In this section of the website we will take you through the recruiting process and cover different facets of recruiting. We will share with you the NCAA rules, and also what we have learned over the years. Like most things in life there is a right way and a wrong way to handle it. Our goal is to help you understand how the process works and help you create as many opportunities as possible so that next year on national signing day you feel good about your decision.

Division D-1A The first thing that is helpful to understand is what the differences are between the different divisions of the NCAA. In D-1A there are 119 schools that can each have a maximum of 85 scholarships, assuming they are not on probation with the NCAA for rules violations and have all of their scholarships to offer. A D-1A school can only offer a full scholarship. It is all or nothing. They don't offer partial deals like books only, or tuition only, its all or nothing.

Division D-1AA The next division is D-1AA. There are 116 of these schools that can have a maximum of 63 equivalents. Notice I did not use the word scholarships. An equivalent means different things to different schools. Some schools will have 63 in-state equivalents; some schools have 63 out-of-state equivalents. Some schools are not fully funded. These equivalents can be split among players. Some guys will start out with a partial scholarship and get more money each year as he becomes more valuable to the team. A D-1AA team will have the same number of players or more that a D-1A team but they have less scholarship money to give out. A question we encourage our players to ask when talking to a D-1AA coach is, "Are you a fully funded out-of-state equivalent institution?" It makes them sound smart and it also tells them what school has more money to spend.

Division D-II The next division is D-II. There are 150 of these schools that can have a maximum of 36 equivalents. The same applies to D-II as it does to D-1AA, the equivalents can be split among players and with only 36 scholarships you don't see very many guys on full football scholarships. Funding is also another good question to ask D-II coaches. They run into the same thing as D-1AA in that all schools are funded at the rate of an out-of-state equivalent. Usually what a D-1AA or D-II school will do is have a recruit complete a financial aid application (F.A.F.S.A. which means Free Application for Federal Student Aid) and see if the student-athlete qualifies for any type of grant money and put that with their football scholarship offer to create as competitive of a package as possible. In addition, some schools are able to offer in-state tuition right away to their athletes as another way of helping to pay for the cost of college. A lot of Mandarin High Football players have gone to D-II schools over the years for free utilizing the federal grant money with their football scholarship money.

Division D-III The final division is D-III. These schools do not offer athletic scholarships. Any scholarship is needs based or on academics. The guys at this level truly do it for the love of the game. These schools still recruit like the D-1A, D-1AA, D-II, but they do not give athletic scholarships for playing football. We have had a lot of Mandarin Football players that have gone to play at these schools and had great experiences, loved their college experience and loved playing football for their school.

Recruiting Mail The first time you get a letter in the mail from a college, you think you have died and gone to heaven. Not everyone gets them so you know you are special because they took the time to put your name on the envelope and send it. You have arrived.

The NCAA allows colleges to start sending you information about their camps and questionnaires to complete during your sophomore year in high school. Starting September 1st of your junior year, schools can send you any recruiting material. You will get guides, postcards, letters, notes, and relentless propaganda promoting the merits of various institutions. You will love going to the mailbox each day and seeing who cared enough to send you something today. The mail is one of the best parts of recruiting.

Did you ever wonder how they found out about you? When you get mail from a college you might think they read about you in the paper or heard about you on the radio or television, so now they are sending you a letter, and that happens. But how did they really hear about you? Has the word of your skills gone nationwide? Well not quite.

Colleges get recommendations from a variety of sources. Their primary source is the high school coaches. The college will send a questionnaire to your high school coach that asks them to recommend the top players on their team and in the area. A typical form will give some information about the college, like their academic requirements, so the coach knows what players could possibly get admitted (that is why it is important to make scholastics a priority over athletics because without them all world talent will not get you into the school).

The form will also ask the coach to rate that player's football ability. Now coaches have to be prudent in their recommendations. If a high school coach gains a reputation as a guy who recommends all of his seniors to every D-1A school every year, he will find it very hard to get a player recruited when he does have someone that could play at that level. It's kind of like the boy who cried wolf too many times. In addition to using coaches recommendations colleges use other tools like recruiting databases to find that diamond in the rough. However, colleges are now spending more time attending high school spring practices than trusting a database like Rivals, Scout.com, etc. Remember this, just because you receive a letter from a college that does not mean they are interested in you or want to offer you a scholarship. A lot of the correspondence is database driven and they do not even have you on their target board. So don't get the big head yet!

