NCSA Athletic Scholarships and College Recruiting Blog

Would you ever let your high school coach call a college coach to promote you? What role do you think a high school coach should play in your recruiting? Thoughts…..

With the recent success the US Team had in the Confed Cup do you think it will continue or was this just a fluke?

We’ve written about how recruits need to be aware of the massive oversigning of players that occurs today in college athletics.  Oversigning helps college coaches, but can leave student-athletes out in the cold at the worst possible moment.  A story is emerging from South Florida about an athletes who has been kicked to the curb right before camp.

Wesley Chapel center Kamran Joyer, who signed with USF in February, has asked for and been granted a release from his scholarship with the Bulls after uncertainty as to whether he’d be accepted academically, his father Jack said Monday afternoon.

USF’s coaches had anticipated some attrition from signing day, when 29 players signed with the Bulls, four over the NCAA limit for one class. Joyer is the sixth signee not expected to be in school this fall … Even without those six signees, USF is believed to be at the NCAA’s overall limit of 85 scholarships, unless other returning players do not stay with the program as expected.

Keep in mind that Joyer is NCAA eligible and the Bulls have shown no signs of intense academic scrutiny in the past (they have the nation’s worst APR).  It would seem that he was cast off at the last second because he was the lowest rated incoming recruit, not due to his academic standing.  The Sporting Blog has a harsh take on this story, particularly ESPN’s response.

Here’s where access turns you into a corporate drone: Brian Bennett, the author of that sentence, says it “appears to be the case” Joyer didn’t qualify academically when the article specifically says he did, and that this is an example of things “working themselves out.” Tell that to Joyer. Bennett follows this up with some stuff about how people want to “reduce” oversigning without giving Leavitt the full blast he deserves for this. The lack of reading comprehension and spine in that post is truly epic.

Whether South Florida was right or wrong isn’t my issue.  My point is that potential recruits need to aware that situations like this happen all the time.  Student-athletes need to go in to the recruiting process with their eyes wide open.  They need to ask coaches the proper questions and have enough options so that they can make the right decision and avoid being dropped from a team for reasons they didn’t previously foresee.

NCSA’s director of Recruiting 360 Randy Taylor is beginning his annual rankings process to highlight the Top 200 Football Players in America.  Randy continues his rankings with the top quarterback in the country.  How can you get on Randy’s final list?  Get evaluated by an NCSA Recruiting Coordinator and Scout.  All top NCSA prospects will be considered for Randy’s final Top 200 Rankings!

