When To Start The College Football Recruiting Process?
Are you wondering when your son should start the college football recruiting process? Are you tired of hearing different timelines? Worried about him being left behind if he starts too late while the other 1.1 million football players get ahead? If you do a Google search, you'll often be told to wait until his junior year or, even worse, to leave it to the high school coach. In this post, I’ll put all this nonsense aside and show you exactly when to start the recruiting process and what to do at every stage—from middle school all the way to senior year. This way, your son can stand out and build strong relationships with college coaches, maximizing his chances of earning the best scholarships possible.
Middle School: The Starting Point
You might be surprised to see middle school as the starting point. But with the rise of social media, it's better to start as early as possible. Social media takes time to develop—time to learn how to post, build a following, and get good at it. Starting in middle school can be beneficial. Start by posting two to three times a week, sharing anything from little league videos to workouts or even your meals; consistency is key.
Consider using platforms like Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and Facebook. Tools like Repurpose.io and RCRM can help by allowing one post to be shared across multiple platforms. Learning the entire recruiting process at this stage, from NCAA rules to division differences, is invaluable. Spend about two hours a week on the recruiting process to get ahead.
Before Ninth Grade: Setting Goals
As the summer before ninth grade approaches, setting a goal is essential. Get a professional evaluation with someone experienced in Division I or college football recruiting for a true assessment. This helps determine where your son stands, the best positions for him, and which schools to target. Shoot for Division I schools; even if you don't fit the mold now, it sets a strong mindset.
Develop a list of 50 to 60 target schools and print out their requirements. Constantly seeing your goals is proven to potentially increase the chances of achieving them by 42%. Continue posting on social media and reach out to college coaches to understand who the area recruiter is for your specific region.
Freshman Year: Building Connections
After your freshman football season, it's time to create your first highlight video. Use footage from your freshman, JV, or varsity games if applicable. Spend two to three hours weekly refining your outreach efforts and maintaining contact with potential recruiters.
Sophomore Year: Updating and Evaluating
Continue the same foundational work. After your sophomore season, get another professional evaluation to update your highlight video and reassess your target list. Consider attending camps but ensure they are genuine by validating their interest.
Junior Year: Deepening Engagement
As you move into your junior year, focus on building and maintaining relationships with area coaches. Create another highlight video and perform further evaluations to refine your school list. Start making phone calls as coaches can now contact you directly.
Compile offers after the season and continue spending four to five hours weekly on recruitment tasks. By now, you may start seeing offers from Division II schools or higher.
Senior Year: Final Steps
As a senior, continue the practices from previous years, ensuring you maintain relationships, continue with social media posts, and attend visits. Perform one last evaluation to ensure your targets are appropriate. Decision time is critical as early signing day approaches in December, followed by another in February. Aim to have tough decisions to make between schools and offers.
Conclusion
At any stage, understand that starting earlier is better. But it’s never too late if you genuinely want a college football scholarship. By following this comprehensive pathway, you'll give your son a robust opportunity to achieve his dreams.
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