Josh Allen Says He Had Zero Scholarship Offers Out of High School, Sent 1,000 Emails to Coaches

Long before becoming an NFL MVP and one of football's biggest stars, Josh Allen was a quarterback from a small California town trying to convince a college — any college — to give him an opportunity.

He couldn't find one.

Allen recently reflected on his journey from Firebaugh High School in California's Central Valley to NFL stardom, recalling that he finished his high school career without a scholarship offer and later sent roughly 1,000 emails to college coaches while trying to get noticed.

In a recent appearance on Bussin' With The Boys, Allen reflected on his recruitment and revealed that he finished his high school career without a scholarship offer.

“I played in a small town called Firebaugh, California,” Allen said. “I had zero offers out of high school. I had no preferred walk-ons. A couple Division III schools were trying to give me academic scholarships so I could go play there, but I didn't want to make my parents pay for me to go somewhere.”

Josh Allen reveals he had zero scholarship offers coming out of high school so he sent 1,000 emails with his highlights attached to every coach in the country, only two responded

“The email said something like, Hey, I’m Josh Allen. I’m 6’5”, 220 pounds. I feel like I’d be a… pic.twitter.com/ZuW7qpvU84
— Josh Chambers (@JoshChambers) September 16, 2026

With his options limited, Allen enrolled at Reedley College, a junior college less than 40 miles from his hometown.

He still needed college coaches to notice him.

Allen eventually began sending emails to programs across the country, introducing himself, providing his measurements and statistics and attaching his Hudl highlights.

“The email said something like, ‘Hey, I'm Josh Allen. I'm 6-foot-5, 220 pounds. I feel like I'd be a great fit for your program. Here's my Hudl. These are my stats,’” Allen said. “I literally just went copy, paste, copy, paste and sent it to every single coach I could find an email for.”

Allen said he sent around 1,000 emails.

Only two coaches responded.

A Recruiting Landscape That Looks Much Different Today

Allen graduated from Firebaugh in 2014, before social media became as deeply embedded in college football recruiting as it is today. Athletes now routinely use highlight videos and social platforms to put their film directly in front of coaches, while camps, showcases and 7-on-7 events provide additional opportunities for exposure.

Still, Allen's experience illustrates something that hasn't changed: Recruiting evaluations aren't perfect. Geography, exposure, competition level and an athlete's physical development can all influence which opportunities are available coming out of high school.

Josh Allen Wants High School Athletes Playing Multiple Sports

Allen's comments weren't limited to recruiting. He also discussed another major issue in youth and high school athletics: specialization.

While many quarterbacks spend their offseason attending camps, working with private coaches and traveling to showcases, Allen took a different path at Firebaugh.

He played football, basketball and baseball.

“I was a three-sport guy, so I didn't spend my summers going around to every quarterback camp,” Allen said. “I got the chance to play different sports, feel different emotions, meet different types of people and learn how to deal with all of it.”

Josh Allen HS baseball stats — Josh Allen played three varsity seasons of baseball at Firebaugh High School in addition to playing football and basketball. | MaxPreps

Allen believes there is still value in young athletes taking that approach.

“I think that's something a lot of kids need to continue doing, play more sports,” Allen said. “Every sport teaches you something that you can ultimately use later in life.”

Allen's own path eventually took him where those unanswered emails couldn't.

After one season at Reedley, he landed at Wyoming and developed into one of the nation's top quarterback prospects. The Buffalo Bills selected him with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.

He eventually became an NFL MVP.

After one season at Reedley, he landed at Wyoming and eventually developed into one of the country's top quarterback prospects. The Buffalo Bills selected him with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.

Josh Allen at the NFL Draft — Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen arrives at the 2018 NFL Draft at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The Buffalo Bills selected Allen with the No. 7 overall pick. | USA TODAY Sports

Years later, his hometown honored the place where that unlikely journey began.

Firebaugh High School renamed its football field Josh Allen Field in 2025, honoring a player who had once left the school without a Division I scholarship offer.

Allen's path isn't a blueprint that every overlooked high school athlete can follow. Sending 1,000 emails doesn't guarantee a scholarship, and playing multiple sports doesn't guarantee an NFL career.

But Allen's story is a reminder of just how difficult projecting teenage athletes can be. The quarterback who couldn't land a Division I scholarship out of Firebaugh eventually became the No. 7 pick in the NFL Draft and an NFL MVP.

And more than a decade after leaving high school, Allen still believes some of the experiences that helped him most came from playing sports other than football.

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