NAME HT WT SCHOOL STATE
Daryl Norris 6′1″ 205 Fairhope H.S. AL
Claude Johnson 6′1″ 190 Pine Bluff H.S. AR
Brandon Connette   6′3″ 198 Santiago H.S. CA
Brett Nottingham   6′4″ 208 Monte Vista H.S. CA
Brian Blechen   6′3″ 202 Moorpark H.S. CA
Bryan Bennett   6′3″ 185 Crespi Carmelite H.S. CA
Chase Rettig 6′3″ 201 San Clemente H.S. CA
Jesse Scroggins 6′2″ 189 Lakewood H.S. CA
Kyle Miller 6-0 200 St. Francis H.S. CA
Nick Hirschman   6′3″ 216 Los Gatos H.S. CA
Nick Montana   6′2″ 177 Oaks Christian H.S. CA
Pete Thomas   6′6″ 218 Valhalla H.S. CA
Ryan Kasdorf 6′2″ 208 Notre Dame H.S. CA
Sean Mannion   6′4″ 190 Foothill H.S. CA
Tommy Stephens 6′2″ 180 Campolindo H.S. CA
Tyler Shreve 6′4″ 206 Redlands East Valley H.S. CA
Austin Hinder   6′4″ 182 Steamboat Springs H.S. CO
Jonny Miller 6′2″ 215 J. K. Mullen H.S. CO
Ricardo Young   6′1″ 170 Howard D. Woodson H.S. DC
Blake Bortles 6′5″ 206 Oviedo H.S. FL
Brandon Doughty   6′3″ 185 North Broward Prep School FL
Brion Carnes   6′1″ 185 Manatee H.S. FL
Eddie Sullivan 6′0″ 188 Boca Raton Community H.S. FL
Jake Medlock 6′1″ 180 Fletcher Senior H.S. FL
Jeffrey Godfrey   5′11″ 167 Miami Central H.S. FL
Leron Thomas 6′0″ 181 Glades Central H.S. FL
Mark Leal   5′11″ 183 Atlantic Community H.S. FL
Stephen Morris 6′2″ 195 Monsignor Edward Pace H.S. FL
Trevor Siemian   6′3″ 179 Olympia H.S. FL
Andrew Manley 6′3″ 215 Leilehua H.S. HI
A.J. Derby 6′4″ 210 Iowa City H.S. IA
Chandler Whitmer   6′1″ 185 Downers Grove South H.S. IL
Detchauz Wray 5′11″ 170 East Saint Louis Sr. H.S. IL
Sean Robinson 6′4″ 205 Rochester H.S. IL
Taylor Graham   6′3″ 185 Wheaton North H.S. IL
Austin Ahrens 6′2″ 195 Jasper H.S. IN
Blake Bell   6′5″ 212 Bishop Carroll H.S. KS
Munchie Legaux   6′4″ 180 Edna Karr H.S. LA
Terrance Broadway 6′1″ 185 Capital H.S. LA
Billy Cosh 6′1″ 190 Arundel Senior H.S. MD
Devin Gardner   6′4″ 195 Inkster H.S. MI
Joe Boisture   6′6″ 205 Saline H.S. MI
Robert Bolden 6′4″ 195 Saint Mary’s Prep School MI
Steve Kaiser 6′2″ 215 De Smet Jesuit H.S. MO
Tyler Gabbert   6′1″ 187 Parkway West H.S. MO
Anthony Boone   6′1″ 229 Weddington H.S. NC
Tyler Brosius   6′3″ 228 Tuscola H.S. NC
Brandon Hill 6′5″ 204 Audubon H.S. NJ
Joseph Brennan   6′3″ 185 Camden Catholic H.S. NJ
Quadir Pendleton 6′3″ 175 East Orange H.S. NJ
John Kinder   6′3″ 190 Lawrence H.S. NY
Andrew Hendrix 6′2″ 215 Moeller H.S. OH
Greg Kahling 6′4″ 185 Fort Recovery H.S. OH
Willie Ballard 6′1″ 195 Trotwood-Madison H.S. OH
Johnny Deaton 6′3″ 195 Charles Page H.S. OK
Anthony Gonzalez   6′2″ 210 Liberty H.S. PA
Malik Stokes 6′1″ 170 Northeast H.S. PA
Paul Jones   6′3″ 226 Sto-Rox H.S. PA
Tyler Smith   6′4″ 190 Wilson Area H.S. PA
Chas Dodd 6′0″ 180 James Byrnes H.S. SC
Barry Brunetti   6′0″ 205 Memphis University School TN
Deion Woods 6′0″ 215 Kirby H.S. TN
Case McCoy   6′2″ 176 Graham H.S. TX
Clay Honeycutt   6′2″ 185 Dickinson H.S. TX
Connor Wood   6′4″ 195 Second Baptist School TX
Jacoby Walker   6′2″ 200 Westfield H.S. TX
Jameill Showers   6′1″ 200 Shoemaker H.S. TX
James Franklin   6′2″ 220 Lake Dallas H.S. TX
Luke Woodley 6′2″ 182 Highland Park H.S. TX
Matt Brown   6′1″ 175 Allen H.S. TX
Matt Joeckel   6′4″ 217 Arlington H.S. TX
Nathan Sorenson   6′2″ 190 Texas H.S. TX
Scotty Young   6′2″ 180 Billy Ryan H.S. TX
Tanner Price   6′1″ 195 Westlake H.S. TX
Tyler Arndt 6′3″ 188 Cuero H.S. TX
Westin Williams 5′11″ 172 Wellington H.S. TX
Zach Lee 6′3″ 190 McKinney H.S. TX
Dallas Lloyd   6′2″ 205 Pleasant Grove H.S. UT
Phillip Sims   6′1″ 218 Oscar Frommel Smith H.S. VA
Dalton Gervais 6′2″ 180 Lakes H.S. WA
Jake Heaps   6′2″ 198 Skyline H.S. WA
Justin Sinz 6′4″ 215 Edgar H.S. WI

Cody Keith 6′3″ 185 Maranatha H.S. CA
Michael Davis, 6′3″ 190 Richwoods H.S. IL
Brandon Pechloff, 6′7″ 227 Montini Catholic H.S. IL
Jimmy Garoppolo, 6′3″ 190 Rolling Meadows H.S. IL

Must Read:  Sad Tragedy of a Murdered High School Coach.  This really should make student-athletes appreciate the people in their lives that work so hard to help shape their life.

NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Recruiting Calendar

July 6-15, 2009: Evaluation Period

July 16-21, 2009, Dead Period

[except for]:
It is permissible for an institution to have contact with a prospect
who is enrolled in the institution’s summer term (i.e., summer
session or summer bridge program) and has signed a
National Letter of Intent or other written commitment to attend
the institution.

July 22-31, 2009: Evaluation Period

 
NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Recruiting Calendar

July 6-15, 2009: Evaluation Period

July 16-21, 2009, Dead Period

[except for]:
It is permissible for an institution to have contact with a
prospect who is enrolled in the institution’s summer term (i.e.,
summer session or summer bridge program) and has signed a
National Letter of Intent or other written commitment to attend
the institution.

July 22-31, 2009: Evaluation Period

Exceptions:

1. Evaluations are permitted during the National Junior College Athletic Association
championship competition.

2. Evaluations are permissible in the following states only during the time periods listed,
provided evaluations outside of the July period are counted toward the 100 recruiting person days:

Hawaii: July 8-31

All states (except Hawaii) that play the high school basketball season in the spring:
July 8-31

Lance Stephenson is one of the best prep players in America.  By all accounts he should have chosen from his dozens of scholarship offers months, if not years, ago.  However, Stephenson only this week made a verbal decision to attend the University of Cincinnati.

Why, did it take so long?  There are a myriad of reasons, but they all prove why coaches are looking at a player’s character now more than ever.

The first reason is the fact that he made abundantly clear that he has no real desire to attend college in the first place.  He would have much preferred to make the  prep to pros jump, but was restrained by the NBA’s age limit rule.

The next reason are numerous questions about his attitude and a troubling sexual asualt case.  He was always seen barking at teammates and generally displayed an angry demeanor on the court.  Oh, and his father is not seen in the best of light by the basketball community.

Finally, there are questions on his actual eligibility.  After the O.J. Mayo fiasco at USC nobody wants to paint a giant target on their back for the NCAA.  Stephenson was involved in an internet TV show picked up MTV2 and questions linger if he was compensated.

All, this adds up to numerous schools saying thanks but no thanks after they took a deeper look.  Only Stephenson’s incredible athleticism and potential bailed him out of this jam (and Cincinnati will still be looking further into his eligibility).

If you are a hopefull recruit can you afford anywhere near the read flags Stephonson has raised?  Of course not.  The recruiting process is a once in a lifetime experience.  Make sure you take every step possible to ensure it goes smoothly.

How do you feel on the subject of college athletes leaving college early to play pro? It has been common for male athletes and now a female athlete is following in their footsteps. Epiphanny Prince from Rutgers is going pro in Europe and forgoing her senior year.

While for the average student summer may be a time to sit back and relax after a long school year, for the committed athlete it is time to get to work. A recent ESPN article shows the commitment displayed by many high school athletes in an effort to prepare themselves for their upcoming seasons.

On a humid summer night, the gymnasiums at Harper College in Palatine, Ill., may not be cool enough. The scorekeepers and officials may be somewhat inexperienced. And with no chairs to sit on at the bench, standing the entire game may be rather tiresome for the Huntley (Ill.) High School varsity boys’ basketball team.

But what matters is that the players get in some practice and face good competition.

To many dedicated athletes, the summer offseason has become extremely significant for improving and staying in shape.

The varsity basketball team practices weekdays from 5 to 8 p.m. They also play summer league games on Tuesday and compete in local tournaments on weekends.

Sometimes schedules can be grueling with summer camp from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and then two games in the evening. By the end of the day, the girls find themselves exhausted, but they also will have a feeling of accomplishment. They understand that improvement in the summer is extremely important when it comes to finding success in the regular season.

“It’s important to work on individual skills in the summer so that when the season comes around we’ll be able to work together as a strong team,” said junior point guard Carly Goede.

The high school is not the only place where athletes are working hard at their games.

