NCSA College Athletic Scholarships Blog

When Jim Harbaugh arrived at Stanford University and predicted success many laughed.  When he said he could recruit real student athletes many were skeptical.  For years the program had been unable to recruit high caliber athletes with the grades needed to pass muster at the prestigious university.  No one is doubting Harbaugh anymore After last week’s 27 point shellacking of USC.  Stanford is 7-3 and in the hunt for the conference championship and doing it the right way.

But what sets what sets Mr. Harbaugh apart is that he isapart that he’s doing all this at the Harvard of the West, where top talent is often unattainable. And unlike coaches in similar situations, who have turned to gimmick offenses to compensate for the talent gap, he’s winning with a power running attack.

In other words, in the age of “genius” coaches, Mr. Harbaugh is doing it by scouting hard, recruiting hard, putting miles on the car and coaching up his players until they believe they’re good enough. If you want the careful public persona of Ohio State’s Jim Tressel or Oklahoma’s Bob Stoops, look elsewhere.

In 2007, Mr. Harbaugh enraged many fans at his alma mater, Michigan, when he said he was discouraged from taking on a difficult major at the school because it would have taken time away from football.

“There’s nothing like recruiting,” he says. “Getting knee to knee and eyeball to eyeball. It’s never about giving a spiel. I felt I could talk to players about the school and playing for Jack Harbaugh, who I knew would have a positive impact on their lives. At Stanford, we really believe in the model of academics being first and foremost.”

With its emphasis on academics, Stanford has long struggled to win consistently. It has had its moments—the 1970 and ‘71 teams started the Big Ten’s Rose Bowl jinx with a pair of upsets—but the school has appeared only once in the Rose since then. In the three years before Mr. Harbaugh’s hiring, Stanford’s recruiting classes ranked 57th, 41st and 53rd nationally, according to Rivals.com, a Web site that covers high-school recruiting.

Hat’s off to Coach Harbaugh showing that winning with real student-athletes is still possible!

NCSA uses a variety of factors to match college coaches with perspective student-athletes.  One of the major factors we use is a student’s desire to play early in his college career.  Many times coaches are looking to plug-in players as true freshman.  Other times they may a recruit with the expectation that they will challenge for a starting job by junior year.  A coach’s philosophy may differ each year depending on who is ahead of a recruit on the depth chart.  NCSA is constantly monitoring the needs of college coaches to match the desires of both parties to ensure a successful match.

But what about recruits who aren’t plugged into NCSA’s Recruit-Match Database?  One way to find about a coach’s policy on playing young recruits is to ask him directly on a visit or on the phone once you have built a solid relationship.  Another great way is to look a coach’s track record in the past.

One of the most highly recruited defensive backs in the county, Joshua Shaw, announced yesterday that he will be attending the University of Florida.  Playing early was one of his major decision factors.

“I loved the coaching staff and specifically Coach [Urban] Meyer. He was the only head coach who personally recruited me and that made a big difference.

“I love watching Florida play, they have so many athletes and play fast and aggressive. The coaches told me they love my size and speed and with Joe Haden likely coming out this year, I’ll have a chance to step in and play early next fall and that’s a big deal for me.

“They play a lot of true freshman at Florida and Haden and Janoris Jenkins were both freshman starters at corner. Both are probably going to be first-round draft picks, too, so that was a pretty big selling point.”

Josh was one of the most sought after players in the country.  This gave him the opportunity to get to know several coaching staffs and find out where he truly fit.  Not every recruit has so many options.  In fact, except for the very top 1% of recruits no one does.  That is why many families choose to use NCSA to help them find the right fit.

NCSA was proud to hear that Proviso West’s Kyle Prater was officially named to this year’s US Army All-American Bowl.

“Kyle is a talented athlete whose exemplary displays of leadership and teamwork have made him a standout at Proviso West High School,” said Col. Derik Crotts, Deputy Chief of Staff, G7, U.S. Army Accessions Command. “The qualities necessary to succeed on the football field, strength, dedication, leadership and teamwork, are the same qualities mirrored in Army Strong Soldiers. We are proud to honor all of our U.S. Army All-American Bowl players and congratulate them on their selection.”

