Next Up with Adam Breneman

In this episode of Next Up with Adam Breneman, presented by Teamworks, Vanderbilt GM Barton Simmons joins the show for an unfiltered look into what it actually takes to build a college football roster in 2025. From the chaos of the transfer portal to the complexity of NIL and data analytics, Barton explains how his role has evolved into one of the most important front office jobs in the sport. Barton shares how he went from being the Director of Scouting at 247Sports to running roster strategy in the SEC, why evaluating talent is more about minimizing misses than maximizing hits, and what it really feels like to build a program from the ground up alongside lifelong friend Clark Lea. They get into recruiting philosophies, how to watch highlight tapes the right way, why multi-sport athletes matter, and how Vanderbilt is using a year-by-year strategy to balance high school recruiting and portal acquisitions. Barton also opens up about the future of NIL, revenue sharing, and what college football looks like when a salary cap becomes real. And through it all, one thing becomes clear he genuinely believes Vanderbilt can win a national championship, and he’s not afraid to say it out loud. This conversation is part of a larger look—presented by our partners at Teamworks—at how NFL-style general managers are changing college football. Their end-to-end solution, Teamworks GM, is purpose-built for this new era. PRIZEPICKS: Get a $50 bonus from PrizePicks with code "NEXTUP": https://prizepicks.onelink.me/ivHR/NextUp For sponsorships or business inquiries reach out to: advertising@frontofficesports.com 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 1:39 - Getting the GM job at Vanderbilt 3:31 - Process rebuilding Vanderbilt 6:05 - Day in the Life as Vanderbilt Football GM 8:40 -Evaluation process 12:18 - Transfer Portal process 15:16 - Using Data to make decisions at Vanderbilt 22:13 - Common denominator across best players 25:50 - Reviewing highlight tapes 31:55 - Building a team from high school recruits vs. transfer portal players 35:24 - Future of NIL 40:25 - Importance of recruiting rankings 46:25 - Best Clark Lea story 51:00 - Success at Vanderbilt 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.

Baylor starting quarterback Sawyer Robertson sits down with Adam Breneman for a raw and inspiring conversation ahead of the 2025 college football season. In this episode of Next Up, Sawyer opens up about his unlikely journey—from growing up a baseball-first kid in Lubbock, Texas, to playing for Mike Leach at Mississippi State, and eventually earning the starting job at Baylor. He reflects on the moment he took over as QB1, the adversity he faced battling injuries, and the breakthrough game that proved he was built for this stage. Sawyer shares unforgettable stories about Coach Leach, including how Leach once read “The Little Engine That Could” to the entire team to boost their confidence after a tough loss. He also discusses his leadership evolution, how he prepares each week as the starting QB, and why playing multiple sports shaped him into the competitor he is today. With remarkable honesty, Sawyer talks about the lowest moment in his career—when Coach Leach passed away—and how his faith carried him through it. He gives fans a unique look into his relationship with Coach Dave Aranda, what NIL has really meant to him as a team leader, and the game he has circled this fall. He even shares what life after football might look like, his goals for this season, and the advice he’d give to his 18-year-old self walking onto campus for the first time. Most importantly, he explains his “why”—the deeper purpose that drives everything he does. PRIZEPICKS: Get a $50 bonus from PrizePicks with code "NEXTUP": https://prizepicks.onelink.me/ivHR/NextUp For sponsorships or business inquiries reach out to: advertising@frontofficesports.com 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 1:28 - Taking over as a starter 2:19 - Ups and downs as a starter 3:14 - Sawyer’s breakthrough moment 4:34 - Battling adversity & injuries 5:48 - Sawyer’s recruiting process 7:20 - Mike Leach 10:12 - Playing at Baylor 11:00 - Playing baseball 12:22 - Sawyer’s scouting report 13:50 - Sawyer’s Leadership Progression 15:20 - Path to being a starter 17:31 - Relationship with Coach Aranda 19:12 - Game week prep 22:55 - Overcoming adversity 25:50 - Family  27:48 - Offseason development 28:44 -  A game circled on the schedule  29:32 - Who Sawyer Robertson is 30:35 - NIL as the starting QB at Baylor 32:46 - Life after football 33:44 - Goals for this season 34:50 - Advice to 18-year-old Sawyer 36:02 - Sawyer’s why 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.

