Recruiting Resources

As my following has grown over the past year and a half, so too have questions from players and parents about the recruiting process.  I look upon the parents in particular with a little bit of amusement.  One minute you’re holding your son in your arms.  Next thing you know, at age 16, he’s 6’5″ and winds up being a college football prospect, and you have no idea what to do.

Responding to them all takes a lot of time, so I thought I would set up a page on my blog with the advice I give and links to resources, given from our very own folks at National Preps.  This page will be updated continually with more resources.

Here is a series of videos from Randy Taylor, director of California scouting, at a recruiting chat with parents and players:

https://twitter.com/CoachRalph/status/824271019204411392

 

Here is a link to and quote from an article from the Leming Report featuring our MW scouting director, Clint Cosgrove: http://lemmingprepinsider.com/2016/09/11/qa-clint-cosgrove-director-of-midwest-scouting-national-preps/

LPI: What other advice can you give high school football players to help them in their recruiting?

CC: Make sure that your information is easily accessible. Update your Hudl as much as possible. If your film, contact information, and academic information are easy to find, you have a better chance of being discovered. If you are embarrassed by your grades, then work harder in the classroom. There is nothing worse than discovering a kid that could have tons of offers, but I cannot even get him in front of a team because he won’t qualify. You can be the best player in the world, but if you cant get into school or meet the NCAA requirements it doesn’t matter.

Have a Twitter with your real name so that coaches/scouts can find and contact you. Remember that what you put on your twitter account, whether you write it or re-tweet it, is a reflection of you and can cost you a scholarship.

When it comes to getting yourself out there, be as proactive as possible. Try to develop relationships with coaches and see as many schools as you can. One day college camps are a great way to do that. Unless you have multiple D1 offers, don’t only focus on D1 schools, because that is how a lot of players end up without an opportunity to play in college. A lot of players make this mistake and end up without scholarships when they could have had them.

You have little control on when it comes to your recruitment, because at the end of the day very few players get to chose who is going to offer/recruit them. Control what you can actually control and by that I mean your approach to the game, your attitude, and your work ethic on the field/In the classroom. Have a great relationship with your HS head coach and let him know about your goals to play in college. The first person a college coach is going to talk to when they go to your school is he, and your coach is usually going to be brutally honest. Don’t make HS football only about recruiting, make it about your team and being best person/player/teammate you can be. When you do those things you will give your chance to play at the next level. Most of all, do not put too much pressure on yourself. HAVE FUN! Playing HS football with your buddies will be one of the most memorable times in your life as it is football in its purest form.