After it is all said and done, getting mail is a lot better than not getting mail, but that is about it. Like we said earlier, getting mail means the school knows about you. Getting mail means they might contact you and we emphasis might. Getting mail does not mean a scholarship offer will follow. Schools with larger recruiting budgets may have as many as 500 prospects on their mailing list. Most schools will sign anywhere from 20-25 prospects a year so a lot of athletes get letters, and that's all. But like we said, getting mail is better than not getting mail.

As you start to receive more and more mail you will start to get some questionnaires in some of those letters that schools want you to complete and return. The first couple you complete are exciting. However, as the questionnaires start to pile up you will become less and less excited about filling them out. We encourage you to fill them out anyway. Remember, everyone you complete has the potential to turn into a scholarship. Look at each one as a job application and you are completing them for the best college job there is, to be a student-athlete.

However it brings up an interesting question, how do you view the recruiting process? It would be in your best interest to get rid of the big head syndrome and come back to reality. Coaches are not going to beg you to play for their schools. Instead, look at it like you are getting ready to get out of high school and trying to find a way to get through college without the burden of having to pay back student loans in the end. You are looking for a job. If you do that, it changes your whole perspective on this process.

Since we are looking at this process as a job search, we encourage you to do what most of us do when we are applying for a job, make a resume. This will help to highlight your strengths and present you to potential employers, coaches, in a positive way. You can also write a cover letter and attach it to the resume or questionnaire and return it. This will increase your opportunities to get a job in the college football market.

Sample Resume 1
Sample Resume 2

Also, a lot of questionnaires will ask you to rate your interest in their school or rank the schools you are interested in attending. If you were to receive a questionnaire from Georgia and were asked to rank your top 5 schools and Georgia Tech was your #1, then you could be completely honest and rank them like this: 1. Ga. Tech 2. Florida 3. Georgia 4. Vandy 5. Auburn. Not exactly the best way to make friends and influence people. I would imagine the recruiter for your area that opened that survey when it returned was less than impressed by being ranked #3 and I am sure you would drop on the list too. It's kind of like writing Coca-Cola for a job and telling them you like Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Dr. Pepper and Sprite all better, but if there is nothing else left you will choke down a Coke if you have to. Probably not the best approach. Don't make this mistake. Create as many opportunities for yourself by returning each questionnaire, ranking the school that bought the stamp as high as possible, and remembering that it's a long way to signing day and you never know what school will be your new favorite.

Spring Evaluations The first Thursday in February of your junior year is when recruiting really starts. Your senior friends will have signed their "Letter of Intent" the day before and now it's your turn. Colleges will shift their focus in a hurry and as soon as one class is wrapped up, they will start on the next one. Recruiting waits for no man.

As you are starting to get more and more mail you will notice that college coaches will be back in your high school. This is called the "Spring Evaluation Period." You will start to see college coaches at your track meets, baseball games, and your spring football practices and jamborees. They are starting the process of recruiting all over with a new group of players.

During this period of time the college coaches are not allowed to schedule a meeting with you to market their school. They are allowed to come into your school, meet with your high school coaches, get film, get information, watch practice or jamboree game and then leave. If by chance they "bump" into a potential prospect they are allowed to say hello, but that is it. You would be amazed at the frequency that D-1 coaches "bump" into D-1 prospects every spring.

As a player that is treating the recruiting process as a job interview we have five pointers to help you through this period:

#1. Be in Class
As silly as this one sounds, you would be amazed how hard it is to find a moving target. I have had players over the years that were hard to "bump" into because they could not be found.

#2. Wear Nice Clothes
It amazes me what some guys wear to school. Some players roll out of bed, put on a pair of shorts and come to school. No Shower, no deodorant, no brushing of the teeth, nothing. They sleep as late as they possibly can, then fall out of bed and rush to school.

You wouldn't think twice about going to a job interview without wearing a collard shirt, pants, belt, and shoes. It should be just as easy to make that same choice during your junior and senior years. You are going to meet coaches that will determine if you get recruited. Make a good first impression.

