High School Football Scouting – High School Football
“During the high school football scouting process, you might start to notice some differences between high school and college football. One thing that I notice that is different for me from high school to college football is the speed of the game is faster. Everyone is faster, even the big guys. Your ‘O’ line, your ‘D’ line, your linebackers, your tight-end – everyone’s bigger. They’re all bigger and they’re all faster. Wide-receivers are a lot quicker. That’s one thing that I noticed in high school football scouting.

Because of that one fact that everyone’s bigger faster and stronger than they were in high school, you have to become a student of the game. What that means is that you’re going to spend just as much time watching film, learning plays, and running through plays as you do in school – because that’s how you get the edge. It’s a whole new level of play – after high school scouting – once you get to the college football level, especially if it’s a D1 level.

One way that faith and your beliefs will play into college football: You have to have a strong belief in yourself and you have to have faith that things are going to work out the way that they’re supposed to, even when the don’t. You have to be ready for the worst, but you have to hope for the best. Believe in yourself, know that you can do whatever you want to do, no matter what anybody tells you. If somebody tells you that you can’t do something that should give you more of a drive to do it and to make yourself better.” -Jayson Rego (Running back for the University of Hawaii)

“The high school football recruiting process may start sooner than you think, and today I would like to talk to you about a big question that a lot of high school athletes have, and that is, “When does the high school or college recruiting process start?” Now, a lot of people may think that it’s when you get your first letter from a coach, or you send in film, something like that. I certainly thought, back when I was in high school, that the recruiting process started my senior year – after the season was done – that’s when I made my film, sent it out, and tried to get in contact with coaches. But actually, the football recruiting process can start as soon as you want – as soon as possible.

There are a lot of coaches who are looking younger and younger for athletes to recruit – 7th and 8th grade even. And so anything you can do right now would be helpful. One big thing in the college or high school football recruiting process is calling coaches, trying to make a contact with them, talking to a coach, and trying to get them to know you. Another way to get to know coaches is going to camps and talking to them. And also, sending out film. Even if you don’t have the greatest highlight film or the greatest numbers in a combine, it’s still worth it to talk to coaches and make that contact so they know who you are and hopefully you’ll get on their recruiting list.” -Joshua Rice (former football player for the University of Hawaii)

“Football’s pretty big in the community where I grew up, and so I always focused on how to get recruited for college football. I didn’t think that I would be able to play at a division I. I guess I always saw myself – because I saw my brothers playing at a smaller college – that I would also play at a smaller college. But, fortunately for me, the University of Hawaii and some other schools came around toward the end of my senior season.

School is definitely very important to focus on. If you don’t have the academics, if you’re not taking care of school right now (at the high-school level) – as much as any coach would want to recruit you, or bring you to their college, they won’t be able to if you don’t have the grades to be eligible. So that’s always been a big priority of mine.

Something that my parents have always emphasized to me is ‘School first’. Also continue to work on your skill – whatever sport it may be – as an athlete. You can be the greatest athlete in the world, but if you don’t have the grades to get you into college then it’s going to be an unfortunate circumstance. School is a very important part of how to get recruited for college football. Definitely take care of school as you continue to develop yourself in your sport.” -Inoke Funaki (Quarterback for the University of Hawaii)