Behind the Blueprint: The Architects of College Football

In this episode, we sit down with Tyler Wrice, the first-ever GM at South Dakota State, to break down his unconventional path from high school coach to leading roster strategy at the FCS level. Tyler shares how evaluating raw movement and long-term development at the high school level shaped his approach to talent identification, and what changed when he stepped into a role defined by urgency, ros...

In this episode, I sit down with DJ Mann to unpack his journey from Texas high school head coach to Director of Offensive Player Personnel, and how that path shaped his eye for talent. DJ shares the mindset shift required to jump to the college level, why scheme fit often outweighs star rankings, and the intangibles that separate good players from great ones. The conversation dives into the realit...

In this episode of Behind the Blueprint, I chat with Colton Korn, Director of Player Personnel and General Manager at Liberty, to unpack his journey from unpaid intern delivering pizzas to leading roster construction at the Group of Five level. Colton shares how sleeping under a desk during his early days at Coastal Carolina shaped his work ethic, and how learning organization and communication at...

In this episode of Behind the Blueprint, I chat with Albert Garcia, Director of Recruiting Strategy & High School Personnel at Stanford, to unpack his journey from learning talent evaluation at Houston and Fresno State to building three straight top-40 recruiting classes at Stanford. Albert shares how mentors like Bobby Merritt and Marcus Tubbs shaped his approach to spotting traits that translate...

In this episode of Behind the Blueprint, I chat with Bryan Filker, Director of Recruiting Operations, to unpack his rapid rise through multiple recruiting and personnel roles at SMU. Bryan shares how starting in the transfer portal grind shaped his understanding of roster building, while deeper involvement with recruits helped him discover the importance of relationships beyond evaluation. He also...

In this episode of Behind the Blueprint, I sit down with Nick Valente, Director of Player Personnel at Campbell, to talk about his journey from an undergraduate recruiting assistant at UConn to leading a department of his own. Nick shares how early hands-on experience and mentorship under GM Eddie Herndon shaped his approach, along with the biggest differences between recruiting at the FBS and FCS...

In this episode of Behind the Blueprint, I sit down with Mason Behiel to break down how Tulsa reimagined the transfer portal with the creation of the Portal House. Mason shares how the idea came together, why operating out of a shared house created a real competitive advantage, and how the environment helped both staff efficiency and player evaluation. He also explains why culture and authenticity...

In this episode of Behind the Blueprint, I sit down with Owen Hoehn, Director of Player Personnel at Central State, to explore what roster building looks like at the Division II level. Owen shares how taking on real responsibility at a young age has shaped his approach to recruiting, evaluation, and retention, and why relationships matter even more when resources are limited. He also breaks down h...

Up next on Behind the Blueprint, I chat with Jax Egan, EKU’s Director of Player Personnel, about his journey from Kansas to Eastern Kentucky and how he’s approaching recruiting, evaluation, and building a culture in today’s college football landscape. From developing high school talent to navigating the transfer portal and retention strategies, Jax breaks down what it takes to build a winning prog...

On this episode of Behind the Blueprint, I sit down with West Virginia GM Chuck Lillie for a deep dive into how modern roster building really works. Chuck walks through everything from high school evals and portal strategy to NIL value, player retention, and the competitive DNA he looks for in every prospect. His path through Oklahoma, Kansas State, Clemson, and even the New York Giants shaped a u...

Jonny Camer went from analyzing NFL prospects as a writer to leading scouting at Air Force. In this episode of Behind the Blueprint, he shares how mentorship, creativity, and a focus on character and potential drive his approach to evaluating talent — and what fans don’t see behind the scenes of building a roster. We're proud to partner with Coach Portal. Built by coaches for coaches, Coach Portal...

Coming full circle, Beca Perez is back where it all started—San Jose State. After stops at Army and Stanford, she’s returned to her alma mater as Director of Recruiting, bringing a wealth of experience and perspective from some of the most unique programs in college football. In our conversation, Beca shares what she’s learned about building relationships, finding players who fit both the culture...

On this episode of Behind the Blueprint, I sit down with Silas Clapham, Director of College Scouting at the University of Washington. From his early days at Nevada to leading scouting efforts in the Big Ten, Silas shares what it’s been like navigating the evolving world of recruiting, NIL, and player retention — and how he’s grown into a leadership role early in his career.

