Lessons Learned on Recruiting

[Classof10Dragons]

As a parent who just finished the process and was fortunate enough to have a son sign a D-1 scholarship this week, here in no particular order are some things we learned I hope might help you if you have a sophomore/junior son with the dream to play D-1 on Saturday...IMO:

1. Combines: Coaches cannot attend these, they are NOT places to get "discovered" and scouted by college coaches. They are prohibited from attending. In general, not relevant at all to get recruited, despite what the organizers tell you. My son went to 2, did well in both (named All Combine at the Nike Dallas, one of 26 chosen from 900 kids), but they had absolutely ZERO to do with him getting recruited. The college coaches didn't care, except that it provided some independent verification of his size/speed, but they also ask your HS for the same thing. One small benefit to some of these combines: you have to read carefully, but some are affiliated with ESPNU, Rivals, or Scout, and as a part of your combine value, they will set up a profile for your son with his combine basic stats and picture. More on this in #4 below.

2. Spring Football: EXTREMELY important. This is when the college coaches show up in droves to watch practices and evaluate players. And this is where you get on the radar if you are a sleeper kid who didn't have a big junior season (this was our situation). They stop in to your HS coaches office first to ask about the kids who have the size and ability. So the agreement of your HS coach that your kid has college potential is extremely important, as he will provide the names of the kids for the college recruiter to watch. So make sure you've talked with your HS coach before Spring football to get his candid assessment of your son's ability. It will save you heartache later.

3. Randy Rodgers: Quite simply, the best $150 we ever spent was to get a meeting with him and a Game Plan (he explains what this is on his website, www.randyrodgersrecruiting.com). He knows the ins and outs of recruiting and has 30+ division 1 schools as his clients for identifying Texas talent. He is NOT an agent or marketer of your kid. He works for his college clients, but shares his insights on the process to parents for a nominal fee, and will also do tape evaluations to give you an unbiased opinion of your son's chances to play college football, and at what level.

4. Rivals, Scout and ESPNU: To get a profile and a rating, you have to submit game tape to these services. My son ended up as a 3 star, 5.6 on Rivals and was ranked nationally in his position for most of the year, but we had no idea who did this or why they rated him like they did. It goes in to a black hole and the ratings people will not communicate with you. If you want ratings on all 3 of these websites, you have to send all 3 tape. After an initital tape drop to all 3, we just focused on Rivals, sending them updated tape during the year. Do colleges pay attention to the ratings or find players this way? Mostly, no. At least that's what the coaches say. But their media departments all use Rivals stats in their signing day press releases. Each college has their own site and reporters, who essentially buy a franchise and charge subscription fees to get full access to their site.

5. Recruiting Mail and Calls: Between September of 2008 and about 3 weeks ago, we accumulated probably 500 pieces of recruiting mail from about 30 different schools. The type of mail you are receiving means something. Form mail--even if it is personally addressed through a computer program-- only means you're on that school's most distant radar. Hand written note cards or letters mean they have your son on their real recruiting list. Calls during the various recruting periods mean they have him on a shorter list, but it does not mean they will eventually offer you a scholarship. Behind the scenes, they rank their recruits and talk to more than they know they will need or offer.

6. Junior Days and Summer Camps: If you're invited to a junior day and think you might be interesed in that school, go. You get to tour facilities, the campus and meet coaches. Your son can have his stock rise if he impresses them with the "eyeball test". It also shows that school you have interest. Summer camps: they will call you and let you know if they really want you there. No call and personal invitation, don't bother. Only go to the one day camps. The invited kids they are really watching even get coded or different colored numbers. If you are not invited to that school's camp, unless your kid is an undiscovered megabeast, you are wasting your time and money to go there.

I could go on an on. This process has its ups and downs for sure. If you have any questions, please feel free to PM me. I'm not an expert (Randy Rodgers is, as is your son's HS coach), but just a Dad who went through this and learned along the way. Good Luck!!

[cajun]

Interesting!

