How to Get Recruited for College Football
“If you are good enough, you will get recruited” it is a belief held by many football recruits, but unfortunately it is not the reality. College football coaches know what types of players they want, but their real problem, is where they can go to find them. And with thousands of high school football players, it is just not possible for coaches to find every athlete who might be a good fit for them.
The most competitive college football programs throughout Division 1 have the resources to recruit any player they want. But they are often looking for a very specific type of player. Coaches of smaller programs “and there are a lot more smaller programs than bigger ones”, do not have the resources to find every athlete that might fit on their team. The recruiting game for most football players will be about contacting the right schools to get offers you are happy with.
To get recruited for college football you will likely need to promote yourself to the right coaches. More than 90 percent of high school football players do not go on to play football in college. But you can beat those odds, because the secret to winning the recruiting game is to know how the game is played.
Know how College Football Coaches Recruit their Team
Scholarship Limits for Football
NCAA D1 FBS: 85 (headcount)
NCAA D1 FCS: 63 (equivalency)
NCAA D2: 36 (equivalency)
NCAA D3: Non-Scholarship
NAIA: 24 (equivalency)
When does college football recruiting start?
College football recruiting starts as early as the middle school ages. The programs at the top of Division 1 will look to identify talent even before some athletes are in high school through camps and talent showcases that pull together athletes from around the country.Though they cannot contact these athletes directly, they can still make it clear in a few different ways that they are interested.
How do football coaches rank determine who is a top recruit?
The most successful young players effectively set the standard for recruiting since they will normally be ranked as the top recruits. However, football is just as much about physical development as it is skill development, so coaches will continue to look for top talent through sophomore year.
How do coaches evaluate recruits?
Recruiting becomes a comparative analysis of who is the best player to recruit. Coaches will essentially look to see, who did you play against, and who did you beat to determine how good a recruit is. The more dominant a player has proven against their peers, the more coaches will be looking to recruit them.
What is the role of high school football?
High school football is a major part of recruiting, but any evaluation camp can make the recruiting process much easier for coaches because they can see a lot of talented players in one place. If you are not being approached by coaches, you will likely need to reach out directly. By gathering as much information as you can about your career to show coaches you have what it takes to help their team’s win.
KNOW THE GAME. WIN THE GAME.
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