I got a verbal scholarship offer at a summer college football camp. Is that scholarship really on the table?

College football coaches love getting athletes that they recruit on campus during the summer for at least one day of camp.  The reason is that it allows them to work with you, evaluate your skills, determine your level of coachability, and just get a general feel for what you can bring to the table.  If I were to ask college coaches, there is no doubt that they would love to see all prospects in camp before offering them.  The problem is that is not always possible.

But what happens if you go to a camp and just blow up?  The coaches end up loving you and taking you aside multiple times while you are there.  Then after the camp, the head coach tells you that there is a scholarship offer waiting for you at the school.  He just offered you verbally, but the question is, do you really have an offer on the table?

The answer to that question is it seriously depends on the school.  Some programs throw out verbal offers like they are nothing and others make sure that you are not confused where you sit in the football recruiting process.  Another set of college coaches may make it seem like they want you to play for their program but you have no clue as to if there is an offer actually on the table.

The true answer to this question should come within two weeks of you attending the camp (this is of course if you are in the summer before your senior year.  Otherwise, it is a different answer).  If the coaches were serious about the offer, your abilities, and the hope that they can sign you in February, then a written offer should be coming in the mail.

While summer camps for college coaches are an extremely busy time, if they think highly enough about you, they can take the ten minutes to send out a written offer.  While this scholarship could actually be pulled at anytime, seeing it in writing shows their true interest in you and their intention to make sure you know there is an offer on the table.

A few years back I spoke with a quarterback prospect who went to a Division I-AA (FCS) school for their summer camp and did really well.  The athlete claimed that the coaches had extended a verbal offer but for whatever reason, the coaches at this top tier program never ended up sending the scholarship in the mail.

In the end, despite what they told him, there was no offer and he signed with a Division II program.  One of two things likely happened.  The coaches told the athlete that they liked him a great deal and made it seem like there was an actual offer on the table.  But they never said that there is a scholarship waiting for you and there was an issue in communication between the athlete and the coaches.

The other thing that may have happened is the coaches extended a verbal offer after the camp but ended up not being impressed during the fall by what he did with his high school team.  So their response was to just stop recruiting him and not say anything.  While I do believe this is an upstanding coaching staff, college coaches do stuff like this all the time so I am not out of line in saying that this really could happen.

I think the answer to the original question, like in all situations, is to wait until the offer paperwork has arrived until you can get really excited.  I have heard plenty of stories where there is a verbal offer made but the paperwork never arrives.  If you want to commit to that school, is there even an offer on the table?  You don’t really know.  So until that letter comes saying State University wants to offer a scholarship, I wouldn’t mark it down as on the table just yet.

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The importance of communication with your high school coach regarding the college athletic recruiting process

I have talked before how there are a variety of different kinds of high school coaches that you will be dealing without throughout the athletic recruiting process.  Some are extremely helpful, others push your name when it is convenient, and some unfortunately don’t do anything.

And while the type of high school coach that you have does vary from athlete to athlete and school to school, one thing that you must have between you, your family, and the high school coach is communication.  You may be able to get attention on your own in the recruiting process but without communication, things may be lost in terms of calls and letters before they even reach you.

When I talk about communication, the first thing that you must do is inform your coach of your intentions to play college athletics.  It could be for soccer, lacrosse, football, basketball, softball, or any other sport, you must let your high school coach know.  The coach can sabotage even the best efforts throughout the athletic recruiting process.

Before the spring evaluation period for football recruiting, college football coaches are limited in the amount of contact that they have with recruits.  Because of this, the college coach relies heavily on information provided by the prep coach.  If your coach isn’t calling back, forwarding your letters, and following your on tape requests, it may be tough to get much consistent interest in the recruiting process.

In that first talk that you and your family may have with the high school coach about your college dreams, it is important to get feedback and listen to what the coach has to say and what he or she can bring to the table.  Some coaches have contacts at the college level that could really help you get a foot in the door at some programs.  Other coaches won’t do a damn thing.  Again, it varies from coach to coach.

After you make it clear of your intentions, talk to the coach first about what you need to do athletically to get to that level.  Most head football coaches will help you because this shows that you want to make yourself a better player.  That initiative is a great step in the right direction that you have what it takes to play college athletics.

