Free, always
The Recruiting Guide
Twelve free guides, in the order most families need them. Plain English, football language, official-source rules, and a next step at the end of each one.
How we label advice
Recruiting advice gets mixed together online. Here, every tip is tagged so you know what it is.
- Official rule
- From an official NCAA, NAIA or NJCAA source. We link it and show when we checked it.
- Coach recommendation
- Our experienced-coach advice. Not a rule. Reasonable people do it differently.
- Personal strategy
- A choice that depends on your player, your family and your goals. Your call.
Guide 1 · 8th and 9th grade
Start Here: How Recruiting Really Works
How college football recruiting actually works, who does what, and the six levels you can play at: FBS, FCS, D2, D3, NAIA and JUCO.
Guide 2 · 9th and 10th grade
Grades and the NCAA Eligibility Center
Core courses, GPA and when to register, for NCAA Division I and II, plus what Division III and the NAIA require.
Guide 3 · 9th and 10th grade
Film 101
What to record, what to keep, and how to cut a clean 3 to 5 minute highlight reel that coaches will actually watch.
Guide 4 · 10th grade
Your Online Footprint
How to set up and clean up X and Instagram, what to post, and what coaches look for when they check you out online.
Guide 5 · 10th grade
Finding Your Level
An honest self-evaluation, a way to ask other people, and how to build a target list across FBS, FCS, D2, D3, NAIA and JUCO.
Guide 6 · 10th and 11th grade
Rules and Calendar for Families
The plain-English version of the NCAA contact rules and recruiting calendar, plus how the NAIA and JUCO differ. Every date links to an official source.
Guide 7 · 10th and 11th grade
Emailing and Calling Coaches
Email scripts, a simple follow-up routine, and the questions to ask on calls, for players and parents.
Guide 8 · 10th through 12th grade
Camps, Combines and Visits
Which camps are worth the money, what combines and showcases are, and how official and unofficial visits work.
Guide 9 · 11th grade
Junior Year Game Plan
A month-by-month checklist for the most important recruiting year: film, outreach, camps, visits, grades and your target list.
Guide 10 · 12th grade
Senior Year: Offers, Signing and Backup Plans
What an offer actually means, how signing works, what walk-on and preferred walk-on mean, and why every family needs a backup plan.
Guide 11 · All grades
Money: Aid, Academic Scholarships and NIL Basics
How athletic aid really works at each level, why academic and need-based aid matter, and what to know about name, image and likeness as a high schooler.
Guide 12 · All grades
For Parents
Your role, how to support without taking over, the red flags of recruiting-service scams, and what to ask before you pay anyone anything.