Entering your senior year of high school, take a look at the rosters of the schools that you are interested in. What will the roster look like when you are a freshman? Are they loaded at your position or are they starting jobs going to be wide open?
Take into consideration players who are redshirting, players who will most likely leave school early for the draft and players who will be graduating… Where might you fit in on the depth chart? This is exactly how coaches base their needs, what position will we be thin at? They ask themselves, “What is our biggest need?” They’ll also ask: “What position has the most depth? Are we even recruiting for that position?”
When you begin to get a chance to talk to coaches at different schools, ask them how many players in your graduating high school class—at your position—do they plan to sign? How many players at your position have already committed? In some cases, they may not plan on signing any players at your position, so you could be wasting your time, especially if it is late in your senior year.
Coaches get daily inquiries from talented recruits—but who play position that they are no longer recruiting for that signing class. If a school has four scholarship QBs who will still be on the roster by the time you get there, then it’s not likely they will sign another. If a basketball team is guard-heavy, they will be looking to add bigs in the next class. Do the math! Ask the coaches, especially if you are a senior!
Life is about timing—and if your position isn’t needed at the time, it’ll be a big waste of your effort if you’re chasing a school that has no need for your position. Keep an eye on transfers, players kicked off the team or de-commitments of recruits at your position but also be smart enough to look at other schools that have a NEED for you.
