The recruiting services play a huge role in this - BSPN, rivals, 24/7, all the recruiting camps etc. I know there are some members of the forum who have first hand knowledge of the recuiting process who could speak to this better than I can. My assumption is that most of the programs in the countries use the same recruiting services - they aren't sending recruiters out to high schools as much as they used to (for example they go to look at player X and accidentally discover and recruit player Y). It's easier for most coaches/recruiters to attend the Elite 11, Sparq and whatever other camps have been created where the recruits are all invited to participate in a showcase. If anyone has first hand knowledge of this process I would be interested in hearing more details in how it all actually works
Leonardfan,
I have written several posts over the years about HS/College Football recruiting. It's been awhile since I've commented. It's hard to believe that it's been almost six years since my son played his last HS football game. He was coming off of a junior season in which he rushed for over 3,00o yards on just 275 carries. Over 11 yards per carry and 37 TD's. He suffered a torn ACL in the first game of his senior year in HS. It was heartbreaking to say the least. At least one CF poster, Booth saw him live and can attest to how good he was.
I only tell ya'll this because my son went threw the disappointing recruiting process first hand.
I'm not going to go though all the details again. You can probably find prior posts about this in the CF archives.
I never really got a firm handle on how it all works, but I was told early on when he was seen at a young age to move him to larger metro area so he would get more exposure. I never did this, thinking his stats and combine numbers would do the talking...and I wasn't able financially to do this at the time. Wake Forest RB Cade Carney moved from a rural school to a private high profile HS team and he got to WF. If you saw my son's HS film and Cade's, I'm biased, but there's no comparison, IMO. You could ask Booth.
I will say this as brief as I can, get them to as many D-1 football camps as possible and at an early age. We focused on just a few, Clemson being one of them. We sent film to a lot of schools as well and emailed coaches. I believe Swinney would have offered my son had he not suffered the ACL injury. Dabo had known my son since about age 12.
I would also get your son to as many combines as possible. That's where recruiters look too. He started to get his first letters after he won the Charlotte, NC area combine. However, this wasn't the Nike Combine, that's the big one. I made the mistake of entering my son in that when he was too young. He tested well, but not great. He had just turned 15. I should have waited another year for hm to get a little faster/bigger. If you do well in the combines and go to camps, you will get invited to the top prospect camps. Still there's no guarantee you'll get offered no matter how well you do. I remember when we went to ECU's top prospect camp, there were about 8 RB's, my son being the only white one. He out performed 6 of them and was rated number 2, but the recruiter told my son the wouldn't recruit a white RB! At the Clemson's top prospect camp, again the only white RB, there was about 20 RB's. He started at mid level and by the end of camp, he was in the top tier!
I never fully understood the recruiting services, rivals, 24/7, etc. He was on Rivals, but anyone can get on Rivals. It was a place to list his combine scores and how many offers he had received.
So, to briefly summerize:
Move away from a rural area, if you can.
Go to as many D-1 camps as early and often as possible. Starting at like 11-12.
Go to as many combines as possible. Again, 11-12.
Get in touch with the schools recruiting coach and send film. You can go on their website and find them, or at least you use to.
Start running track, if you know of a good AAU coach!
Get your name out on the recruiting services with stats and combine numbers.
I know this doesn't fit the thread, but If you have any other questions, let me know. I will help in any way I can!
CS