Thanks Randy

[SLC]

Damn good stuff sir, very informative!! I wish that young man of your's well up there!!

[mad_fan]

Originally Posted by cajun

Interesting!

Thanks Randy

lol...

[mustang4ever]

Class of 10, thanks for the information. I especially enjoyed the statements about the combines. Most importantly, you sound like a parent who got involved with your child's recruiting. As a high school coach I know how the recruiting game is played. What really gets to me is that so many parents think that it is our responsibility to make sure their kid gets recruited and get offers. What many parents don't understand is that all we can really do is give the coaches a list of names and give them a good recomendation. After that it is up to the kids to do the rest. We will put hilight videos together and send the school's game video when asked. However, we have to be asked to do it.

Guess what I'm trying to say is, parents, you have to get involved. Don't just depend on the coach to do it all...because we don't. We have a program to run as well. We will do whatever we can to help your son but, you have to be involved too.

[sgp3]

You hit the hammer on the nail right there. It is not the high school coaches job to get a a player recuited that such a true statement. It up to the parent and the player. An it all start when he are she is in the 9th grade not the 10th or the 11th, 12th grade. It start in the classroom and then work it way to the playing field. It is so many so call services that suppose to help but are just money making scheme i.e combines charging to test a player i.e 40, vertical, shuttle and bench press. I say stay away from those combines that charge you $80 to $95 to test your kids the high school coaches test them at school and if you go to a camp you get tested those camps so save that money. As far as getting a profile setup up on a recrutiing service that is easy as well and free. If you PM me I will tell you how to do all that stuff for free. I will say this as a parent you have to be proactive and keep your son or daughter focus in the classroom because that is where it all starts and end.

Originally Posted by mustang4ever

Class of 10, thanks for the information. I especially enjoyed the statements about the combines. Most importantly, you sound like a parent who got involved with your child's recruiting. As a high school coach I know how the recruiting game is played. What really gets to me is that so many parents think that it is our responsibility to make sure their kid gets recruited and get offers. What many parents don't understand is that all we can really do is give the coaches a list of names and give them a good recomendation. After that it is up to the kids to do the rest. We will put hilight videos together and send the school's game video when asked. However, we have to be asked to do it.

Guess what I'm trying to say is, parents, you have to get involved. Don't just depend on the coach to do it all...because we don't. We have a program to run as well. We will do whatever we can to help your son but, you have to be involved too.

[Drphill]

Originally Posted by mustang4ever

Class of 10, thanks for the information. I especially enjoyed the statements about the combines. Most importantly, you sound like a parent who got involved with your child's recruiting. As a high school coach I know how the recruiting game is played. What really gets to me is that so many parents think that it is our responsibility to make sure their kid gets recruited and get offers. What many parents don't understand is that all we can really do is give the coaches a list of names and give them a good recomendation. After that it is up to the kids to do the rest. We will put hilight videos together and send the school's game video when asked. However, we have to be asked to do it.

Guess what I'm trying to say is, parents, you have to get involved. Don't just depend on the coach to do it all...because we don't. We have a program to run as well. We will do whatever we can to help your son but, you have to be involved too.

Finally, some smart parents. I know at Hebron this year we havent had any D1 offers "yet" but that is because I don't think there is any. We do have some kids I think some schools should offer but, that havent yet. Some of the parents I have talked with think the coaches arent working hard for the kids......My son said there is always coaches coming through the field house almost every day. Point is, I dont think if Coach Brazil called Stoops and said "Hey give this kid a full ride" they would do it. If a school doesn't want a 5ft 10 215lb DT, their not going to sign him no matter what the coach says. I know our school raised $10,000 for a computer program to send video of kids through e-mail to what ever college the kid wants. Still, as of last week I don't think any Hebron football player has signed yet. Maybe thats why the didn't make the playoffs this year. Just imagine if Hebron had 18 or 19 D1 kids like Cedar Hill had........

[QQQ]

Excellent summary Class of 10..... on scale of ten, your summary is a ten.

