In this episode of Next Up with Adam Breneman, presented by Teamworks, Florida State General Manager of Personnel Darrick Yray joins Adam to break down how a modern college program actually builds a roster from high school recruiting vs. the portal, to retention as strategy, to culture built through competition. He shares the lesson he’s learned from Mike Norvell’s consistency, why comparing NIL/revenue sharing to the NFL is “lazy,” and the single trait he refuses to compromise: “Do you love football?”

Watch the full episode with Kenny Dillingham:

It’s rare to get a behind-the-scenes look at the hiring process of a head coach.

SUBSCRIBE ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@NextUpWithAdam?sub_confirmation=1

FOLLOW NEXT UP WITH ADAM:

On Next Up, college football analyst Adam Breneman sits down with the most influential names in college sports and lets them tell their stories unfiltered, direct to the fans.

Adam is a former All-American, Penn State alum and media personality. Front Office Sports is the leading multi-platform media and news organization covering the intersection of sports, business and culture.

Virginia Head Coach Tony Elliott joins Next Up with Adam Breneman to talk culture, NIL, portal strategy, and what it really takes to get UVA to Charlotte. Elliott explains why he chose Virginia—elite academics, true alignment with AD Carla Williams and university leadership, and a faith-driven belief that he could build a program the right way. He details the foundation work most people don’t see: tiny standards (yes, flushing the toilets) that create accountability, consistency, and peer leadership in the locker room.

Watch the full episode with Brennan Marion: https://youtu.be/PjQvDIYZtE0

They passed him over. He kept showing up.

For sponsorships or business inquiries reach out to: [email protected]

SUBSCRIBE ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@NextUpWithAdam?sub_confirmation=1

FOLLOW NEXT UP WITH ADAM:

On Next Up, college football analyst Adam Breneman sits down with the most influential names in college sports and lets them tell their stories unfiltered, direct to the fans.

Adam is a former All-American, Penn State alum and media personality. Front Office Sports is the leading multi-platform media and news organization covering the intersection of sports, business and culture.

This week on Next Up with Adam Breneman, Mississippi State Head Coach Jeff Lebby joins the show to talk about the journey of rebuilding a program in the heart of the SEC. From taking over a team that had seen four head coaches in five years, to bringing in more than 60 new players and creating instant belief, Lebby opens up on how he’s building stability and momentum in Starkville.

:50 - Reflections of first years at Mississippi State

2:24 - First adjustments when taking Head Coaching job

3:32 - Why Mississippi State

4:40 - First year at Mississippi State

6:45 - Momentum at Mississippi State

7:54 - Getting buy-in from transfer portal players

10:25 - Reflecting on 2-10 year

11:40 - Identity of Mississippi State Football

12:28 - Investment from University into football program

13:47 - Spring ball

14:40 - Installing Coach Lebby’s Offense

15:47 - Talent acquisition at Mississippi State

17:07 - Tennessee matchup preview

18:00 - Locker room after beating ASU

18:49 - Dealing with outside noise

19:46 - Approach to analytics

20:53 - Day in the life

22:48 - Growth of Starkville

23:37 - Preparing players for life after football

24:47 - Traits Coach Lebby looks for in young coaches

25:53 - Non-negotiables for recruits and portal players

26:45 - Coach Lebby’s Legacy

27:20 - Future of Mississippi State

28:07 - Coach Lebby’s why

Watch the full episode with James Franklin: https://youtu.be/xPES1GMZl50

Everyone wanted Jim Knowles.

For sponsorships or business inquiries reach out to: [email protected]

SUBSCRIBE ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@NextUpWithAdam?sub_confirmation=1

FOLLOW NEXT UP WITH ADAM:

On Next Up, college football analyst Adam Breneman sits down with the most influential names in college sports and lets them tell their stories unfiltered, direct to the fans.

This week on Next Up with Adam Breneman, Congressman Russell Fry joins the show to talk about the SCORE Act, his bipartisan proposal to bring stability back to college athletics.

Fry explains why the current NIL and transfer portal landscape feels like the Wild West, and how the SCORE Act aims to create a single national standard. We dive into what the bill means for athletes, schools, and fans: protecting student-athletes from predatory agent contracts, ensuring financial education, preserving Olympic and non-revenue sports, and guaranteeing that players can profit from their name, image, and likeness.