Once that is done, speak with the coach about an honest evaluation as too what level you can play at in college.  Tell them that you want to start marketing yourself to college coaches and a fair eval will give you a better feel of what level you should do it at.  I hate to say this but expect your coach to over evaluate your ability.  You may be a Division I-AA (FCS) type player but they think you are a Division I-A (BCS) player.  I feel that most coaches will do this not to hurt your feelings or dash your dreams.

This should give you a better feel for where your coach thinks you can play.  After that, speak with them about any connections that they have within the college coaching ranks and see what it available via those connections.  Some things may work out better than others so know that you can and should be marketing yourself to other schools as well.  When you follow The Five Steps to a Scholarship Offer, you are focusing more on what you want and need in a college rather than which programs your high school coach is familiar with.

I would then try to speak to your coach specifically about recruiting and their contact with coaches about every two weeks.  In most situations, the high school coach is likely a teacher at the school so he should be around.  If not, try to catch up with them on the phone.  I have found that coaches who are out of the building are also harder for college coaches to get in touch with.  The reason these talks should come is to tell them what you are receiving in terms of mail, attention, and visits while also picking his brain to see who is calling and requesting tape.  If a school did request tape, make sure that your coach has it taken care of.

Like just about every situation known to man, communication is vital here.  Speaking openly and honest to your high school coach can give you a better feel for what they think about you and where you stand in the athletic recruiting process.  Taking the time to do it is well worth it.

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Football Camps & Basketball Camps: How to know if you performed well in the eyes of college coaches

I can only imagine the hundreds and thousands of dollars each year that are spent on football and basketball camps throughout the country.  While I am sure everyone has dreams of a scholarship during that time, the realistic factor is that it rarely happens.  I am willing to guess that the percentage is somewhere in the single digits. 

But lets say you received a lot of interest from schools via the phone during May and you attend their camp.  While you may think you did outstanding, how exactly do you know that you have been standing out against the stellar competition?  Outside of receiving a scholarship offer, there are important things in each sport that show you have excelled against your opponents. 

In football camps, the main thing that the coaches will do if they are pleased with a handful of prospects is pull them aside away from the bigger group.  What the coaches are usually doing is having the best among that group go head to head and see how they react and respond when going each other.  These talented prospects are no longer going against kids that hope to start varsity the next season.  They are now going against potential college players. 

This happens very often at the line positions.  As I have mentioned before, it is very easy to figure out the top few linemen at a camp where they go 1-on-1.  The coaches may pull aside the linemen and have them battle better prospects on the side.  While it doesn’t mean a scholarship is in the bag, it does show that the coaches have been watching you.  And now you will have the opportunity to go against more talented competition. 

Please note that all coaches are going to tell you throughout the camp that you are doing a good job.  With the money that you spent to make an appearance there, don’t expect them to tell you suck and that you are wasting your money.  Basically what I am saying is don’t put too much stock into what a coach tells you during drills. 

Some camps may also hold the top prospects back after the day and have them tour the campus.  If the coaches eventually feel that you are good enough for the offer, they want you are familiar with the school as possible.  They use this approach in both football and basketball camps so them inviting you to stay later for a tour is usually a great thing. 

In basketball camps, what a lot of college coaches will do is have their own players work the camps.  The majority of the camps then will have games at night where the college players are playing pickup basketball.  If a recruit does really well and shines during the camp, he will be asked to play that night against the college competition. 

If you get that chance, let me stress that there is a huge difference between college and high school basketball.  It will be a big change for you but you might as well give it your all.  I have seen many college basketball coaches do this so they can get a feel for the player.  Afterwards, the coach can talk to his players to see what they thought about you.  While watching is a great tool, hearing from someone who just competed against you may be even better. 

And the final indicator of a fantastic performance following a camp is having the head coach bring you into their offices (Expect huge offices for Division I coaches) and eventually offering you a scholarship.  If that is not the case, get ready to hear the most over used line in recruiting.  We will keep evaluating you and your progress this fall. 

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Do Division I-AA (FCS) schools call during the spring football evaluation period?

