Numbers have always played an important role in football. Forty-yard times, run by athletes under controlled conditions, have been part of player evaluation for more than 50 years. More recently, the evolution of data in the NFL — from basic box scores to rich play-by-play information to ball and player tracking (Next Gen Stats) — […]
Numbers have always played an important role in football. Forty-yard times, run by athletes under controlled conditions, have been part of player evaluation for more than 50 years. More recently, the evolution of data in the NFL — from basic box scores to rich play-by-play information to ball and player tracking (Next Gen Stats) — has coincided with an increased use of analytics in decision-making, from player evaluation to opponent scouting to in-game strategy. Yet in college football, analytics adoption lags far behind, and this widening gap between the NCAA and NFL is poised to become a critical issue. The NCAA is at least a decade behind the NFL in leveraging data for performance evaluation and strategic decisions.
A decade ago, I was hired as the first analytics professional at the Pittsburgh Steelers. At the time, the NFL was just beginning to integrate data into football operations, following the path set by baseball and basketball. Today, advanced NFL teams employ 10 or more data scientists and engineers who provide valuable insights into every aspect of the game using every data source available. College football still has a long way to go.
The college game has traditionally operated with fewer resources for scouting and player evaluation. Unlike the NFL, where teams have dedicated scouting departments and extensive budgets, college football coaches often juggle multiple roles — acting as both coaches and scouts. With smaller budgets and limited in-person evaluation opportunities, the college system has relied on simpler metrics like high school production and combine numbers.
But the landscape is changing rapidly. With the rise of free agency and the looming introduction of salary caps in college sports, football programs face new and unprecedented challenges. Gone are the days when a few scouts and position coaches could track down the talent they needed. Today, teams need to evaluate hundreds of players in the transfer portal and make decisions within hours, if not minutes. The modern collegiate general manager must navigate an increasingly complex landscape — one that demands modern tools and technologies to stay competitive.
One key to adapting to the shifting landscape in the NCAA lies in the integration of advanced analytics. During my time with the Steelers, I witnessed firsthand how analytics supplemented and complemented traditional player evaluation. The NFL’s embrace of data science has helped teams assess talent with greater precision and efficiency. College football, however, is still in the early stages of adopting analytics. As the landscape of college football evolves, programs that integrate these advanced tools will be better positioned to identify and develop talent more effectively, staying competitive in an increasingly dynamic environment.
At the heart of football analytics is understanding player movement. In the NFL, ball and player tracking systems have revolutionized the way we assess traits like change of direction (COD) — a critical metric for evaluating everything from receivers to cornerbacks and running backs. Until now, college football has lacked the ability to assess this in-game action with the same precision.
Take a player like Rams WR Puka Nacua. Drafted in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, Nacua didn’t impress scouts with his combine numbers. His average 40-yard dash and unimpressive three-cone drill suggested a late-round pick at best. However, when we analyzed his game footage through the lens of advanced analytics, a different story emerged — a player with elite agility and movement skills that combine tests couldn’t fully capture. Nacua’s in-game speed and COD were key to his breakout rookie season, where he set a record for receptions and yards.
The question is: How many players like Nacua are hidden in the transfer portal or overlooked because they don’t test well, or aren’t in schemes that maximize their potential? Analytical scouting reports give teams the ability to identify hidden gems by focusing on quantifiable athletic traits that truly matter on the field.
Position-specific, machine learning models give further insights by breaking down player skill into individual traits and abilities — quantifying player ability to change direction, burst off the line of scrimmage, collapse the pocket and create space in the running game. With advanced models that measure player actions with remarkable specificity, we provide coaches and GMs the data they need to make better-informed decisions.
But these advancements aren’t just about finding talent — they’re about making the entire process more efficient. These digital scouting reports update automatically after every game. Analytical evaluations are ready before a player ever enters the transfer portal, enabling teams to make decisions quickly and confidently. College football teams face an enormous challenge in player evaluation, particularly with the influx of players in the transfer portal. The ability to analyze thousands of players and pinpoint those who will thrive in a program’s unique system is no longer a luxury — it’s a necessity.
