if You Can Play, You Can Play: The Truth About College Football Evaluation

🏈 Football 360 Show — Episode Notes

Hosts: JP Rock & Matt Biermann
Platform: X (Twitter) & YouTube — Football 360 Show
Website: football360show.com

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🎙️ Episode Overview

JP Rock and Matt Biermann kick off the Football 360 Show from the middle of a brutal Midwest snowstorm, mixing lighthearted weather talk with deep, real-world football analysis. From facility operations during winter weather to the evolving realities of college football recruiting, this episode dives into what actually matters when evaluating players — beyond height, weight, and hype.

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❄️ Opening Segment: Weather, Training & Facility Operations

• Snow totals across the St. Louis area varied widely (up to ~11 inches in some areas).

• Discussion on closing vs. staying open during winter storms and erring on the side of athlete safety.

• Elite Football Academy operations during snow days, including unexpected high attendance once facilities reopened.

• Behind-the-scenes look at landlord maintenance, turf clearing, and winter logistics.

• Youth birthday parties during snowstorms — hardcore parents showed up anyway.

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🏈 College Football Landscape & Roster Trends

• College football season recap and reflections on the modern playoff era.

• Discussion on the average age of college football rosters creeping toward 22–23 years old.

• NIL, extra eligibility, medical redshirts, and transfers have made roster projections far more complex.

• Matt explains current work scraping and analyzing FBS rosters to better predict real opportunity and depth chart movement.

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📏 Height, Weight & the “Myth” of Measurements

• Breakdown of inaccurate roster measurements vs. verified NFL measurements.

• Example: quarterbacks listed at 6’0” in college measuring closer to 5’9” at NFL events.

• Key point: Height discrepancies rarely correlate with actual performance.

• If a player can play, size becomes secondary.

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🧠 Quarterback Evaluation: What Actually Matters

• Trend toward smaller, more compact quarterbacks with quick mechanics.

• Shotgun-heavy offenses have changed pocket dynamics.

• Faster decision-making > leverage throwing.

• Compact mechanics reduce fumbles and strip sacks in tight pockets.

• Real-world examples of shorter QBs succeeding at high levels.

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🥊 Football Meets Boxing: The Mike Tyson Analogy

• Compact, explosive athletes beating longer, “ideal-measurement” players.

• Once a compact athlete gets inside leverage, size advantages disappear.

• Applied to quarterbacks, defensive linemen, and skill positions.

• Technique, violence, and timing beat measurables.

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🏋️ Offensive & Defensive Line Evolution

• Prediction: offensive line recruiting may shift away from extreme length.

• Defensive linemen are becoming more compact, faster, and more technically refined.

• Holding penalties and inside moves expose oversized linemen.

• Example: compact interior disruptors consistently outperform “prototype” builds.

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🔁 Transfer Portal: Gift and Curse

• Transfer portal allows coaches to correct recruiting misses quickly.

• Benefits players who use it wisely.

• High school recruiting has become more volatile and less patient.

• Roster churn has replaced long-term program development.

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🎓 Recruiting Reality Check

• College coaches juggle coaching, recruiting, administration, and survival.

• Many rely heavily on measurables to avoid “risk.”

• NFL scouts have openly criticized college coaches as inconsistent evaluators.

• Recruiting departments are becoming more NFL-style to manage complexity.

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🧠 The Missing Piece: Mental & Emotional Buy-In

• Biggest recruiting separator: does the player love football or love the idea of football?

• Warning sign: players who stop training after committing.

• Commitment is the beginning, not the finish line.

• Mental disengagement leads to stalled development and early transfers.

• Agents and outside noise often oversell average players.

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🏁 Closing Thoughts

• Modern college football is faster, more transactional, and less stable.

• Player development still rewards those who love the process.

• Measurables don’t win games — execution, toughness, and mindset do.

• The system is changing, but football truths remain the same.