The conversation also covers why athletes should remain student-athletes rather than employees, the balance between revenue sharing and true NIL deals, and the NCAA’s future role if the legislation passes. Congressman Fry shares his perspective as a lifelong South Carolina sports fan, and why he believes this bill is crucial to saving the future of college sports.

PRIZEPICKS: Get $50 in lineups when you play $5 with code "NEXTUP": https://prizepicks.onelink.me/ivHR/NextUp

For sponsorships or business inquiries reach out to: [email protected]

SUBSCRIBE HERE:  https://www.youtube.com/@NextUpWithAdam?sub_confirmation=1

FOLLOW NEXT UP WITH ADAM: 

INSTAGRAM |  https://shorturl.at/d9IdQ

X | https://x.com/NextUpWithAdam

TIKTOK | https://shorturl.at/qasuc

SPOTIFY | https://shorturl.at/5ZdaK

APPLE PODCASTS | https://shorturl.at/mW49D

CHAPTERS:

0:00 - Intro

1:34 - South Carolina Football

2:09 - Why College Athletics matter so much

3:28 - Congressman Fry’s journey

4:20 - Breaking down the SCORE Act

6:16 - Pillars of the SCORE Act

8:06 - How the SCORE Act Affects Agents

10:14 - Salary cap vs true NIL

11:51 - President Trump’s support on the SCORE Act

12:56 - Student-Athletes as employees

14:32 - Feedback on the SCORE Act

15:46 - SCORE Act in Congress

16:42 - Most consistent pushback on the SCORE Act

17:27 - Misconceptions about the SCORE Act

18:08 - NCAA’s role in SCORE Act

19:10 - Implementation of SCORE Act

20:30 - Watching college athletics change

21:49 - Giving student-athletes a voice

22:56 - Why the SCORE Act matters

23:53 - Charlie Kirk

On Next Up, college football analyst Adam Breneman sits down with the most influential names in college sports and lets them tell their stories unfiltered, direct to the fans. 

Next Up is a Front Office Sports Network show featuring candid, open, and honest conversations with the most impactful figures in college sports including head coaches, athletes, athletic directors, commissioners, entrepreneurs, media personalities, agents, and executives shaping the business of college sports. 

Adam is a former All-American, Penn State alum and media personality. Front Office Sports is the leading multi-platform media and news organization covering the intersection of sports, business and culture.

The structure. The discipline. The standard — every single day.

Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/XZQ3WPnFoX4

For sponsorships or business inquiries reach out to: [email protected]

SUBSCRIBE ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@NextUpWithAdam?sub_confirmation=1

FOLLOW NEXT UP WITH ADAM:

On Next Up, college football analyst Adam Breneman sits down with the most influential names in college sports and lets them tell their stories unfiltered, direct to the fans.

Ohio State Athletic Director Ross Bjork joins Adam Breneman for a candid, wide-ranging conversation on leading one of the biggest brands in college sports. Bjork reflects on his first days in Columbus—pinch-yourself moments in the same department as Woody Hayes and Jesse Owens—while laying out how he’s protecting a strong culture and modernizing the Buckeyes’ athletic department for what’s next.

https://prizepicks.onelink.me/ivHR/NextUp

[email protected]

0:00 - Intro

1:53 - First Days as Ohio State AD

3:40 - First Changes at Ohio State

6:18 - Advice from Gene Smith

7:31 - Process of getting Ohio State AD job

13:18 - First impression of Ryan Day

17:04 - Game Day as Ohio State’s AD

20:35 - Improving the Ohio State Football program

22:35 - NIL and Revenue Sharing

28:30 - Future governance of college sports

31:16 - How many teams in CFP?

33:27 - Hiring coaches as an AD

35:04 - Best part of the job

36:00 - Advice to Ross at Western Kentucky

37:04 - Ross Bjork’s why

Drake Lindsey wasn’t supposed to be here. An underrated recruit from Arkansas with no SEC offers - now he’s the starting quarterback at Minnesota, leading a Big Ten offense at just 19 years old.

For sponsorships or business inquiries reach out to: [email protected]

SUBSCRIBE ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@NextUpWithAdam?sub_confirmation=1

FOLLOW NEXT UP WITH ADAM:

On Next Up, college football analyst Adam Breneman sits down with the most influential names in college sports and lets them tell their stories unfiltered, direct to the fans.