The Validation Recruits Chase — and What Coaches Actually Trust

A former Power 4 college coach and NFL scout explains why prototype size sets the bar, speed opens doors, and full-game film tells the real story.

Ohio State Football coach Ryan Day describes how Ohio State football is bigger than any one coach as he answers questions about his latest recruiting class during a news conference Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025 at the Woody Hayes Athletic Facility in Columbus. / Doral Chenoweth/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

As a former college coach and NFL scout, the question I get asked more than any other is simple: “Can you evaluate me, and what level do you think I can play at?” Power Four. Group of Five. FCS. Division II. Division III. NAIA. I understand why players and parents ask it. Everyone wants clarity. But from a coaching standpoint, that question usually comes too early and skips over how real evaluations are actually made.

Prototype Standards Set the Initial Bar

The first thing coaches notice is the prototype. Height, weight, and speed immediately frame the evaluation. Whether people want to admit it or not, prototype standards help set the initial bar for what level a player is likely to be evaluated at. A player who fits the positional prototype naturally draws higher level attention because the physical baseline already exists. That does not guarantee success, but it absolutely shapes projection.

Speed Trumps Everything

If there is one trait that can override height and weight, it is speed. Speed is the great equalizer in football. Coaches can develop strength, refine technique, and improve football IQ. They cannot teach real speed. Players who consistently run well will find doors opening beyond their measurables because speed expands margin for error, increases versatility, and raises a player’s ceiling at every level of football.

Traits Still Drive the Evaluation

After measurables and speed, coaches move to football traits. How a player moves in space. Whether his play speed matches his timed speed. How he changes direction, finishes plays, and competes snap after snap. Coaches do not start by assigning levels. They identify traits and then project how those traits translate within their system and against better competition.

Projection Is the Real Evaluation

As coaches and scouts, we are always projecting forward. We are not just evaluating who a player is today. We are projecting who he can become physically, mentally, and competitively. That includes growth potential, work habits, and coachability. This is why evaluations change over time and why early labels rarely hold. Development matters.

Highlight Tapes vs. Full Games

From a coach’s perspective, highlight tapes are difficult to truly evaluate. They show a player at his best, not who he is snap after snap. Highlights rarely capture effort away from the ball, missed assignments, body language, or how a player responds after a bad rep. Almost every highlight tape looks good, which is why coaches treat them as introductions, not evaluations.

Real evaluations are made off full game film. Full games reveal alignment, communication, toughness, effort, and consistency. They show how a player competes when tired, responds to adversity, and whether he can be trusted. From a coaching lens, full game film tells the truth, and the truth always shows up.

Final Thought From a Coach

From a coach’s perspective, levels are not earned by asking. They are earned by showing. Prototype size may set the bar, speed may open the door, but consistency, effort, and development determine how far a player goes. If you focus on improving your speed, sharpening your traits, and putting full game film out that reflects who you really are, the right level will reveal itself. That is how coaches evaluate, and how they always have.