Need help navigating CFB recruiting

FB Dad · Feb 3, 2024

Hello all. Class of 04 and 06. Longtime lurker, and posting because I need some guidance from my fellow alums.

Background: my son is a 6'7 (no shoes) 320 junior who played his first season of HS football this past fall (he was in a small private HS that didn't have a team before). He started JV as a nose tackle while learning the game. I figure with his build, college teams would want him as an O line guard.

Request/Problem: I need help figuring out how to navigate CFB recruiting and get my son exposure. I don't have anyone in my orbit who can help me figure out what to do.

HS coach isn't connected with college recruiting and doesn't have much guidance as this local HS doesn't produce much college talent.

What I think I should do:
(1) Go to the Rivals Combine (May is one near us on the east coast) and hope his measurements gets him an invite to the Rivals Camp.
Note: I read that they $100+ 1 day camps are money grabs and colleges aren't seriously teaching or recruiting there.

(2) I need to make highlight reels and a Twitter profile... and I need to find someone who I can send the 100+ game clips I took and pay someone to produce some highlights (willing to pay reasonable amount).

Closing thought: I appreciate any insight and just want to give my kid a chance to pursue his dream of playing D1 football. He's counting on me and I'm still clueless. I appreciate any help.
Thanks my Illini Bros and Bro-ettes!

Edit: I don't know how to change the subject to something more meaningful.

Mr. Tibbs · Feb 4, 2024

I don’t have direct experience with football , just a little with lacrosse until my son decided it wasn’t what he wanted anymore .

this is what I know
a. most kids who do end up getting full or partial scholarships or assistance of any kind to any level in college sports have been actively involved in that sport since they were 7-8 years old.

b. said involvement exposed them to influencers in that sport for 8+ years by the time they are 16. these “influencers” make sure these really talented kids names get on lists for private high schools , amateur clubs & colleges

c. there are always exceptions to general rules - dont give up easily

d. consider contacting other private high schools coaches about having your son transfer there to play - know it might effect eligibility in some states .

e. given your son’s late entry to the sport - playing at a level higher than DIII might be next to impossible - so contact as many DIII college coaches as you can - those guys will likely at least grant you a meeting , where as DI programs may not. If a player starts at DIII or NAIA, he can always transfer up if really good . see Clayton Fedjelem from our program 10 years ago .

f. you will likely need to engage some service that will put your son’s profile on the internet so that you can easily reference it to people inside the sport

g. best wishes and good luck . do your best to help him be in the smartest 10% of the class . my experience in high school football , from my days , is that the O Line are the smartest guys on the team . almost always .

CogDog · Feb 4, 2024

Consider working with a private coach to enhance athletic development outside of sports practices. That means speed coach, strength coach, and possibly even position specific coaching if you can find it. A few of my close friends in high school were D1 athletes and they were constantly honing their craft with a coach outside of practice. It got them the individualized attention they needed to take their game to the next level. This might be costly in the short term, but could be well worth it if it gets your son the development needed to catch a coach’s eye and get his tuition paid for.

As far as exposure goes, sign him up for regional lineman camps and skill camps. These are often held at small colleges, but end up having several school staffs invited to help run them as well as scout kids.

I think it’s important to have a conversation with your son’s head football coach too. He is typically the point man on all inbound recruiting calls from colleges. Simply telling him that you want to play at the next level at least puts in his mind that he has an athlete who is interested and he could then relay that info to recruiters. Your son will get looks based on his size alone. Good luck!

FB Dad · Feb 4, 2024

Mr. Tibbs said:
I don’t have direct experience with football , just a little with lacrosse until my son decided it wasn’t what he wanted anymore .

this is what I know
a. most kids who do end up getting full or partial scholarships or assistance of any kind to any level in college sports have been actively involved in that sport since they were 7-8 years old.

b. said involvement exposed them to influencers in that sport for 8+ years by the time they are 16. these “influencers” make sure these really talented kids names get on lists for private high schools , amateur clubs & colleges

c. there are always exceptions to general rules - dont give up easily

d. consider contacting other private high schools coaches about having your son transfer there to play - know it might effect eligibility in some states .

e. given your son’s late entry to the sport - playing at a level higher than DIII might be next to impossible - so contact as many DIII college coaches as you can - those guys will likely at least grant you a meeting , where as DI programs may not. If a player starts at DIII or NAIA, he can always transfer up if really good . see Clayton Fedjelem from our program 10 years ago .

f. you will likely need to engage some service that will put your son’s profile on the internet so that you can easily reference it to people inside the sport

g. best wishes and good luck . do your best to help him be in the smartest 10% of the class . my experience in high school football , from my days , is that the O Line are the smartest guys on the team . almost always .

A-B. I'm struggling to find them in Northern Virginia. I'm hoping they'll be at the camps and then want to work with us. The referrals I've found in my network aren't football people.

D. There is a private HS in northern Virginia (Flint Hill) that I have been thinking about contacting. I will plan to reach out and see their interest.

C & E. I'd never really considered DIII might be his ceiling. I thought with his size and strength, coaches would focus on that. I'm just going to focus on getting him in the right places and hope the right things happen. It's about letting him pursue his interests.

F. I'm looking for referrals of legit services. I've mostly read to build out his HUDL profile with highlights and drill measurements. Is there more to it?

G. He's learning the game, and can't make up for years of experience. He has the "nasty" aggression, strength and size that you can't teach.

