As a post mortem commentary about high school football and next level recruiting, I wanted to express an opinion as to why traditional football powers in the state remain so year after year after year. My conclusion is that the level of difficulty in get getting serious recruitment at the next level is much harder if you are in a program that is not a brand name program.

 

Just getting to play in state championship games year in and year out increases exposure. Playing in games where you face other athletes that are heavily recruited also helps exposure tremendously.I have also spoken to many next level coaches who say what high school program you are from matters a lot.

 

Other than my own experiences, I am raising this topic because I have seen some twitter traffic suggesting a family from Union, fed up with the recruiting process of their older son, is now sending their younger son to Highlands to play. After my own experiences, I can empathize with this decision.

College recruiting is by no means an exact science but I think that if the talent is there the college coaches will find it, regardless of where you play. Proximity of the high school to the college could be a factor but for the most part successful college programs have very effective ways to identify talent that can help them. Recruiting services and the like are a waste of money as far as I'm concerned.

As a post mortem commentary about high school football and next level recruiting, I wanted to express an opinion as to why traditional football powers in the state remain so year after year after year. My conclusion is that the level of difficulty in get getting serious recruitment at the next level is much harder if you are in a program that is not a brand name program.

 

Just getting to play in state championship games year in and year out increases exposure. Playing in games where you face other athletes that are heavily recruited also helps exposure tremendously.I have also spoken to many next level coaches who say what high school program you are from matters a lot.

 

Other than my own experiences, I am raising this topic because I have seen some twitter traffic suggesting a family from Union, fed up with the recruiting process of their older son, is now sending their younger son to Highlands to play. After my own experiences, I can empathize with this decision.

 

Going to have to disagree with this statement. College coaches want to see two things. #1 SIZE - if you don't fit the height/weight bill, then you are immediately out. If you fit the bill, you've won half the battle. #2 They want to see game tape. This is why all of the recruiting combines are garbage and just money makers. And when I say game tape, I mean they want a FULL GAME. They could care less about a highlight tape. They want to watch every play of the game, and not just what you did on your best plays.

 

If you are linebacker that is 5'10" 175, you are out of a scholarship to a FCS major conference. If you are 6'2 225, you have a chance.

 

I personally saw the Oline coach from Georgia Tech offer an offensive lineman a scholarship, 5 minutes after the head coach telling him the lineman was not very good. He was 6'7 310 pounds and preferred basketball. The HC told the coach, I just told you he wasn't very good. The GT coaches response "I know he's an athlete because he plays bball, and he has the one thing I can't teach."

 

They really don't care where you go to school. In fact, going to a school like St. X or Trinity probably hurts many lineman and borderline recruits. Most colleges think if you are FCS quality, then you are playing as a sophomore, and they are going to offer you off of your Junior year game film (if not before then). When you have a borderline athlete (usually lineman) at a big school that has several guys just like you, and you don't start until your senior year.... you are OUT.

 

Take a kid that is a 6'4" 275 sophomore and is SOFT. He'll lose out at trinity or st. x to the 6"0 250 senior that is tough as nails. At a public school, that doesn't have depth. That 6'4" 275 is going to be coached to the max and is going to play. When the coach goes to the game and see 6'4" 275 sophomore in the game, he takes a look. When he sees him on the bench, he writes him off (doesn't matter if it's st. x or not).

I would agree on 1 thing WhySoNegative.... These so called prospect camps at bigger colleges are just that, money making camp. Sure a university might catch the eyes of a players or 2 but how can a coaching staff evaluate 200-300 campers? that is why you try to attend some of the smaller camps/ FCS- D1AA or DII. Oh and BTW if the talent is there, recruiters will find you. Playing for Trinity, Highlands, Saint X will help you a bit because coaches will promote you to recruiters unlike smaller or unsuccessful program.