Dan Furman is one of the leading voices in the college sports business, joins Adam Breneman for a powerful and revealing conversation. As the head of Louisville’s official NIL collective, Dan has overseen tens of millions of dollars in athlete payments, and helped redefine how collectives, schools, and players operate in this new era of college athletics. In this episode, Dan shares how 502 Circle started with just $12,000 in the bank and scaled into one of the most sophisticated and respected collectives in the country. He opens up about the realities of running seven-figure monthly payrolls, the daily chaos of the transfer portal, and why player negotiations now resemble professional free agency. From in-house battles over donor dollars to dealing with underqualified agents and “runners,” Dan lays out the messy, high-stakes truth behind the NIL headlines. Adam and Dan also dive deep into the impact of the new revenue-sharing model and how the College Sports Commission is reshaping the rules of engagement. Dan reveals what top players are actually making by position, how locker room dynamics are affected by incoming transfers, and what agents get wrong (and right) in this system. He also discusses launching Floyd Street Media with College Sports Co. one of the first media networks run by a collective, and why storytelling and brand-building are now essential tools in recruiting and fundraising. If you're a coach, fan, administrator, parent, or athlete trying to understand the business of college sports in 2025, this episode is a must-watch. PRIZEPICKS: Get a $50 bonus from PrizePicks with code "NEXTUP": https://prizepicks.onelink.me/ivHR/NextUp For sponsorships or business inquiries reach out to: advertising@frontofficesports.com 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 3:15 - Louisville’s NIL Collective 8:33 - Managing Relationships with Players, Coaches, & Donors 10:40 - Paying Athletes in 2026 14:17 - College Sports Commission 18:58 - Craziest Transfer Portal Story & NIL Agents 24:43 - Having 1 Transfer Portal Window 28:03 - What Top Players Make In College Football 33:25 - Negotiating with Current Players vs. Portal Players 37:42 - What the Best Agents Do 40:45 - Floyd Street Media 45:25 - Advice for Getting into Sports Industry 47:28 - Toughest Moment at Louisville Collective 49:43 - Advice to a 17-year-old Athlete 53:08 - Biggest Misconception about NIL 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.

Army plays by different rules. No NIL collectives. No revenue sharing. Strict admissions standards. And still… they win. Jeff Monken breaks down how they recruit, why they use analytics to gain an edge, and what makes Army football so different. Watch the full episode with Jeff Monken: https://youtu.be/nHl7cbHHMU4 For sponsorships or business inquiries reach out to: advertising@frontofficesports.com SUBSCRIBE ON YOUTUBE: 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 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.

In this episode, Adam Breneman sits down with Missouri quarterback Beau Pribula for a raw, emotional, and wide-ranging conversation, recorded right in Beau’s hometown of York, Pennsylvania. From living out his childhood dream at Penn State to navigating the complexities of the transfer portal, NIL, and a position battle with Drew Allar, Beau opens up like never before. He shares the behind-the-scenes story of leaving Penn State before the playoffs, how he chose Missouri, and why he feels like his journey is just beginning. They talk about leadership, doubt, money, pressure, and what it really means to compete, on and off the field. For the first time, Beau shares the moment he knew he could be a great college quarterback, what fans haven’t seen from him yet, and how he's using this next chapter to prove he belongs among the best in the country. Whether you’re a Penn State fan, a Missouri supporter, or just love college football, this is one of the most honest and insightful conversations you’ll hear all year. PRIZEPICKS: Get a $50 bonus from PrizePicks with code "NEXTUP": https://prizepicks.onelink.me/ivHR/NextUp For sponsorships or business inquiries reach out to: advertising@frontofficesports.com 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 2:13 - Most proud moment of Beau’s career 4:53 - High School recruitment 8:46 - Committing to Penn State 10:52 - Biggest lesson from Drew Allar 11:40 - Being a hometown kid at Penn State 13:03 - Leaving Penn State 15:55 - Mindset through 2024 season 21:05 - Transfer Portal process 23:17 - Non-negotiables during portal process 24:42 - Missouri visit 28:24 - Arriving at Missouri 29:05 - NIL deal at Missouri 31:41 - Missouri spring ball 32:32 - Advice to 18-year-old Beau 33:34 - Goals at Missouri 35:17 - Being a spark at Penn State 38:14 - Best advice from a coach 39:44 - Investment strategy with NIL money 43:10 - Family 45:06 - Reflecting on time at Penn State 45:39 - Chip on Beau’s shoulder 48:12 - Beau’s why 48:52 - Best athlete at Penn State 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.

