First things FIRST: Register with the NCAA as an eligible student athlete. Use the links provided on their page here (
https://www.ncaa.org/student-athletes/future) and follow the directions. There is also
more valuable information on that page you should likely read and understand. Here are some points, stated candidly, that should direct your efforts both here and elsewhere. I won't endorse these as 'absolutes', however, they are pretty close to actualities.
Your grades matter- but they aren't what is going to gain you attention. It's sad, but it's also the truth. No coach ever blew up a recruits phone after hearing they are 4.0+GPA students that also play the game. They want ~studs~, and
after they identify those studs,
then they will evaluate on eligibility, and much of that
is grades and conduct. Be under no false pretense, though, they most want an athlete with killer
talent, and one that
can be made eligible is going to be higher on the boards than a player who is marginal and 4.0+GPA.
Your Social Media matters. Don't fall prey to the trap Social Media presents prospective players. Many times I've heard said "that kid was sharp, but.... His twitter account? Man, I'm glad I saw that before wasting any gas driving to him". Seriously. Never miss an opportunity to keep your mouth shut-
nothing is better than negative, and positive posts on your Social Media that advertises yourself as something they will not regret affiliating themselves with is better than that.
What REALLY matters? Simple... Size. Speed. *Game. Size and speed is something you are vaguely able to control at a younger age- yeah, you can spend time in the gym to bulk up with some success, but
nothing like what you'll be able to do in a controlled environment of a College Football Program with diet and regime compounding and squeezing every advantage out of your genes. When you cross into the age group of college students, you are far more responsive to training
naturally, and man oh man do those programs know how to maximize the gains. You obviously need to be in shape, and especially as compared to those around you. What you need to be able to do is to apply maximum effort
always, to include practice, gym, and especially the field. Game- you, you've got to have game. Game is defined as 'no quit', 'effort', 'intensity', 'aggressiveness' at the top layer- but there is more underneath it scouts are looking for that is far more subtle and you can 'tip your position' either good or bad without even knowing it- IF YOU HAVE GAME, IT IS APPARENT EVERYWHERE AND IN EVERYTHING YOU DO. You take everything to the max- you play it to the bone- you demonstrate this on the field by never quitting on a play, you demonstrate this in class by keeping your head down and applying yourself, and you demonstrate this in life by socializing with positive impact on your surroundings. Here is the thing (which will lead into the next point), PHYSICAL CAN BE TRAINED, AND IS 'CORRECTABLE' THROUGH TRAINING, but do you know what isn't? GAME. Observing student athletes at the level you're playing is tricky in that some are more physically developed than others and will only hold that edge until the others catch up. GAME is either present, or it isn't. GAME takes you places. Watch 'Rudy' the movie. Rudy had game. Be like Rudy.
Don't get hung up on Position. Scouts see hot shot QB's come into the program recruited as such, only to see them turn truly remarkable WR's. Scouts see hulking LB's arrive and throw on 30% of their current weight on over a summer and become cannibalistic and fantastic DT's. Knowledge of the game will even evolve to a whole new level. Like 'GAME', one thing that
can be taught is 'VISION'. Vision is being able to read, anticipate, think a few seconds ahead of opponents or even teammates, and reacting accordingly. Vision is NOT position dependent. Either you 'get' it, intrinsically, or you don't. You've seen it- players that have no visible physical gift or tangible talent playing like they've lost their minds- and it's because they 'see' it before most do.
Vision and Game? You're going places. Vision, Game, Clean Character as observed on your Social Media, Grades, Size and Speed? You don't need this site- you're already most likely on the radar. If you're somehow not? You're about to be... Sign up.