As college football continues to evolve, its analytics capabilities must evolve with it. We’re at a critical inflection point. Programs that embrace this new wave of technology will gain a distinct advantage. By integrating data science into scouting and decision-making, college football can move closer to the NFL’s level of sophistication. The era of relying solely on traditional scouting methods is ending. Those who fail to adapt will be left behind.
The margins in football are small, and they’re getting smaller every year. Just a handful of plays determines whether a team makes the playoff or finishes with a losing record. In the coming years, the difference between success and failure for college programs will depend on how effectively teams use the transfer portal, which in turn will depend on how effectively they use data. This isn’t just about making smarter personnel decisions — it’s about staying competitive in a rapidly changing environment.
As college football evolves, the analytics gap is closing fast. Programs that embrace this change and equip themselves with the right tools will be poised to lead the way. The future of college football analytics is here, and it’s time to take full advantage.
Karim Kassam is VP of Product for Teamworks Intelligence. Karim was the first analytics professional for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the mid-2010s, and has led analytics efforts for the Jacksonville Jaguars and Minnesota Twins.
UMaine at Machias hosts volleyball players & pros for Wildcat Weekend Downeast
MACHIAS, Maine (WABI) – This weekend, the University of Maine at Machias campus hosted eight high school volleyball teams for the annual Wildcat Weekend Downeast camp. Washington Academy’s varsity volleyball coach Corey Schwinn was the mind behind the camp: “My goal with this is really to try to bring together the different ends of the […]
MACHIAS, Maine (WABI) – This weekend, the University of Maine at Machias campus hosted eight high school volleyball teams for the annual Wildcat Weekend Downeast camp.
Washington Academy’s varsity volleyball coach Corey Schwinn was the mind behind the camp: “My goal with this is really to try to bring together the different ends of the state to develop friendships, to develop a friendly competition, to develop those connections that helps grow this sport.”
Since starting the Wildcat Weekend training camp four years ago, Schwinn has brought three national champions from the University of Kentucky to instruct the next generation of volleyball players.
For the fourth year, players were coached by Gabby Thompson. From Georgia, Thompson was on the University of Kentucky team when they became national volleyball champions in the 2020-2021 season.
Now, she is in the professional league, playing volleyball for the Omaha Supernovas.
“The level of play from four years ago to today has drastically increased, and I’m not attributing that to my friends and I,” Thompson describes. “I’m just attributing that to the time and the effort put into these girls.”
Throughout the weekend-long camp, players perfect foundational skills like serving, bumping and spiking through drills and scrimmages.
“It definitely helps build bonds when we play schools and it definitely improves our skills throughout the season,” says Grace Sinclair of the camp’s impact.
Fellow MDI High School player Janiece Anderson agrees: “Yeah, and it’s definitely good to get exposure to new people that you might play in the school season.”
Beyond technical skills, the camp brings together girls from across Maine, making it easy to forage new friendships and build tight bonds across teams.
Thompson says these friendships are necessary for success: “Relationships off the court make you more comfortable to communicate on the court and communication is key in volleyball.”
“It’s a fun sport that requires a lot of teamwork and you have to depend on your teammates to do their job, so it really lends itself to a great, healthy atmosphere, a great healthy environment,” Schwinn describes. “And at the end of it, I hope that even if these teams were rivals when they walk in, they leave as friends.”
