College football has just experienced its most transformative offseason in history and it’s all happened off the field. A new governing body is stepping in, players can now be paid directly by their schools in addition to NIL deals, and with these sweeping changes, head coaches are needing more support. Enter: General Managers.
“Really here more than anything to help the coaching staff, you know, and help build this roster and streamline the process,” explained Oklahoma GM Jim Nagy on The Triple Option. “Everyone says they’re trying to go to an NFL model.”
A major part of Nagy’s role, particularly at Oklahoma, will be managing the roster budget, a new responsibility beginning with the 2025 season. The scouting department will work closely with coaches to assign player value, identify targets, and construct a roster built to win.
“We can evaluate the players; I have great belief in our new staff’s ability to do that and find value,” Nagy said. “But at the end of the day, you still have to recruit them.”
So how will Oklahoma get the most bang for its buck?
“We’ve got a grading scale we’re going to stick to. That’s also going to dictate how we spend on players,” Nagy explained. “We might have the same grade on a five-star and a three-star guy. If that five-star is taking official visits to Ohio State, Oregon, Texas, and Texas A&M, that’s a certain market, right? But if the same-graded player is getting offers from Group of Five schools, we know which direction we’ll probably go. Because we’re looking for value.”
This is nothing new for Nagy, who spent 18 years in the NFL as a scout and saw firsthand how to find talent without overspending.
“If you look at NFL rosters and trace back to their high school days, that league is littered with two- and three-star players,” he said. “They’re out there. We just need to identify them and trust our evaluation.”
The future of college football will belong to the programs that adapt to this new era. Oklahoma is making its move to get back on top.
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