Podcast Summary: The McShay Show – “FLASH MOCK! Plus, Building a College Football Front Office With Former Eagles VP Jake Rosenberg”

Episode Date: December 11, 2025
Host: Todd McShay with Steve
Guest: Jake Rosenberg (Former Eagles VP, The Athlete Group)

Episode Overview

This episode is a two-parter:

1. NFL Draft “Flash Mock” and Top Prospect Discussion: Todd and Steve walk through their rough draft Top 10 (plus) NFL Draft boards, debate positional value, team needs, and engage in a rapid-fire “flash mock draft” exercise for 2026.
2. Interview with Jake Rosenberg: Jake brings inside perspective on the professionalization of college football—especially with NIL, the transfer portal, and how top college programs are building NFL-style front offices. Using his work at The Athlete Group, he describes organizational change, partnership dynamics, and challenges facing modern college coaches.

PART 1: NFL Draft Discussion and “Flash Mock” ([00:22]–[52:08])

Key Points and Insights

• Prospect Evaluations:

  • Detailed breakdown of Todd and Steve’s respective Top 10 prospects for the 2026 NFL Draft.
  • Heavy discussion of positional value, notably the shifting value of running backs and wide receivers.
  • Ongoing debate about quarterback Fernando Mendoza (Indiana) as potential #1 overall pick—and context of the class’s QB scarcity.
  • Discussion of player performances, especially in big games, the value of adversity, and “intangibles.”

• Wide Receiver Class:

  • Steve is bullish on this WR class (“They reek of NFL immediacy… I’m done hiding from this receiver class” [18:38]), placing three wideouts in his Top 10.
  • Todd is more skeptical—cites testing measurables and concerns over frame/fit (“Top 10? Come on.” [22:43]).

• Flash Mock Draft Exercise:
  ([24:41]–[52:08])

  • They simulate the top 10 picks based on current draft order (Giants, Raiders, Titans, Browns, Saints, etc.), embedding team needs and likely draft strategies.
  • Frequent debate over best overall available (BPA) vs. fit and positional value.
  • Strategic speculation given the uncertainty at QB after Mendoza and Moore, and the possibility of teams trading out to acquire future draft capital in anticipation of a stronger 2027 class.

• Memorable Quotes and Moments:

  • On prospects standing out:
    “It’s kind of cool to be a nerd playing quarterback now.” – Steve ([06:45])
  • On organizational “authenticity”:
    “One part of… their evaluation is always… do they know who they are? Are they authentically themselves?” – Steve ([07:45])
  • On recency bias:
    “I am perfectly happy admitting that I probably, you know, recency bias and the excitement of all of it and I finally got to see what I wanted to see. I’m not saying he’s a perfect prospect.” – Steve ([16:15])
  • Todd on RB Jeremiah Love: “I have Jeremiah Love, number one… When you take away positional value… I think he’s the best player in the draft.” ([14:38])

• Top 10 Consensus "Flash Mock" Picks:

  • See [52:24–51:48] for full rundown, but highlights include:
    1. Browns (via Giants): QB Fernando Mendoza
    2. Raiders: QB Dante Moore (if available)
    3. Titans: LB Arvell Reese
    4. Giants (trade down): OT Spencer Fano or WR Carnell Tate (debated)
    5. Saints: Edge Keldrick Falk
    6. Commanders: WR Carnell Tate
    7. Jets: DT Peter Woods
    8. Cardinals: RB Jeremiah Love
    9. Rams: Safety Caleb Downs
    10. Bengals: Edge David Bailey or CB Mansoor Delane

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Introduction & Mock discussion setup: [00:00]–[03:34]
• Detailed justification for Top 5 prospects: [04:22]–[17:36]
• Wide receiver group discussion: [17:36]–[23:37]
• "Flash Mock" exercise starts: [24:41]
• Mock Draft team-by-team debate: [32:00]–[51:48]
• Recap of Flash Mock results and team fits: [51:48]–[52:08]

PART 2: Interview with Jake Rosenberg ([60:53]–[112:43])

Theme & Purpose

Jake brings deep experience in NFL front office structure and is now helping college programs adapt to the rapidly changing landscape (NIL, portal, professionalization, organizational complexity). He explains why the era of ‘coach as do-it-all CEO’ is over, and how structures like Oklahoma’s and Florida’s (with a true GM) are setting the standard.

Key Discussion Points

• Why College Football Now Needs NFL-Style Organization:

  • College coaches are “problem-solvers” but have too much on their plate—beyond coaching and culture, now includes salary negotiation, roster management, and agent wrangling.
  • “They are getting further and further away from [coaching and developing] and spending far less of their time actually doing those things.” – Jake ([62:08])
  • The college landscape has added many new variables—team-building now more like the NFL in complexity.