Team USA Makes History with Double Silver at FISU Games
UCLA WATER POLO UCLA WATER POLO DUISBURG, Germany — UniUSA captured silver medals at the 2025 FISU World University Games in both men’s and women’s water polo on Saturday, July 26 at ASC Duisburg (Amateur Swimming Club). Team USA, comprised of only players from UCLA Water Polo, made history at the 2025 FISU Games, becoming the […]
DUISBURG, Germany — UniUSA captured silver medals at the 2025 FISU World University Games in both men’s and women’s water polo on Saturday, July 26 at ASC Duisburg (Amateur Swimming Club). Team USA, comprised of only players from UCLA Water Polo, made history at the 2025 FISU Games, becoming the first teams from the United States to win a medal in both sports at the same FISU Games. Both programs had great showings, despite missing several key players that were either with the U.S. National Teams or are international student-athletes.
On the women’s side, it was the Americans’ third medal overall and the first since 2017 (Gold: 2017, Silver: 2011). On the men’s side, it was Team USA’s 10th overall medal and first since capturing silver in 2019 (Gold: 1979, 1991, 1993; Silver: 1967, 1981, 1983, 2019, 2025; Bronze: 1973, 2015).
Team USA captured its third medal in the history of the FISU Games.
The American women lost to Germany, 9-6, in the gold medal match. Playing in her hometown, USC’s Sinia Plotz led the Germans with a hat trick. Lauren Steele led UniUSA both defensively (12 saves) and offensively (two goals). Jojo Walters also added a pair of goals for the Americans.
The Americans got off to a dismal start offensively and trailed 3-0 at halftime. Germany led 4-0 before Team USA got on the board at the 3:48 mark of the third on a goal from two meters by Ana Pieper.
Germany built its largest lead of the game at 9-2 with 2:54 remaining in the contest. The Americans would score the final four goals of the game (two by Steele and one each from Walters and incoming freshman Katherine O’Dea) to make it respectable.
O’Dea, the Moore League and Long Beach Press Telegram’s Player of the Year, led Team USA in scoring across the six contests of the FISU Games with 10 goals, which ranked 14th in the tournament field. Steele finished the tournament as one of the most outstanding goalkeepers, finishing second in saves (69) and in save percentage (62.2%, 69-for-111). She also led the tournament field in penalty stops in goal at a whopping 41.7 percentage (5-for-12) and tied for first in steals with seven. Dania Innis finished second in the tournament in center shot scoring, finding the back of the net on five of her 10 shots from two meters. Tali Stryker tied for first but had a much high win percentage as the tournament’s sprints leader, winning 81.8 percent of her attempts (9-for-11). Germany’s Marijke Kijlstra also won nine sprints, but in 20 tries (40.5%).
In the men’s gold medal final, Italy won the match, 16-12, on the strength of a strong third quarter. The two teams
Team USA captured its 10th medal in the history of the FISU Games.
battled to a 4-4 draw at the end of the first period. Italy won the second quarter, 4-3, to take an 8-7 lead into the break. Neither team held more than a one-goal lead until Italy opened the scoring in the third period (6:09) to extend the lead to 9-7. The Italians would go on to win the third period, 6-2, to build a 14-9 lead heading into the final stanza. The U.S. would win the fourth period, 3-2, but could never get closer than the final four-goal spread.
The Italians were led by a trio of players that each scored a hat trick, Pietro Faraglia, Alessandro Carnesecchi, and Alessndro Balzarini. Team USA was led by a pair of hat tricks from Bode Brinkema and incoming freshman Hayden O’Hare (Campolindo High School). Nate Tauscher recorded a game-high 11 saves to go with one steal.
For the tournament, Brinkema led the Americans in scoring with 17 goals across the tournament’s six games, which tied for seventh in the field. Peter Castillo was second on the squad and tied for 18th in the field with 13 goals. Brinkema did the bulk of his scoring damage on the power play, scoring a tournament-high-tying seven goals on 14 shots. Castillo was right behind him among the power play stats leaders ranking tied for third with six goals (on 11 shots). Brinkema also finished third in sprints won with seven (on 13 attempts, 53.8%) while Max Matthews was seventh (6-for-9, 66.7%). Tauscher led all goalkeepers in the tournament with 74 saves on 141 shots for a 52.5% save percentage, which ranked third in the tournament. He also finished tied for second in steals with seven. Noah Rowe added two goals in the gold medal game to finish with 10 goals at the Games.
