COVID -19 Changing The Game For College Coaches And Recruiting
While the whole world finds its way through the uncertainty and emotions accompanying this pandemic, things are forever changed by the adaptations made it necessary to attempt to slow its spread,
One of these things is the recruitment of high school student-athletes by college coaches.
For years college football coaches have traveled the country and sometimes outside to find and recruit the best athletes for their respective programs. Those travels included visiting high schools, talking with teachers, coaches, and administrators about potential recruits and visiting those players and their families in their own homes.
These things were done to get to know the character of the potential player and his family and about his life. Recruits also visit campuses to see facilities, both athletic and academic, to find the best fit for them personally.
Those things are not possible now because of the standstill caused by the virus, but that hasn't stopped schools and coaches in this day of technology.
Recruiting is now going high tech and online.
Texas A&M and head football coach Jimbo Fisher recruit in the hotbed of high school football in Texas and play in arguably the toughest division in all of college football, the SEC West where defending national champs LSU and Alabama along with national power Auburn spend most every day recruiting the same batch of talented athletes.
The game has also changed for high school coaches who work diligently to ensure their players are provided with game film and contacts to college coaches because not every high school player is a five-star recruit known nationally by every school.
Often college coaches find diamonds in the rough in players few others recruit or that are recruited only by smaller division teams.
Gallatin High School head football coach Chad Watson is one of those coaches who takes great pride in seeing his players move on to the next level.
Coach Watson addressing his team following a 2019 win.
Gallatin High School head football coach Chad Watson: Photo Courtesy, Coach Watson.
Following their 2019 season in which his Green Wave finished 9-2, losing in the first round of the Tennessee high school playoffs, Watson and his staff saw ten players earn offers at the collegiate level, including 5-A Mr. Football finalist Spencer Briggs, who visited Vanderbilt but ultimately signed with UNLV.
The Commodores have also hosted Zion Robb, a 300-pound lineman who will be a senior this coming season for Watson's squad.
What advice has Watson given his players in light of the current situation?
"I'm telling our kids to be proactive in reaching out to coaches, make sure your film is up to date, and that your absolute best film clips are at the front of your highlight film," said Watson via email. "I believe the number of college camps will be minimal, or they won't happen at all, which will make college coaches look at their senior film."
"I am telling our guys to take this as an opportunity to show out their senior season and get attention from college coaches, whereas most years they recruit more based on jr film and camps," Watson said.
The game has changed, but even in the face of these challenging times, coaches are adapting and overcoming as the battle of recruiting isn't stopping even against a pandemic.
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