The Honest Truth About Being ‘Undersized’ in Football Recruiting

Inside the unspoken rules, hidden biases, and real conversations coaches have when evaluating smaller athletes.

Callen Morrison and JaShon McIntyre exploding off the ball. / Obed Jae Policarpio: @ojvisualz_

I’ve coached at the Power Five level. I’ve evaluated players for NFL teams. I’ve sat in draft rooms, recruiting meetings, war rooms, and film sessions where careers — including my own — were on the line. And the one topic that comes up more than people realize is this: “Can he survive at our level?”

From a Former D1 Coach and NFL Scout: What I Learned the Hard Way

That question almost always starts with measurables — height, weight, length, and speed. Before the film, before the grades, before the personality test, the body type is the first filter. Not because coaches don’t believe in development, but because at every level of college football, your job depends on reducing risk.

I’ve seen elite competitors get passed over because they didn’t hit a number on the scale. I’ve seen bigger, less talented players get opportunity after opportunity because they looked like the prototype. And I’ve seen undersized recruits fight their way onto rosters only to outperform everyone once they got there. This article isn’t about excuses — it’s about reality. The smaller you are, the more special you must be. I’ve lived this from the inside.

The Prototype Problem: How College Football Measures Talent

Every position in football comes with a prototype attached to it. Quarterbacks have an expected height range. Corners are graded on length. Linebackers must hit certain speed thresholds. Offensive linemen need anchor weight just to survive the physical demands of the position. Whether people like it or not, measurables create the foundation of a college evaluation. Coaches use them because the system forces them to. When your job security is tied to predicting who can thrive at your level, it becomes easier to rely on data points that appear safe.

The prototype isn’t always accurate, but it is always influential. A coach may love your film, but if your body type falls outside the standard for his conference, he knows he must defend that evaluation to his head coach, his recruiting department, and sometimes the athletic director. For that reason, measurables become the first gate you must pass through.

When You’re Smaller, You Must Be Better

When a player does not fit the prototype, the evaluation automatically becomes stricter. A smaller athlete is rarely given the benefit of the doubt because coaches understand how thin the margin for error becomes. A big athlete can be raw, inconsistent, or mechanical, and still receive interest because of what he might become. A smaller athlete must display special qualities immediately — explosiveness, technique, instincts, or production — in order to overcome concerns about size.

Undersized players absolutely get recruited, but they are graded differently. They must show on film that they can erase the gap between their frame and the prototype. They must prove that their advantages outweigh their limitations. And they must do it consistently, because one question mark about size can overshadow five positive traits.

Elijah Golden is interviewed by a local televation station. Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School held a ceremony for six football players on national signing day, Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025. / Mike Lang / Sarasota Herald-Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Why Coaches Say: “If You’re Going to Miss, Miss Big”

There is a saying in college football that sounds harsh but is rooted in the pressure coaches live under: “If you’re going to miss on a recruit, miss big.” That means this — if a coach signs a 6-foot-4, 220-pound receiver who never develops, people will chalk it up to unrealized potential. But if he signs a 5-foot-9, 165-pound receiver who doesn’t pan out, every person in the building will question why he took that gamble. Bigger players provide what coaches refer to as “projectable traits.” Smaller players must already be what bigger players could possibly become down the line.

Because of that, the risk associated with an undersized prospect is viewed as higher. And when coaches feel pressure from fan bases, administrators, boosters, or winning expectations, they gravitate toward decisions that protect them. That is why the prototype still dominates recruiting — it’s a safety net in a profession where very few exist.

Size Dictates Interest Long Before the Film Does

Recruiting is structured in tiers: Power Five, Group of Five, FCS, Division II, Division III and NAIA. What many families do not realize is that size often determines which tiers start paying attention before a coach ever watches a highlight tape. A 6-foot-3 corner will always draw early eyes. A 5-foot-10 offensive tackle may never receive an FBS evaluation regardless of how dominant he is on film. A 6-foot-5 quarterback with average tape will still be intriguing based on upside. Meanwhile, a 5-foot-11 linebacker must be violent, instinctive, and explosive in order to earn the same level of consideration.

Size does not determine talent, but it absolutely influences access. That is the honest truth people rarely say out loud.

The Bigger You Are, the More Chances You Get

Another reality that families must understand is how positional flexibility impacts opportunity. Bigger athletes have the ability to slide into multiple positions. A tall wide receiver can move to tight end. A long safety can evolve into a linebacker. A big corner can transition to safety. A tall quarterback might eventually play H-back or tight end. Size gives coaches options, and options help justify taking a chance on a player.

Undersized athletes do not have that same luxury. A smaller linebacker, offensive lineman, or quarterback typically gets one pathway. If that pathway closes, opportunities narrow quickly. A bigger player can survive change. A smaller player usually must thrive immediately.

The Blueprint for Undersized Recruits

Success for an undersized athlete comes from dominating the areas within their control. You cannot grow six inches, but you can master technique, sharpen instincts, increase functional strength, raise your football IQ, and put undeniable production on film. Coaches will take chances on exceptions — but only when those exceptions are so talented, so polished, and so impactful that it forces a reevaluation of the prototype.

Many undersized athletes find success by embracing the challenge rather than resenting it. They attack the game with an edge, a motor, and a precision that players with prototypical size sometimes lack. They prove themselves so convincingly that coaches cannot ignore them.

Undersized Isn’t a Weakness — It’s a Different Road

From my experience in both college and the NFL, I’ve seen undersized athletes become the most productive players in the room. They become the toughest competitors, the smartest playmakers, and the most reliable teammates. But they had to travel a harder road to get there because the evaluation standard was different.

Being undersized is not a disadvantage — it is simply a different challenge. It requires more intentional development, more attention to detail, and more consistency. But when an undersized athlete breaks through, the success is earned, not given. And that makes the journey — and the destination — even more meaningful.