Germany vs. USA (Women’s Gold Medal Game – ASC Duisburg – 2025 FISU World University Games)
SCOREBOARD
1
2
3
4
FINAL
USA
0
0
2
4
6
Germany
1
2
2
4
9
6×5 – USA – 0/9 – GER- 2/5
Penalties – USA – 0/1 – GER – 2/3
USA Goals: Lauren Steele 2, Jojo Walters 2, Katherine O’Dea 1, Ana Pieper 1
USA Saves: Lauren Steele 12
GER Goals: Sinia Plotz 3, Emma Seehafer 2, Elena Ludwig 2, Marijke Kijlstra 2
GER Saves: Darja Heinbichner 19
Italy vs. USA (Men’s Gold Medal Game – ASC Duisburg – 2025 FISU World University Games)
SCOREBOARD
1
2
3
4
FINAL
USA
4
3
2
3
12
Italy
4
4
6
2
16
6×5 – USA – 8/16 – ITA – 2/7
Penalties – USA – 1/1 – ITA – 2/2
USA Goals: Hayden O’Hare 3, Bode Brinkema 3, Noah Rowe 2, Eli Liechty 1, Wade Sherlock 1, Ben Larsen 1, Max Matthews 1
USA Saves: Nate Tauscher 11
ITA Goals: Pietro Faraglia 3, Alessandro Carnesecchi 3 Alessandro Balzarini 3, Davide Occhione 2, Andrea Condemi 2, Stefano Ballarini 1, Mattia Rocchino 1, Alessandro Gullotta 1
WKU Volleyball Announces Seventh Annual Red & White Scrimmage
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – WKU Volleyball will host its seventh annual Volleyball 101 on Saturday, August 9, beginning at 2 p.m. The event, which will feature the Red and White Scrimmage, youth clinic and Volleyball 101, is free for all fans. The Red and White intrasquad scrimmage will begin at 2 p.m. inside E.A. Diddle […]
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – WKU Volleyball will host its seventh annual Volleyball 101 on Saturday, August 9, beginning at 2 p.m. The event, which will feature the Red and White Scrimmage, youth clinic and Volleyball 101, is free for all fans.
The Red and White intrasquad scrimmage will begin at 2 p.m. inside E.A. Diddle Arena. At 3 p.m., WKU’s players and assistant coaches will hold a free, one-hour youth clinic, followed by autographs. During the youth clinic, head coach Travis Hudson will conduct an educational session in the Paul Just Media Center to break down the game and its strategies for interested fans.
Parking and event admission is free.
Season tickets and courtside seats for the 2025 season are still available online! Courtside seats can be purchased by calling 1.800.5.BIGRED while season tickets can be purchased here. WKU offers a flexible season ticket package for $75, providing fans with 15 tickets to games throughout the year to be used however they choose. The Hilltoppers open the home slate on Friday, August 29 against Wright State.
Fans will also be able to purchase WKU Volleyball gear throughout the event.
Local track and field athletes end season on the upswing | Gilroy Dispatch
Kaiden Gonzales competes in the shot put event in the CCS Track and Field championships on May 24. Gonzales took third place in the section. Photo: Jonathan Natividad The track and field season finished up recently with the Blossom Valley Athletic League finals on May 10 at Santa Teresa High and the Central Coast Section […]
Kaiden Gonzales competes in the shot put event in the CCS Track and Field championships on May 24. Gonzales took third place in the section. Photo: Jonathan Natividad
The track and field season finished up recently with the Blossom Valley Athletic League finals on May 10 at Santa Teresa High and the Central Coast Section prelims and finals at Gilroy High on May 17 and May 24.