In this engaging discussion, Jeff Monken, Head Coach of the Army Black Knights, shares his inspiring journey revitalizing the Army football program. He discusses the culture shift he implemented, emphasizing leadership that extends beyond the gridiron. Monken delves into the strategic use of analytics, the return to the triple-option offense, and the exceptional qualities of players like quarterback Bryson Daly. He also reflects on overcoming adversity in his coaching career and the vital role of serving and developing young athletes.

In this episode of Next Up with Adam Breneman, Sacramento State head coach Brennan Marion opens up like never before. From being broke in his 20s to getting passed over for head coaching jobs — including his own alma mater — Marion has stayed true to himself, even when it cost him opportunities. Now, he’s one of the most innovative minds in football. Marion shares what it was like getting the call for his first head coaching job, the infrastructure he immediately changed at Sac State, and how his journey shaped the edge he brings to the sideline. He dives deep into creating the Go-Go Offense — a system built to win even without top-tier talent — and the grit it took to build it from nothing. Marion and Adam talk about the broken parts of the current NIL system, how a head coach has to balance being loved by players with making ruthless decisions, and what fans don’t understand about the business of college football. Marion explains why he believes “one great year can change your life” — and how that mindset has guided him every step of the way. PRIZEPICKS: Get a $50 bonus from PrizePicks with code "NEXTUP": https://prizepicks.onelink.me/ivHR/NextUp For sponsorships or business inquiries reach out to: advertising@frontofficesports.com 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 1:14 - Day 1 at Sacramento State & Getting the Job 3:02 - First thoughts about Sacramento State  4:07 - Interviewing Process for Head Coaching Jobs 6:53 - Experience leading up to Being a Head Coach 8:53 - Early Coaching Career 12:05 - Creating the Go-Go Offense 16:26 - Toughest Coaching Interview 19:49 - Toughest part of becoming a 1st time Head Coach 22:00 - NIL thoughts 25:15 - Balancing Relationships with Players 28:44 - “One Great Year Can Change Your Life” 32:15 - Business of Head Coaching 34:25 - NIL support at Sacramento State 35:22 - Family 36:55 - First Purchase After Becoming Head Coach  37:29 - Rapid Fire QnA 39:30 - Defining Moment In Coach Marion’s Career 43:31 - Defining Success at Sacramento State 44:42 - Roster Management  46:50 - Coach Marion’s Why 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.

Gary Vaynerchuk joins Next Up with Adam Breneman for a raw, unfiltered conversation about ownership, obsession, AI, NIL, and what it really takes to build something that lasts. From building his dad’s company from $3 to $60 million and walking away with nothing, to firing his best friend in order to save his company, Gary opens up about the moments that defined his career. He shares why he believes most coaches are losing the locker room, how NIL money is exposing, not changing, young athletes, and why his advice to 17-year-olds getting paid is simple: tune your parents out. This episode dives into everything from Gary’s mindset on momentum to the reality of working 100-hour weeks in his 20s, and why balance is relative. He also goes deep on the future of AI, predicting a world where our grandkids might marry robots, where Google becomes obsolete, and where athletes could be replaced by AI-powered machines. Whether you’re building a $100M media company, trying to make it as a young athlete, or figuring out how to balance life and ambition, this episode delivers a masterclass in mindset, sacrifice, and execution. PRIZEPICKS: Get a $50 bonus from PrizePicks with code "NEXTUP": https://prizepicks.onelink.me/ivHR/NextUp For sponsorships or business inquiries reach out to: advertising@frontofficesports.com 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 1:26 - Most Defining Moment of Gary’s career 7:18 - Lessons starting Vaynermedia  8:37 - Getting first clients at Vaynermedia  9:17 - Reflecting on Vaynermedia  11:46 - VaynerX ecosystem  15:50 - Best hire in the last few years 19:52 - Work-Life Balance  25:20 - Momentum  28:25 - When Gary first felt like he was rich 30:11 - Aggressiveness with money  31:28 - Hiring your friends   33:07 - Building a brand as a Head Football Coach 35:44 - Dealing with money and attention as a CFB recruit 38:40 - Ai in 10 years 42:44 - Implementing AI in everyday life 43:30 - Traits of top 1% entrepreneurs 44:25 - 1 piece of advice Gary would leave his children 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.

