The NCAA has lifted recruiting restrictions starting June 1st, 2021.
It's been almost 15 months since college coaches have been able to interact with prospective student-athletes face to face. That all changes this month, as the NCAA has lifted the dead period and will now allow in person interaction between college coaches and recruits from the 2022, 2023, and even 2024 classes.
What does this mean for you and how to prepare?
After over a year of virtual recruiting, many colleges are rushing to get their top prospects on campus to evaluate in individual workout or camp settings. The return of camps, unofficial and official visits, and other recruiting events can be overwhelming. Here's a quick rundown on what's actually changing and what recruiting items you need to know as an athlete or parent going into the summer.
Camps!
The return of camps this summer will finally allow college coaches to see prospects work out in front of them. After a year of virtual and online recruiting, camps have never been more important in the evaluation process! Most colleges will host camps in the month of June in the form of one-day camps, specialized camps, and lineman camps. If attending camps are important to you, it's best you come prepared and understand what type of drills will be performed. The 40 yard dash, pro agility, vertical and broad jump, position specific drills, and 1 on 1s are the most common drills for these type of camps.
"Mega Camps" are larger camps that draw several colleges from all different level to one specific location to evaluate recruits.
Use The College Search Tool to locate schools in your area and gain direct access to camp registration pages and dates
Official Visits
An official visit is any visit to a college campus by a prospective student athlete or parent that is paid for by the college. Like the term states, official visits are extremely "official". College coaches only invite prospects that they are super interested in recruiting on these type of visits, with the goal of possibly extending a scholarship offer at the end of the visit. If you are lucky enough to be invited on an official visit, it's crucial to be on your best behavior and take the time yourself to evaluate the coaching staff, the school, and ask important questions. A recruit can take a max of 5 official visits, and only 1 per school.
Unofficial Visits
Unofficial visits occur any time a visit to a college campus is paid for by the student athlete or parents. These are very common during the summer and most likely will surround a camp date. If you are interested in attending a summer camp at a college, it's important to also ask the coaching staff if you can also undergo an unofficial visit. This will give you the chance to view the campus and athletic facilities, visit with coaches, and get a full experience on your visit. There are no limits on the amount of unofficial visits a recruit can take.
Use The College Search Tool to gain access to contact information for coaches at every college program in the nation!
Individual Workouts on Campus
This is very important, as this has been a new NCAA addition resulting from the pandemic limiting evaluation periods. Individual workouts can now be conducted by a coaching staff member at a college campus to evaluate a recruit outside of a camp setting, however here are a few rules:
Time of the workout can not exceed an hour
Has to be conducted by a full time coach on staff
Can not be conducted on an official visit
No pads or protective equipment involved
Prospects can be filmed doing combine and drill type work
It is also only limited to prospects in the class of 2022, JUCO prospects and players in the NCAA transfer portal
How to Navigate this Crucial Time
If you're serious about recruiting and playing at the next level, then the month of June will be crucial in maximizing exposure and getting in front of college coaches. Here are some things you can do:
Use The College Search Tool to locate schools in your area and gain direct access to camp registration pages and dates
Use The College Search Tool to gain access to contact information for coaches at every college program in the nation!
Schedule a FREE call with us, The Athletic Academy, so we can help you navigate this crucial time and help you formulate a plan.
Final words of advice: Do NOT let this month go to waste. You must take action now!
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