How early is too early? 7th, 8th, frosh, soph. Is earlier beneficial?

Sophomore year, and attend camps at schools.

Start going to camps early.

Sophomore and Junior year is when they want film. Any earlier and they usually don't take it for much credit as most kids still are growing and developing until their sophomore and junior year. This is direct from the director of scouting at a Div 1 School.

Start going to camps early.

 

What's early to you? Frosh.

Needs to be varsity game film. Preferably against division 1 or highly recruited opponents

Only send film if it is varsity. As for camps, I believe in middle school go to instructional camps and work on technique -- get better. Also attend a combine to get measurable numbers (40 time, shuttle, vertical leap, etc) and also see who else is out there and what the competition looks like. Then in high school just one day camps are good and gets your name out there. Start closer to home and branch out as the years go by. Lots of info out there on where to go to get the most bang for the buck. Combines in high school are good also.

Only send film if it is varsity. As for camps, I believe in middle school go to instructional camps and work on technique -- get better. Also attend a combine to get measurable numbers (40 time, shuttle, vertical leap, etc) and also see who else is out there and what the competition looks like. Then in high school just one day camps are good and gets your name out there. Start closer to home and branch out as the years go by. Lots of info out there on where to go to get the most bang for the buck. Combines in high school are good also.

 

Great advice. The spring of Freshman year is time to start going to camps. Anytime before then you are really just burning money. I would spend that on speed/strength training.

As soon as they play Varsity competition

How many 8th graders or freshman have received early offers from any level D1,II,III, NAIA. I seem to recall an article about a young DB getting an offer as a freshman I think.