A veteran college football coach who has worked in almost every Power 5 conference is sitting down for a late lunch. This is typically a moment when he would gush about his players. But on this afternoon, in a rare instance, he is gushing about another coach.



“The level of espionage in this sport is insane, and he’s the best I’ve ever seen,” he said as he lowered his voice. “You go from giving up 12- and 14-yard chunks to plays of negative-2 yards. He’s amazing.”



He is a signal stealer.



Well, actually he’s a defensive assistant coach. He also has a rare talent that can — and on several occasions has — changed the course of a college football game. This isn’t a case in which it’s a guy who used intel he brought from a previous staff to burn an old employer. This is next-level stuff. Armed with his trusty binoculars, pen and a pad, he can deliver wondrous bits of info and become an...