🎙️ Hosts: JP Rock & Matt Biermann

📍 Available on: YouTube | X (Twitter) | Spotify | Apple | Football360Show.com

🔥 Event Recap: KC Varsity Elite Combine

• Massive turnout with both seasoned and up-and-coming talent.

• Athletes received offers on-site — proof of high-level recruiting presence.

• College coaches were actively observing and networking.

• Emphasis on talking to coaches directly — players need to advocate for themselves.

🚩 Combine Takeaways & Testing Strategy

• Some athletes attempted to cherry-pick events (e.g., skipping the 40-yard dash).

  • Coaches view this as a red flag.

• Athletic testing is not just for performance — it shows competitiveness and confidence.

• Flying 10s and force plate metrics now reveal true top-end speed and power output.

💡 Recruiting Tips for Athletes

• Know your level: Match size, speed, and skill set to realistic recruiting tiers.

• Don't hide — perform in every drill to show you're a competitor.

• Start early: Waiting until junior or senior year can severely limit exposure.

🧠 Choosing the Right High School

• Strategic high school selection is crucial — avoid getting buried behind seniority systems.

• Prioritize programs that will give early varsity reps and visibility.

• Game film is the gold standard — highlight reels are just the entry point.

🎖️ Standouts & Speed Metrics

• Hudson Serrano clocked 22 MPH, showing elite top-end speed.

• One QB posted a 37” vertical and 9’8” broad — without ever running a timed 40.

  • Explosive metrics correlate to potential, even without full testing data.

⚠️ NIL & Recruiting System Shakeup

• Breakdown of the House v. NCAA settlement:

  • NCAA on hook for $20+ billion in restitution.

  • Proposal for a new NIL clearinghouse, backed by Deloitte, raises antitrust concerns.

• Discussion on fair market value and athletes' right to earn outside institutional caps.

• The Tennessee law now challenges NCAA’s authority — potential legal showdown looming.

🧠 Final Thoughts

• Recruiting is now more competitive, political, and business-driven than ever.

• Parents and athletes must be educated, proactive, and adaptable.

• Offers are fluid — nothing is guaranteed until pen hits paper.

• 🌧️ Weather scare at DeSmet but event stayed mostly dry — testing ran smoothly.

• 👥 28 colleges represented across FCS, D2, D3, NAIA, and JUCO levels.

• 👨‍🏫 45–50 college coaches attended, plus 35–40 high school coaches.

• 📣 Strong message: If you're not attending events with coaches watching, you're wasting time and money.

• 🎯 Take initiative: Don’t wait for coaches — go introduce yourself.

• 📋 Coaches walk around with target lists but are always discovering new talent.

• 🔄 Athletes are encouraged to build relationships early, especially with repeat opportunities like upcoming KC Varsity and Lindenwood combines.

• 🧱 Demetrius Thompson (Clayton/Brentwood):

  • Dominated 1v1s across the defensive line.

  • Ran a 4.73 laser 40-yard dash at ~6'4", 215 lbs.

  • Trains at Elite — confident, skilled, and primed for a big summer.

  • Possible future pro potential: “Trajectory to play on Sundays.”

• 🎓 Background: 30 years in law, specializing in NCAA compliance, Title IX, NIL, and athlete representation.

• ⚠️ Concerns about the House v. NCAA NIL settlement:

  • NCAA proposing a third-party “unbiased” body to set fair market value for deals >$600.

  • Massive red flags over antitrust, anti-commerce implications.

  • Attorneys ready to sue — fairness, legality, and athlete rights are all at stake.

• 💸 Schools and donors may face consequences if deals are deemed “too high.”

• 🏛️ Strong opinions that athletes need legal protection and collective bargaining (like pro athletes get).

• 🏢 Kentucky reportedly creating an LLC for its athletic department — may signal movement toward private equity involvement.

• 🏟️ Explosion in stadium branding, business integration, and licensing deals.

• 📺 Live sports, especially football, remain extremely valuable — major TV and sponsor interest.

• 💥 Prediction: Major conferences may soon break away entirely from NCAA control.

• The NCAA is clinging to relevance through revenue control and restrictive rules.

• There’s growing momentum for a new model where athletes are properly compensated.

• Expect continued lawsuits, resistance from smaller schools, and possible unionization efforts.

Guest: Coach Brian Baldwin, Lindenwood University
Hosts: Matt Biermann & JP Rock

🔥 Opening Talk

• Recap of bad weekend weather; KC Varsity Combine rescheduled to May 17.

• Summer camp season is heating up — 80s expected soon.

• Lindenwood Mega Camp coming soon — always a scorcher.

🧠 Special Guest: Coach Brian Baldwin

• Former standout at Cardinal Ritter & Kansas State

• Widely respected DB developer and coach

• Currently in his 10th year at Lindenwood University

• Career path: Normandy → Chaminade → Fort Zumwalt West → Lindenwood

• Never planned to coach — started out to give back to the community

• Caught the coaching bug and couldn’t quit

🏈 Coaching Philosophy & Grind

• Early coaching days involved full-time teaching + weekend training with Elite Football

• Gained respect through hands-on skill development from youth to college athletes

• The importance of forming your chops at lower levels before entering the college game

🤝 Relationship-Driven Recruiting

• Baldwin got the Lindenwood job via relationships and networking — not resumes

• His player-first mentality stood out in interviews

• Only coach retained after staff turnover — praised for knowing and caring about individual athletes

💡 Three-Dimensional Coaching

• Difference between transactional vs. transformational coaching

• Baldwin aligns with transformational — invests in players' full journey, not just their on-field value

• Cares about weddings, kids, and life milestones of former players

• Expressed concern over coaches who treat players like assets, not people

🧵 Coaching Realities & Challenges

• Misconceptions about college coaching — more than just recruiting

• Time demands: full-time job + compliance + recruiting + family life

• Social media film drop culture wastes coaches’ limited time

• College football is like the corporate world — filled with climbers and politics

🏕️ Lindenwood Mega Camp Origins

• Coach Baldwin helped transform Lindenwood camp into one of the nation’s top mega camps

• Original version was chaotic — long lines, poor organization

• New format now widely praised as one of the most efficient in the country

• Emphasis on registration structure and logistics critical to success

🌏 Bonus Story: Aussie Adventures

• Shout-out to Coach Dukart — currently in Australia watching his daughter play pro basketball

• Storytime about U.S. coaches experiencing culture shock overseas

🧠 Final Thoughts

• College coaches play a pivotal role in shaping young men

• The job goes beyond wins — it’s about long-term human development

• Coaches like Brian Baldwin are rare — player-first, humble, loyal, and transformational

Lindenwood Mega Camp Registration Link: https://football.lindenwoodlionscamps.com/2025-mega-camps.cfm