One local athlete, Gilroy shot putter Kaiden Gonzales, advanced one step further. Gonzales finished third in the shot put at the CCS Finals with a school-record throw of 58-0.5 and got an invite to the CIF State Meet in Clovis the next weekend.
“Stakes were really high at CCS Finals,” Gonzales said. “It was the fourth or fifth throw where I hit the 58-0.5. You’re striving for finishing in the top three, because that guarantees you get to State. There was a jolt of energy. It was the last time I’d throw at Gilroy and I wanted to end it with a bang.”
That throw edged Logan Brantley of Aptos, who finished fourth, a smidge back at 58-0. Finishing outside the top three but beating the qualifying distance could still garner one an at-large berth. But top three was the desired place on the podium.
Gonzales then headed to Buchanan High in Clovis to compete with the best in California. He was the sole student-athlete from either of the two Gilroy schools to compete at that meet. In the prelims, the senior threw 54-8 and finished No. 15 in the entire state of California. That mark was just short of what was needed to advance to the top 12, who competed in the finals the next day.
“It wasn’t the greatest of days for my throws,” Gonzales said. “But I was very grateful for what the Lord has blessed me with. And it’s just amazing and a great feeling to have my name in the Gilroy record books.”
Gonzales’ stellar season included breaking the 54-year old school record in the shot four times. The previous mark was 56-11.25 by Sal Flores in 1971, an incredible 54 years ago. In fact, no other thrower had placed in the school’s top 10 in the shot since 2005. Until Gonzales came around.
His best toss before the season was just 54-3. Gonzales then broke the school record this spring in a dual meet versus Sobrato, at the CCS Top Eight meet, at the Sacramento Meet of Champions, and again at the CCS Finals.
Other top performers at the CCS Finals from the city of Gilroy included one other Mustang and three from Christopher.
Gilroy’s Juel Martinez leaped 21-2.25 in the boys long jump to nab eighth place at the CCS Finals.
For Christopher, basketball/track star Shiloh Vallejos threw the shot 38-10 for sixth place. Other Cougars who did well were Kordell Crocker, who jumped 21-11 for fifth in the boys long jump, and freshman Isabelle Schreyer, who cleared 5-0 for ninth in the high jump.
During a stellar season, Vallejos had a best throw of 40-2.5 at the BVAL Finals. That mark is now the school record, beating the previous record by almost four feet. Vallejos entered the year with a best of only 34 feet and made nearly a 20% improvement during the season. She credited Kaiden Gonzales and Gilroy High throws coach Fortune Gonzales, Kaiden’s father, for coaching and mentorship that greatly aided her improvement this past season.
“I had the privilege of working with these two for the second half of the season and I definitely think it was a huge factor in my success,” Vallejos said. “Learning from their knowledge and experience in throws, I was able to not only further my knowledge but also my distance in shot put. Even though we are from different schools, they welcomed me and helped me develop as an athlete and as a person.”
Several other Gilroy and Christopher athletes had excellent seasons, with highlights coming in the BVAL Championships, and several competing in the CCS Prelims though not qualifying for the CCS Finals a week later.
At the BVAL Finals meet, Gonzales shined with a first in the shot put at 57-0 and a second in the discus at 148-10. Martinez finished third in the long jump at 21-3 and ninth in the 100 in 11.37. Freshman Omarri Neville came in eleventh in the 100 in 11.42.
With those two speedsters on the 4×100 relay team, the Mustangs placed sixth in 44.14. Martinez ran leadoff, Jaime Gonzalez was second, Niko Sanchez took the baton next, and Neville ran home on the anchor leg.
Another high-flying Mustang was Cody Robbins, who tied for third in the high jump at 5-8.
The Gilroy girls were paced by Alexis Mydell, seventh in the 100 hurdles in 17.10, and Janey Rodriguez Cruz in ninth place in the discus at 94-6.
