There's no denying that the movement at the Division I level to add general manager roles has grown exponentially the past two seasons.
A lot of the GM roles being filled by rising support staffers that have an eye for talent, and that have the skillset to handle all the things that go into roster management, which includes the transfer portal and important NIL details.
With those recent introductions to college football so critical to the job description, it should come as no surprise that being a college GM is a young person's game.
Sources tell FootballScoop that Northern Iowa is set to bring in what could be the youngest college GM at the Division I level.
Owen Chandler, a defensive assistant at Ashland (D-II - OH), is set to join the UNI staff as their newly minted GM, sources share.
In addition to duties on the defensive side of the ball, Chandler also served as assistant DFO for the Ashland program.
At just 23 years old, he's believed to be the youngest person to hold the GM title at the Division I level among football programs.
Before joining the Eagles, the former student assistant at Ohio Northern (D-III) served as a quality control coach on defense working with the defensive backs for a season.
At Northern Iowa, he joins the staff of Todd Stepsis, the man tabbed to replace longtime UNI head coach Mark Farley.
Stepsis enters his first year with the Panthers after a six-season run at Drake (FCS - IA), where he went 16-7 over the past two seasons, including an impressive 15-1 mark in conference play.
Stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.