SCOUT TROUT ELITE
Scout Trout Elite helps football recruits and families build a recruiting plan around current film, verified information, development, fit and coach communication.
Founded by former professional athlete and evaluator Meredith “Merf” Trout.
Explore Recruiting for services and pricing, Current Recruits for classes 2027–2031, or Archives for historical coverage.
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Explore the 2027–2031 classes through Current Recruits in the navigation. Athlete profiles include available film, recruiting information and profile links.
Standard Evaluation — $99.99
A review of current film, recruiting information, position fit and next steps.
Marketing / Email Blast — $99.99
A focused promotional option for athletes with a current, coach-ready profile.
Pipeline Recruiting — $299.99
Evaluation, profile optimization, recruiting direction and outreach guidance.
Elite Pipeline Recruiting — $699.99
Ongoing one-on-one recruiting support, strategic outreach and progress guidance.
Use Recruiting → Services & Pricing to compare options. Free profile submission is separate from paid services. No service can guarantee an offer, scholarship or roster spot.
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What Is S.T.E.P.?
S.T.E.P. Ratings (Scout Trout Evaluation & Projection) is a proprietary analytical framework developed by Meredith “Merf” Trout to evaluate football prospects with depth, context, and projection power — not popularity or hype.
S.T.E.P. is built to answer one critical question for athletes and coaches:
“Given this player’s film, physical profile, and developmental trajectory, how likely is he to help a college roster?”
Unlike traditional recruiting rankings that often rely on offers or subjective scouting buzz, S.T.E.P. Ratings are rooted in what actually translates from high school to college and beyond.
INDIANA FOOTBALL CURT CIGNETTI STEP RATINGS SCORE
10-Point Scale per Category | Max Score: 40.0
S — Substance (Identity & Foundation)
Score: 9.0 / 10
Why:
Cignetti’s substance is rooted in program identity, discipline, and clarity. From his early days under Nick Saban at Alabama to turning IUP, Elon, and James Madison into consistent winners, his teams all share the same DNA:
• Physical football
• Clear accountability
• Player development > hype
• Relentless standard-setting
At Indiana, he inherited a program without a recent winning identity — and immediately installed belief, structure, and toughness.
Knock:
Not yet tested over a decade at a single Power Conference stop.
T — Technique (Teaching & Development)
Score: 9.5 / 10
Why:
This is where Cignetti quietly separates.
• Quarterback development
• Defensive structure
• Situational football (3rd down, red zone, clock)
• Teaching football without over-complication
His James Madison teams were technically sound, rarely beating themselves — and Indiana is already showing the same traits.
Knock:
Still building elite Power-4 recruiting depth year over year.
E — Execution (Application Under Pressure)
Score: 9.5 / 10
Why:
Execution has followed Cignetti at every stop:
• Immediate win jumps
• Culture buy-in within Year 1
• Consistent outperforming of roster rankings
• Strong in close games
Indiana’s turnaround is not fluky — it’s system execution meeting opportunity.
Knock:
CFP-level execution still being written, but trajectory is strong.
P — Presence (Leadership, Command, Outcomes)
Score: 9.0 / 10
Why:
Cignetti’s presence isn’t loud — it’s authoritative.
• Commands the room
• Players trust the process
• Staff alignment is evident
• National respect is rising fast
At Indiana, you can feel the belief shift — which is the first sign of long-term relevance.
Scout Trout Elite Verdict
Curt Cignetti is operating in the same lane Nick Saban occupied before Alabama — elite process before elite perception.
He is not yet a Perfect 40.0, but make no mistake:
• 37.0+ is rare territory
• This is a championship-capable process
• Indiana is no longer a rebuild — it’s a program ascent
If Indiana sustains this trajectory over 3–5 seasons, Cignetti moves into historical S.T.E.P. company.
NCAA FOOTBALL TRANSFER PORTAL S.T.E.P EVALUATION
Scout Trout Elite | College Football Now
Purpose:
To objectively evaluate transfer portal athletes beyond raw stats, hype, or short-term production by grading process sustainability, role fit, and future viability.
Scale:
10-point scale per category
4 categories
Maximum score: 40.0
This mirrors the Nick Saban leadership model and keeps consistency across HS, college, portal, and NFL projections.
S — SUBSTANCE (Identity & Sustainability)
What kind of player is entering the portal—and why?
This is the most misunderstood and most important layer.
Evaluates:
Reason for transfer (role clarity vs adversity avoidance)
Practice habits & buy-in history
Coachability and accountability
Injury history & durability
Mental resilience and maturity
Key questions:
Is the player running toward development or away from competition?
Has the player sustained effort across multiple systems?
Does production align with opportunity?
10.0 Substance =
A player with clear intent, strong references, accountability, and long-term football viability.
T — TECHNIQUE (Skill Translation)
Does the player’s game translate to a new system?
This removes scheme bias and raw stat inflation.
Evaluates:
Positional fundamentals
Footwork, leverage, hand usage
Processing speed (not just athleticism)
Position versatility
Special teams value (huge portal separator)
Key questions:
Can this skillset scale up or down?
Is technique consistent or situation-dependent?
Does production survive film breakdown?
10.0 Technique =
Clean, repeatable fundamentals that translate across conferences and schemes.
E — EXECUTION (Game Application)
Can the player perform under pressure, in real moments?
This is where many portal evaluations fail.
