How college football personnel staffers view current recruiting rules, potential changes

Every January, coaches from around the country flock to the American Football Coaches Association convention. Thousands are regularly in attendance for an event that serves as an opportunity for professional development, networking and discussion regarding current events around the coaching world.

The College Football Personnel and Recruiting Symposium is becoming the same kind of event for those in the personnel and recruiting space.

Launched in 2018 by a group led by former Alabama and Philadelphia Eagles personnel official Ed Marynowitz and Ohio State’s Mark Pantoni, it returned this year after a two-year hiatus and was held this week in Nashville.

Organized by Marynowitz, Pantoni and others such as like Clemson’s Jordan Sorrells, North Carolina’s Patrick Suddes and former Ole Miss general manager Matt Lindsey, the symposium drew about 400 college football personnel and recruiting staffers. It included presentations and panel discussions with prominent figures like former Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert, Tennessee Titans GM Jon Robinson, Hall of Fame GM Bill Polian and Reese’s Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy in addition to numerous college football personnel and recruiting staffers and officials.

The event also provided a chance to gauge the thoughts of personnel and recruiting staffers on the current state of recruiting and potential changes that could improve the sport and recruiting moving forward. Here are the results of voting on 10 important topics gathered during a panel discussion with speakers such as Pantoni, Sorrels and Florida director of player engagement and NIL Marcus Castro-Walker.

Among the topics voted on were transfer portal deadlines, the alleged cheating currently going on in college football recruiting and whether college football should move to an Olympic sports model with offers and visits.