Rep 1 Sports has signed two of the top quarterback prospects for this year’s NFL draft, Cal’s
Jared Goff and North Dakota State’s
Carson Wentz.
“We have represented multiple quarterbacks in a draft,” Rep 1 co-founder Ryan Tollner said. “I don’t know if we’ve had this caliber of quarterbacks. I don’t know if anybody has had this caliber of quarterbacks for quite a long time.”
The two quarterbacks will be represented on and off the field by Rep 1 founders Tollner and his cousin, Bruce Tollner; director of football operations Chase Callahan; and director of marketing and public relations Nima Zarrabi.
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Rep 1 Sports executives (from left) Nima Zarrabi, Ryan Tollner, Chase Callahan and Bruce Tollner
Photo by: REP 1 SPORTS
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Rep 1 has also signed Ohio State tight end
Nick Vannett, BYU defensive end
Bronson Kaufusi, Colorado wide receiver
Nelson Spruce, Washington State offensive tackle
Joe Dahl, Stanford offensive tackle
Kyle Murphy, Oregon State center
Isaac Seumalo, Oregon linebacker
Tyson Coleman and Florida State linebacker
Reggie Northrup.
“We think it’s an exceptionally strong group of talent that are going to have a real impact in the NFL at their respective positions,” Ryan Tollner said.
Goff and Wentz are considered among four quarterbacks who might be taken in the first round of the draft, said Rob Rang, senior draft analyst for CBS Sports. The others are Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch and Michigan State quarterback Connor Cook.
“Jared Goff and Carson Wentz are among the best of a 2016 quarterback class with more questions than answers,” Rang said. Goff is the only one at the position who is “a sure-fire first-rounder,” he said.
Rep 1 agents had been recruiting Wentz, who was a senior, and Goff, who was a junior, when Goff decided to declare for the NFL early. The two quarterbacks were training together last week and don’t have a problem having the same agency represent them, Ryan Tollner said.
Tollner was a backup quarterback at Cal before becoming an agent.
The Tollners founded Rep 1 in Irvine, Calif., in 2006 and represent about 50 NFL players, including three starting NFL quarterbacks: Ben Roethlisberger of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Blake Bortles of the Jacksonville Jaguars and Marcus Mariota of the Tennessee Titans.
> BASEBALL EXPANSION: In addition, Rep 1 has launched Rep 1 Baseball, a baseball representation division led by investor and businessman Evan Stone.
Stone has hired two veteran MLB agents, Paul Kinzer and Scott Bronstein, to run the division.
Tollner did not disclose the financial details of the deal.
“Football has always been our core business, but we have always proactively explored other areas of growth, and I have always been drawn to baseball player representation,” he said.
Before launching Rep 1 Baseball, Stone founded Pacific Union Financial, a mortgage lender.
Rep 1 Baseball clients include 15 MLB players and several dozen minor league baseball players. Among the major leaguers are Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Edwin Encarnacion, New York Yankees infielder Starlin Castro, Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Enrique Hernandez, Cincinnati Reds catcher Brayan Pena and Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Jason Rogers.
> AGENTS PARTNER TO SIGN ELLIOTT: Veteran NFL agent Rocky Arceneaux has partnered with attorney and agent Frank Salzano to represent Ohio State running back and 2015 College Football Championship offensive MVP Ezekiel Elliott for playing contract work.
Arceneaux, who represented Hall of Fame NFL running back Marshall Faulk, owns Alliance Management, and Salzano is president of sports and entertainment operations at Ancient Ei8ht. Salzano has represented entertainment celebrities, including the late Michael Jackson and Run-D.M.C., in civil litigation.
Arceneaux said in a text that this is the first shared client, but there could be more in the future. “We’re looking to do more in the entertainment space and he’s looking to do more in sports, so it was a great time to align ourselves and grow.”
Liz Mullen can be reached at lmullen@sportsbusinessjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter @SBJLizMullen.