For 10 years, the U.S. Army All-American Bowl has been the nation’s premier high school football game, serving as the preeminent launching pad for America’s future college and NFL stars. Adrian Peterson, Reggie Bush, Mark Sanchez, Tim Tebow, and Terrelle Pryor all made their national debuts as U.S. Army All-Americans. Last year the U.S. Army All-American Bowl drew more than 32,000 fans to the game at the Alamodome along with being the most watched sporting event on television over the weekend, besides the NFL Playoffs. Last spring, eight alumni of the U.S. Army All-American Bowl were selected in the first round of the NFL Draft.

This morning I was talking with a father of an athlete being recruited by several Division I football schools.  The athlete is undecided, but has several scholarship offers on the table.  However, he is still pursuing more schools in the hopes of receiving more scholarship options.

During this process he has visited several schools, both officially and unofficially.  His father made an extremely interesting remark about his latest visit.

“The coaching staff tells him there are two receivers ahead of him, who have scholarship offers.  They don’t think both will accept their offers and my son is next on the list.”

He then followed up his comment with the extremely important, “But, we all know what that means.”

The father understands the process and knows they need to keep all of their options open.  Its no coincidence that they are on the NCSA program and understand how to read between the lines.  When the process is complete, his son will be able to realistically assess his options and make the best decision.  They wont be taken for a ride by a coach because they already understand his recruiting language.

One of the huge benefits of using a trusted third party like NCSA is the guidance that we provide our families.  Recruits can learn and understand the recruiting language used by college coaches.  Most importantly, they know how to react to what they hear and make the best decision.

“If I’m good enough, they will find me.”  This could be the single most damaging myth about the college recruiting process.  The country is too spread out.  There are too many teams.  Players blossom at different times.  Evaluating players is too hard. Recruiting Budgets are too thin.

These are just a few of the reasons that great players ending up getting missed by big-time schools and miss out on the chance of a life-time.  Yet, despite seeing multiple examples on TV every weekend recruits fail to apply the lesson to their own recruiting process.

The latest example of an under the radar players bursting onto the national stage is Dallas Cowboys Wide Receiver Miles Austin.  He didn’t start playing football until his junior year of high school and ended up at tiny Monmouth College.  Despite setting school records he wasn’t drafted and toiled on the Cowboys practice roster until getting an opportunity this season.  He now has 21 catches for 482 yards and five touchdowns in his last three games.  He overcame obstacles by working extremely hard and finally catching that lucky break he needed.

Austin’s story is the lucky exception.  There are thousands of Miles Austins across the country playing all types of sports.  If they wait around hoping for scouts to find them, chances are their stories wont end with the Dallas Cowboys.  Athletes need to be realistic about their options early on, and relentlessly pursue every opportunity.  Otherwise, they just might not find you.

This week Oklahoma State Wide Receiver Dez Bryant was ruled ineligible for the entire season for lying about a lunch with Deion Sanders.  Bryant was questioned about a lunch he had with his mentor and whether any eligibility issues arose. Initially Bryant lied to investigators but no rules were broken regarding his eligibility.

Andy Staples writes that the whole exercise is proof to future recruits that they should cash in their chips as soon as possible.

If the past week has taught us anything, it’s that a college football player with first-round talent should jump to the pros as soon as possible, or, in the case of a sophomore who has proven himself for two years, even sooner than that. The moment NCAA investigators and Oklahoma State compliance officials began asking Bryant questions about his offseason visit to Deion Sanders’ home, Bryant should have politely said, “Thank you for your time, but if you need me, I’ll be in Arizona training for the 2010 draft and living on my agent’s dime.”

As soon as a college player has a better than 50 percent shot of getting selected in the first round, he should shut it down. The aggravation isn’t worth the thrill of a college career. Bryant might be the nation’s best receiver. Had he been allowed to enter the draft after last season, he probably would have been a top 20 pick. Now, he’s spent most of this season fighting the NCAA to regain his eligibility.

If this case is only about Bryant misleading NCAA investigators, the penalty was far too harsh. Yes, Bryant made a terrible mistake by lying. Yes, he let down his family and his teammates. But how many 20-year-olds would panic in the face of an authority figure and a byzantine rulebook? Plenty. Let’s reserve the harshest punishments for the players who beat their girlfriends or settle arguments by whipping out AK-47s. If lying is the only mistake Bryant made, he has paid dearly.

The ruling is especially troubling to me, because it only pushes more players to leave school early for the pros.  While, this is only a small subset, the overall message sent about the importance of an education takes a hit.  When star players like Tim Tebow and Tyler Hansbrough exhaust their eligibility the media praises their example non-stop.  You know what?  This is a good thing!  When star players like Bryant come back to school the NCAA should do all they can to welcome them back into the fold.  At the very least he should be allowed to play in Oklahoma State’s Bowl Game.

