I have a son who is going to he a senior. He has a high GPA and is looking for a college where he can combine academics and football. My question is this: he is 6’1/6’2”, 200 lbs. He has always played wide receiver. That being said, the school he goes to hardly ever throws the ball. They have not had a good quarterback and they will not have one this year. They do have good running backs, and do alot of direct snaps to the running back and run 90% of the time. The coaches have asked my son to play center and linebacker for this coming year, and he is going to play those positions. He is planning on going to multiple football clinics this summer, so my question is, what position does he put down on the recruiting questionairre and what position does he work out with at the camps? Last sunmer he worked out as a receiver, however he doesnt have much receiver film (except for blocking) as his school primarily runs the ball. Any input would be greatly appreciated.
I would say to put him down as either WR or as “Athlete”. I think college coaches look at measureables first and foremost a lot of times, and his size isnt going to be big enough for the offensive line and most likely not at linebacker either.
Honestly, I would think he would be best off listing a defensive position. It is a lot easier for a coach to watch film of a linebacker and mentally “see” how the kid would play at safety or monster back than it will be to watch an offensive lineman and see a WR. If he is more of a offensive player, I might try and list him as a TE.
But more realistically, what type of outcome are you and he shooting for?
His academics are first, but he would like to also play football. He has a high GPA and SAT and has taken AP courses. Some of the camps he is planning on attending require helmets and shoulder pads. Where would be the best place to get these? I dont really want to spend 300$ on a football helmet.
Can’t he borrow the helmet and pads from his HS?
Do not allow your son to go to a camp without his own helmet, properly fitted with a mouth guard. His high school coach should issue helmets during the summer conditioning season, and if not get it from him before attending camps. Same goes for shoulder pads, if your state allows participation in camps that require them. Again, your son’s coach will know. Most camps are helmets only or helmets and shells (shoulder pads). Every shells camp my son attended made provision for kids from states that do not permit shells.
My question about outcome was directed more towards athletic outcome, meaning what type of schools is your son shooting for? If he is thinking Ivy/Patriot level, then I would suggest not bothering to register as an offensive player at all, since I think the hill to climb to get an offer at that level as a skill position player after playing center in high school is very, very steep. So if that is what he and you are thinking, I would try and focus on defense and hope to get someone intrigued that maybe he is quick enough to move back from a true linebacker to a will/star or maybe monster/strong safety. If he is pointing more towards the NESCAC/high academic D3 world, he might get some looks as a potential tight end if he can really flash some hands and if show decent speed/route running ability at the camps. In that context, showing he can block and move in space (like he will have to do at center) might help him if the coaches liked his hands at the camps. Does any of that make sense to you?
Thank you so much for your advice, as this is new territory for me. He is thinking Ivy/ patriot/ nescac/ D 3 that is high on academics /something along those lines. He has trained the past 2 summers with a local guy working on footwork/routes and he has good hands (i think, of course im his mom and probably biased) his team doesnt throw the ball, they run 90% of the time. They have some excellent running backs that dominate. He has always played receiver, but his primary role has been blocking for the running backs. So a couple months ago they asked if he would play center and linebacker. He had been lifting and put on about 15 pounds.
His coach said its against the schools policy to loan out equipment, So now im scrambling to buy a helmet.
So no one from your high school attends football camps? Aren’t they doing summer conditioning now? I have never heard of a coach not giving a kid his helmet early to attend camps. Frankly that sounds very strange to me. Hasn’t this come up before with other parents? What did your son do last year?
As I said in my earlier post, the Ivy/Patriot route may be a bridge too far, especially on offense. He is going to be short and thin for tight end at that level, even assuming he has the speed/quickness to compete in those conferences. While he can be shorter and play linebacker in the Ivy/Patriot, most of those guys will be thicker. Again, speed and quickness will be the real determining factors there. And no offense, but I think the fact that your son’s high school is moving him to C rather than RB is going to be viewed as an indicator that he is not terribly fast or quick. The real bottom line is that it is hard to get a D1 coach to seriously look at a position switch for a kid who doesn’t jump off the tape in some way. So unless your son is going to run a sub 4.7 ish forty or a sub 5 ish shuttle, I personally would not focus too much on the Ivy or the Patriot. At the D3 level he may have more options, and it might make more sense to focus your attention in that direction. Hope some of this helps.
That definately helps. I know the running backs at his school are getting recruited by D1 schools. I will have to find out what his times are. His hands are good and he worked out at receiver last year at the camps. He says he wants to go as a linebacker, I dont think he is big enough.
He is probably not big enough to play in the middle as a linebacker in most of D1, you are right about that. But 6’1", 215 ish (you mentioned he put on 15 pounds) is probably in the recruitable band for a weak side/STAR type linebacker in most of D1 outside of the P5. Especially if he has the frame to get another ten fifteen pounds of good weight. Again, it is going to depend a lot on things like fluidity in his hips, “burst” and how good his feet are at that position.
If the running backs are getting recruited by D1 schools, I would check with their parents and see what they are doing about helmets for camps. It is really strange that the coach either hasn’t already issued helmets or won’t let his kids take them to camps.
I think trying to get recruited as a linebacker makes sense, based on his size and current role. I might suggest going to a couple of Ivy camps to take a crack at those schools plus use as a showcase of sorts with NESCACs and other high academic D3s. If D3s show interest in lieu of Ivies, then I might recommend going to the D3 camps too as they will likely give him more attention . This of course depends upon your location - much easier if you are in the Northeast.
Thanks everyone. I know he would really like to go to an Ivy and he has the grades and the scores, but he also would like to continue playing football. I see him as a tight end or a posession type reciever, he is very focused and does well with catching the ball. I thought if he is playing center, that will help with his blocking.
Best to you and your son. Take the camps as they come, and enjoy the process.
Thank you