NCSA College Athletic Scholarships Blog

I wish I was bring you a great interview, but instead here are the amazing true freshman highlights of Texas DB Aaron Williams.  (Click on the video link right below his picture!)

When Aaron joined NCSA he was a super talented player but was still lacking the exposure needed to land him big time offers from schools like Texas. That all changed when our scouts got Aaron into the US Army All-American Bowl Combine.  After an electrifying performance he had an offer to Texas and the following year played in the All-American Bowl Game.  This season he received significant playing time as a true freshman. 

Aaron’s story is a lot like many student-athletes across the country who have talent to burn, but lack the exposure to put them on the map.  The difference is Aaron took the ball in his hands and pro-actively got his name out to the rest of America.

Whether you are a Tim Tebow fan or not, you have to respect his early season apology and promise to his teammates.  After an upset loss to Ole Miss Tebow stood in front of the press and accepted the blame for the loss and promised to work harder.  He has come through in a big way leading his team back to the National Championship.

This type of guts shows real character.  College coaches consistently preach that character is one of the most coveted attributes in a top recruit.  Recruiters search for examples of character in many different places.  They talk to parents, teachers, coaches, members of the community and anyone they think will be able to give insight into a recruits personality and character.  Student-Athletes need to be sure to make the right choices in their every day lives to ensure that they have a chance to perform on the field like Tebow some day.

Tonight at Soldier field two former highly recruited Purdue Quarterbacks will face off in a crucial game with major playoff implications.  However, they almost weren’t connected at all.  Drew Brees was the former collegiate stud breaking into the NFL when he met Kyle Orton at an Elite 11 Football Camp, then a top recruit considering following in his footsteps at Purdue.  Orton was committed to Purdue at the time, but was starting to lean towards Colorado.  When Orton spoke to Brees those doubts were silenced.

“I told him, ‘You can do whatever you want to do, but, if you want to get a great education, want to have a chance to start four years, play in the Big Ten and throw the ball 50 times a game, then you should come to Purdue,”‘ said Brees, Purdue’s all-time passing leader with 11,792 yards. “It was really that simple.”

Orton recalled: “It was good advice.”

Hearing first hand about a program right from the horse’s mouth is an opportunity every recruit needs to set up.  Most recruits wont get the chance to meet former players at big time camps, but every recruit has the opportunity to take official and unofficial visits.  Every potential collegiate athlete should make sure they take the time to talk to players in the program so that get a real feel for how things operate.  Asking questions about the athletic, academic and social components in a student athlete’s life can give real insight into choosing the proper university.

How do you set up visits to schools?  The first step is getting colleges interested in you.  Start that process with NCSA now!

It sounds like a dream story for high school teammates; The college team down the street that they grew up rooting offers a trio of close friends athletic scholarships.  The trio goes on to 4 years of dominating the competition while earning degrees.  Unfortunately, the story doesn’t always play out that way.

A trio of teammates from Seminole high in Florida are all set to play in next months Under Armour All-Star Game where they will announce their college decisions.  Several schools hope to land the talented package of Ray Ray Armstrong, Andre Debose and Dyron Dye but Miami appears to have the best chance.

However, while the lure of playing in college with your high school teammates appears like a dream come true, I would urge any athlete in this situation to make an individual decision.  Scouts Inc. Recruiting Coordinator Craig Haubert on why the decision is so difficult:

Every year there are talented teammates who aspire to go to the same college. Sometimes it happens — look at the host of Miami Northwestern players who all ended up at Miami last year, but often it does not. It is understandable that high school teammates and buddies would dream about playing ball together in college, but that is not always ideal. Often when push comes to shove, teammates who talked about trying to play together part ways. Usually, prospects come to the realization that they need to do what is best for them. Not every program is right for every kid even if they are friends or from the same high school.

He is right on the money describing the importance of choosing the right school.  Every athlete is making an athletic AND academic decision that will impact the rest of their lives.  Basing such an important decision on any factor other than your own judgement could prove to be a life altering mistake.

I had the opportunity of meeting Bo Eason back in August. To me he just seemed like your average former NFL Football Player. He was very kind and was asking me questions just about anything. When I saw him the next day at the company event, he told his life story to everyone their. The one thing that stood out to me was how he went about playing the game of football. The description went something like this. “When I played safety, oh man, when I played safety! I felt like I was an arrow shooting right towards the receiver and when I made that impact, oh man, did it feel good.”

This is how I feel about Michael Elder. Michael is from San Antonio and is going to be graduating in 2009. Elder plays the safety position like an arrow darting right straight towards the receiver. He has great instinct back there and can make numerous of plays with even his footwork. He seems to always be around the ball, making real solid tackles. On kickoff returns, he is always the first one down the field making a play. I would like to think that Michael will end up playing some where. This kid is a very solid and will play at the next level. Where that will be? Hopefully soon, we will find out. Take a look at his highlight video, and tell me what you think. Until next time, this is the MSquared Scoop signing off.

