Championships aren’t won on the field, they’re won on the recruiting trail! College Football recruiting has changed DRAMATICALLY over the past decade, becoming more like the NFL Draft- where 17-18 year high school football players decide where they are going to play football for the next four years of their life. They will come on ESPN, Fox Sports, or a local news organization to tell the world who they will be suiting up for. Yes, there’s a lot of spotlights, red carpet, live tv….big deal type of stuff that goes on during National Signing Day. But make no mistake, IT IS A BIG DEAL!
Here are the top reasons why recruiting is so important:
- Losing guys to graduation/NFL- Those four years go by quick. Sometimes they jump early. You have to keep an eye on the future or you will be left behind.
- Gotta fill spots- Losing key positions will happen but that’s why you recruit. Depth people!
- Championships baby- You singed that blue chip QB for a reason. He was recruited by everyone for a reason. Now go win the Natty!
- Great players = great exposure- It goes without saying. These 5 star cats know that all eyes will be on them on Saturday’s and they want to play somewhere where they have the entire world’s attention.
- Money- You have to please to the boosters. You must rally the alumni. It’s so important (yet tedious). They’re your life blood to your program and the recruiting effort. They bring in the bling!
- Facilities- It’s the first thing these players see when they come for a visit. From the locker rooms to the gym, you want them to have everything they need to be successful. Yet, some schools are just bigger. Some schools have more money. Are facilities the most important thing to a recruit? Trust me, they care.
- The coaches- First impressions. The consistent communication. Coming to watch them play on Friday nights. The sit down with the family. All of these things are what helps the players make their decision. The coach’s single most important part in recruiting is the sales pitch. “Why should I come here?” You have to sell yourself, not just the school and program.
- The campus- They have seen pictures online and commercials on TV. However, actually being there is entirely different. What stands out? What draws them back? Most importantly, what makes your school so much more special than the others this potential prospect has visited?
- Degree- They are called “student-athletes” for a reason. Whether they get offered a scholarship or not, they will be working on some degree path for at least four years there. Will your school have what they want? They may love you and your program but your school might not have what the prospect wants to major in. What do you do? You have to ask these questions.
- Family- A lot of these prospects want Mom and Dad to come watch them play. Awesome, right? But they live on the other side of the country. Uh oh. Or you have the luxury that your school is only 30 miles from their home. Great! It’s really important to these kids. Also, is this program “family oriented”? Mom and Dad invested the past 18 years into them. They now have to trust you for the next four years. Those sit downs are so important.
You see the reasons why it’s so important. On top of what I just listed, coaches have to fight against negative recruiting as well. Don’t fool yourself because EVERY SCHOOL DOES IT! Understand too, these are teenagers. Majority of these kids don’t really have an idea on what they want to do for rest of their lives, but one thing is clear as crystal- THEY WANT TO PLAY FOOTBALL! They want to be on TV and play in front of 90,000 people at the stadium and millions of people watching on TV and the internet. Recruiting has become so big that schools have coaches that are in charge of that very area of the game. There are numerous web sources and companies that concentrate specifically on recruiting because fans are so interested in these high school kids that put up outrageous statistics, that they dream of what they could do on Saturday’s in the Fall for their team.
Mark your calendars for Wednesday, February 7, 2018. That is the day these young men all across the country pick a hat, hold a bulldog, or do the gator chomp in front of God and everyone and show who they will be playing college football for. It’s a lot fun and ESPNU will be broadcasting it all day. And if you have to work, just visit watchespn.com to tune in. There’s no excuse to miss the craziness that is National Signing Day.
As of 1/22/2018, here is the top 25 class rankings for 2018 according to 247 sports:
- Georgia
- Ohio St.
- Texas
- Penn St.
- Alabama
- Miami
- Oklahoma
- Clemson
- Notre Dame
- Auburn
- USC
- LSU
- Washington
- Michigan
- Oregon
- Florida
- Tennessee
- South Carolina
- Virginia Tech
- TCU
- Maryland
- Florida St.
- Baylor
- Nebraska
- N.C. State
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