5 Easy Tips For The Class of 2017 To Get Ahead In Recruiting – November
1. Stop panicking. We are still very early in the recruiting process. Less that 5% of the class of 2017 (K/P) have made college commitments. Less than 10% of the class of 2017 (K/P) have been offered any sort of college opportunity. Note, there are many waves of recruiting. Recruiting will last all the way through August when fall camps officially begin for the upcoming college football season.
2. Take unofficial visits as often as possible. An unofficial visit simply mean that you have to pay for the visit yourself. Getting on campus is the best way to show a college football program genuine interest. Sending emails, making phone calls, direct messaging on social media, etc. simply isn’t enough anymore. A coach will know that you have a real interest once you make the effort to get on campus.
3. Start to narrow down your search to universities and colleges that are realistic options. This includes level of football (FBS, FCS, D2, D3, NAII, JC, etc.), level of academics, region of the country, etc. Stop targeting D1 football programs if you are not a D1 recruit. Stop targeting high academic institutions if you have a 2.0 GPA. Find schools that will reciprocate interest in you and opportunities will follow.
READ THIS BLOG ON HOW SCHOOLS RECRUIT
4. Ask for an opportunity, not a scholarship. Every college coach in America knows that you would like to be offered a scholarship. When you ask for a scholarship, this turns them off. You are basically limiting communication opportunity. When you ask for an opportunity to be on the team, coaches will be receptive. You are opening a door for communication. The goal in recruiting is to create options. Offers of any kind, create buzz, which create more options. Scholarship vs. Preferred Walk On offers will take care of itself in the end.
5. Get ready for Vegas XXIX (January 13-15, 2017). The biggest mistake made these days is thinking that recruiting for seniors is already over by this time. In fact, it is the exact opposite. 90% of Kickers / Punters in this class will be recruited heavily during this time of year. It will be feeding frenzy. National Letter of Intent Day (NLI) is in early February. Vegas takes place this time of year for this reason. College coaches pay a tremendous amount of attention to the Vegas results and post Vegas rankings. Scholarships offers and preferred walk on opportunities will be won this weekend in Vegas.
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