Recruiting Guidance
Recruiting,Explained.
How the process actually works, what college coaches look for, and where your quarterback fits in it — explained straight, by a coach who's lived it.
Waiting to be discoveredis not a strategy.
College coaches evaluate a tiny fraction of the million high school players in America. The families who get results run a process. Here's what that process is.
The Process
How Recruiting Actually Works.
30 SECONDS
Stage 01
Film
Recruiting starts and ends with film. A college coach decides in the first 30 seconds of a highlight whether to keep watching. No film means no recruitment — and the wrong plays up front mean the right ones never get seen.
THE HONEST READ
Stage 02
Evaluation
Before a single email goes out: an honest read of level. FBS, FCS, D2, D3, NAIA, prep year. Everything downstream — the list, the camps, the timeline — depends on getting this answer right early.
2.3 GPA
Stage 03
Academics
Grades open doors film can't. A core GPA below 2.3 takes Division 1 off the table entirely, and a missed core course senior year can kill a committed offer in February. The transcript is part of the highlight tape.
20–30 SCHOOLS
Stage 04
The List
Twenty to thirty realistic programs — not five dream schools. Built on roster fit: who's graduating, who they just signed, what offense they run, and where your quarterback would actually play.
SEPT 1, JUNIOR YEAR
Stage 05
Outreach
The athlete sends the emails — coaches are evaluating that too. Short, specific, film attached, sent to the right coach, followed up every few weeks with a real reason. D1 coaches can call starting September 1 of junior year; D3, NAIA, and JUCO can talk anytime.
WORTH THE TRIP
Stage 06
Camps & Visits
Targeted, not scattershot. At a mega-camp you're one of 500 kids getting 90 seconds in front of a tired assistant. You go where there's mutual interest and a real evaluation waiting — not wherever sells a ticket.
Are We Behind?
The Calendar, By Year.
FR
Develop. Get varsity reps if you can. Start saving game film and keep the GPA strong from day one — eligibility starts as a freshman.
SO
Recruiting gets real. First highlight cut, honest evaluation, first camps, and the realistic list takes shape. D1 staffs start building their boards.
JR
The year that matters most. Peak evaluation period — the film, the outreach, the targeted camps. Offers go out and classes fill.
SR
Triage and finish. D2, D3, NAIA, and JUCO are still actively recruiting. Right schools, direct outreach, decisions.
Behind isn't a grade — it's not having a plan. Wherever your QB is, the process starts from there.
The Guide
Where Coach DaveComes In.
Recruiting is its own skill, and most families are figuring it out as they go. This is the part Coach Dave runs with you.
- FilmHonest film evaluation, Hudl review, and which plays belong in the first 30 seconds.
- EvaluationA straight answer on level, from a coach who's seen every level up close.
- The ListRealistic school targeting by division and roster fit.
- OutreachCoach emails written with the athlete, sent at the right time, followed up the right way.
- CampsA camp and combine plan that's actually worth the trip.
OUR APPROACH
An Honest Evaluation.A Real Plan.
You'll get an honest evaluation, a realistic list, and a plan for where your quarterback can actually play, start, and win — whatever level that is. The QBs who end up somewhere real are the ones whose families got a straight answer early.
Common Questions
What Parents Ask First.
When should we start?
Spring of sophomore year is ideal. Junior year still works. Senior year is late but not over — we'll triage and focus on the right schools.
Do you contact college coaches for us?
No. The athlete sends the emails — that's part of what coaches are evaluating. We help you write them, build the list, and follow up the right way.
What should the highlight film show?
Your best plays in the first 30 seconds — arm talent, decision-making, and athleticism a coach can see fast. Then full drives that show command. We help you pick and order them.
For Parents & Athletes
Want an honest look atwhere your QB stands?
Send us your athlete's grade, position, and a Hudl link if you have one. We'll follow up to talk through it.