Evaluates:
Third-down impact
Red-zone execution
Late-game performance
Adjustment ability mid-game
Assignment discipline
Key questions:
Does the player elevate or disappear when stakes rise?
Are mistakes correctable or habitual?
Does execution match preparation?
10.0 Execution =
A player who consistently performs when game context tightens.
P — PRESENCE (Program Impact & Projection)
What does this player bring beyond the stat sheet?
This is leadership, gravity, and cultural influence.
Evaluates:
Locker room presence
Work ethic influence
Leadership (vocal or by example)
NIL maturity & media handling
NFL projection traits (even if not draft-bound)
Key questions:
Does the program get better because this player arrived?
Can this player stabilize a position room?
Is there future value beyond one season?
10.0 Presence =
A multiplier player—raises standards, culture, and expectations.
FINAL S.T.E.P. PORTAL GRADES
Score Range Interpretation
36.0–40.0 Program Changer / Plug-and-Play Impact
32.0–35.9 High-Value Multi-Year Contributor
28.0–31.9 Role Player / Situational Upgrade
24.0–27.9 Depth / Insurance Transfer
Below 24.0 High Risk / Short-Term Gamble
WHY THIS MATTERS
Eliminates portal hype cycles
Protects programs from culture misses
Helps athletes find true fit, not just opportunity
Bridges HS → College → Portal → Pro using one language
S.T.E.P. PHILOSOPHY (Portal Edition)
“The portal doesn’t change the process.
It exposes whether you ever had one.”
S.T.E.P NIL VALUATIONS
Traditional NIL valuation is broken because it overweights:
Social media followers
Hype
Market size
Flash stats
What NIL actually needs is risk-adjusted value:
“How likely is this athlete to sustain relevance, production, and brand trust over time?”
That’s exactly what S.T.E.P. already measures.
So instead of NIL = popularity,
you make NIL = performance × sustainability × market fit.
STEP → NIL Translation Framework
(S + T + E + P = 40-point max)
We’ll convert that into three NIL valuation layers:
Base NIL Value (Performance Floor)
This is the minimum defensible NIL value for the athlete.
Formula (simple & clean):
Base NIL Score = (S + T + E + P) × Multiplier
Suggested Multipliers (they can be whatever)
High School: × $250
College Starter: × $1,000
Power 5 Star / Portal Target: × $2,500+
NFL Draft Prospect: × $5,000+
Example
STEP Score: 34/40
College Starter multiplier: $1,000
Base NIL = $34,000
This gives schools and collectives a non-emotional starting point.
NIL Sustainability Index (Risk Modifier)
We weight categories differently for NIL longevity:
STEP Category NIL Weight
Substance 35%
Technique 20%
Execution 25%
Presence 20%
Why?
NIL collapses when Substance fails (off-field, maturity, burnout)
Technique + Execution sustain on-field relevance
Presence determines brand trust and marketability
Output
Elite NIL Hold (Low risk)
Moderate NIL Hold (Medium risk)
High Volatility NIL (Short-term only)
This protects collectives from bad deals.
Presence → Brand & Market Multiplier
This is where P (Presence) finally gets its respect.
Presence measures:
Leadership
Coachability
Media comfort
Locker room gravity
Faith / character consistency (huge for certain brands)
Presence Tiers
P Score NIL Impact
9–10 Brand Anchor (multi-year)
7–8 Campaign Ready
5–6 Limited Activation
<5 On-field only
This helps brands decide:
Jersey deals
Faith-based partnerships
Local endorsements
National campaigns
STEP NIL TIERS
40–36 → Franchise NIL Asset
35–31 → Program Builder NIL
30–26 → Developmental NIL
25–21 → Short-Term / Local NIL
<20 → NIL Risk Zone
Transfer Portal NIL Angle (Huge Advantage)
For the portal:
STEP exposes why a player transferred
Substance + Presence predict second-program success
NIL collectives can avoid:
Culture mismatches
One-year mercenaries
Locker-room volatility
This makes S.T.E.P. mandatory reading for portal evaluations.
“We provide the evaluation framework NIL decisions should be based on.”
“NIL doesn’t reward hype — it rewards sustainability. STEP measures whether the value will still be there tomorrow.”
THE SCOUT TROUT ELITE APPROACH
- Evaluate fit, not fame.
- Prioritize film and verified information.
- Organize profiles for coach readability.
- Support specialists and multi-position athletes.
- Give families clear recruiting direction.
- Update recruiting strategy as the athlete develops.
PIPELINE FOOTBALL RECRUITING
Elite Pipeline Recruiting — $699.99: ongoing one-on-one support, strategic outreach and progress guidance through the active recruiting journey.
Recruiting plans develop with the athlete’s film, academics, measurements and interests. Services support preparation and communication; they do not guarantee a scholarship or roster spot.
ABOUT MERF TROUT
Meredith “Merf” Trout is a former multi-position athlete, specialist and football evaluator, and the founder of Scout Trout Elite and College Football Now.
His background includes Hargrave Military Academy, Graceland University and professional arena football. Scout Trout Elite combines player evaluation, recruiting strategy and athlete development with practical experience in how football players are presented and evaluated.
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SCOUT TROUT ELITE NFL PLAYERS
This coverage celebrates 2018 Scout Trout All-Americans Tykeem Doss and Lincoln Sefcik and their professional football opportunities. Team references and original graphics reflect the period covered; they are not current roster listings.
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