How To Navigate Football Recruiting in the Modern Age
College football is more than a sport; it is a big business with billions of dollars at stake, which places enormous pressure on coaches to win games. For student-athletes, understanding this reality is key to navigating a recruiting process that is now more competitive and complex than ever.
Here is the essential guide to managing your recruiting journey, provided by Awe Video & Photo Studio.
1. Start Early: Academic Eligibility is Non-Negotiable
A strong GPA and test scores are the foundation of any successful recruiting campaign. The NCAA requires prospective recruits to meet minimum academic grade standards and core course requirements to be eligible for a scholarship.
Freshman Year Action Plan:
- Know the Requirements: Learn all the high school courses and minimum grades required to pass the NCAA Clearinghouse standards.
- Check In: Meet with your high school counselor annually to find out where you stand.
- Make a Plan: Develop a plan of action to address any deficiencies promptly.
The Bottom Line: Don’t give a college coach an excuse to stop recruiting you. If they are interested in you athletically, the first thing they check is your grades.
2. Police Your Brand: Social Media and Behavior
The recruiting process starts the moment you take the field in a varsity game, but coaches also heavily scrutinize your digital footprint.
- Social Media: Be extremely careful about what you say and do on any social media site. Coaches will check these accounts to evaluate your character.
- Behavior: Maintain exemplary behavior at all times. One wrong move can kill your dream of playing college football.
3. Maximize Your Athletic Metrics
College recruiting is a highly crafted art form that uses metrics to evaluate potential. While you can’t change your height, you can constantly improve the measurable traits that separate you from the competition:
| Metric | Why It Matters | How to Improve |
| Speed (40-Yard Dash/10-Yard Dash) | Today’s high-octane offenses demand speed at every position. | Learn proper starting technique; practice consistently to shave off tenths of a second. |
| Quickness & Agility (Short Shuttle) | This test measures your change-of-direction ability and burst. | Practice running the Short Shuttle frequently to lower your times. |
| Explosiveness (Vertical/Broad Jump) | These drills measure your raw power and explosion. | Constantly work on drills to improve your jump heights and distances. |
The Big Mistake: Avoid placing too much emphasis on just bulking up through heavy weight-lifting regimens. Prioritize speed, quickness, and explosiveness over pure size.
4. Understand the New Recruiting Landscape
The recruiting environment is dramatically different now due to two major factors:
A. The Transfer Portal Revolution
- Impact on High School Athletes: Many Division I coaches now use the NCAA Transfer Portal to fill immediate roster needs with experienced college players. This reduces the number of scholarship opportunities available for high school recruits.
- The Trickle-Down Effect: This shift means that D-I schools are cutting down on high school spots, which increases competition for the remaining spots at D-II, D-III, and NAIA levels.
B. Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL)
5. Be Seen: The Importance of Camps and Video
Camps
The Power of the Highlight Video
In an era where coaches are overwhelmed by the Transfer Portal, a high-quality highlight video is your single most effective tool to cut through the noise.
- Recruiting Services: Recruiting services scour the Internet for video and physical metric data to justify their prospect rankings (especially for 2- and 3-star players).
Self-Promotion: You are competing against over 260,000 other prospects. You must increase your online presence. Awe Video & Photo Studio thoroughly understands why the highlight video is a vital tool and how to professionally deploy your videos and athletic achievements on various platforms to ma
Remember: Start early on your academics, constantly work on your athletic metrics, and promote yourself wisely.
Here is a video about the college football recruiting process in 2025: College Football Recruiting In 2025 (EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW).
