The Recruiting Myths That Cost Athletes Real Opportunities

An Inside Look at the Misconceptions That Derail High School Recruiting Paths

Knoxville Webb's Shavar Young is one of the Knox News Elite 8 college football recruits in the Knoxville area for 2025. / Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

After spending years coaching and evaluating football at multiple levels—including stops at Virginia, Virginia Tech, Miami, and Norfolk State, along with scouting experience with the New Orleans Saints and Pittsburgh Steelers—the recruiting process looks very different from the inside.

A Perspective Built Inside the Process

Sitting in staff rooms building boards, tracking evaluations, and watching how prospects move up or fall off those boards reveals how quickly opportunities can open — or disappear — based on information, timing, and communication. That same reality plays out every year as athletes and families try to navigate recruiting without fully understanding how decisions are actually made.

Talent Alone Is Not a Recruiting Strategy

“If you’re good enough, coaches will find you” is one of the most persistent myths in recruiting. Talent absolutely matters, but it does not travel on its own. College coaches recruit what they can see, evaluate, and verify over time. Visibility, communication, and consistency are what turn ability into opportunity. I’ve watched talented players get passed over simply because their film wasn’t current, their name wasn’t followed up on, or their recruitment lacked continuity. Ability opens the door, but exposure and execution determine whether it stays open.

Ownership Is What Separates Real Recruits

High school coaches are valuable advocates, but they are not responsible for managing an athlete’s recruitment. The players who gain traction are the ones who take ownership — sending thoughtful messages, asking the right questions, and following up professionally. From a college staff’s perspective, self-starters stand out. Recruiting is not passive, and waiting for others to handle it often leads to missed opportunities. The athletes who treat recruiting like a process — not a favor — are the ones who move forward.

Starting Late Shrinks the Board

Waiting until junior or senior year to “start recruiting” puts athletes behind the curve. By then, many evaluation boards are already formed and relationships already exist. Film should be built early. Communication should begin early. Exposure should be intentional, not rushed. Recruiting rewards preparation, not last-minute panic. When families understand that recruiting is cumulative, they gain leverage. When they wait, options narrow quickly.

Scholarships Are More Complex Than the Headlines

Division I football does not automatically mean a full scholarship, despite how offers are often portrayed publicly. Many are partial, layered with academic aid, or structured across tuition, housing, and books. Families who don’t understand how scholarships actually work can misinterpret offers or overlook better long-term fits. Inside college programs, scholarship math is strategic and fluid. Clarity, not hype, is what allows families to make informed decisions.

Walking On Is Its Own Recruiting Path

The idea of “just walking on” if no offer comes is risky. Walk-on spots are limited, competitive, and often planned well in advance. They are not fallback options; they are intentional roster decisions. Athletes who treat walk-on opportunities casually often find that those doors are already closed. Like everything else in recruiting, walking-on requires communication, timing, and fit.

Knowledge Is the Real Competitive Advantage

Recruiting consistently favors the informed. Athletes and families who understand how the process actually works, rather than how it’s advertised, are better positioned to make smart decisions and avoid costly mistakes. Talent gets attention, but education sustains opportunity. After years inside the system, one thing is clear: recruiting doesn’t reward hope. It rewards preparation.