On this episode of Behind the Blueprint, I sit down with Prairie View A&M Director of Player Personnel, Josh McDade, to talk about his journey from Division III player to building and leading a player personnel department. We dive into how his playing and coaching background shapes his approach to evaluation, the importance of relationships in recruiting, and how Prairie View’s “Blueprint” defines...

In this episode of Behind the Blueprint, I sit down with Darren Kagey, Assistant Director of Football Research at Miami (OH). We talk about his path from student analytics assistant to his current role, how he’s driving efficiency in recruiting and roster management, and why analytics today goes far beyond just 4th-down calls. Darren also shares how data is changing the transfer portal game and wh...

In this episode of Behind the Blueprint, I sit down with Adrian Manning, Grambling State’s Director of High School Recruiting and Player Personnel. We talk about why relationships still drive recruiting, how he uses Grambling’s storied legacy to connect with athletes, and the way he evaluates toughness and character beyond measurables. Adrian also shares his perspective on development in the NIL e...

In this episode of Behind the Blueprint, I sit down with Andrew Morgan, Assistant Director of Football Recruiting at the University of Idaho. Andrew shares how his time at Arizona shaped his approach to talent evaluation, blending data, film, and character assessment to build strong rosters. We also talk about why relationships matter more than ever in the transfer portal era, how Idaho is staying...

On the next episode of Behind the Blueprint, I sit down with Matthew Solomon as he begins his first season with Nevada as a player personnel intern. We discuss his transition from Rice to the Mountain West, how he evaluates talent across high school, JuCo, and the transfer portal, and the lessons he’s carried over from agency scouting. Matthew also shares how building analytic models at Rice shape...

In this episode of Behind the Blueprint, I sit down with Wisconsin’s Director of Player Personnel, Ethan Russo. From his early days at Rice and Utah to leading departments at UNLV and North Texas, Ethan has seen it all and each stop shaped his approach to roster building. We talk about navigating the NIL and transfer portal era, the importance of retention, and what it really takes to build a sust...

Next on Behind the Blueprint, I sit down with Mike Kershaw, the General Manager at Kennesaw State. After years as a coach, including a stint as head coach at Mississippi College, Kershaw has stepped into one of college football’s fastest-evolving roles. We talk about roster management in the NIL era, the importance of speed in today’s game, and what fans don’t see during the chaos of transfer port...

In this episode of Behind the Blueprint, I chat with Hunter Sims, the General Manager at Old Dominion. From starting out as a student assistant and high school coach to working at Troy and Tulane, Hunter shares how his journey shaped his approach to personnel and player development. We dive into how he balances recruiting, retention, and NIL in today’s game, why character matters more than measura...

Next on Behind the Blueprint, I sit down with Courtney Weiner, Director of On-Campus Recruiting at Navy. From her start as a student worker at Elon, to Columbia, and now to Annapolis, Courtney shares how each stop shaped her approach to recruiting. We talk about making every visit impactful, the unique challenges of recruiting at a service academy, and why relationships are at the core of her work...

In this episode of Behind the Blueprint, I sit down with Jeremiah Wait, Director of Defensive Personnel and NFL Liaison at SMU. We talk about SMU’s rise into the ACC, how the program has built strong recruiting pipelines in Texas, and why retention has become a key strength in today’s transfer era. Jeremiah also shares lessons from his mentors, what he looks for in defensive players, and his philo...

On this episode of Behind the Blueprint, I sit down with Arizona General Manager Gaizka Crowley to discuss his unique path from football technology into building rosters at the college level. We talk about how his experiences across the FCS, Group of Five, and Power Four have shaped his approach to recruiting and roster construction. Gaizka also shares how technology, analytics, and NIL are influe...

In this episode of Behind the Blueprint, I talk with CJ Olson, Vanderbilt’s Director of Salary Cap Management. CJ shares how his unique mix of data analysis, legal work, and player personnel experience is shaping how Vanderbilt navigates today’s complex college football landscape. We dig into how he balances analytics with contracts, supports coaches, and adapts to the NIL and transfer portal era.