Mr. Tibbs · Feb 4, 2024

sounds like you are doing what you need to at this point - getting his name out there to make up for the last 8 years is key - any way you can do it.
and with todays liberal transfer rules, DIII might not be his ceiling, but it might be where he needs to start for a year or two.

Boys who are 6-7, 320 and have an attitude are not common, but there are more of them than DI has slots for.

I encourage getting whatever private football coaching you can, and consider getting him involved in wrestling if you can - the things he learns in wrestling practice will be invaluable

FB Dad · Feb 4, 2024

I'll continue to be on the lookout for private coaching. I'm sure these folks are out there. Thank you for the suggestions and helping me be realistic.

FB Dad · Feb 4, 2024

CogDog said:
Consider working with a private coach to enhance athletic development outside of sports practices. That means speed coach, strength coach, and possibly even position specific coaching if you can find it. A few of my close friends in high school were D1 athletes and they were constantly honing their craft with a coach outside of practice. It got them the individualized attention they needed to take their game to the next level. This might be costly in the short term, but could be well worth it if it gets your son the development needed to catch a coach’s eye and get his tuition paid for.

As far as exposure goes, sign him up for regional lineman camps and skill camps. These are often held at small colleges, but end up having several school staffs invited to help run them as well as scout kids.

I think it’s important to have a conversation with your son’s head football coach too. He is typically the point man on all inbound recruiting calls from colleges. Simply telling him that you want to play at the next level at least puts in his mind that he has an athlete who is interested and he could then relay that info to recruiters. Your son will get looks based on his size alone. Good luck!

Any guidance on what regional lineman camps are legit? There are so many hosted by universities. Hard to figure out what are the important ones to invest time and travel into.

wpr · Feb 5, 2024

This is an interesting subject FB Dad. I wish you and your son all the luck. Sadly I have nothing to offer. Neither I nor my kids where gifted with the size, speed, strength needed for any sport.
I guess the advice that was already given with keep trying, keep looking is the best advice.
Perhaps contact the largest public high school in your area. Their AD or HC has to know somebody.

CogDog · Feb 5, 2024

FB Dad said:
Any guidance on what regional lineman camps are legit? There are so many hosted by universities. Hard to figure out what are the important ones to invest time and travel into.

Regional mega camps. You want as many coaching staffs to get eyes on your son as possible. Rivals/Scout, Elite Big Man Camps, and VTO Sports come to mind.

Conversely, smaller “single school” camps could offer him more 1-1 time with coaches that could directly offer him. You could use the smaller camps to get feedback to improve upon before heading to the bigger and flashier events or possibly his performance there could lead to invite-only camps.

Again, I’d be shocked if your son does not just get offers based on size and weight alone. What are his numbers in the weight room?

FB Dad · Feb 6, 2024

I'm going to find these camps and collect information here.
VTO: Mar 3 Jacksonville
University: June 1, 23 UMD-Big Man Camp

FB Dad · Feb 6, 2024

I can't edit my old message... I'll collect them in a document and post when I have enough. Then we can filter down to the reputable ones that make the most sense

wpr · Feb 7, 2024

FB Dad said:
I can't edit my old message... I'll collect them in a document and post when I have enough. Then we can filter down to the reputable ones that make the most sense

Yeah, I think we have about 3-5 minutes to edit an old post then it is locked.
I can fix a typo right away but if I have another comment to make I want to add I have to do a new post.

FB Dad · Feb 16, 2024

CogDog said:
Regional mega camps. You want as many coaching staffs to get eyes on your son as possible. Rivals/Scout, Elite Big Man Camps, and VTO Sports come to mind.

Conversely, smaller “single school” camps could offer him more 1-1 time with coaches that could directly offer him. You could use the smaller camps to get feedback to improve upon before heading to the bigger and flashier events or possibly his performance there could lead to invite-only camps.

Again, I’d be shocked if your son does not just get offers based on size and weight alone. What are his numbers in the weight room?

Alright update. I think I've got the regional mega camps figured out:
(1) Rivals: NJ 5/4
(2) VTO: Chicago 4/13 (conflict for 5/4 at Richmond)
(3) Elite Football Network PA or IL events date TBD

University Camps: We signed up for CSA Prepstar and are getting low D1 camp invites flowing in. There are too many, and these seem more in the June time frame. We'll monitor and figure out what makes the most sense later on. Probably will go to local universities such as
UMD-Big Man Camp June 1, & 23 $60

Recruiting Services: We've been contacted by NCSA after building a profile and from what I can gather it's like a FB or LinkedIn online networking thing. CSA Prepstar seems similar but a bit more hands on... Almost like if you don't have a good local handler (e.g. connected HS coach), they'll try and do some standard exposure/guidance stuff. Does anyone know if it's worth investing $1500-$2000 into? Online reviews range from scam to worth it to you can do it yourself.

Online Profile: More news to follow. We're building a Twitter account and working on junior highlights.

AZILL · Feb 16, 2024

I have zero knowledge about this sort of stuff FB Dad, but it appears you are on the correct path. Following this thread and allowing for you and your son's recent experience with the game, I think perhaps you both may need to accept the fact that you might have to follow a path through lesser levels and work your way up over time. It's not a negative to do it that way, and may be the correct path to success for you. The vast majority of lineman find success in their upperclassman years as opposed to earlier...