I have spent most of the spring evaluation period talking about the importance of calls from college coaches at the Division I-A (BCS) level.  These are so vital because this is the first time that football recruits can actually get a good feel for where they sit with a college.  If the school calls, then you are on their scholarship radar.  If not, then you may need to look for some new programs. 

But one question that was recently asked involved Division I-AA/FCS schools during the spring evaluation period.  Can these coaches call athletes?  Are they allowed to stop by the high school?  Can they do anything in comparison to their bigger brother I-A/BCS schools?

Regarding calls from college coaches, these Division I-AA schools definitely have the option to call football recruits across the country.  There is a huge difference in terms of the athletes that they call.  I have said before that I believe 95% of athletes who get eventual scholarship offers from a school receive a call from that same program at the Division I-A level.  For Division I-AA schools, I really believe that number to be lower simply because the recruiting process is so much different. 

For example, a Division I-AA coach may not call a recruit during the spring evaluation period because he has an offer from a Division I-A school.  If the Division I-A school eventually gets a commitment out of another kid at that same position during the summer and the athlete is now offer less, I would expect the I-AA school to jump in and start recruiting them more. 

In 100% of the situations that I have seen, unless the Division I-A school is either very far away from home or there has been a coaching change (meaning you weren’t there recruit), an athlete will pick the Division I-A school over the Division I-AA program.  These FCS schools know that and they are not going to waste their time going head to head with a BCS school for a player. 

Again, these Division I-AA programs are free to call kids during the spring evaluation period but it really depends on the school.  From what I have seen, most do call athletes.  If your area has a good Rivals/Scout site, then try to look up the name of the a certain school recruiting you to confirm if they called athletes.  While this is not a sure fire way to tell, it could provide more information as to who they are recruiting. 

These same FCS coaches will likely also have spent the spring evaluation period on the recruiting trail.  This will give them an opportunity to talk to coaches, find out about prospects flying under the radar, and see if you can pass the eyeball test.  Because budgets are limited, these coaches do not get to as many schools as those at the Division I-A level.  Division I-AA may send a college coach to recruit California for a week or two instead of sending them to more specific areas. 

But again, it depends on the coaching staff and the program.  The football recruiting process for Division I-AA schools is much different than Division I-A programs.  While most good staffs should be using that time to evaluate prospects and make connections with high school coaches, it doesn’t always happen that way.  And if you are worried about it, you should contact them to see what is going on with their recruiting and the overall process. 

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I’m a junior with little to no football recruiting interest. What do I do?

If this is the case for you as an athlete, the first thing you need to ask yourself is do you really want to play college football? If you do decide to play in college, you must make the decision that you are doing it for yourself and not your dad, a friend, or family members. The amount of time that you spend in the sport is incredible so make sure that you are 100% focused on playing.

I am going to be honest with readers and say that if you are not receiving much interest at this point, it is going to be tough to be a Division I-A scholarship football player coming out of high school. While there are some exceptions obviously, it will not be an easy road. But this site also tries to help football recruits find smaller schools and that will be part of what you need to look at.

When writing this kind of article, it does seem that I always bring up this article up a resource that you need to check out is the five steps to a scholarship (CLICK HERE FOR THE ARTICLE). As mentioned in the first step, I think it is very important for you to put together a recruiting profile and go through the first three steps of that article.

Right now, I honestly don’t think it would be worth your time and money to put together a highlight video or a website. If you still have big aspirations, go right ahead, but I am not 100% sure that they will pay off in the end. That is just a warning as it is completely up to you obviously.

Once you finish putting together a recruiting profile, go through the next two steps as well (Find schools that match you and market yourself to the schools). I would talk about these steps more but since I already have written articles on each, make sure to check those out and follow the guidelines included.

While going through those three steps, I would also try to talk to your high school football coach and any other non bias experts to talk about what level you can play. You need to figure out what level your coach thinks that you can play at and speak with anyone else that may have a good clue for how good you have to be to play at certain college levels. Let me quickly note that I feel high school coaches feel that their players are normally better than they usually are.

If they say that they think you have a shot to play Division II, then the next step is to look into Division II football camps. If you look hard enough, there are also quality Division III and NAIA camps somewhere in your state that may be worth going to. I would look for the ones that have received the best reviews as far as player development. If it helps your recruiting that is great but you want the money to help you become a better football player.

