College football programs – what are they looking for?
Every couple of years, I like to talk to the college coaches who are vital to the prepredzone.com showcase events. They are vital to the success of the showcases, but more importantly, they are vital to all the athletes at…
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Continue ReadingEvery couple of years, I like to talk to the college coaches who are vital to the prepredzone.com showcase events. They are vital to the success of the showcases, but more importantly, they are vital to all the athletes at the showcase who are looking for a college football home. What are they looking for at these types of events? What are they looking for in a football player; more importantly, what are they looking for in the athletes off the field that will make them a good fit for their specific school and any program?
Prepredzone.com: What are you looking for in athletes at events like this?
Pete Rohr Hamline University Wide Receivers’ coach
“We are looking to meet some new student-athletes – see what they are like as people, see how they compete. That is the biggest thing – in the competition drills, in the testing, in the individual drills – how do they compete.”
Scott Van Epps, Carleton College Offensive line coach
“We are looking at how well they move – especially in the L drill or the pro shuttle. We want to see what kind of athletes they are. We care more about that than an unpadded one-on-one situation. We will get their numbers but being able to see how they move is very important.”
Reed Johnson Concordia-St. Paul Tight Ends’ coach
“We are looking at the work ethic of the kid. You can get printouts of kids’ numbers – in terms of broad jump and speed and those types of things. Kids are sending those out constantly. Being able to see them in person is how much are they finishing drills. How much effort are they giving on each drill? How much do you differentiate yourself? We want to see if they pass the eye test – whether it is a guy you are already recruiting or someone who catches your eye.”
Lucas Kleinschrodt, St. Olaf defensive coordinator
“We are looking for guys who are here to have fun and to compete. The guys that do well in the coachable drills and are eager to learn and are taking what you are coaching them to do and applying it on the field.”
Nate Gehlen, Minnesota-Morris defensive line coach
“We are looking for kids with good size who can move well and are flying around making plays.”
Sam Lundberg Gustavus Tight Ends coach
“We want to see who is flexible – who can bend. Obviously, this is non-padded, so we are not trying to see who the toughest guy is. It is more about position, movement, and flexibility. Who has the potential to develop into a big-time player? Are you the first one up in the lines? When you screw up a rep – we want guys who say, ‘give me another one.'”
Prepredzone.com: Off the field, what do you look for in a potential athlete?
Rohr
“The top two things for me are looking for a good person and a good student. You are in a good spot if you can cross those two things off.”
Johnson
“A lot of kids overlook their academics. So many talented kids miss out on opportunities because they don’t put their academics first. Whether they can’t get in because they are NCAA ineligible or if we see a kid who is not trying – we will hear that from teachers or coaches – that is a big risk factor – when you are talking about missing on a recruiting class or missing on a position. That can be devastating for the program. It is going to happen, but if it is because we don’t do our due diligence off the field, we have to vet for that ahead of time.”
Van Epps
“Make sure you have high character and show that at all times. Show that you are a good member of your community and you are keeping your nose clean and just being a good person.”
Gehlen
“Start with a good GPA and strong recommendations from the coaches. You help out and are just a good kid.”
Lundberg
“Obviously, grades are huge. Also, figure out if you really love football. What are you going to do to make yourself and your team better at the end of the day?”
Prepredzone.com: Outside of exposure, what should an athlete look to get out of an event like this?
Rohr
“Listen to the coaching and try to pull one or two things that you can use moving forward to help with your skill set, have fun, and whatever you are doing, do it with 100 percent effort and compete to try to win every rep.”
Gehlen
“Learn from the coaches that are here. Go as hard as you can and learn from the experience.”
Lundberg
“Key in on the fundamentals. You can never do enough – keep hammering your technique.”
Final thoughts
Kleinschrodt
“Do a little research on the schools you are looking at. Does it have your major, how is the location, and is it the right type of school? Then visit those schools. There are a lot of schools out there – you will find the one that feels right for you – but you won’t if you don’t visit those schools and talk to those coaches.”