A large part of recruiting is making sure you connect with the coaching staff.  Finding the right fit means that you feel comfortable becoming part of an athletic family.  Reflecting the importance of this change is a relatively new, but emerging trend on a coaching staff; the “Life Coach.”

Georgia Tech team Chaplain Derrick Moore is a great example of how this new role is affecting recruiting.  The former NAIA player and NFL running back has quickly earned a reputation in the SEC as one of the best recruiters int he land.  Several recent commits have sighted both Moore’s personality and his Christian faith as major reasons why they felt Georgia Tech was the right school.

Of course it can be easy to form a relationship with a coach that is going to great lengths to recruit a blue chip athlete.  That is why its so important for every potential recruit to take the time to contact and visit as many schools as possible.  The more schools in the mix, the better the chance of finding a coach like Derrick Moore.

Its the time of year when many college fall athletic programs are energized about the wrap up of their seasons.  Various NCAA championships are ending and Division I football teams are accepting bowl bids.  However, the other end of the spectrum paints a different story.  Schools with losing records have no other option, but to roll up the sleeves and get right back to work.  That work almost always starts with recruiting. 

UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel had a rough return to his alma mater finishing a disappointing 4-8.  Coach Neuheisel is known for his relentless optimism and his comments to the media reflect the work he will need to focus on.

“We’ve got to catch up,” he said. “We’ve got to come back in earnest and get going. We’ve got some great young people on our list, but they’re on everybody’s list. It’s about landing them. There’s no quit in this.”

Any athlete hoping to land with a big-time program needs to bring the same attitude towards recruting.  Recruits may have had some setbacks in the fall, but closing is what matters.  If an athlete is looking to finish strong, I hope they take the time to understand how NCSA can help jump start recruiting.
 

Every coach in college football continues to fight to keep his top in state recruits, while always pushing into new states and high schools for potential student athletes.  Arizona State Coach Dennis Erickson spoke to The Arizona Republic on his teams ever expanding recruiting strategy.

“Arizona has grown so much,” said Erickson, who first began recruiting Arizona while at Oregon State from 1999-2002. “I’ll bet you back then there were six, seven (prospects) in the state. Now there are probably 25, who knows, maybe more than that. The high school coaching here is so good, and the players are prepared when they come out.

“This is the key for us then we go to Southern California and Vegas and others places to get our players.”

Many might think this national recruiting strategy is limited to only big time college football and basketball.  Think again.

The University of Delaware Volleyball team is comprised of 14 players from 11 different states.  Their roster features players from California, Oregon, Serbia and Australia.

“We have to recruit nationally,” said Coach Bonnie Kenny added, “and we have to try to attract a good person, a good student and then we hope they’re going to be a great volleyball player, in that order.”

If you are a recruit who is truly serious about paying at the next level expanding your search to look at schools in other geographic regions can increase your options exponentially.  Increasing your options, means increasing your scholarship dollars and most importantly increasing your chances of finding the perfect school for you!

Our NCSA team had a chance to support 15 of our student athletes at the Illinois Prep bowl, the longest running high school football playoff format in the country. The Prep Bowl also holds the national record for fans to ever attend a high school game, approximately 120,000!  Loyola shut out Lane Tech 17-0, but the athletes on both sidelines should be proud of their accomplishments.  At NCSA we will continue to work with athletes on each squad to help them reach to achieve their college dreams!

Many senior athletes across the country still have dreams of playing Division I athletics.  However, this time of year it may be wise for potential college athletes to begin focusing on different division levels   Why?  Because almost every scholarship has been offered.  All that remains are Official Visits for recruits to make their final decision.  The Detroit Free Press highlights how timetables have changed due to the Internet.

Before the Internet or DVD’s, before college coaches knew the top football prospects in the country by the time they were sophomores and had to rely on high school coaches and alumni around the country, the bulk of recruiting was done in the months of December and January, after a recruit’s senior season.

Today, most colleges have 75 percent or more of their class complete before they hit the final months of the recruiting process. The remaining available prospects, however, tend to be on the extremes. Several high caliber prospects know they will not lose out on scholarship opportunities by waiting while other prospects emerge, or their stock vastly improves, in their senior seasons.

While the importance of late-stage recruiting has dwindled over the years, the months of December and January still experience plenty of recruiting excitement. College coaches use these months to bring in their remaining targets for official visits.

The article reiterates that if you are an underclassmen looking to play in college the time to start is now!  If you are a senior, without official visits set up, it is definitely time to start focusing on contacting coaches at other levels.  NCSA can help jump start your efforts with our Verified Scouting Reports.  Get Started Today!