Behind the Blueprint: The Architects of College Football

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 breaks down how SMU aligns recruiting operations with coaching vision and why transparency and authenticity have become key to roster retention in the portal era. 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 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 levels. We also dig into balancing high school recruiting with the portal, managing roster risk, and how personnel roles continue to evolve in today’s college football landscape.

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 you stay up to date on opportunities and job movement across the sport.

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 showed up differently in this setting and why the model could shape future portal cycles.

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 stay up to date on opportunities and movement across the sport.

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 how he identifies under-the-radar talent through the portal, JUCO, and high school ranks, plus the intangibles he values most when prospects visit campus.

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 stay up to date on opportunities and job movement across college football.

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 program behind the scenes. Our partner, The Coach Portal, is built by coaches for coaches and streamlines recruiting and hiring with a large, customizable database of coaches that makes the entire process faster and easier.

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 unique philosophy that blends development, data, and culture. A quick note from our partner, Coach Portal: a platform built by coaches for coaches to build authentic networks, discover mutual connections, get endorsements, and connect directly with hiring staffs.

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 helps you navigate job openings, network, and grow your career with ease.

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 and the program, and creating opportunities in a landscape that’s constantly changing. Her journey is a reminder that perseverance pays off—and that impact goes far beyond Saturdays.

Behind the Blueprint is presented in partnership with The Coach Portal, a platform built by coaches for coaches that streamlines recruiting and hiring through a large, customizable database, saving time and effort every step of the way.

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 the program’s culture and process. Josh also shares how JUCO and transfer recruiting fit into their strategy, the growing role of analytics, and what fans don’t see behind the scenes of building a college football roster.