football email on the team website, but hopefully I can get past that.
  • My guess is that I’d provide ballots to them via email and solicit their votes most of December, then count the ballots, determine the winners (and notify them), and hope the lion’s share of them can make it to Indy in a few months.

Anyway, that’s where I am right now. Am I off base? DM me (@insidetheleague) or email me (nstratton at insidetheleague dot com) and let me know. Thanks for your help, and thanks for reading.

The NFL in November: A Look at the Numbers

07 Friday Nov 2025

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Every year, we try to really drill down into NFL rosters, listing every player by his hometown and high school, college and conference, and a number of other categories. Once that’s done (it took us a little longer than expected this year), it’s interesting to take a look at the state of the league by finding out which schools and conferences are the leaders in different categories.

Here are a few things I found interesting.

Which state do most NFL players come from?: No surprise, it’s Texas with 285. Also no surprise — the two closest states are Florida (253) and California (232). Fourth-highest? Maybe it’s not that surprising that it’s Georgia (194). After that, there’s a pretty big drop-off to fifth-place North Carolina (106). By the way, Louisiana was tied for sixth. Not bad for a pretty small state.

Which school has the most NFL players?: It’s Ohio State (71), followed by Alabama (66), Georgia (61), Notre Dame (58) and LSU (53). You look at the preponderance of NFL talent in the Bayou State, along with the number who went to LSU, and you begin to see why Brian Kelly is no longer the Tigers’ head coach.

Which conference has the most NFL players?: Again, no surprises that the SEC (579) and Big Ten (560) rule the roost, followed by the ACC (364) and Big 12 (261). Actually, I’m a little surprised that the ACC is so far ahead of the Big 12, but I guess that’s a reflection of the exits of Texas and Oklahoma. The more interesting thing is that the American (formerly American Athletic) Conference is way out front among the G5 schools (90). The Mountain West is next (76), then the MAC (70), Sun Belt (66) and Conference USA (63).

Where’s the best place to go to find offensive linemen?: The O-line is the hardest position to stock in the NFL these days, so we keep a pretty close eye on where the guys up front come from. We found out Ohio State (duh) leads the way with 15 tackles, guards and centers, followed by Georgia (13); LSU, Michigan, Notre Dame and Oklahoma (12); Alabama (11); and Oregon and Penn State (10).

As far as conferences, the Big Ten edges the SEC, 113-106. After that, it’s the ACC (60) and Big 12 (50) on the P4 level. As for G5 conferences, it’s the American (21); MAC (15); Mountain West (14); and CUSA and Sun Belt (13). Once again, the American comes out in front of the rest of the G5 by a pretty wide margin, relatively speaking. It will probably stay that way until Memphis and South Florida get admitted into a P4 conference, as they both hope to do.

Which school has the most wide receivers?: After counting the pure power players (i.e., offensive linemen), I wanted to get a measure of which schools were home to most pure speed players. I chose wide receivers to be the gauge. Once again, Ohio State came out on top, tying with Ole Miss (9). Pretty crazy that one team has such a wealth of talent across the board. After the Buckeyes and Rebels, it’s Alabama, LSU and Texas (7); then Georgia, Stanford, TCU, Tennessee and USC (6); then Clemson, Florida, North Carolina, Notre Dame, USC and Texas A&M (5); and eight teams that tied with four.

As far as conferences, the SEC (69) comes out pretty well ahead of the Big Ten (58). Then it’s the ACC (42) and the Big 12 (36). Among the G5, it’s the Mountain West (13).

If you dig this kind of thing, make sure to check out our Friday Wrap newsletter, in which we look at which NFL teams did the best at evaluating talent, based on current NFL rosters. You can register for it here.