Readers of this blog are probably very familiar with the story of Myron Rolle, the former Florida State cornerback who is pushing off a potential NFL career to study at Oxford.  Rolle made major headlines throughout the last football season as he bounced between games and the Rhodes Scholar interview process.  Then he shocked even more observers by actually pushing off his NFL career for the opportunity to study abroad.  The New York Times check back in with Rolle and he confirms it was all worth it.

“I feel a little disappointed when I see guys playing on Sundays, especially guys I’m friends with,” said Rolle, a 6-foot-2, 215-pound safety. “But when I walk out of my accommodations in Norham Gardens and spend time with my friends and go to class, I realize that I did make a good choice. It’s been worth it.”

Although he misses football, Rolle has forged friendships that cross cultures and continents. He takes stimulating classes in which discussions and engaging classmates matter more than papers and tests.

“I think it’s a great message for all of us,” N.F.L. Commissioner Roger Goodell said of Rolle’s decision to attend Oxford. “Even the greatest players don’t play forever. And they’re going to have to think about other careers, and he’s obviously thought about that at a young age.”

He still works out every morning and practices with the rugby team in preparation for next year’s draft, but Rolle is living proof that the student-athlete is very much alive.

At NCSA we often get asked, “What are College Coaches looking for?”   Coaches evaluate players on three main factors; academics, athletics, and overall character.  NCSA has taken the extra step of breaking down the athletic criteria for every sport to help athletes target the proper schools and set training goals.  The guidelines have been compiled from our experience placing athletes at every level for the last 10 years.  I encourage every recruit to take a look at their sport’s guidelines and learn what coaches are REALLY looking for.

Baseball Recruiting Guidelines

Men’s Basketball Recruiting Guidelines

Women’s Basketball Recruiting Guidelines

Men’s Cross Country Recruiting Guidelines

Women’s Cross Country Recruiting Guidelines

Field Hockey Recruiting Guidelines

Football Recruiting Guidelines

Water Polo Recruiting Guidelines

Men’s Golf Recruiting Guidelines

Women’s Golf Recruiting Guidelines

Ice Hockey Recruiting Guidelines

Men’s Lacrosse Recruiting Guidelines

Women’s Lacrosse Recruiting Guidelines

Soccer Recruiting Guidelines

Softball Recruiting Guidelines

Swimming Recruiting Guidelines

Men’s Tennis Recruiting Guidelines

Women’s Tennis Recruiting Guidelines

Men’s Track and Field Recruiting Guidelines

Women’s Track and Field Recruiting Guidelines

Men’s Volleyball Recruiting Guidelines

Women’s Volleyball Recruiting Guidelines

Wrestling Recruiting Guidelines

Nobody enjoys writing about saddening events, especially when these events occur in the world of sports. Sport, at its very core, is merely a game played by people of all ages. Regardless of the ability or the age, anyone involved in a sport is there for their passion and love of the game. To mix sports with tragedy is seldom necessary, but when it occurs, it should be discussed to learn valuable lessons. I feel compelled to write about a recent piece of news that has shocked the sporting world across the country and it occurred on the campus of the University of Connecticut. UConn junior cornerback Jasper Howard was killed over the weekend, on campus, after a school event had let out. Apparently, Howard and a few of his teammates were involved in an altercation and he was stabbed to death. Howard was only 20 years old.

Again, this is a sad and tragic story that has left an entire football team, an entire campus and an entire nation in mourning. Perhaps Howard wasn’t the most known player in the NCAA and maybe he wouldn’t have gone on to play professionally, but he was a student-athlete just the same as any other kid playing at the collegiate level. However, there are lessons to be learned from this horrible event and these lessons can be applied not just to sports, but to everyday life.

Everyday, we here at the National Collegiate Scouting Association help high school student-athletes fulfill their dreams of playing their sports at the collegiate level. Remembering back to my youth, I was ecstatic to be playing the sport I love at the next level. I can only hope that today’s student-athletes share the same passion and fervor that I had when it came to playing sports. With that being said, student-athletes need to realize the importance of maximizing every opportunity they are given, whether it’s on the playing field or in the classroom. If a coach gives you the opportunity to perform, play like there is no tomorrow and make the most of it. If a teacher gives you an extra credit opportunity, take full advantage of it and boost your grade in the class. If your parents are willing to give you opportunities like playing a sport or attending a certain school, embrace that opportunity with open arms.

