Lots of high school players get mail. There is a difference in getting mail and getting recruited. Below are a
few ways to tell if a college football coaching staff is truly interested in a potential prospect.
The order of the hints listed below can vary. However, they are listed in the order in which each MIGHT happen for a mid-high grade prospect on a college recruiting board.
Constant Contact with Area Recruiter
Everything starts with some sort of contact. Usually its by mail. As a freshman and sophomore potential football prospects can receiver questionnaires, camp brochures, nonathletic institutional publications, and NCAA Material published by the NCAA. With social media and the leniency of limitations or lack there of contacting prospects via telephone, if a prospect is being contacted or having consistent contact with coaches from college staffs, that is an excellent sign that the schools wants to stay fresh in the mind of the prospect. Great sign of high interest.
Social Media Follow
Many college coaches and staff members are on social media. They track the social media activity of potential prospects. Prospects will notice coaches and staff members “friend and follow” recruits on social media platforms. Social media reveals a lot about a young man’s characters, associates and interest. If coaches wants to know more about a prospect (via social media), that’s a great sign of high interest.
Junior Day Invitation
The purpose of junior days are getting kids on campus. Are junior days invite only? No, junior days must be open to the general public; however, letters are sent inviting kids that coaches would like to attend. College coaches tend to work closely with high school coaches in order to get information about junior days to the athletes that the college staff feels would benefit most from attending. Even though the kids do not work out at junior day’s the coaches will be watching them closely to gain all kids of useful information about the prospect. If the recruit is interested in the school the junior days can be an important event to attend.
Character Questions
Simple, yet effective! When college coaches ask the prospect’s the high school coaching staff, the high school faculty and community servants character questions about a potential prospect, clear sign the university is weighing if they would like to invest a great deal of money (scholarship) in the young man.
Unofficial/Verbal Offer
The verbal offer can come at different times. Few prospects receive OU offers before their junior season. More will receive UO offers during the spring of their junior school year. Majority will receive UO offers May through the December their senior season. UO offers are great, exciting and rewarding. Kids will naturally be excited about them. Asking a kid not to be excited about an UO offer would be similar to asking a woman not be excited about an engagement ring. “I want to marry you, but we haven’t signed anything yet. We think you are talented enough to play for us, but we are not obligated to sign you.” An OU offer means a college staff is taking a real interest in a player.
Summer Camp Invitation
Some colleges make it an “Unwritten Requirement” that junior prospects who are high on their recruiting board, attend their summer camp. The written invite may go to many kids. When the coaching staff contacts a prospective prospect via social media or telephone and reiterated that summer camp invitation…happens for select athletes.
Conversation with head football coach
During the Winter contact period, the head college football coach is permitted to call senior recruits as many times as he wants. When a prospect is a “Must Get” the head coach makes it a priority to call. Many times more than once. During the senior football season, a college staff is permitted 1 call per week, per staff. The head coach may speak with a recruit once or twice during those months. Another good sign that schools wants you.
Official Written Offer
This is the money! Oral offers come and go. The written offer is mailed and received anytime after the potential prospect is registered as a senior at his respective high school. The NCAA states August 1st. Written offers are not binding, but do provide some accountability for the University.
Unofficial Visit Invitation
The unofficial visit means a prospect can visit the University on their own dime. The college can not pay for any expenses. College coaches want potential prospects to visit campus as much as possible. If feasible; Spring, Summer and Fall. If a recruit is invited to a fall home game, the college wants to showoff their game day environment and more. Great sign of high interest.
Visit By Head Coach
This doesn’t happen for all recruits, but is does for the Top Dogs on the board. During the senior year the university head football coach is permitted to visit with the senior prospect once outside of the University. It is permissible for this contact to occur both at the site of the PSA’s educational institution and away from the institutional grounds.
Official Visit Scheduled
An official visit can be defined as simple as this: The University wants you to visit and the University will pay for it. If the University would like to schedule an official visit, this is big. Not often do college coaches schedule visits for prospects they have not offered and are not highly interested in. They want to spend money on kids who they would like in their program.