The Monarchists Podcast

Coach Finny is back with CB and Gary to cover the transfer portal and recruiting. We have updates on the stadium construction and a big scheduling announcement. Plus we talk about the College World Series and Troy’s run to Omaha.

How do NFL teams really build championship rosters? This week, The Monarchists sit down with ODU football pioneer and Philadelphia Eagles Vice President of Player Personnel Charles Walls for an incredible conversation about football, leadership, scouting, roster construction, and the journey from the very first ODU football team to helping build Super Bowl champions. Charles shares stories from ODU’s early days under Bobby Wilder, working alongside Taylor Heinicke, Thomas DeMarco, Nick Mayers, Ronnie Cameron, and Deron Mayo, breaking into the NFL with the Green Bay Packers, learning from some of the league’s top executives, and eventually helping the Eagles build one of the NFL’s premier rosters. We also dive into: 🏈 How NFL scouting actually works 🏈 What teams are really looking for in prospects 🏈 Transfer Portal & NIL impacts on NFL evaluations 🏈 Eagles Super Bowl championship culture 🏈 Lessons from Green Bay, Cleveland, and Philadelphia 🏈 ODU’s rise from startup program to national brand 🏈 The future of roster building in college football This is one of the most fascinating football conversations we’ve ever had on The Monarchists. If you love football, scouting, leadership, team building, the NFL Draft, or ODU Football, this episode is for you. 🔵 Subscribe for more ODU Football, ODU Basketball, and Monarch Athletics coverage. #ODU #OldDominion #PhiladelphiaEagles #NFLDraft #NFLScouting #CharlesWalls #ODUFootball #TheMonarchists Chapters 00:00 Introduction 01:00 Why Charles Chose ODU Over Kent State 02:45 Life on ODU’s First Football Team 07:00 Building a CAA Powerhouse 08:00 ODU Players Who Don’t Get Enough Credit 10:00 Transitioning from Player to Coach 12:00 The Conversation That Changed Everything 13:30 Breaking Into the NFL with Green Bay 18:30 Career Growth & Lessons for Young Professionals 21:30 Why Relationships Matter in Football 24:30 What NFL Scouts Really Do 25:15 Inside an NFL Draft Cycle 28:15 How Teams Handle Scout Disagreements 30:00 Evaluating Character in the Transfer Portal Era 32:30 Why the Transfer Portal Isn’t All Bad 36:00 The Hidden Work of NFL Scouting 38:30 Scouting ODU Legend Rick Lovato 40:30 Life on the Road as an NFL Scout 42:00 Charles’ Favorite Concert & Jay-Z Story 44:00 Winning a Super Bowl with Philadelphia 45:30 Could NFL Roster Building Work in College Football? 47:00 Why Charles Always Gives Back to ODU 49:00 Seeing SB Ballard Stadium for the First Time 50:30 Rapid Fire Questions 56:45 Final Thoughts & Go Monarchs

Before the touchdown. Before the win. Before ODU football became what it is today. Thomas DeMarco remembers the moment he looked around the stadium and saw 20,000 Monarch fans packed into the stands. Then, that first touchdown pass to Marquel Thomas . . . That’s when he realized ODU Football was becoming something much bigger than anyone imagined. 💙🏈 Monarch Nation was built on moments like this. #ODUFootball #ThomasDeMarco #GoMonarchs #CollegeFootball

When a career-ending injury ended his playing days at ODU, Charles Walls thought his football journey might be over. Instead, Coach Bobby Wilder, Bro Scott, and Keita Malloy gave him an opportunity that changed the course of his life. That opportunity eventually led Charles from ODU Football to the Green Bay Packers, Cleveland Browns, and ultimately Vice President of Player Personnel for the Philadelphia Eagles. A powerful lesson about mentorship, leadership, and why one opportunity can change everything. 🏈 Full episode drops Monday on The Monarchists. #ODUFootball #PhiladelphiaEagles #CharlesWalls #BobbyWilder #NFL #Football #Leadership #ODU #GoMonarchs

ODU Football head coach Ricky Rahne joins The Monarchists to talk spring ball, the importance of summer development, recruiting camps, roster retention, NIL/revenue sharing, offensive line progress, and why Monarch fans should embrace the team in front of them right now. Coach also explains why summer workouts shape the heart and soul of a football team, what ODU looks for during camps, how player leadership develops in June and July, and why the best days of college football can still be ahead. Plus: golf tournament stories, Coach Snodgrass praise, honest recruiting insight, and a surprise wrestling detour at the end. Subscribe, like, comment, and share with Monarch Nation. Go Monarchs! Chapters 00:00 Intro & ODAF shoutout 01:00 Spring ball recap: 15 practices, not 16 02:35 Offensive line progress 04:00 Coach Snodgrass and the importance of summer development 06:45 ODU Football golf tournament 09:50 Football camps and players coaching campers 12:45 What makes a successful summer? 16:20 NCAA recruiting calendar and rule complexity 19:15 What ODU evaluates at camps 23:05 What can be taught vs. what traits are harder to change 25:25 Recruiting measurables and why height exaggerations hurt players 29:25 NIL, revenue sharing, recruiting, and roster retention 34:00 Post-camp evaluations and offer decisions 35:45 Evaluating camp data and long-distance campers 37:00 How ODU treats every camper 38:25 New offensive line coaches 40:45 What ODU fans should do before the season 41:45 “The good old days are never coming back” 44:00 Bonus wrestling talk with Coach Rahne 47:00 Coach Rahne thanks The Monarchists 48:00 Go Monarchs