MrPoon, aside from maybe FootballDad, I probably have the most experience on CF in this area. Unless someone tells me different. Most of the guys have heard this story several times over, but it's the complete truth. It's kind of a long story, but I'll try to describe what my son went through.
I started this whole process, because at an early age my son showed a lot talent in all sports. He was good at just about every sport he tried, especially the physical ones, like football and wrestling. He had natural speed and pretty good size, despite being the youngest in his age group. He had the misfortune of having a summer birthday, but I chose not to hold him back. From the beginning most of his coaches recognized his talent early and with football he was always put at QB or RB. So as he progressed into say middle school especially the 8th grade, I began to send film out to college coaches. I sent one to Wake Forest and Clemson. They didn't really take it serious although the highlights were fabulous, running for long TD's and intercepting passes on defense and running them back untouched for TD's We took him to Clemson's camp as early as 10 years old when Dabo Swinney was still receiver coach. I've photos of him with coach Swinney. He did really well in the camps. Most of the time being the fastest and quickest in his group with great hands.
About this time he showed an interest in Track and Field, while also playing travel baseball. In his second year of running track he place 6th in the country in the Junior Olympics 100 meters, U-13. That same year Hannah Cunliffe was running in the same event and won the 100 meters in the girls event.
At this same time he began participating in local and regional combines. Winning the MVP in Charlotte, NC regional combine and going to the southeast regional combine in Atlanta. He didn't win the MVP. A player named Braxton Berrios, who was a year older won it, but he was named a top 5 RB.
Colleges must have received his combine numbers, because during his sophomore year he received his first college letter from Oregon, then LSU, Clemson, UNC, etc., but no offers.
Let me back up, during his freshman season of football during a varsity scrimmage, he took his first handoff and ran for a 60 yard TD, first high school varsity carry! Although he didn't play varsity his freshman season, his HS coach knew what he had. He was the starting RB during his sophomore season and ran for over 1,500 yards on 159 carries and 20 TD's. He started getting some attention, but no offers. Keep in mind he's playing the largest classification in NC. During all this time, we kept sending film and going to selected camps. Clemson, UNC, Duke, Wake Forest, even East Carolina.
Ok, during his junior season he rushes for over 3,000 yards on 259 carries and 37 TD's. BTW, 4.1 GPA. He begins to receive D-1AA and D-2 offers, but no D-1 offers. Dabo Swinney, now the head coach tell s him that he had great junior season, but just couldn't offer him yet? Really?
Again, I've posted what I'm about to say on CF many times. He was told by no less than three division one college coaches that they would not recruit a white RB and or it would very difficult to offer a scholarship to him. Kind of devastated him. However, Dabo Swinney was not one of those coaches. One coach came to his HS and thought he was black and found out he was white and lost interest. One school wanted to recruit him to play safety. His HS coach ran the recruiter out of his office.
FF to his senior year with only a handful D-1AA /D-2 offers. In his first carry he went 55 yards for TD. Second carry he tore his ACL while making a cut he made a hundred times. He probably would have set the National HS record for yards that year if not for the injury. He accepted a D1AA offer, but during training, he tore the ACL again.
I don't tell you this to boast about my son. I do it to tell you the road that lies ahead of your son. If mine didn't receive offers after what he did. It's almost impossible.
However, some white RB's/WR's do get offers, but I don't know exactly how. My son did everything he could possibly do.
I do think if not for his injury, he would have either played at Wake Forest or Duke. If he would have rushed for 4-5,000 yards, I don't see how they could have denied him, but it just wasn't meant to be.
I don't know if I helped at all, but you have to start early, like 10-12 years old!
If your son could get to a national combine like NIKE and bust off a 4.3/4.4, he might get some attention. That's how a white wide receiver that went to Tennessee a few years ago got attention. He went a NIKE Combine and ran a high 4.3 or a low 4.4, I forgot which. Forgot his name. Go to college camps that time your 40, short shuttle, etc. Reach out to coaches and send film. However, I think combine numbers are very important!
Again, don't know that I helped. If you have any questions, please let me know.
CS
