In 2024, most of recruiting occurs in a fantasy land that is overly optimistic about a given player’s prospects.
When the recruiting process starts everyone - coaches, players and parents - is overly positive, but that is because for most parents and players, this really is their first (and usually only) rodeo.
They don’t have a frame of reference to make exact sense of what a coach is saying to them. There is no exact Google Translate for what I call “coach talk”
Coach Talk is when coaches say a lot of seemingly positive things about you and your prospects with their team, but, when pressed or critically reflected on doesn’t amount to any substantial, actionable feedback nor any needle being moved in getting you closer to an offer.
“We really like your stuff, we think you might be a guy for us. Let’s stay in touch.”
“Thought the ball was crushed today, you’re definitely on our board. Let’s talk in the Fall.”
“We’ve got to figure out a few more things on our end, but really you’ve got a great shot with us!”
In these examples, on the surface, they sound great. And, like a HS kid desperate to believe that just because the Prom Queen said hello to you in gym class means they have a chance with her, stressed out parents and players who just want this thing over with, will round up severely or mistake Coach Talk for real progress towards an offer.
The college recruiting industrial complex incentivizes ambiguity from both players and coaches. Everyone wants maximum options for as long as possible. Coaches talk to multiple recruits. Players talk to multiple coaches.
But, in general, I think it is ultimately better in the long run to temper expectations by rounding down at times on what might be possible. Not every comment or “liked” tweet means a coach is going to offer you.
Most of the time, it is just them doing their due diligence in constant continuous harvesting of potential recruits on Twitter.
A rational recruit doesn’t mean you are a pessimist. It’s totally fine being an optimist with your head in the clouds from time to time, as long as your feet are firmly planted on the ground as well.
With the portal, everything that is non-Power 4 (B1G, SEC, ACC, B12) football is now a pseudo Minor League Power 4 farm system.
Players that would have been no-brainer walk ons at the FBS level even 3-4 years ago are now lucky if they end up with walk on spots at the FCS level or even a little money. There is a great “down shift” of the division levels that high school specialists end up at as the top FBS programs gobble up talent through the portal.
A common refrain this 2025 recruiting cycle for those bubble FBS / FCS specialist has been “go somewhere, play a year or two with great tape, then hit us up when you’re in the portal” The key phrase there being when you hit the portal not if you hit the portal.
I am a big, big fan of being optimistic. A lot of coaching young people is the ability to be their champion - to see the spark in them that might lead to them being a great player, professional, person and so on, and then developing it. But, having too much optimism is as dangerous as having no optimism at all.
The line between optimism and delusion is very hazy.
Summing It All Up
There is nothing wrong with shooting for the Moon as long as you have your feet planted on planet Earth in the process.
The portal has created a great “downshift” of talent as the top Power 4 programs gobble up portal talent, playing at lower division levels and proving oneself as a specialist is becoming more the norm.
Parents and coaches are, sometimes, to a fault, overly optimistic about what coaching interactions mean. Have multiple options beyond FBS brand names on your college lists.
Sharpen your radar for Coach Talk. Coach Talk is when you receive superficially pleasant feedback on your prospects with a program but upon closer examination yields no substantial progress towards an offer.
The recruiting industrial complex incentivizes ambiguity. Coaches are always developing options as are players. Odds are, you are never the only player being talked to.
That’s all for now,
Coach Cahill
P.S. When you’re ready, schedule a free consultation call and see if working together might be a fit. I am taking on only a handful of clients for Fall 2024.