The window is closing but you need to look into getting to as many free combines (Nike/Scout) as you can. These are a great opportunity to get a non bias opinion about your skills. Talk to the position coach that you worked with and try to get an honest opinion about what level he thinks that you can play. Hopefully you find a coach that will tell you the level that you can play.

I will stress this over and over because it just pains me to see people wasting their money but do not waste your time and finances on combines that cost money. These will not help you in the recruiting process and are a huge waste. The only thing that happens is that you are making those that run the camp some extra money.

Right now, the biggest things that you must do is get an accurate assessment of what level you can play at in college as well as do whatever you can to get your name out there. Getting that assessment is hard because few people actually know what it takes to play at different college levels. I’ve been around the recruiting game for over a decade and sometimes I can’t even tell with athletes.

And as far as getting your name out there, that is what the three step process mentioned above is about. You are not currently on the radar for college coaches so you need to do what you can to get them to notice you. That may include emails, calls, and attending their camp to do it but that must be a priority for you.

If you don’t have time to do it or there are questions in your head about it, college football may not be the thing for you. I would advice looking deep into your heart and figuring out if it is something you want to spend a great deal of time doing for the next four or five years.

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Natural Food Coloring for Easter

Easter is one of my favorite food seasons because of all the lovely pastel, spring colors that pop up. And recently, it has become so easy to find Natural Food Colorings for all your Easter recipes. So today, I want to share a few of my faves with you and show you just how gorgeous they are!... Read more »

This is a summary, images and full post available on HHL website!

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Should you help your athletic recruiting or your high school team first?

One of the more interesting debates with regards to a talented athlete on the football field is what should be more of a priority. Is it helping your high school team win games by sacrificing any individual glory for the good of the team? Or should it be to do whatever you can to help yourself so that your recruiting stock will improve?

That really is a tough question to answer and depends a great deal on the athlete themselves. Some athletes end up playing four sports at a smaller school and spurn opportunity to play summer basketball or attend a great deal of football camps so that they can help their team succeed. When choosing which is more important, it really is a difficult question.

Starting with your high school team, the reason that your allegiance should be stuck to them is because they are the most important thing. Without them, you would likely not be in this place to begin with where these questions come up. For most athletes, they have been playing for the same school growing up and owe them a great deal.

On the other hand, being a sought after recruit will open doors that may have never been open to anyone at your school before. In a lot of situations, your college will either be paid for or at least partially paid for to bring you to that school. Shouldn’t you be looking out for yourself anyways?

Many athletes go through these questions often. The reason this is brought up because athletes may project out at one position while their high school coaches play them at another. For example, a small school athlete may be 6-foot-5, 235 pounds and perfect to play tight end. But because of the lack of bigmen within their program, he may be stuck along the line during his high school career. In basketball, a skilled 6-foot-6 wing who can shoot from outside may be forced to play inside because the school is lacking post players with any size.

In both situations, the athlete is being asked to do a great deal. Especially with the tight end/lineman, they are sacrificing personal glory as well as recruiting interest. If this tight end wants to play there at the next level, the athlete will not have any tape of him playing that position for college coaches. There are even question marks if he should even put together a highlight video because all it has is him doing dirty work along the line.

If this situation arises, the first thing that you need to do is talk to your high school coach. Make sure that he knows the situation and that you are hoping to play college athletics at the scholarship level (He should know that already but tell him again). The coach is going to do what is best for the team. And while you may need to play inside on the basketball court most of the time, he may also set up situations where you can handle the ball outside when guarded by slower athletes. The football coach may also allow you to go out for passes on occasion along the line.

No matter what, you will have to listen to what the coach says. If you are not going to get a chance to play your projected position, quitting is not going to help your college attention. Doing what the coaches want, despite what you are sacrificing, could help you in the long run. While it doesn’t help you at that future position, it shows that you are a very coachable athlete willing to do whatever is needed to help the team win.

And you should also get a chance to play those projected positions at summer camps or on the AAU circuit. It is never easy to give up the lime light and play out of position but you should be satisfied if it helps your team win more ball games.

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