Fran Brown joins Adam Breneman for a raw, no-filter conversation about how he transformed Syracuse football in year one. From being counted out in the hiring process to creating a culture built on D.A.R.T. — detailed, accountable, relentless, tough, Fran shares what it really takes to build a program that lasts. He opens up about his Camden roots, his journey through adversity, the lessons he learned at Georgia under Kirby Smart, and why he believes Syracuse is just getting started. This episode is packed with real stories, not coachspeak. Fran talks NIL, leadership, recruiting, player development, and his why: family, community, and a deep belief that football can change lives. He shares the moment professors showed up to spring practice, how he approached his first meeting with the team, his raw and unfiltered recruiting philosophy, the story behind texting the AD himself to get the job, and why he still believes to this day: “none of them can beat me.” PRIZEPICKS: Get a $50 bonus from PrizePicks with code "NEXTUP": https://prizepicks.onelink.me/ivHR/NextUp 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 For sponsorships or business inquiries reach out to: advertising@frontofficesports.com CHAPTERS: 0:00 - Intro 1:18 - Day 1 on the job 3:57 - Building a staff 7:14 - Process of getting the job 11:36 - Hardest moment in year 1 15:41 - D.A.R.T. Mentality 16:54 - Moment of adversity 18:56 - Why Syracuse 21:15 - Interview with Kirby Smart 22:49 - Number 1 lesson learned from Georgia 24:57 - Being a great recruiter 28:10 - Best recruiting win and loss 30:45 - Elijah Robinson 34:00 - NIL & Financial Literacy at Syracuse 42:07 - Coaching Kyle McCord 44:38 - When Coach Brown knew Syracuse was going to have a big year 45:44 - Game managing 47:10 - Overcoming adversity in coaching career 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.

Texas Tech GM James Blanchard joins Adam Breneman to break down how he helped turn the Red Raiders into one of the most well-resourced, forward-thinking programs in college football.  He shares what a day in the life of a GM looks like, how Texas Tech built the #1 transfer portal class, and why NIL has completely changed the landscape. Blanchard explains the NFL-style structure of their front office, what it takes to recruit elite talent, and how they evaluate players before they even enter the portal.  He also talks about turning down the Notre Dame job, building a $250 million football “resort,” and what it will take to bring a Big 12 title to Lubbock. This is one of the most eye-opening conversations about the business behind college football. PRIZEPICKS: Get a $50 bonus from PrizePicks with code "NEXTUP": https://prizepicks.onelink.me/ivHR/NextUp 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 For sponsorships or business inquiries reach out to: advertising@frontofficesports.com CHAPTERS: 0:00 - Intro 1:58 - Day in the life as Texas Tech GM 3:57 - Player personnel department structure  5:30 -NIL at Texas Tech 8:02 - NIL and Revenue Sharing per position  9:06 - Getting the call from Coach McGuire  10:01 - First week in Lubbock, Texas 11:25 - Recruiting strategy 12:11 - Patrick Mahomes 13:28 - Building culture  14:40 - James Blanchard’s elite trait  15:20 - GM relationships across CFB 17:15 - What top schools will spend on their rosters  18:15 - Negotiating process as a GM 19:57 - Most chaotic 24 hour stretch  23:10 - High school coaches in the recruiting process 23:54 - Crazy transfer portal story and talent in the portal 27:22 - Cody Campbell  28:35 - What fans don’t understand about the GM role 29:42 - Evaluating young coaches 32:36 - Head Coaches next up in CFB 35:41 - GM to Head Coach track 36:41 - How Texas Tech structured their personnel department  38:42 - Making CFB more of a even playing field  40:16 - Future of CFB 41:55 - Success at Texas Tech 42:35 - James Blanchard in 5 years 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.