#3. Carry a Book
One of the duties of a teacher from time-to-time is to monitor the halls. You would be surprised how many students walk down the halls each day with no books, no paper, no pen, no plan at all. They are just happy to be there and oblivious to what they are in school to do, to learn. They are there to talk to the ladies, hang out with their friends, eat lunch, and when they are not doing that they will sit in a room and watch a teacher work. They are not there to learn. They are along for the ride and they will do just enough to get by and graduate while learning as little as they can, doing the minimum, and no more. Don't be this guy.

Be a student first, then an athlete. Be a serious student first who cares about what he learns first, and about his grades second. Be someone who is not mistaken for stereotypical jock who is in school just so he can play in the games and relies on his reputation to keep him eligible. As one of the top athletes in your class you are a leader in more ways than one. If you take that responsibility seriously then you will find it easier to be a leader in the classroom too.

When you "bump" into that college coach in the spring and you are carrying a chemistry book, or pre-calculus book, or something like that, it sends a big message to that coach that you are a serious student. You are someone who cares about school and would very grateful for a college education. That will show the coach that you will not have to be baby sat while in college and that you will meet NCAA requirements and stay that way.

#4. Stand up Straight
The biggest lie told in recruiting is how tall you are. If you are 5'10" coaches usually round that up to 6 feet. Everyone over 6' we usually add an inch or two to make them sound like a better prospect. College coaches know that high school coaches usually add an inch or two and this is the reason so many want to "bump" into the prospect to see how much the roster height lied.

As a result, stand up as tall as you can when you meet these coaches. If you are 6'4", then be 6'4". Don't slouch and be 5'11". You will notice that when a lot of these coaches meet you they will shake hands and then pull you close to them and stand as close to you as possible. This is not because they are trying to smell you or anything weird like that, they are trying to get a feel for how tall you are.

#5. Thank the Coach
Gratitude never goes out of style and everyone likes to be thanked. When you meet that college coach for the first time and he shakes your hand say something like, "Coach, thank you for coming to my high school and talking to my coach. I really appreciate it. He came a long way, make an impression on him at the first meeting. Besides, he came to see something that he cannot see on highlight film or game film.

Phone Calls
The NCAA regulates the number of times colleges can call. According to NCAA rules colleges are allowed to call one time in the May month of an athlete's junior year, and then they cannot call again until the month of September of their senior year. Then coaches are allowed to call an athlete once a week.

When coaches call, give them your full attention. Is $250,000.00 - $450,000.00 worth your time? When your friends are paying back student loans you could be using that money for something else. When the coach calls, turn off the television, press pause on the game you are playing, walk into another room away from your friends, and spend time with the coach calling. Furthermore, in the fall as you start to talk to coaches more and more, schedule a time to talk. If you know you have church on Wednesday and a game on Friday, ask them to call you on Tuesday or Thursday during a specific time that works for you. Invest you time in getting to know these coaches and more importantly let them get to know you.

A list of questions you can ask the coach:
1. What is the best part of your football program?
2. What are your players doing now?
3. What are your prospects for this season?
4. Do you offer the academic area I am interested in studying?
5. What position do you think I will play at your school?
6. What is your program's coaching style?
7. What type of offense/defense do you run?
8. What type of academic support does your school offer student-athletes?
9. What is your graduation rate?
10.Where would I live if I went to your school?
11.What do most of the guys on the team do during the summer?
12.What is a typical day like for a student-athlete during the season?


Unofficial Visits
The difference between an unofficial visit and an official visit is who pays the bill. On an unofficial visit the recruit will pay for all of his expenses associated with the trip. This includes his travel expenses, hotel, food, and other expenses associated with his visit, with the exception of game tickets which can be supplied. On an official visit, the school will pay for everything, however on this trip you have to pick up the check.

Some examples of unofficial visits include, but are not limited to: basketball games, junior days, spring football games, spring football practices, summer open houses, and fall football games. You are not limited to a certain number of unofficial visits and you should attend as many as your schedule and finances will allow. All of these are events you are invited to, but you can sometimes contact the school and set them up on your own.

Here are some tips for handling unofficial visits
1. RSVP
Nobody likes surprises or uninvited guests. If you decide you want to go to an unofficial type event a school is having, call ahead of time and tell them you would like to attend. It's better if you are invited, but if you would like to come to an event you have not been invited to, call ahead and see if it's okay. Most of the time coaches will not have a problem with you coming unless they have a limited number of tickets to a basketball game or football game or something like that.