Excellent points Coach, you and your peers get a 10 too, simply by teaching these kids by example. I know every coach wants his kids to get a big time offer, but you are correct, its the kids that have to be motivated because the next level isn't anything like HS football..... it's a business and its extremely hard work.

I'll add one more thought..... A kids that tend to their business in the classroom and who play in a good HS football program have real opportunities to play at the next level. Best thing about a kid balancing the two, is that football can be the "admission ticket" into a great college.

[mustang4ever]

One more thing to the parents as well as the players, be realistic. Not everyone is a Division I player. I was the same way a lot of kids are today. I felt I was good enough to garner Division I offers. That didn't happen! 5'11" OLinemen/DLinemen are not top needs at Division I schools. I signed with a DII in another state and found out very quickly that there are a lot of good football players in the USA.
Going DII or DIII should not be taken as an insult. It's a chance to continue your playing career but, more importantly, it's a chance to to get an EDUCATION. There's some very good college football played in this state. The Lone Star Conference is just as competitive as the Big XII. So please, keep all of your options open and be ready to work. College football is a business, no matter the level. If you can't get the job done, they will go out and get someone else who can.

[pied]

Originally Posted by cajun

Interesting!

Thanks Randy

Good one, but it's not real difficult to figure that it isn't Randy's dad.

[CCCSportsFan]

Originally Posted by mustang4ever

One more thing to the parents as well as the players, be realistic. Not everyone is a Division I player. I was the same way a lot of kids are today. I felt I was good enough to garner Division I offers. That didn't happen! 5'11" OLinemen/DLinemen are not top needs at Division I schools. I signed with a DII in another state and found out very quickly that there are a lot of good football players in the USA.
Going DII or DIII should not be taken as an insult. It's a chance to continue your playing career but, more importantly, it's a chance to to get an EDUCATION. There's some very good college football played in this state. The Lone Star Conference is just as competitive as the Big XII. So please, keep all of your options open and be ready to work. College football is a business, no matter the level. If you can't get the job done, they will go out and get someone else who can.

Great point Coach, at the end of the day for 99.8% of kids in college, that's what they're really there for any way.

[Agdadx5]

I second the insights that Class of 10 is giving you guys. It appears to me after reading his impressions that he is right on the money. Also it seems little has changed in 13 years.

[da hawaiian]

This thread has cleared up alot of my own misconceptions. interesting reading and thankyou for the post.

[bigdaddydog]

Thanks to all who have added detail to this thread. The Parents MUST be proactive in their childs activities and the recruitment process.

Make no mistake there is frustration and a lack of information on the part of many parents. Recruiting seems to be this secret process that unless your kids HS program / booster club educates parents, you are on your own!!

So thanks again to folks like Classof10Dragons, SGP3, mustangforever, KattTx, and many other here. I know that it helps more parents than you might see on the surface.

My questions are:

What responsibility do the coaches really have to the kids?

Coaches have to worry about winning so they can keep their jobs, at the same time many if not all of them teaching classes, while also doing recruiting for some fraction of the kids in the program.

Do the coaches have a responsibility to establish and keep records on all "The Stats" ? And should they make them available to the parents?

Since The college coaches stop in to your HS coaches office first to ask about the kids who have the size and ability makes the agreement of your HS coach that your kid has college potential extremely important.

***So the bottom line here is that the kids and the parents must not piss off the coaching staff otherwise they might be jeopardizing their recruiting future.***

So it turns out coach Rush Probst's from MTV's Two A Days, little "Ding" comment about controlling the boys future rings very very true.

Last tell me about the 1AA, D3 and JC schools. Do anyof them really travel to recruit? or do they have to rely on phone calls and film for the majority of their recruiting?

Thanks!!


~

[Mustangs1013]

Originally Posted by bigdaddydog

My questions are:

What responsibility do the coaches really have to the kids?

Coaches have to worry about winning so they can keep their jobs, at the same time many if not all of them teaching classes, while also doing recruiting for some fraction of the kids in the program.

