College Recruiting
Your Roadmap to Playing at the Next Level
Richmond Hill Football is committed to helping our student-athletes reach the next level. Below is everything you need to understand the recruiting process — where you fit, how eligibility works, and a year-by-year timeline. Have questions? Our coaching staff is here to help.
To be recruited, you generally need 2 of the 3 “S’s” of athleticism:
- Stature (size)
- Speed
- Strength
Lacking measurables doesn’t necessarily stop the recruiting process — but it does limit and delay it.
- Research schools.
- Attend camps — were you ranked as a top-tier athlete? Did you earn awards (top performer)?
- Decide whether you’re ready to commit to the preparation and demands.
- Take your SAT or ACT.
- Get varsity film.
- Attend camps — measurables matter (how big and fast are you at this age?).
- Complete online questionnaires for potential colleges (usually on the school’s athletics website).
- Waiting until now can cost you roster-spot opportunities.
- Continue testing for super scores.
- Have current HS varsity film.
- Online questionnaires — hone your focus to your ability level.
- Camps — you must have measurables for high-level consideration (height/weight and speed above all else).
- Every month counts — highlight film, camps/showcases, and school visits.
- Ask: Who is interested? Where can I qualify academically? What are my in-state options?
College football is played across several levels: NCAA Division I (FBS & FCS), Division II, Division III, NAIA, and Junior College. Division I programs generally have larger budgets, more elaborate facilities, and more athletic scholarships. Note: some schools do not award the full allotment of football scholarships.
- 85 full scholarships available.
- ~130 teams.
- 63 full scholarships (can be divided into partials for up to 85 players receiving aid).
- ~126 teams; some conferences are non-scholarship.
- Example: the Patriot League (Lafayette, Lehigh, Bucknell, Georgetown, Colgate, Holy Cross) — athletes can qualify for academic aid.
- 36 full scholarships (most schools divide into partials).
- ~169 teams; financial aid available.
- Smaller public universities (some private); a common landing spot for Division I transfers.
- ~246 teams.
- No athletic scholarships — all aid is need-based (academic money available at some schools).
- Non-revenue programs.
- For players who don’t qualify for a 4-year school or aren’t recruited out of high school.
- Earn an Associate’s Degree while playing football.
- A path to a 4-year school afterward; some JUCOs offer athletic scholarships.
Determines an athlete’s eligibility to compete in college athletics. Register online at the end of your junior year at eligibilitycenter.org (or by mail), and ask your coach/counselor to send your transcript to the eligibility center.
Register with the NAIA Eligibility Center at playnaia.org. Meet 2 of the 3 requirements:
- Minimum 860 SAT or 18 ACT
- Minimum 2.0 GPA
- Graduate in the top half of your class
Take the SAT/ACT by (at minimum) the spring of your junior year — we recommend taking both, multiple times. Watch for test dates offered right here at RHHS; the nearest ACT test center is Savannah State. (Check current registration dates each year.)
HOPE Scholarship — graduate high school with a minimum 3.00 GPA and maintain a 3.00 in college; award amount is based on credit hours taken.
Zell Miller Scholarship — graduate with a minimum 3.70 GPA AND a 1200 SAT / 26 ACT, and maintain a 3.30 in college; covers 100% of in-state tuition.
- NCAA Eligibility Center — eligibilitycenter.org
- ncaa.org
- gafutures.org (HOPE / Zell Miller)
- playnaia.org (NAIA)
Academics: Concentrate on academics — earn a “C” or above in core classes (including foreign language). Take the SAT/ACT by minimum spring of junior year (multiple times). Don’t miss school days or football functions.
Physical prep: Train hard — no excuses. Work on positional drills (many can be done at home) and practice combine/camp testing drills.
Exposure: Create highlight videos (coaches help order/organize clips). Attend combine & college camps — “One Day” camps give the most exposure for the least money (camp list posted on Google Classroom).
Social media: Twitter/X is most popular among coaches. Your headline should list Ht/Wt, highlight link, GPA, test score, and NCAA ID. Follow coaches at your target schools.
- Communicate with your child — know their schools of interest and who’s interested in them; know their academic standing; keep them focused and grounded.
- Look at finances to determine what type of school is affordable — fill out the FAFSA in January.
- Discuss distance — establish how far is TOO far.
- Take day/weekend college trips in the spring/summer of sophomore and junior years.
- Sign up for the SAT/ACT as soon as possible.
- Keep in touch with the Richmond Hill Football coaching staff.
- Identify potential college athletes and create player profiles.
- Create transcripts for college coaches.
- Help create and copy highlight/game films.
- Provide honest assessment to recruiters and parents.
- Expose players through combines, camps, and off-season competition.
- Serve as the middle man — most college coaches want to communicate with your HS coach directly.
- Colleges make initial contact with coaches via phone calls and mail.
- The HS coach follows up on behalf of the player.
- Game and highlight film is sent to colleges across the country.
- Evaluation period for colleges.
- College coaches continue evaluating film and decide on early scholarship offers.
- Coaches begin visiting schools and meeting players face-to-face (watching spring practices).
- Invitations to summer camps go out to possible scholarship players.
- Register at eligibilitycenter.org if you haven’t already; ask your coach/counselor to send your transcript.
- Attend college camps and visit colleges of interest.
- Focus on summer workouts.
- Weekly phone calls from coaches; some visits to the high school.
- Scholarship offers may go out; senior film may be requested.
- Official or unofficial visits may be taken; the list of schools narrows.
- Player’s focus stays on the TEAM.
- Official visits are taken; FAFSA information becomes available.
- Phone calls and visits become more frequent; a decision is nearing (but not definite).
- Many Division II & III schools increase recruiting efforts (the “trickle-down” after signing day).
- Signing Day is the first Wednesday in February.
- You may or may not have a decision made by then; visits can continue afterward.
- A decision may be pending on admittance or FAFSA info — the final decision to play may not be finalized until April–May.
What to Avoid
- Don’t take the recruiting process into your own hands. Your HS coaches are here to help — keep them in the loop; the good schools always start there.
- Be cautious with fee-based recruiting services. A high school coach’s word matters most to college recruiters. These services often can’t offer any more than you and your coach can do on your own — and some will say anything to get your money.
The Bottom Line
Parents and players have to be involved every step of the way. Every college has different tastes — high school coaches have no control over who does and doesn’t get scholarships, but we will do everything in our power to help you get there.
