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College Recruiting Overview

Interested in playing sports at the college level? We’ve included everything you need to know from how to connect with college coaches and recruiters, opt in to recruiting on Hudl, eligibility requirements and much more.

Interested in playing sports at the college level? Hudl makes it easy for you to present your abilities and stand out from the crowd. We're here to help you navigate the recruiting process. We know this process can be overwhelming and it’s tough to know where to start—that’s why we’ve included everything you need to know in this recruiting hub for student athletes.

You're a student athlete, you know it takes time, energy and consistent effort to be the best. Getting to the next level is no different—being recruited requires some of that same focus.Think of it like another class or practice. You’ll need to block off time in your schedule to research schools, create highlights, contact coaches and get your film in front of the right people each week. 

We can’t stress this enough: communication is key. Having intentional conversations and building relationships with college coaches will make all the difference in moving you forward in the recruiting process. You could be the best student athlete in the state, but if you can’t communicate and make a good impression on these coaches and recruiters, little progress will be made to reach your dream of being a college student athlete.

Check out these key recruiting terms from the NCAA eligibility center to make sure you’re ready to communicate the right messages at the right time.

Don’t procrastinate. Every student athlete’s process to get to the next level looks a little different, and the amount of time it takes to lock in your dream school will vary depending on sport, skill level and the effort you put into this process. For most student athletes the best time to jump into the recruiting process is during their sophomore or junior year of high school.

The earlier you start, the more time you give yourself to research schools, build relationships with coaches, and gain a better understanding of what you want out of your future college experience. This head start will ease stress when it comes to taking the ACT, visiting schools, applying, getting accepted and receiving your offer letter. 

Want more info about your specific sports recruiting timeline? Check out the NCAA Division I and II Recruiting Calendars and Guides.

College and pro teams use Recruit to find and evaluate talented student athletes like you. Recruiters can always find your pub­lic pro­file (and see your highlights and athletic stats), but when you opt­ in to recruit­ing, they’ll have access to more of the con­tent that helps them eval­u­ate you as a recruitable student ath­lete. This includes con­tact and academic infor­ma­tion, plus full game videos. You can also choose to upload certain documents like your transcripts, clearinghouse numbers or core course information.

Video is key. Make sure your games are being filmed and uploaded to Hudl so that you can start creating playlists and compiling highlights. Keep track of the games where you play well so it's easier to make highlights and send them to recruiters in the future.

  1. Opt­ in to recruit­ing on Hudl and update your profile.
  2. Start a Google or Word Doc to keep track of your recruiting process, for now add a list of games and the date played from Hudl that you performed at your best.
  3. Checkout the recruiting guide specific to your sport. (ex. NCAA recruiting guide)

This recruiting journey can be time consuming at moments, but you don't have to go it alone.  Lean on your coaches, family, counselors, teachers and other trusted adults in your life.