I feel I can say this having played my last collegiate baseball game, but there will come a time in every athlete’s life when they are no longer playing the game they grew up with. I had been playing baseball since the age of 5 so when I played my last collegiate baseball game at age 22, I felt a huge emptiness afterwards. After I graduated I took a summer off of baseball for the first time in 17 years and concentrated on my professional endeavors. This turned out to be more difficult and painful than I had ever imagined as I yearned for the game more than ever. What the time away from the game showed me was that I was so glad that I had no regrets when it came to maximizing every opportunity I was given from family, teachers, coaches and friends. From my parents introducing me to the game to getting an early opportunity to fill in for a struggling upperclassmen my freshman year at college, I took full advantage of every opportunity to play the game I love.

It is truly unfortunate that it usually takes something drastic and eye opening to bring us back to reality and realize how grateful we should be for everything that we have. In this case, it happened to be the death of an NCAA athlete that makes us realize how lucky we all should be. For all student-athletes out there, take advantage of the opportunities you have been given and don’t ever take anything for granted. Always carry yourself with respect and humbleness because there will be a time in your life when you no longer have the sport you play to fall back on. Someday your priorities will shift drastically and you will want the confidence and knowledge that you have no regrets about the way you went about it.

I would like to personally send my condolences to the family of Jasper Howard, the UConn football team and the rest of the UConn student body. They may never read this article or receive these condolences, but the message of Jasper’s untimely death is clear; make the most of your opportunities and abilities, be humble and respectful and be appreciative of the time you are able to spend playing the sport you love because there will be a time when you no longer have that sport to play. Make the most of it!

A record breaking senior All-State football player.  Sounds like a shoo-in for a big-time athletic scholarship.  15 years go; Absolutely.  Today; No longer a guarantee.

The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports on Parkview’s Jay Davis who despite being on pace to top school legend Jeff Franceur’s single season mark for receptions, lacks a scholarship offer from major BCS schools.

Within the last five years, methods of recruiting have changed drastically, with colleges both offering scholarships to and accepting commitments from primarily high school juniors.

Who is hurt most in this shift to early recruiting? Seniors such as Davis, who are late bloomers. Some players need a little longer to shine, be it because of player development, injuries as juniors, or simply being stuck behind older teammates on the depth chart in past seasons.

“It’s not impossible for a young man to come out of the blue as a senior and earn a big-time scholarship offer, but the odds are a lot longer than they used to be,” North Gwinnett coach Bob Sphire said. “Just about every college coach that stops by our school these days is asking about juniors and sophomores. They are finished with seniors, unless something happens.”

Fortunately for North Gwinnett’s overlooked seniors, something did happen when teammate JaWuan James backed off his early commitment to Alabama and is now researching the 50 college offers he stacked up last spring as a junior. North Gwinnett wide receiver Cordero Dixon, who missed most of his junior season with a leg injury, is getting a few extra looks by colleges now pursuing James.

At Parkview, Davis is flourishing with 46 catches in eight games, one shy of Francoeur’s school record (47 in 2000 season). The Panthers didn’t plan on passing as much this season, but changed their minds after the rapid improvement of Davis and another late-blooming senior, quarterback Kalik Barnes.

The 6-foot-1 Davis has an offer from Miami of Ohio, but no other takers yet from the dozens of schools that are still evaluating senior film.

“This kid is so talented and worthy of a big-time offer … he has made some of the hardest catches of any player I’ve ever coached,” Parkview coach Cecil Flowe said. “He can play ACC or SEC football, no doubt about it. Yet I’m afraid because he didn’t start full-time last year at wide receiver and have junior stats, that he is being overlooked.”

It’s easy to see why colleges are offering players earlier than ever: if they wait too long, they run the risk of being left out of the running for a particular prospect.

Davis’ story is just another example of why athletes need to start the recruiting process earlier than ever.  When is the right time to start?  Whenever a recruit is sure he wants to play in college.  Once they’ve come to that important decision there are many steps that need to happen.  If Davis had been in touch with coaches earlier than this year, chances are likely he would have more offers.  Once that first offered is secured, things usually snowball into several offers.  By not starting early Davis never gave the recruiting process a chance to snowball.  Don’t let the same thing happen to you!