RecruitTruth · Football Recruiting
Your size, speed, and film determine your level. Know where you stand.
Get My Free RT Score →Football recruiting is driven more by measurables and film than almost any other sport. A coach looks at your body type, your 40 time, and your film in that order. The RT Score evaluates the same data points coaches filter by when building their rosters — position by position, level by level.
Evaluation Criteria
Your RT Score is built from the same criteria a college coach runs when they pull up a recruiting profile.
The 40-yard dash is the most referenced number in football recruiting for skill positions. Coaches know the difference between a 4.5 and a 4.7, and so does every scout and coordinator they talk to. For linemen, the 40 matters less than size, strength, and movement. Every position has its own measurable priorities — and the RT Score accounts for them.
Football is the most position-dependent sport in recruiting. A 6'0" lineman is not a D1 lineman. A quarterback needs height to see over the offensive line. A cornerback needs length and speed. The physical profile required at each division level varies dramatically by where you line up. Coaches evaluate size first, then speed, then film.
Passing yards, rushing yards, receiving yards, and touchdowns for offensive skill positions. Tackles, sacks, interceptions, and pass deflections for defenders. Stats matter, but always in the context of your competition level. A 3,000-yard passer against weak competition is a different profile than a 2,000-yard passer against top regional competition.
More than almost any other sport, football coaches make decisions from film. Not highlight clips — full game film where they can see your tendencies, your reaction time, your effort when you are not getting the ball, and how you handle adversity. Full game film reviewed by someone who understands your position is the most important single factor athletes can control in their recruiting profile.
The NCAA Clearinghouse is not optional. Eligibility issues close more D1 doors for football players than athletic ability ever does. Know your GPA, your test scores, and your clearinghouse status well before your recruiting window opens.
Has anyone at a given level already reached out? Camp invitations, coaches at your games, letters from programs — existing attention is one of the clearest indicators of where you realistically fit.
Film
Film matters — and coaches know when it is missing.
College coaches watch film before they make contact. Not highlights — full game film where they can see your tendencies, your effort, and how you perform when the game is real. A RecruitTruth Film Review puts your full game film in front of a sport-specific coach who has played or coached at the college level. Film is the highest-multiplier category in your RT Score for exactly this reason.
Division Placement
Your RT Score maps to a division tier based on your composite profile. Three outputs are calculated: a Safety (where you have a clear edge), a Best Fit (where you're most competitive), and a Stretch (where you could compete with score improvement).
NCAA D1 (Power Four)
Power Four conferences. The highest level of college athletics. Scholarships are full and the competition is national. Roster spots are among the most competitive in sports.
NCAA D1 (High Major)
High-Major D1 programs that compete nationally, make regular postseason appearances, and offer full scholarship potential. A legitimate D1 offer at this level is a serious one.
NCAA D1 (Mid-Major)
Mid-Major D1 conferences with real scholarship money, national exposure, and coaches who actively develop players. Often a better fit than a low-priority spot at a higher-level program.
NCAA D1 (Low Major)
Low-Major D1 programs offering legitimate scholarship opportunities. This level is undervalued by athletes who only track brand-name programs — a Low-Major D1 offer is a real offer.
NCAA D2
Strong regional programs with partial to full athletic scholarships. The most consistently overlooked level in college recruiting. Athletes who target D2 early often get more money and more playing time than athletes chasing the wrong D1 program.
NAIA
Over 250 member schools with full scholarship eligibility and a level of competition comparable to NCAA D2. Significantly underused by recruits who dismiss it without researching it.
NCAA D3
No athletic scholarships, but strong merit and need-based aid at many private institutions. The right D3 fit can produce a better financial outcome than a partial scholarship at a high-tuition D1 school.
JUCO / 2-Year
Two-year programs that preserve NCAA eligibility and provide a real development path to D1 and D2. A strategic choice, not a consolation prize.
Common Mistakes
Mistake
Not knowing your measurables
If you do not know your 40 time, your bench reps, your vertical, and your height in cleats, you are not recruiting-ready. These are the first questions coaches ask. Get tested.
Mistake
Only targeting FBS programs
FBS and FCS are both D1. Some FCS programs are more competitive than lower-level FBS programs and offer full scholarships. Dismissing FCS is one of the most expensive recruiting mistakes a football player can make.
Mistake
Poor quality film
Coaches cannot recruit what they cannot see. Bad camera angles, no full game film, or highlight-only reels give coaches a reason to move on. Get full game film in a standard format that coaches can watch easily.
Mistake
Ignoring the clearinghouse
The NCAA Clearinghouse has ended more football recruiting stories than any missed tackle. Start your core course planning in 9th grade, not 12th.
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