The Perfect D-I Level Player
While sizing up potential recruits for their football programs is not a perfect science, Division I coaches do look for certain optimal stats in their future recruits.
Bear in mind that these are ideal stats for Division I players. There are many exceptions, of course, but the following stats for the various positions courtesy of AthleticScholarships.org will give you some idea of where you stand now and what you should shoot for as your recruiting process moves forward.
Some players will have better stats in some areas and some will have worse, but you can use them as a measuring stick to guide you if you are shooting for a spot on one of the D-I rosters. Do not use these stats to discourage you, but rather to inspire you.
Quarter Back
- Height – 6’3″
- Weight – 200
- 40 Yard Dash – 4.6
- Bench – 260
- Squat – 425
Wide Receiver
- Height – 6’2″
- Weight – 185
- 40 Yard Dash – 4.5
- Bench – 235
- Squat – 315
Running Back
- Height – 6’0″
- Weight – 210
- 40 Yard Dash – 4.5
- Bench – 315
- Squat – 415
Tight End
- Height – 6.4
- Weight – 240
- 40 Yard Dash 4.7
- Bench – 300
- Squat – 400
Offensive Line
- Height – 6’4″
- Weight – 280
- 40 Yard Dash – 5.1
- Bench 320
- Squat 450
Linebacker
- Height – 6’1″
- Weight – 220
- 40 Yard Dash – 4.6
- Bench 315
- Squat – 445
Defensive Line
- Height – 6’4″
- Weight – 250
- 40 Yard Dash – 4.8
- Bench – 315
- Squat – 450
Defensive Back
- Height – 6’0″
- Weight – 185
- 40 Yard Dash – 4.5
- Bench – 260
- Squat – 385
Defensive Back (Safety)
- Height 6’2″
- Weight – 200
- 40 Yard Dash – 4.6
- Bench – 270
- Squat – 405
Preferred Grades for Division I College Football Recruit
- 3.0 GPA
- ACT score of 24 or higher
- SAT score of 1000 or higher
Remember these are guidelines that coaches use to identify very high level recruits. If you fall short in one or two areas, you still may receive recruiting interest from D-I coaches.
Junior Days For Sophomores
Yes, if you are a standout sophomore player, I mean a really elite one, there is a good possibility that you may be brought on campus for a Junior day where you will be courted for a possible future position on the team.
Junior Days allow you to see the campus and get a real feel for the school and the athletic program. You’ll hear from the head coach, view a highlight video of the school, and tour the facilities.
If you do get one of these Junior Days invites, attend if at all possible and consider yourself an elite sophomore.
Things To Do This Month:
Continue working on physical fitness and conditioning, use the stats above as your goal.
National Underclassmen combines run from February through July and are a good way for rising freshmen, sophomores and juniors to start getting their names out there for college football programs. Visit National Underclassmen Combines for a schedule of the 2012 tour.
Continue emailing recruiting coordinators and coaches with your recruiting packet if you have already accumulated some impressive varsity stats.
From the stats above, you can see that it is extremely important to keep your grades up. If you have slacked on them so far in high school, you still have time to bring them up.
Try to visit at least three colleges on your wish list during this year. Family vacations to distant locations are a great way to work in some of these visits.
Go to College Now – To Visit
It is never too early to begin visiting colleges. Take every opportunity to find out more about and actually visit schools in your area and schools you may be interested in applying to in the future.
Take advantage of any opportunity to attend college fairs and speak to the college representatives that visit your high school.
If you can’t visit all your favorites, check youniversitytv.com for over 3000 virtual college tours. Another such site is campustours.com.
Following is a list of tips for getting the most out of your college campus visits:
- Ask yourself: Do you want to live here for the next four years?
- Eat in the college cafeteria. Notice the atmosphere and evaluate the food.
- Listen in on conversations to see what students are talking about. It may be a bit rude but you will find out a great deal.
- Ask a few students to tell you what they like or don’t like about the school.
- Talk to faculty in your major department. Remember these people may be your teachers in the future. Ask questions.
Ask Current College Students
What if you asked students who are now in college to go back to their high school and share the insights they have now about college? What would they do the same and what would they do differently?
There are three definite areas they might point out to current high school athletes:
Do Your Research
Make sure you find the college that is the right fit. Make sure the school has the major you want and the courses you need for the future.
Step Out of Your Comfort Zone
College is a time to explore and be yourself. In college everyone is new and you need to put yourself out there to make new friends.
School Is More Than Just a Name
What college students say about their school is more important that some national ranking system in a magazine. Most college students are happy with their choices and wish they hadn’t panicked in high school.
Seven Characteristics of Peak Performance In Football
1. You feel relaxed. To play your best, you should not be “phyched up”. Rather, research shows that the best state of arousal is just above normal. That is you should be relaxed but have a good feeling of energy.
2. You are confident. You’re not hoping or wishing but you’re expecting to succeed. You play without fear and you trust your training, intuition and instincts.
3. You are totally focused on the present moment with no awareness of time.
4. Everything feels easy and effortless to you. Your movements flow, the body and mind operate in unison. The game feels like it takes little to no effort.
5. Your movements are seemingly automatic. There is no interference from your emotions and thoughts.
6. You feel in perfect control. There is no doubt that what you think will happen actually does happen.
7. You’re aware that you’re having fun. Peak performance happens when you’re engaged, excited and interested; it is not obtained when you are bored.
New Legislation Just Approved For Division II
Advanced communication technology like e-mails and texting have forced member schools to drastically relax recruiting restrictions in several areas.
- D-II Athletic programs will be allowed to visit potential recruits on an unlimited basis beginning June 15 before the student athlete’s junior year in high school.
- D-II Programs can now contact student athletes via fax, e-mail, phone, instant message and text starting June 15 before the students junior year.
- Additionally, D-II programs can use social media like Facebook and Twitter to contact recruits as long as it is private. For example, coaches and recruiters could send a message on Facebook, but would not be allowed to write on his wall.
Twitter And Facebook Beware
Now that college monitor Twitter and Facebook as a routine part of the evaluation process, potential athletic recruits have to be EXTREMELY CAREFUL about the content of Tweets, Facebook and other social media.
Recently, the Michigan Wolverines stopped recruiting, Yuri Wright a nationally ranked hot cornerback prospect, as a result of a series of sexual and racially derogatory Tweets. His fate also hangs in the balance with Rutgers.
This young athlete has possibly ruined his chances to play college football. The fact is, although most college athletic scholarship hopefuls have been warned about the possible negative consequences of using social media, now we have concrete proof of how damaging their use can be.
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