MJF College Football Recruiting

Recruiting Corner

The college football recruiting process has drastically changed since I was a high school football recruit back in 1990.  The most dramatic change is how early the entire process begins for a recruit.  Top prospects are now offered scholarships in their junior year. Some get verbal offers as sophomores. I was a pretty highly recruited football prospect playing high school football in New Jersey, and I was offered just one scholarship before my senior year, which was very rare back at the time.  I was so proud of it, I’ve hung on to the letter to this day. Nowadays, some college programs receive verbal commitments from as many as 15-20 prospects before the players’ senior years even begin.

We can debate whether the changes are good or bad, but this is the new reality of college football recruiting. Most importantly, a prospect and his parents need to be aware of the process and prepare for it as best they can. Today’s process includes high school football combines, 7 on 7 events, and countless summer camps. Today, prospects go to as many as 10 different camps in order to gain exposure, improve and test their skills, and network with other players and coaches. Football on the high school level has now become a year round sport.  

In today’s recruiting environment, a prospect needs to accept the realities of the process, prepare, and get organized early.  When deciding on which camps to attend, an athlete should consider his motivation for attending the camp. For example, does the prospect want to impress the coaches there and try and land a scholarship?  Is that even possible? Realistic? Does the prospect just want to learn new techniques and hone some skills?  Is the college hosting the camp one that is actively recruiting the prospect, or even expressed mild interest, maybe a few form letters and a camp brochure?

Successfully navigating the recruiting process is about maximizing one’s time and effort to obtain optimal results. Despite advancements in technology and a growing level of sophistication around the process, college football recruiting remains an inexact science. Coaches and scouts are subjective and judgments may be wrong and promising players might fall between the cracks for many reasons (geography, playing for a small school, coach has never had a division 1 prospect on team-is not up to speed on the drastic changes in the recruiting process.) I learned this through my personal experience as a recruit and college football player, and in assisting many college prospects and their families through the process.

It pays to do your homework about the recruiting process, speak to people who are knowledgeable about it, like the MJF staff, and start early. It’s worth it.

Mike Fenske
MJF College Football Recruiting