2. Put your "Cool Card" away
Some guys refuse to be impressed. There are kids who walk into a 15 million dollar indoor facility and say, "This is alright." You have to be kidding me! Alright? Just Alright? How can you not be impressed when you walk into that facility? We know what your High School looks like and it does not have a 15 million dollar facility.

Remember football facilities serve two purposes: function and recruiting. They need that indoor facility so they have someplace to go when it's cold or raining, that is function. They want that indoor facility so when people like you come on campus you say "Holy Cow! This is Awesome!"

Don't be afraid to be impressed. Verbalize that you are impressed. Comment to coaches and hosts how impressed you are by the facilities. They build them for you.

3. Everyone has an ego and gratitude never goes out of style
Don't let your ego get in the way of the recruiting process. One day, looking back, one of the things you will wish you would have done is to express your gratitude to the coach who invited you to the event. You will know that you should have taken the time to walk back to the football facility and find the coach and say, "Coach, thank you for inviting me to this event. I really enjoyed it. I look forward to talking to you more in the future." Gratitude never goes out of style! So when you go on one of these trips remember everyone has an ego and gratitude never goes out of style. Also remember you need to show them something they cannot see on the film.

4. Be aware of what you wear and how you act.
Stories just like this happen all of the time. A school is having an unofficial visit event, such as a spring football game or junior day, and a potential recruit shows up wearing clothing promoting a rival school. To do something like this, you are either arrogant or ignorant. Either way we don't recommend this approach.

They obviously think their skills are so good they can show up wearing the rival teams colors and coaches will not be offended. They have to be convinced the coaches want them so bad they can walk into their house and slap them in the face and the college will come back begging for more. Have some sense; you don't go to Sprint interview wearing a T-Moble shirt. Why would you walk on a college campus as a guest of the athletic department, and promote another school.

Either way it is not the best first impression you can make. Trust us on this, college coaches don't think it is funny.

Summer Camps
When you go to camp this summer it is one thing and one thing only, a tryout. You will be invited to many camps and every college coach has the same agenda when they invite you, they want to see if you can play on their team. You are coming on campus so they can evaluate you in person. Your high school coach may have recommended you and sent tape on you, now it's his chance to see you for himself so he can remove all the hype and exaggerations on your resume that is used to promote you. One of the first things you will do at a summer camp is run the 40, a vertical jump, maybe shuttle and other tests they prefer. So, the question is, will going to this camp increase my chances of getting a scholarship? Some guys pass the test with ease others don't. You should know before selecting summer camps to attend where you fit in the big picture and be honest wit yourself. Because of your height, weight, or performance test scores you may not be a D-1A prospect, you may be a D1-AA or D-II or D-III prospect. Once you have identified your best shot a athletic scholarship then you should select the camps where you have a higher percentage of gaining an offer.

College football camps are an audition, a tryout, and an interview all wrapped up in one. If you decide to go, then make sure you understand that, and you are in the best shape of your life and know your position and the game inside and out. It is a business trip so leave your PS2 at home and make sure you get plenty of rest and fluids while you are there. Be first in line to every drill and make sure you stand out. They are not looking for an average camper; they are looking for the guys that are head and shoulders better than everyone else there. Don't go and be average, average guys don't get recruited, if you go, you had better be exceptional!

Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ
1. What do we do if our son is not being recruited? It depends on why your son is not being recruited. If he is not a good enough player, a hard pill for some parents to swallow, then there is not much that can be done except to lower your expectations. A lot of kids and parents get caught up in the D1-A or bust mentality and they don't even want to consider going to a D-1AA or D-II school because their pride will not allow it. Trust us, a scholarship and a degree from a D1-AA or D-II college will still get you a job and leave you debt free.

If your son is not getting recruited because he is not being promoted by his high school coach, that is an easier one to fix. Create a resume, assemble a highlight tape, and mail it to as many colleges that meet your sons level of ability.

2. Should we hire a recruiting service to promote our son?
A good high school coach beats a recruiting service any day. A recruiting service will say things like "Is a $2,000 investment now worth it to get a scholarship?" Come on, they cannot guarantee you are going to get a sholarship. If you asked them if they would refund your money if your son does not get a scholarship they will probably say "NO." Very few guys get scholarship offers without the college coach at least talking to the high school coach. If you leave the high school coach out of the equation you can count on him being involved one way or the other. So it does not make sense to not include him. In fact most college recruiters will insist on talking with the coach no matter what. Be wise if you choose to use a service.