Do the coaches have a responsibility to establish and keep records on all "The Stats" ? And should they make them available to the parents?

Since The college coaches stop in to your HS coaches office first to ask about the kids who have the size and ability makes the agreement of your HS coach that your kid has college potential extremely important.

***So the bottom line here is that the kids and the parents must not piss off the coaching staff otherwise they might be jeopardizing their recruiting future.***

So it turns out coach Rush Probst's from MTV's Two A Days, little "Ding" comment about controlling the boys future rings very very true.

Last tell me about the 1AA, D3 and JC schools. Do anyof them really travel to recruit? or do they have to rely on phone calls and film for the majority of their recruiting?

Thanks!!


~

Here's my opinion after having going through the process with our oldest, who is a senior this year.

In regards to college coaches stopping by to see your HS coach - at most 5A schools, the head coach does not teach a class. He is available to meet with college coaches and to help recruit your son. However, from my experience, early in the process the HS coach has a list (short one for our school - longer for the Cedar Hill's of the world) of players who have the potential to play college football. These are usually the kids the HS coach promotes.

It also seems very important to have game film readily available - more so than the "stats". I never heard a college coach say that he liked our son's stats. However, several said they liked his film.

In regards to who travels - the D1AA schools seem to travel. A coach from Georgetown made several trips to our HS to see my son. I never heard of any DII, DIII or JC coaches at our HS - does not mean it didn't happen.

For my son, the couple DII and DIII schools that recruited him mostly did it through email. A couple also called once or twice.

[The Observer]

Originally Posted by mustang4ever

One more thing to the parents as well as the players, be realistic. Not everyone is a Division I player. I was the same way a lot of kids are today. I felt I was good enough to garner Division I offers. That didn't happen! 5'11" OLinemen/DLinemen are not top needs at Division I schools. I signed with a DII in another state and found out very quickly that there are a lot of good football players in the USA.
Going DII or DIII should not be taken as an insult. It's a chance to continue your playing career but, more importantly, it's a chance to to get an EDUCATION. There's some very good college football played in this state. The Lone Star Conference is just as competitive as the Big XII. So please, keep all of your options open and be ready to work. College football is a business, no matter the level. If you can't get the job done, they will go out and get someone else who can.

I'm glad this subject is on the board, and '10Dragons has a great initial list. I think the point I bolded above is real important too, though. Before film, stats, or anything else, the number 1 thing the D1 people have to see if size. If you don't have it, it will be near impossible to get a D1 scholarship, and people have to be realistic about that. Nothing makes me roll my eyes harder than the parent of a 5"10" OLineman whining about how the coach can't help him get any big college looks. If you aren't big, they won't even start the process of looking at you, regardless of how many years you have started, etc. Now once you have the size, you still have to look good on film, etc, but the D1 coaches want the frame that they can add to. So if you are a 5'8" linebacker, or a 5'10" center, you have to know up front that it is flat out not going to happen at the highest level. Now, D2 and D3 are full of kids that are a couple inches too short or 20 pounds too light that were great high school players. I don't think D2/D3 is for everybody (you see a lot of guys come back disappointed - its a step down in facilities, fan support, etc. from a lot of 5A schools), but for those that want to keep playing (or can get a D2 scholarship), its great.

I also think as a parent you have a responsibility to your son to be realistic. You see a lot of kids that become frustrated with the process becuase their parents think they are not getting a fair shake. I think if you're son does want to play, you need to target the level that he can actually get to, and then be proactive. Like someone said above, especially in DII and DIII, you can call them, send film, etc. and find a place to play. If none of the big boys are talking to you, however, there is a reason, and its not the coach!

[jnprod]

As the parent of two players, oldest curently plays for a D1 school and the youngest is a 2011 graduate and currently in the recruiting process, I highly recommend an ebook called Play College Football by Tom Faulkner. It answers most of the questions parents have about the recruiting process and tells you how to make a step by step plan for your son. The price of the book is $40 and pays for itself in time saved searching for information on the internet. http://playcollegefootball.com/

[jc84chill]

This is a great, great thread and one that needs to continue to be visible on this forum (will stick at the top soon).