I'll give one example that has always stayed with me:

 

A very successful coach told me the story of his son, he played at one of the largest schools in the state that his dad coached in, a perennial state contender that was known by everyone. His son was an above average player, but not the best player on the team. The dad decided to move his son to a much smaller school that was not as traditionally strong as the large school. His son received a D1 scholarship and was a three started at RB at that college. The high school coach/father admitted that his son would have never started at the large high school and would have not received a scholarship if he had stayed at the large school. He said the only reason his son received a D1 scholarship was because he played at a small high school.

Paging RAM. Do you have any data on D1 commits by school for the last 10 years?

Paging RAM. Do you have any data on D1 commits by school for the last 10 years?

Here are the last two years:

http://bluegrasspreps.com/ky-football-high/kentucky-high-school-272131.html

http://bluegrasspreps.com/ky-football-high/kentucky-high-school-295072.html

Going to have to disagree with this statement. College coaches want to see two things. #1 SIZE - if you don't fit the height/weight bill, then you are immediately out. If you fit the bill, you've won half the battle. #2 They want to see game tape. This is why all of the recruiting combines are garbage and just money makers. And when I say game tape, I mean they want a FULL GAME. They could care less about a highlight tape. They want to watch every play of the game, and not just what you did on your best plays.

 

If you are linebacker that is 5'10" 175, you are out of a scholarship to a FCS major conference. If you are 6'2 225, you have a chance.

 

I personally saw the Oline coach from Georgia Tech offer an offensive lineman a scholarship, 5 minutes after the head coach telling him the lineman was not very good. He was 6'7 310 pounds and preferred basketball. The HC told the coach, I just told you he wasn't very good. The GT coaches response "I know he's an athlete because he plays bball, and he has the one thing I can't teach."

 

They really don't care where you go to school. In fact, going to a school like St. X or Trinity probably hurts many lineman and borderline recruits. Most colleges think if you are FCS quality, then you are playing as a sophomore, and they are going to offer you off of your Junior year game film (if not before then). When you have a borderline athlete (usually lineman) at a big school that has several guys just like you, and you don't start until your senior year.... you are OUT.

 

Take a kid that is a 6'4" 275 sophomore and is SOFT. He'll lose out at trinity or st. x to the 6"0 250 senior that is tough as nails. At a public school, that doesn't have depth. That 6'4" 275 is going to be coached to the max and is going to play. When the coach goes to the game and see 6'4" 275 sophomore in the game, he takes a look. When he sees him on the bench, he writes him off (doesn't matter if it's st. x or not).

 

Do you really think the kid who plays for Moeller and the twin that plays for Ryle attract the same level of recruiting interest?

Agree with most if what is being said. It comes down to 2 things. Size and speed. If you don't have great size you better be a jet or it won't happen at the D1 level.

As a post mortem commentary about high school football and next level recruiting, I wanted to express an opinion as to why traditional football powers in the state remain so year after year after year. My conclusion is that the level of difficulty in get getting serious recruitment at the next level is much harder if you are in a program that is not a brand name program.

 

Just getting to play in state championship games year in and year out increases exposure. Playing in games where you face other athletes that are heavily recruited also helps exposure tremendously.I have also spoken to many next level coaches who say what high school program you are from matters a lot.

 

Other than my own experiences, I am raising this topic because I have seen some twitter traffic suggesting a family from Union, fed up with the recruiting process of their older son, is now sending their younger son to Highlands to play. After my own experiences, I can empathize with this decision.

 

So a Ryle kid is transfering to Highlands?

I once had a college coach tell me he would not recruit from certain schools in NKY because he could not count on the kids going to the college and staying there for 4 years.

I once had a college coach tell me he would not recruit from certain schools in NKY because he could not count on the kids going to the college and staying there for 4 years.

 

Said the position coach who was at his 3rd program in the last 5 years!

This thread is nonsense. The kid is either good enough or he is not.

This thread is nonsense. The kid is either good enough or he is not.

 

Agree. Sounds like Daddy is upset. The whining won't fly at their next program or at any decent program for that matter.

Size of program can also be a determent. A few years back there was a HUGE o-lineman at Trinity who unfortunately wasn't able to master Trinity's system. He transferred to Ballard where he did well and got a schooly to Kansas State.