The NFL Blueprint: Inside the 2026 American Bowl
How the American Bowl leveraged Hudl and Hudl IQ to transform draft prospects into pro-ready talent in just one week.
The inaugural 2026 American Bowl in Lakeland, Florida, wasn't just a football game; it was a high-speed laboratory for the future of professional scouting. With over 100 draft-eligible prospects descending on Victory Field, the pressure to evaluate, coach, and platform these athletes in just one week was immense.
To pull it off, the American Bowl partnered with Hudl, utilizing Hudl IQ to turn a firehose of raw data into actionable insights. Here is how that partnership helped launch a new era for all-star exhibitions.
A Platform for Future NFL Talent
The 2026 American Bowl serves a singular purpose: giving NFL prospects a final, high-definition stage to prove they belong at the next level. For the 100+ athletes invited to Lakeland, this week isn't just about a game—it’s about the work required to climb the draft board.
"We have a wealth of NFL knowledge here by way of coaches who are here for one reason. That's to help you access the NFL and learn what it is to be a pro."
By assembling the nation's top talent and putting them under the direction of NFL-caliber coaching, the American Bowl creates a professional environment where "Day 3" prospects can showcase "Day 1" habits. Executive Director Scott Phillips emphasized that the bowl was built to provide a stage where the nation's best could crash pads and prove their worth against elite competition. As Talent Evaluator Christian Covyeau put it, "This is their opportunity for their dreams, and Hudl is helping us realize them."
How Hudl Powered the 2026 American Bowl
Traditional coaching used to be limited by how fast you could "cut the film." At the 2026 American Bowl, those barriers were erased. The staff operated at an NFL tempo, ensuring that every minute on the field was backed by ten minutes of digital review.
- The 90-Minute Rule: "Get off the field. 90 minutes later, the film is right there. All tagged up to watch, teach, coach," said Scott Phillips. "It’s the first year I’ve ever been able to say that we can run it the way that NFL practices actually run."
- The Digital Mandate: Coach Billick noted that today’s "digital native" players learn differently. "If you cannot communicate with them digitally, visually, you can't communicate, you can't teach."
- The "Eye in the Sky": The film allowed players to own their mistakes and visualize success. By reviewing practice reps on their devices immediately after, athletes could gain "mental reps" that saved their bodies while sharpening their minds.
How Hudl IQ Helped Scouts See More
The partnership with Hudl IQ changed the evaluation game by cutting through what Billick calls an "avalanche of information" to find the specific bits of data that are actually actionable.
"We actually picked certain players in this game exclusively because we saw the speeds they were moving at... we were able to isolate that down to a number and make a decision."
Christian Covyeau noted that the ability to have video and data side-by-side was the "wow" moment of the week. Instead of searching through hours of tape, scouts could "cold-call" a specific play—like an inside zone run or a deep post—and see the data validate the athlete's athleticism instantly.