Recruiting Year-by-Year Checklist

Everyone's recruiting journey is different. What works for your teammates or other players around the country might not work for you. This is YOUR journey! Here is a checklist and tips to help you get the most out of your recruitment.

Research and exposure are the priorities during your freshman year.

• Engage your high school coach to relay dreams of playing college football
• Attend camps/combines and track our accomplishments and testing scores
• Build your following on social media the right way
• Create a list of 100 prospective schools
• Develop initial highlight tape
• Get started on the right foot academically
• Go on at least three unofficial visits
• Fill out questionnaires received in the mail and send them back right away
• Self-promotion: Make sure you're easy to find online
• Send introduction emails and direct messages to coaches of programs of interest
• Research committed athletes at your target schools
• Work on your time management skills

Building relationships and building strong film footage are your main goals during your sophomore year.

• Check in with your coach and see where you are at on your college preparation
• Avoid sophomore slump in the classroom
• Focus on attending appropriate level camps and combines
• Put in the work developing and circulating quality highlight footage
• Continue to send emails and direct messages to coaches of programs of interest
• Go on at least five unofficial visits
• Grow your following on social media
• Narrow your list to 50 schools
• Research committed athletes at your target schools
• Take ACT/SAT for the first time
• Determine your family's Student Aid Index number
• Register with the NCAA Eligibility Center

Being a proactive athleader is the priority during your junior season. You are your biggest self-promoter, so do whatever you can to make sure you're getting seen.

• Check in with your coach and see where you are at on your college preparation
• Develop a 5-5-10 list
  • Five programs that may be slightly above your reach
  • Five programs that are a good fit
  • Ten programs that would be backup options
• Understand where you're at in the recruiting pecking order
• Focus on attending appropriate level camps and combines
• Put in the work developing and circulating quality highlight footage
• Continue to send emails and direct messages to coaches of programs of interest
• Keep your followers up to date on social media
• Schedule and take several college visits
• Thrive in the classroom and on standardized tests
• Start your financial aid planning

Your No. 1 focus should be on committing to success athletically and academically.

• Check in with your coach and see where you are at on your college preparation
• Understand where you're at in the recruiting pecking order
• Avoid "senior-itis" and take care of your academics
• Focus on attending appropriate level camps and combines
• Put in the work developing and circulating quality highlight footage
• Keep your followers up to date on social media
• Schedule and take several college visits
• Commit to a program
• Sign college scholarship paperwork
• Complete college application process
• Complete financial aid planning (FASFA) and finalize NCAA Amateurism Certification
• Report to campus in shape