Behind the Blueprint: The Architects of College Football

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 what he sees coming next for the future of college football.

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 era and the unseen hours that go into building a roster.

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 true to its Pacific Northwest roots, and what fans don’t see behind the scenes of roster construction.

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 shaped his approach and why recruiting operations behind the scenes are more demanding than most fans realize.

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 sustainable program in today’s college football landscape.

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 portal windows.

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 measurables, and what it means to be a true “players’ GM.” It’s a candid look at the grind behind building a program at the Group of Five level.

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. It’s an inside look at the grind and creativity behind Navy’s recruiting blueprint.

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 philosophy of “controlling the controllables.” It’s a deep dive into the unseen grind behind SMU’s success.

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 influencing today’s game, along with the key traits he looks for when evaluating players.