A host of Cougars excelled in the BVAL meet. Crocker led the boys’ efforts with a 21-4.5 leap for second place in the long jump. Avery Montejano was fourth in the 300 hurdles in 41.56 and 10th in the 400 at 51.43. Dylan Wharton came in fifth in the 300 hurdles in 42.01 and sixth in the 100 hurdles in 16.24. Jagger Booth ran 22.76 in the 200 meters for sixth place.
Vallejos came through with the top performance for the Christopher girls, winning the shot put event with a throw of 40-02.5, a victory by 4-8.75 feet. Chioma Okeke also had a superb day, with two excellent second-place runs, a 26.20 in the 200 and a 59.05 in the 400. Christopher was strong in the discus with Malerie Middleton in second at 109-0 and Victoria Gonzales-O’Donoghue third at 103-6. Gonzales-O’Donoghue also notched a No. 12 in the 100 hurdles in 17.57.
Schreyer cleared 5-0 in the high jump for second place. CHS volleyball star Finley Corona came through at 4-8 for seventh. Kalani Brown nabbed a 12th in the shot at 29-2.5. Juliet Tassio topped 8-8 in the pole vault for sixth place.
Lady Greyhounds volleyball team gets it done in the classroom
Members of the Boerne High volleyball program can serve up aces on the court and are also aces in the classroom. Because of their performance off the court – specifically in the classroom – the Lady Greyhounds volleyball program recently received an academic award from the American Volleyball Coaches Association for their cumulative grade-point average. […]
Members of the Boerne High volleyball program can serve up aces on the court and are also aces in the classroom.
Because of their performance off the court – specifically in the classroom – the Lady Greyhounds volleyball program recently received an academic award from the American Volleyball Coaches Association for their cumulative grade-point average.
Boerne High earned the 2025 AVCA Team Academic Award after their varsity members maintained a yearlong grade-point average of at least a 3.3 on a 4.0 scale this past school year.
Lady Greyhounds head coach Staci Lawrence said the girls on the team know how to juggle their schedules.
“I’m beyond proud of the 2024-25 varsity team for receiving this academic award. This group of girls was exemplary in their ability to manage academics, athletics and jobs,” she said. “Many of the girls in our program have a rigorous academic schedule with multiple Advanced Placement or college level classes. Their drive and determination to succeed in multiple facets of life are what will help them be wellrounded student-athletes and community members once they leave our program.”
Only 1,450 college and high school volleyball teams – male and female – from around the country met the criteria to earn the award. Of the 1,450 honored, 534 were girls teams and only 52 were from Texas.
Local Belton resident hosting benefit tournament for The Burgess Family
CHINA SPRING, Texas (KXXV) — John, Julia, and their two sons passed away during the destructive Kerrville flooding. Now, a family friend is helping to make a difference. Burgess Family Volleyball and Cornhole Benefit Tournament Sunday, July 27th, Legacy Beach Volleyball from 5 pm-10 pm. BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:It has been three weeks since the nation’s attention […]
CHINA SPRING, Texas (KXXV) — John, Julia, and their two sons passed away during the destructive Kerrville flooding. Now, a family friend is helping to make a difference.
Burgess Family Volleyball and Cornhole Benefit Tournament
Sunday, July 27th, Legacy Beach Volleyball from 5 pm-10 pm.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT: It has been three weeks since the nation’s attention was focused on the flash flooding in Kerr County; among those who lost their lives were John Burgess, his wife, and two sons.
Their daughter, Jenna, was in a different location. Now, a family friend who lives in Belton is calling on the Central Texas community to rally behind the little girl.
“God is good and he is still present even through devastation like this, and sometimes small benefits like this need to come to bring that out, that it’s proof that he is still with us,” said Grace Wallum, a friend of Julia Burgess.
Wallum is organizing a volleyball and cornhole tournament benefitting Jenna. All proceeds will support John and Julia’s daughter Jenna, the sole survivor of her family.
“We figured we would make this tournament into a benefit to help with Jenna’s trust and anyone that’s going to have to take care of her from this day forward,” said Wallum.