Recruiting 101

Football Recruiting Timeline

Freshman Year

• NCAA recruiting guidelines stipulate that you become a college prospect by the start of your freshmen year in high school. Start Planning now!
• Prepare for your future as a student-athlete by making your schoolwork and your grades a top priority -- College coaches want to recruit "Student-Athletes" - not just athletes!
• Talk to your guidance counselor to make sure you know the 16 core courses you must take to become an NCAA Academic qualifier - Know the list of your high school's approved NCAA courses at eligibilitycenter.org by clicking "resources" at the top of the screen.
• Begin keeping a record of your scholastic and athletic achievements. This information will be vital when you start building your athletic recruiting profile.
• Focus on your offseason training and conditioning over the summer months. Taking official visits at this stage of the game is expensive and unnecessary.
• Don't make the mistake of attending football combines too early. If you aren't ready to be tested, attending these camps too early will hurt you more than help you.

Sophomore Year

• Make sure you stay on track academically - Don't let the sophomore blues put in the academic cellar. Stay focused and disciplined in the classroom!
• Begin researching colleges that you believe have your competitive level and your desired academic field. Keep your options open and think about schools from different areas of the country. Make a list of these schools.
• Put together your initial player profile. Plan on updating your profile every semester throughout your high school career.
• Get in the Game! Visits college websites that you have an interest in and complete their online recruiting questionnaire.
• If you have some good football highlights, now is the time to begin creating your recruiting video.
• Now is the time to start thinking about attending a football combine that may be in your state or local area.
• If you decide to attend a football combine be sure to practice and prepare before attending. Know the drills they will test you in and be ready to perform at your very best!

Junior Year

• Continue to take course that meet your high school graduation requirement and that meet NCAA initial-eligibility requirements.
• Make sure that you have completed 10 of the required 16 core courses by the end of your junior year. If you fall behind be sure to use summer school sessions to catch up!
• Keep college programs that you have an interest in updated on your athletic progress. Your junior season is very important for college recruiting!
• Be realistic! Select programs on your target list that meet your athletic and academic abilities as a prospective student-athlete!
• Register to take the SAT and/or ACT test. When registering for the SAT/ACT, be sure to select the Eligibility Center as one of the recipients to receive your test score {Code: 9999}.
• At the end of your junior year, register with the NCAA Eligibility Center and complete the amateurism certification questionnaire (eligibilitycenter.org). A fee waiver is available for students who received a waiver for the SAT or ACT fee. Your high school guidance counselor must request the fee waiver online through the Eligibility Center.
• Create your junior season highlight video that you can send to college coaches along with your player profile that you have been updated throughout your high school career. Start sending your profile and video highlight to college coaches that match your competitive level, geographical preferences and academic interests!
• Schedule at least three unofficial visits to college campuses over the summer. Be sure to choose colleges that have shown an interest in you or schools that fit your competitive level!
• Attend at least one football combine in your local area or state. Make sure you go fully prepared to be tested in the 40 yard dash, pro agility shuttle, vertical jump and power ball throw.

Senior Year

• Stay in communication with as many college coaches as possible by email and phone. If your phone is ringing you are being recruited!
• Beginning July 1st of the summer before your senior year college soccer coaches may call you once per week.
• Plan to retake the SAT/ACT test early first semester of your senior year if you need to obtain a higher score.
• Start setting your five official visits. You are allowed a total of five visits no matter what division you decide to visit.
• Many Division II, III and NAIA offers will take place during your senior year so it's important to stay in touch with as many coaches as you can with timely updates of your player profile and video highlights.
• The Early Signing Period is in November and runs for 7 days. To learn the exact dates please visit: nationalletter.org. The Regular Signing Period is April 16 and ends May 21 for Division I and for Division II the Regular Signing Period is April 16 and ends August 1st.
• Get ready for the college life... You have a great future ahead of you!

Success Stories

Kristin Holmes

My daughter Kristin is a promising Track & Field athlete at Claremont High School. In May 2004 near the end of her junior year, Kristin signed on with CS A and the results have been overwhelming! Kris has been contacted by over 40 Division I schools, several offering full scholarships. Kristin has four official visits scheduled on consecutive weekends October through November and will be attending the University of her choice next year. In addition to a very informative and professional profile mailed to schools in virtually every region of the country, the profile can also be viewed on the CSA-PrepStar website. I would urge any parent to enlist the help of CSA. They really know how to put kids on the scholarship radar screen!

Aaron Rodgers

Over the last four years Collegiate Sports of America has been an invaluable service for me. This February it all came together when I signed my letter of intent to play at the University of California-Berkeley.

I must admit not knowing if anything would come out of this partnership at first, but my doubts were soon erased as the letters and calls began coming in.