“Greeny, I’m not sure I want to deal with a Manning up my @ss every day.”

Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht is a scout at heart.

Joe is fortunate to have covered and later gotten to know on a personal level Hall of Fame baseball manager Whitey Herzog. His hidden gift, aside from being the smartest baseball guy Joe ever met, was his keen eye for talent.

After Herzog’s playing days, he became a scout. That’s where he made his bones before gradually working his way up to be a manager and later a general manager.

Herzog never got scouting out of his blood. Even after he retired, he would go to high school tournaments near Kansas City and scout players. It was his passion.

(Fun story Herzog told Joe: Herzog went to a high school tournament, one his grandson also played in along with some high school shortstop named “Albert Pujols.” Scouts told Herzog they liked his grandson. Herzog was flattered but told the scouts they needed to watch “that shortstop Pujols.” When the scouts scoffed, claiming Pujols’ birth certificate was doctored and he was actually in his 20s, Herzog retorted, “So what? Have you seen his hands?”)

Joe thinks Licht is the same way. Since he was named the Bucs’ general manager back in 2014, Licht is often on the road scouting.

If the Bucs are on the road, Licht will often find a Saturday game within a few hours driving distance of where the Bucs play and go scout. Sometimes, he will rough it and catch a flight out of a college town to wherever the Bucs happen to play on Sunday.

It appears Licht did that this week. Why is Joe bringing this up? Because Ryan Fowler of NBC Sports was at the Ole Miss-Texas game Saturday night. And Licht was there too.

Fowler noted Texas had four credentials issued for Bucs scouts. That’s *very* unusual for four scouts of a team to be at the same game.

When a team has that many scouts at a game, they usually are very serious about grabbing a player in that game.

So who were Licht and his troupe looking at on Saturday night? Joe doesn’t think Licht would bring three scouts to a game to monitor some fifth-round dude.

Both Ole Miss and Texas have loads of top-shelf talent.

Naturally, Joe’s mind went to quarterbacks Trinidad Chambliss and Arch Manning. But also playing weree receivers Cam Coleman and Ryan Wingo, running back Kewan Lacy, offensive tackle Trevor Goosby, defensive back Jelani McDonald, linebacker Rasheem Biles, defensive tackle Will Echoles and outside linebacker/edge Suntarine Perkins.

Texas edge rusher Colin Simmons is a complete stud and might be the No. 1 overall pick. But he was hurt and didn’t suit up so Joe isn’t sure Licht and his crew went to Austin for Simmons.

Let Joe put it this way: Licht doesn’t drag three Bucs scouts to Austin just so they can wolf down beef ribs and peach cobbler at Terry Black’s on the Team Glazer AmEx.

The following NFL teams are in attendance for No. 7 Ole Miss @ No. 19 Texas:

• Bucs (x4 including GM Jason Licht)
• Patriots (x2)
• Steelers (x2)
• Commanders
• Seahawks
• Chiefs
• Raiders
• Jaguars
• Dolphins

— Ryan Fowler (@_RyanFowler_) October 24, 2026