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 features 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.
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Florida State General Manager Darrick Yray provides a masterclass in modern college football roster construction, delving into the intricacies of balancing high school recruiting with transfer portal additions and strategic player retention. He shares insights from Coach Mike Norvell's leadership, the complexities of NIL and revenue sharing, and the evolving role of technology in player evaluation. Yray also emphasizes the critical importance of a player's character and genuine love for football as non-negotiable traits for success.
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. So I asked Kenny Dillingham about his journey— how it all unfolded, from the first phone call to his first team meeting. Kenny Dillingham shared what it was like to land his dream job as the head coach of Arizona State Football. SUBSCRIBE ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@NextUpWithAdam?sub_confirmation=1 FOLLOW NEXT UP WITH ADAM: INSTAGRAM | https://shorturl.at/d9IdQ...
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 leader...
Watch the full episode with Brennan Marion: https://youtu.be/PjQvDIYZtE0 They passed him over. He kept showing up. From coaching at NAIA schools to inventing his own offense… Brennan Marion’s story is what college football is all about — grit, faith, and never skipping a letter on the path to greatness. 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: I...
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. He shares what it means to shape the identity of Mississippi State Football around effort, physicality, and executi...
Watch the full episode with James Franklin: https://youtu.be/xPES1GMZl50 Everyone wanted Jim Knowles. Ohio State. Notre Dame. Oklahoma. But James Franklin and Penn State got it done. When the best defensive coordinator in college football hit the market, Franklin didn’t hesitate — and it changed everything. This wasn’t luck. It was leadership. It was having the right people — like Pat Kraft — and the right support behind the scenes to win the battles that matter most. For sponsorships or busines...
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 ...
The structure. The discipline. The standard — every single day. Manny Diaz saw it up close under James Franklin at Penn State. Not just talk about toughness and culture. A masterclass in how to live it. Diaz broke it down on Next Up. Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/XZQ3WPnFoX4 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:/...
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. The episode digs into his overlap with Gene Smith and the simple advice that set the tone, the confid...
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. We talked about his rise, the mindset shift that changed everything back in January and what it really takes to walk into a locker room and earn the respect to lead it. Watch the full interview here: https://youtu.be/jSyuZFPP_SQ For sponsorships or business inquiries reach out to: advertising@frontoffice...
College sports are changing… fast. IMG Academy CEO Brent Richard and Drew Weatherford (Weatherford Capital co-founder, former FSU QB, FSU Board of Trustees) join Adam at IMG Academy to lay out a simple, bold solution: Add More Athletes. Instead of cutting “non-revenue” sports, expand roster spots and create JV/“varsity-lite” teams—an on-campus farm system that develops talent, reduces portal chaos, and adds revenue. We dive into the House settlement, NIL, the SCORE Act, Title IX implications, tu...
“Row The Boat” isn’t a slogan. It’s the heartbeat of Minnesota football. P.J. Fleck opens up on how it was born from tragedy, why it resonates so deeply, and how it’s transformed the culture of Gopher football. Full episode with P.J. Fleck: https://youtu.be/B2dB6RcETKs 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/d9Id...
In this episode of Next Up with Adam Breneman, we sit down with Drake Lindsey, Minnesota’s starting quarterback for the 2025 season. Lindsey opens up about his journey from Fayetteville, Arkansas to Minneapolis, the moment he knew he was “a Gopher,” and what it’s really like playing for Coach P.J. Fleck. He breaks down his development behind Max Brosmer, the importance of NIL (and why it’s not his focus), how he’s building chemistry with star running back Darius Taylor, and what his “Why” is as ...
Nate Burleson didn’t want to be known as just a football player. After 11 years in the league, he walked away with no Hall of Fame jacket… and a decision to make. Be remembered for what he was or become something greater. He chose the hard road — reinventing himself from scratch. Now he’s a multi-time Emmy winner, one of the most respected voices in media, and still pushing for more. This is what reinvention really looks like. For sponsorships or business inquiries reach out to: advertising@fron...
This week on Next Up With Adam Breneman, Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck sits down for a wide-ranging conversation on building a program, leading through change, and the personal experiences that shaped his “Row The Boat” culture. Fleck reflects on the moments that defined his tenure at Minnesota — from snapping a 15-year losing streak to Wisconsin, to the program-changing upset over Penn State in 2019. He explains how his background as a 6th-grade teacher influenced his coaching style, why he b...
Syracuse’s first spring practice was sloppy, guys were fighting and professors were watching. So, Fran Brown made the whole team bear crawl — even the quarterback. That was the day everything changed. That was the culture shift. Watch the full episode with Fran Brown: https://youtu.be/_su7k1_DqGs For sponsorships or business inquiries reach out to: advertising@frontofficesports.com SUBSCRIBE ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@NextUpWithAdam?sub_confirmation=1 Watch the full episode with Jim Kn...
Virginia Tech starting quarterback Kyron Drones joins Adam Breneman on Next Up for an in-depth conversation about his journey from Texas high school football to leading the Hokies. Growing up in Pearland, Texas, Drones won a state championship with his dad as head coach, a moment that solidified his love for the game. After beginning his college career at Baylor and learning patience through a redshirt season, he transferred to Virginia Tech, where he quickly earned the starting job and began sh...
They said his system was too risky. Too aggressive. That it couldn’t work at a place like Penn State. Jim Knowles heard all of it — and didn’t flinch. Now he’s the one calling the shots in Happy Valley, and he’s got one goal: build the best defense in the country. This is how he thinks about pressure, scheme, and silencing critics. For sponsorships or business inquiries reach out to: advertising@frontofficesports.com SUBSCRIBE ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@NextUpWithAdam?sub_confirmation=...
In this episode, Adam Breneman sits down with Vanderbilt Head Coach Clark Lea for one of the most thoughtful and transparent conversations ever on Next Up. From his emotional first day on the job to the grind of building a winning program in the SEC, Coach Lea opens up like never before. He reflects on the early failures, the pressure he put on himself to be the “savior” of the program, and how those expectations had to be broken down before real growth could begin. Lea discusses the impact of N...
Beau Pribula didn’t want to leave Penn State. He had just practiced. Thought he was playing in the playoffs. Then everything changed. The phone call from his family. The meetings with Coach Franklin. The decision that changed everything. For sponsorships or business inquiries reach out to: advertising@frontofficesports.com SUBSCRIBE ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@NextUpWithAdam?sub_confirmation=1 Watch the full episode with Beau Pribula: https://youtu.be/fCm3aTWfrJk FOLLOW NEXT UP WITH ADA...
Barton Simmons, Vanderbilt Football GM, discusses the evolution of his role in college football, from media rankings to actual roster construction, emphasizing minimizing misses and adapting to the dynamic market. He delves into the frenetic nature of the transfer portal, the integration of data analytics with football decisions, and the importance of identifying key player traits like multi-sport athleticism and consistent production. Simmons also provides insights into balancing high school and transfer recruiting, the unstructured future of NIL, and boldly outlines his belief in Vanderbilt's potential to become a national championship contender.
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 ...
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 c...
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 W...
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 hi...
In this episode of Next Up with Adam Breneman, Adam sits down with Army Head Coach Jeff Monken, one of the most respected and disciplined leaders in college football. Coach Monken shares the full story of how he took over a struggling Army program in 2014 and built it into a winner, leading them to a historic 12-win season and conference championship. He talks about the unique challenges of coaching at a service academy, the culture shift he demanded from day one, and why the mission at West Poi...
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 hi...
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, ...
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...
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 p...