Senior Jenna Mychko, who has verbally committed to the University of Illinois for softball, plays travel softball for the Orland Park Sparks.

Mychko practices six days a week with the Sparks and plays tournaments on weekends. She has traveled to tournaments in Minnesota and Kentucky, and will be playing in Colorado on the Fourth of July.

Varsity baseball player Carlos Alvarez, a junior, keeps busy in the summer playing on a travel team - the McHenry County Hurricanes - and playing summer league games for the high school.

“I practice four times a week for four to five hours, and in total I have six games a week,” Alvarez said. “Baseball is my life.”

Summer camps and leagues are a great way for athletes to step up their games a few notches, keep active in the offseason. In the dire heat, staying hydrated becomes just as important as working hard. If athletes are dedicated enough, they are able to persevere - neither the hot weather nor the inexperienced referees will slow them down.

Hard work and dedication are key if an athlete wants to succeed at the next level. Now that school is out, you have a prime opportunity to put in those extra hours in the gym in order to meet the goals you set for yourself.

I came an article about a 2010 football recruit from Pennsylvania named Dakota Royer and it sparked so many thoughts about how complex the recruiting process can be. This young man has emerged as a top prospect for the class of 2010. But it didn’t just happen for Royer. He has put in an extraordinary amount of hard work and made good decisions that have allowed him to become someone college coaches are looking at and talking about.

An all-state defensive end during his junior season, Royer decided to use his speed and strength to help the offense this season. Royer’s high school football coach Mike Williams says, “He became a complete player.” Not many things are more appealing to a collegiate coach, than knowing an athlete can serve more than one purpose on their team. If you want to increase your value as a student-athlete, make sure you are the complete package. Get stronger and more familiar with different positions on the field. If you are a swimmer, look at mastering other events and strokes. If you are a pitcher, become more dominant by adding more pitches to your arsenal. If you are a golfer, be certain your putting game is just as strong as your drive off the tee. There is always more you can be doing and ways you can be getting better to increase your value to a coach and their program.

After his freshman year, Royer transferred to a different high school because of their agriculture programs. His interest in that field is something he plans on pursuing in college. Royer said he had nothing against his previous high school. “It was great there,” he said. “There was not a problem. It’s not like I had to get out of there. I just wanted to do the best thing for my future.” Whatever college Royer decides on, he will be starting off with a great academic foundation and a plan for what he wants to pursue off of the football field. It’s so important to remember you are a student-athlete. Your college search cannot just include the athletic side of things. You don’t have to know exactly what you want to study or major in, but you should have an idea of what kind of academic school you are interested in. Look at everything from class sizes, to what academic programs are offered, to coursework requirements. Part of being the “complete package” for a coach is how you perform in the classroom. So make sure you stay educated on everything regarding your education.

Because Royer has been so proactive in his recruiting process (making his own highlight DVD and attending football combines since his freshman year), he now has the option of choosing from over 20 Top Division I football programs. A decision he will make within the next month - before taking even one “official visit.”

As he has narrowed his choices to a “Top 5,” Royer gave a brief explanation for his interest in each school. This is what grabbed my attention the most from this article. His answers covered such a large spectrum of things that could possibly make or break a student-athlete’s decision on a school. A great example of how multi-dimensional the recruiting process is. From that list of 5, here are some things that Royer considered: familiarity, being close to home, an NFL team’s proximity to the campus, condition of the campus, social aspect of the campus, football stadium, team contract with NIKE, locker room perks.

Finally, in a move fitting of what we now know about Royer, he decided to increase his marketing appeal to college coaches - and perhaps even future NFL scouts. After hearing that a newly-drafted NFL player drew attention on ESPN for making a clean jump OUT of 3-foot deep swimming pool, Royer knew there was only one thing he needed to do. Make that same jump out of 4 feet of water. So, that’s exactly what he did. Now his video is getting hits all over Youtube.

Dakota Royer is the consummate recruit. He has looked at and contemplated everything that will give him the greatest college experience possible. Now it’s just a matter of prioritizing. Out of all of the information he has collected he will choose which school and football program meet his priorities the best. He knows that the decision on where he will go to school and play football is HIS. And the reason he is sitting so comfortably in the driver’s seat: Royer has made himself the kind of student-athlete that college coaches are looking for - “the complete package.”