{"id":3408,"date":"2017-02-07T11:04:31","date_gmt":"2017-02-07T16:04:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gridironstuds.com\/blog\/?p=3408"},"modified":"2017-02-07T11:04:31","modified_gmt":"2017-02-07T16:04:31","slug":"not-an-elite-prospect-find-your-gimmick-in-recruiting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gridironstuds.com\/blog\/not-an-elite-prospect-find-your-gimmick-in-recruiting\/","title":{"rendered":"Not An Elite Prospect? Find Your Gimmick in Recruiting"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"By: Chad Wilson – Editor – GridironStuds Blog<\/strong>
\nTwitter: @GridironStuds<\/strong><\/p>\n

Well gimmick may be a strong word even the wrong word but it’s an emotional word. It’s a word\u00a0that likely got you to land your eyes on this blog post. Mission accomplished because if you are a prospect or the parent of one, \u00a0I need you to read this. \u00a0One of the best ways to succeed in life is to have great self awareness. \u00a0This also happens to be the most important factor you need to possess as a college football prospect.<\/p>\n

Self awareness is so rare in our society that one can describe it as an art. \u00a0As a college football recruit, \u00a0it’s going to be your prize possession. \u00a0Often times an elite recruit is recognized as such early on in 8th or 9th grade. \u00a0What makes them elite? \u00a0It’s usually one of two things. \u00a0Either the prospect has unusual height or he has unusual speed. \u00a0Sometimes they have both in\u00a0which case they are a no doubter. \u00a0The rest of the prospects are faces in the crowd until they find a way to breakout. \u00a0So how exactly do you break out?<\/p>\n

One of the biggest mistakes that potential recruits make is thinking that their on field production is going to be enough to have colleges beating down their door. \u00a0This is not nearly as true as some would like to think it is. \u00a0A 5’9″ quarterback that throws 50 touchdowns in a season is still a 5’9″ quarterback and thus not all that attractive to colleges. \u00a0A 185 lb. defensive end with 30 sacks in a season is still a 185 lb. defensive end that will have to face 300 lb. tackles in college and thus not very attractive to college programs. \u00a0So when the deck is stacked against you, \u00a0what can you do?<\/p>\n

First and foremost all prospects should enter high school with the full intent of being a good student. \u00a0Trying to overcome the bad grades of the freshman and sophomore years when you are a junior is like the Cleveland Browns trying to make a playoff run starting week 10 of this past football season. \u00a0This point is more important for the prospects that don’t fit into the category of elite. \u00a0At some point, \u00a0you may have to face the fact that you aren’t a Division I player and will need your academics to help you continue your football career. \u00a0FYI, many a football player have come from college programs that fall below the level of FBS. \u00a0The trick for prospects is to try to continue playing, \u00a0you never know how things will break for you down the road. \u00a0 The 5’9″ quarterback may need to frame himself up as an incredibly intelligent player who can overcome the physical limitation with sheer IQ and ability to find an opponent’s weakness.<\/p>\n

When you are not elite, \u00a0getting eyeballs on you in recruiting can have a lot to do with how you package yourself. \u00a0Are you a 5’8″ WR? \u00a0You already know what the story is going to be for you. \u00a0So, if you are fast, \u00a0you need to play up this fact. \u00a0How can you do this? \u00a0The first and most simple answer is to run track. \u00a0College coaches trust track times. \u00a0They are not too keen on trusting a 4.3 at some weekend camp on a dusty field behind a shopping mall. \u00a0They will, however, trust your 10.72 100 meter time at your district championships. \u00a0I will use Chaminade Madonna HS 2018 \u00a0RB Shaun Shivers<\/a> as an example. \u00a0Shivers is 5’6″ and I am certain he knew he was not going to reach the height of NBA power forward. \u00a0He did however balance out the lack of height with uncanny speed by working hard as a track athlete. \u00a0Colleges are willing to overlook Shivers’ lack of height because he has developed elite speed. \u00a0Shivers is one of the fastest 100m sprinters in the country. It is rare that you see Power 5 programs extend offers to prospects that are 5’6″. \u00a0Shivers is committed to Auburn, \u00a0a top flight program in the SEC. \u00a0I am not saying that you need to be one of the fastest athletes in the country like Shivers but I am saying it behooves you to develop great speed if you are height challenged. One of the best ways to do this is with track. \u00a0When you have developed that speed, \u00a0take every opportunity to play up that speed. Your Hudl clips should feature you running away from people. \u00a0You should post your track times and accomplishments. \u00a0Market your “gimmick” and if it’s speed you have to let people know.<\/p>\n

What if you are a 185 lb. defensive end that is playing that position because you are great at it and your team needs you there? \u00a0You have to know that colleges are not likely to sign you to play that position. \u00a0The best thing for you to do is not necessarily harass the coach to move you to linebacker or DB but rather, go learn linebacker and \/ or DB techniques. \u00a0Then you can attend camps and play the linebacker position at the camps. \u00a0Be sure to have someone film you doing LB drills and performing as a LB or DB. \u00a0You can also go through LB and or DB drills with a trainer and have yourself filmed performing those drills. \u00a0Use that footage as part of what you package and send out to college recruiters.<\/p>\n

Do you have a family member that played collegiate football or professional sports? By all means use this. \u00a0Sometimes having that pedigree will be the decision maker for you with colleges. \u00a0Colleges know that taking the son of a professional athletes can often pay off when it is not readily apparent that the skill is there. Sometimes, \u00a0athletes develop slowly but if you can show that others in your bloodline have it, \u00a0a college might take that risk. \u00a0Did your dad, uncle or cousin play professional basketball? \u00a0Put that information out there. \u00a0I have watched plenty of sons of former professional athletes look goofy in their adolescent years only to blossom into a monster later on. \u00a0When I was in high school and colleges would send out questionnaires, one of the questions on all of them was “list any family members that have played college football”. \u00a0That question was not on there for no reason. \u00a0Colleges know the value of a bloodline.<\/p>\n

The bottom line is this. \u00a0You have to find your angle as a recruit when you are not elite and exploit it. Don’t think that when the time comes, \u00a0colleges will offer you a scholarship “just because”. Realize that there are tons upon tons of high school football players for them to choose from. Examine your strengths and your advantages. \u00a0Perhaps you go to a school that has produced a ton of great college players. \u00a0Find something that works in your favor and I am telling you that you scoring the most touchdown in the county is not going to be it. \u00a0Dig harder, think smarter and find your unique asset that makes you stand out of the crowd of 1,000’s upon 1,000’s of prospects that are in your class fighting for a college scholarship.<\/p>\n