3. How do you get noticed by Rivals.com, Scout.com and other recruiting websites?
Your coach is the main person to recommend a player for Rivals.com, Scout.com and other recruiting services. Most sites have an online recommendation form that the coaches use, however, they do mail the coaches the same forms as well. If your coach feels that you are qualified and it is in your best interest he will feel out the form and in some cases send tape.

4. How are Ivy league schools different from other NCAA schools?
Okay, there are NCAA minimum requirements and then there school requirements. Colleges have the right to make their admission requirements higher than NCAA minimum eligibility standards, and most do. The IVY League standards are much higher than the NCAA standards as well as SEC, ACC, and other D-1A, D-1AA, D-II and D-III schools. You want see many people at an IVY League school who graduated High School with a 2.5 GPA and a 900 SAT. I don't care how well you play football.

However, football can help you get into an IVY League school. They call it, "supporting your application." It means that if you are a candidate for an IVY League school and a good football player, the football coach can be an advocate for your admission. Once the coach has evaluated your athletic ability and academic standing, he will encourage you to apply to the school. Once your application is complete, he will take it from there. If you are a strong candidate then he can help make the difference in whether or not you are admitted. When talking to an IVY League coach, ask him if he will support your application, he will know what you are talking about.

The Clearinghouse
One of the toughest things in the world for a high school player is when they are offered a scholarship and they cannot accept it because the don't have the grades. Sometimes it is a case of not attending classes, or an SAT score that does not meet minimum requirements, whatever the situation it is not a good thing when they have to turn it down.

The rules changed starting with the class of 2008. Click on the link below to review and download your copy of the minimum requirements.

2008 NCAA Requirements

At the completion of your Junior year you should register with the NCAA Clearinghouse. In order to do that you need to go to the website https://web1.ncaa.org/eligibilitycenter/common/ and register using an online form. Then have your high school send an official transcript to the NCAA Clearinghouse and have the college board send your SAT scores there as well using the number 9999. Now all you have to do is complete your core courses, obtain an acceptable standardized test score and graduate from high school. Once you graduate then have the school send your final official school transcript to the clearinghouse which must include on the document your graduation date.

Official Visits
A visit to a college campus should be viewed as a job interview. You are trying to get the job, while at the same time you are trying to decide if you should take the job if offered. Too many time student athletes fumball the ball here and they look at these trips as an "early spring vacation" or who can worship me the most. Both views are very misguided.

The visit is not all about getting you to go there. Part of the visit is to see if you will fit in with the players they already have on the team. If you go on campus and none of the current players like you, then they can't recruit you. If you go there with a negative attitude, they won't recruit you. If you go there determined to be unimpressed then you will do nothing to impress them either. Go for the right reasons or don't go at all.

Here is some imformation and tips that should help you with the official visit process, and help you increase your chances of leaving your visit with a scholarship offer every time.

NCAA Rule:
You are allowed five official visits. An official visit means the school can pay for your transportation, your hotel, your food, and your entertainment while on campus. The school cannot pay the transportation cost of your parents, but once they are on campus they can provide a hotel room and pay for their food and entertainment. If you live far enough away to fly, then your parents will have to pay for their own plane ticket. However, if you live close enough to drive, then the school will give you a stipend based on your mileage and your parents can ride in the car with you and in essence the schools pays for their transportation too. The school, or any booster of the school, cannot give you anything you can take with you back home. This includes hats, t-shirts, sweatshirts, shoes, or anything else that could be considered a gift. You are welcome to stop at the bookstore during your trip and purchase some of these things, but they cannot be received as gifts.

Prior to your visit you are required to provide an up-to-date transcript and any ACT or SAT testing scores you have earned. In addition, most D-1AA and D-II schools will have you fill out some financial aid information to determine what grants you may qualify for in order to put together a financial estimate on what it will cost to go there. Remember that D-1A schools can only offer full scholarships, but D-1AA and D-II can combine football scholarship money with Pell Grants and other scholarships available.

Typical Recruiting Visit: