Before he became a national recruiting analyst at 247Sports, Cooper Petagna was evaluating recruits for some of the most storied programs in college football.
From Alabama to LSU to Michigan to Washington to Oregon, Petagna spent most of his 20s on the team side of the sport — grinding his way up the recruiting and player personnel ladder. He has worked for Nick Saban and Jim Harbaugh, alongside Lane Kiffin and Kirby Smart.
But in 2021, Petagna, now 31, stepped away from the player personnel space and made the switch to the media side of college football — where he’s uniquely qualified to help 247Sports’ evaluation process.
Now living in Nashville with his wife, Petagna spoke to The Athletic for the latest edition of our monthly Q&A.
(Editor’s note: This conversation has been lightly edited for clarity and brevity.)
Can you tell me a little about your background and how you got into evaluation and personnel?
I guess it started when I was really young — I would say about 7 or 8 years old. My birthday party used to fall on the weekend of the NFL Draft and I would have all my closest friends over and we’d watch the first and second round of the NFL Draft. I’ve always had a curiosity about it.
I grew up as a really passionate Saints fan going with my dad and my…