We have quite a few parents on board who could really benefit from the recruiting insight provided by our other parents who have been through it. Hopefully we can use this thread as a Q & A or guide of sorts.

Thanks, Classof10Dragons.

[CCCSportsFan]

Originally Posted by The Observer

I'm glad this subject is on the board, and '10Dragons has a great initial list. I think the point I bolded above is real important too, though. Before film, stats, or anything else, the number 1 thing the D1 people have to see if size. If you don't have it, it will be near impossible to get a D1 scholarship, and people have to be realistic about that. Nothing makes me roll my eyes harder than the parent of a 5"10" OLineman whining about how the coach can't help him get any big college looks. If you aren't big, they won't even start the process of looking at you, regardless of how many years you have started, etc. Now once you have the size, you still have to look good on film, etc, but the D1 coaches want the frame that they can add to. So if you are a 5'8" linebacker, or a 5'10" center, you have to know up front that it is flat out not going to happen at the highest level. Now, D2 and D3 are full of kids that are a couple inches too short or 20 pounds too light that were great high school players. I don't think D2/D3 is for everybody (you see a lot of guys come back disappointed - its a step down in facilities, fan support, etc. from a lot of 5A schools), but for those that want to keep playing (or can get a D2 scholarship), its great.

I also think as a parent you have a responsibility to your son to be realistic. You see a lot of kids that become frustrated with the process becuase their parents think they are not getting a fair shake. I think if you're son does want to play, you need to target the level that he can actually get to, and then be proactive. Like someone said above, especially in DII and DIII, you can call them, send film, etc. and find a place to play. If none of the big boys are talking to you, however, there is a reason, and its not the coach!

I have friends that their sons went on and played DII and DIII ball and they loved the school and environment. But what they couldn't come to grip with was they played in front of larger crowds during their high school days, than on Saturday afternoon for their colleges. Some colleges are lucky to draw 4-5,000 people to games. The average 5A Friday night crowd is probably close to 10,000. Most of these college's football fields reflect it in size and style too.

[Maroondog]

Originally Posted by The Observer

I'm glad this subject is on the board, and '10Dragons has a great initial list. I think the point I bolded above is real important too, though. Before film, stats, or anything else, the number 1 thing the D1 people have to see if size. If you don't have it, it will be near impossible to get a D1 scholarship, and people have to be realistic about that. Nothing makes me roll my eyes harder than the parent of a 5"10" OLineman whining about how the coach can't help him get any big college looks. If you aren't big, they won't even start the process of looking at you, regardless of how many years you have started, etc. Now once you have the size, you still have to look good on film, etc, but the D1 coaches want the frame that they can add to. So if you are a 5'8" linebacker, or a 5'10" center, you have to know up front that it is flat out not going to happen at the highest level. Now, D2 and D3 are full of kids that are a couple inches too short or 20 pounds too light that were great high school players. I don't think D2/D3 is for everybody (you see a lot of guys come back disappointed - its a step down in facilities, fan support, etc. from a lot of 5A schools), but for those that want to keep playing (or can get a D2 scholarship), its great.

I also think as a parent you have a responsibility to your son to be realistic. You see a lot of kids that become frustrated with the process becuase their parents think they are not getting a fair shake. I think if you're son does want to play, you need to target the level that he can actually get to, and then be proactive. Like someone said above, especially in DII and DIII, you can call them, send film, etc. and find a place to play. If none of the big boys are talking to you, however, there is a reason, and its not the coach!

This is exactly correct. There will always be that undiscovered diamond that doesn't fit the profile who will walk on and excel in D-1, but these are far and few between.
I can assure you also, that while the overall depth of quality is less in D-2, there are some serious athletes there also. Grades keep some of these players out of the D-1 schools, but they are still quality players all around.