In between camps, I get some 1-on-1 time. This was with Cason Brennan, a kicker at Concordia University of Wisconsin. Cason kicks a nice ball, but has a tendency to overstride that produces both a pushed and pulled ball. By keeping him in his K-ZONE, he gains confidence to make the kicks his team absolutely needs him to make. (35 yards and in). When you aren't straining to get the ball there, your natural style can take over allowing for better more consistent contact. A great bit of knowledge is to film your kick from the goalline. How far from your kick to the APEX of it's flight? Know this number. Once you do, you can use it to your success. How? The K-ZONE is individual to each kicker. Where (in a game) would you feel 3-4 confident to make the kick? Pressure, weather, wind, crowd, game score... 3-for-4? For real. Not "hope", "know". It is typically a lot closer than each kicker thinks it is. Get your ego out of it and start training your brain to WIN GAMES for your TEAM. Knowing your APEX DISTANCE means that your ball won't move much at all from where you aim TO THAT DISTANCE. You can smoothly strike the ball and know that it's within the uprights. Distance becomes a NON-FACTOR. Only AFTER your kick reaches it's APEX, does it rapidly lose power, height and distance. This is where kicks that "looked and felt" good at contact become misses because you didn't play for the conditions on your kicked ball AFTER APEX. Do you get it? Not sure.... inquire further, right here. 🤔

Texas leads the way with 33 (of 257 total picks in 7 rounds), but Florida had the most 1st Round Picks with 5. Read the Max Preps article here and watch the video for more. How does your state match up?

This is a shared article from INFORMED ATHLETE and my friend Rick Allen... Every month, we hear from student-athletes and families after a season has already ended asking whether a Medical Hardship Waiver can restore a lost season of eligibility. While waivers are sometimes possible in those situations, the strongest cases are built during the season in which the injury or illness occurs—not afterward. Being proactive can make the difference between a well-supported waiver request and one that faces significant uncertainty. Why Timing Matters: If your athlete is dealing with an injury, illness, or mental health condition that limits participation, the most important factor in a Medical Hardship Waiver request is: The timing and quality of the medical documentation. Conference offices and eligibility committees must be able to clearly see that the condition was season-ending at the time it occurred—not something determined weeks or months later. When documentation is delayed or incomplete, it becomes far more difficult to demonstrate that the athlete could not safely return to competition. What a Strong Medical Hardship Case Includes The best-positioned waiver requests typically contain: - Medical records beginning on the actual date of injury or diagnosis - Ongoing treatment documentation that shows the severity of the condition - A physician’s statement clearly indicating the athlete was not cleared to return to competition - A timeline that demonstrates how the injury or illness impacted the season If a physician’s statement is missing—or comes too late—it may be unclear whether the situation truly met the definition of a season-ending condition, making approval less certain. Documentation Can Also Protect Future Eligibility Good documentation is not only important for the current season—it can matter later. If an athlete experiences a second season impacted by injury or illness, prior medical records may help support an extension of the athlete’s eligibility “clock,” potentially allowing an additional year of competition.

ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit has a three-step plan to fix what he called a "really big problem." Speaking with Front Office Sports, Herbstreit called for a commissioner for college football as well as collective bargaining with the players. Then, he said the Power Four conferences should break away and form their own league. Given the amount of litigation the NCAA is facing, most recently a slew of eligibility lawsuits, he said a collective bargaining agreement would prevent those issues, which largely surround antitrust law. "Just create a new level, which would be the Power Four, and then let’s put a new governing body," Herbstreit said. "Let's put a commissioner. If we need to unionize the players to allow them to create a CBA to avoid the antitrust laws, make the rules, come to an agreement like the NFL does on both sides. I think that's the only way." _ _ _ _ I bring this to you so that you realize what dramatic changes are still to occur in playing D1 football. But it doesn't end there... if this is how college "minor league" football is going to progress, it will change the landscape for ALL levels of college ball.

For many of us, when we were little, our position on the team was pretty well locked in. That seems great UNTIL you finally have to compete to win the "job" — no matter the sport — or choir concert or the school play, for that matter. I've mentioned before, that a Hall of Fame kicker once told me that he was "just three kicks away" from getting cut. Ask Brandon McManus how he's feeling right now about keeping his job with the Packers. And now, with the advent of "the NCAA Portal", transferring from one school to another is a relatively easy thing. You may be this year's starter, but you are not guaranteed to keep your job. You need to keep training. Keep improving your skills. Keep re-connecting to doing the things that YOU LOVE. I post this Instagram video that I bumped into... about UW-La Crosse (D3) punter, Ethan Tranel who is now on his way to Madison (D1) to compete for the starting job for the Badgers. Is this smart for him to do so? Only time will tell, but I have news for Ethan, there are three guys at Wisconsin who are all expecting to be the starting punter next season. One of those is a young man who I helped train, Sean West, who say action this past season. Big step up for Ethan, going from D3 to D1. Big challenge ahead for Sean. Good luck to all!