Behind the Blueprint: The Architects of College Football

On this episode of Behind the Blueprint, we’re joined by Sam Popper, Associat General Manager at San Diego State.

Sam shares how college football’s evolving GM role is changing roster construction, player evaluation, retention, and recruiting, and why the best programs often succeed by doing the basics really well.

We also dig into the role of data and AI in player identification, revenue sharing, and what fans don’t see behind the scenes of running a college football practice.

Before we hear from Sam, a quick word from our partner, The Coach Portal. Built by coaches for coaches, it streamlines recruiting and hiring by giving access to a large, customizable database of coaches—saving time and effort.

On this episode of Behind the Blueprint, we’re joined by Cameron Borges, Director of Player Personnel at Brown University.

Cameron takes us inside how Brown evaluates talent, from film and physical traits to academics, competitiveness, character, and overall fit. We also discuss roster construction, the transfer portal, retention, and why the Ivy League is playing some of its best football right now.

And Cameron shares a behind-the-scenes look at the people and sacrifices that make college football programs work, both on and off the field.

And before we dive in, here’s a quick word from our partner, The Coach Portal — a platform built by coaches, for coaches, to simplify job searches and make networking more authentic.

On this episode of Behind the Blueprint, I sit down with Matt Gaynor, Director of Player Personnel at New Mexico State, to break down what roster building looks like in today’s college football landscape. We talk about the shift from traditional high school recruiting to a portal-driven model, why retention has become more important, how Matt evaluates players beyond the measurables, and how NIL has changed the way programs approach roster construction.

Before we dive in, a quick word from our partner, Coach Portal. Coach Portal is a platform built by coaches, for coaches, designed to simplify the job search and help coaches easily stay up to date on opportunities and job movement across the sport.

On this episode of Behind the Blueprint, I sit down with Adrian Manning,Assistant Director of Scouting at K-State, to take a closer look at the people, processes and decisions that go into building a successful college football program. We discuss his journey through the personnel space, how roster construction and player evaluation have evolved, and what it takes to identify the right players and build relationships that extend beyond the field.

Before we dive in, a quick word from our partner, Coach Portal. Coach Portal is a platform built by coaches, for coaches, designed to simplify the job search and help coaches easily stay up to date on opportunities and job movement across the sport.

On this episode of Behind the Blueprint, I sit down with Caleb Davis, San Diego State’s first-ever general manager, to talk about what it really takes to build a championship roster in the new era of college football. We get into why fit matters more than simply chasing the highest-rated talent, how retention has become just as important as recruiting, and where the transfer portal, NIL and revenue sharing fit into a long-term roster strategy. Caleb also shares what he looks for in prospects beyond the film, how relationships shape recruiting, and what the GM role actually looks like behind the scenes.

Behind the Blueprint is proud to partner with Coach Portal. They are supporting coaches in reaching their goals and building lasting careers in the game.

On this episode of Behind the Blueprint, I sit down with North Texas Assistant General Manager/Director of Scouting.

Jarae Thurmond to explore what really goes into building a college football roster in today's rapidly changing landscape. We discuss why relationships matter more than recruiting rankings, how he evaluates prospects beyond the highlight tape, the role analytics and NIL play in modern roster management, and why the work that wins on Saturdays actually happens long before kickoff.

Before we dive in, hear from our partner Coach Portal, a platform built by coaches for coaches to simplify the job search process and help you stay connected to real opportunities across the coaching landscape.

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, roster construction, and constant decision-making.

He dives into how playing experience influences roster building, why South Dakota State prioritizes high school development over a portal-heavy approach, and how to balance production vs. potential in today’s recruiting landscape. Tyler also unpacks what it means to “build the plane while flying it” as a first-time GM, the importance of culture and fit, and why mental health and the human side of athletes are often overlooked in the broader conversation around college football.

Before we dive in, hear from our partner Coach Portal, a platform built by coaches for coaches to simplify the job search process and help you stay connected to real opportunities across the coaching landscape.

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 realities of evaluating transfer portal talent versus high school prospects, how relationships and background intel influence recruiting decisions, and the evolving role of NIL in building a balanced roster. DJ also offers a candid look at the behind-the-scenes work fans don’t see, where character, environment, and long-term fit matter just as much as on-field production.

Before we dive in, hear from our partner Coach Portal, a platform built by coaches for coaches to simplify the job search process and help you stay connected to real opportunities across the coaching landscape.

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 The Citadel helped form the foundation of his recruiting philosophy.

Before we dive in, a quick word from our partner, Coach Portal. Coach Portal is a platform built by coaches, for coaches, designed to simplify the job search and help coaches easily stay up to date on opportunities and job movement across the sport.

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 from high school to the NFL, and how being at G5 programs taught him to find and maximize a player’s “superpowers.”

Before we dive in, a quick word from our partner, Coach Portal. Coach Portal is a platform built by coaches, for coaches, designed to simplify the job search and help coaches easily stay up to date on opportunities and job movement across the sport.