• Oklahoma as a Case Study:

  • Brent Venables’ evolution as a coach, impact of adding Jim Nagy (ex-Senior Bowl), and hiring true scouting/personnel staff enables more time “on the grass” and relationship-building.
  • “Building out a scouting staff is going to have distinct advantages… But it’s hard to assess the main benefit… [which is] putting coaches in a spot where they can spend more time on the grass.” – Jake ([68:10])

• Bringing in a ‘General Manager’ and Creating Buy-in:

  • Challenge is convincing entrenched, control-oriented head coaches to cede power for organizational betterment.
  • “You’re asking them to give up some control and put trust in a process they’ve never been part of… My pitch: If you find the right person to be your partner… they will take umpteen things off your plate, allow you to do what you want to do.” – Jake ([74:11])

• Evaluation and Valuation:

  • Managing portal “free agency” and NIL dollars requires rigorous process—a school must “know they’re paying for the right players” ([97:34])
  • “If you pay retail for every player… you’re limited in how many good players you can have. And we all know, like, cap depth is where you get crushed, right?” – Jake ([91:09])

• Resistance to Change & Education Gaps:

  • Many schools lag in constructing a modern front office because “athletic directors… haven’t come from a professional sport typically” ([86:53])
  • “I think there’s a lot of resistance to change, and I don’t know that it’s… good rationale for it outside of just not having been through this, not being comfortable with it.” – Jake ([86:53])

• The Portal, Recruiting, and Roster Strategy:

  • Portal ≈ NFL free agency; high school recruiting ≈ the draft—but portal is messier, less organized, and “hard to fill a need,” due to multiple visits, bidding wars.
  • “The better your process [and] structure, the better your luck will be, by and large.” – Jake ([105:36])

• Building for the Future:

  • Schools must align budget and resource expectations with ambition (national titles vs. bowl eligibility).
  • Other factors: platform, marketing, off-field opportunities, retention in the face of agents stoking transfer speculation.

Memorable Quotes

• “Being a coach right now sucks in college. I mean, it just never stops. Like, their quality of life is terrible.” – Jake ([82:44])
• “You’re not bringing in a competitor… The GM in an NFL building doesn’t want to win any less than the head coach… You just have to trust that they are going to pull in the same direction.” – Jake ([88:52])
• “You don’t want to fire your great head coach because they were a bad GM. That is a third possibility that never was a thing before.” – Jake ([86:53])

Timestamps for Interview

• Jake’s role & vision, Oklahoma case study: [60:56]–[68:10]
• Coaches losing touch due to new demands: [68:10]–[71:10]
• Structure, hiring, working with old-school coaches: [71:10]–[77:47]
• Search processes, why schools get it wrong: [77:56]–[79:39]
• On Jim Nagy’s transition & structuring a real scouting staff: [79:39]–[85:56]
• Evaluation, salary budgeting, and funneling the right players: [91:55]–[97:35]
• Recruiting vs. portal (draft vs. free agency correlations), roster construction: [100:55]–[106:31]
• Resources, resource allocation, player retention: [107:16]–[111:18]

Final Reflections

• Todd and Steve conclude that the NFL model of structured staffing, objective evaluation, and clear delineation of roles is the future of college football’s elite.
• Jake Rosenberg’s experience and perspective highlight why programs like Oklahoma and Florida are early adopters—and why many others risk falling behind.

For Listeners

• If you want the deepest draft analysis, mock draft discussion, and a unique look behind the curtain of college football’s transformation, this episode is essential listening.
• For full positional boards and future mock drafts, they recommend subscribing to The McShay Report.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• “It’s kind of cool to be a nerd playing quarterback now.” – Steve ([06:45])
• “One part of… their evaluation is always… do they know who they are? Are they authentically themselves?” – Steve ([07:45])
• “Being a coach right now sucks in college. I mean, it just never stops. Like, their quality of life is terrible.” – Jake Rosenberg ([82:44])
• “If you pay retail for every player and the price you pay is directly correlated to what their role is or what their talent level is, you’re limited in how many good players you can have… Cap depth is where you get crushed, right?” – Jake ([91:09])
• “You don’t want to fire your great head coach because they were a bad gm.” – Jake ([86:53])

For a continuous deep dive into the 2026 draft, evolving front office structures, and the intersection of NFL and college football strategies, don’t miss further episodes and subscribe to The McShay Report.