🔑 RECRUITING TIP OF THE WEEK 🏈 YOUR HIGHLIGHT FILM GETS ATTENTION, BUT YOUR FULL GAME FILM TELLS THE COMPLETE STORY! Prospects and parents, as the high school football season approaches the playoffs, now is the time to evaluate how you're presenting your ability to college coaches. One of the biggest mistakes prospects make is believing that a highlight video filled with touchdowns, interceptions and big hits tells college coaches everything they need to know. HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND: COLLEGE COACHES AREN'T JUST LOOKING FOR YOUR BEST PLAYS. THEY'RE EVALUATING WHETHER YOUR ABILITY TRANSLATES TO THEIR LEVEL OF FOOTBALL! Your highlights can create initial interest, but full game film allows coaches to evaluate your consistency, technique, effort and football IQ. 🔴 FIVE THINGS EVERY PROSPECT NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND 1️⃣ PUT YOUR BEST PLAYS FIRST. Don't make college coaches watch three minutes of average plays before seeing your best ability. Your opening clips should immediately demonstrate what makes you a college prospect. For example: 🏈 Wide Receivers: Route running, separation, hands and blocking. 🏈 Running Backs: Vision, burst, contact balance and pass protection. 🏈 Offensive Linemen: Footwork, leverage, physicality and pass protection. 🏈 Defensive Linemen: Get-off, hand usage, block destruction and pursuit. 🏈 Linebackers: Instincts, tackling, block recognition and coverage. 🏈 Defensive Backs: Coverage ability, ball skills, tackling and recovery speed. 🏈 Quarterbacks: Accuracy, decision-making, pocket presence and throwing mechanics. 2️⃣ KEEP YOUR HIGHLIGHTS ORGANIZED. A strong recruiting video should be easy to evaluate. Identify yourself before each play with a brief spotlight or arrow. Avoid excessive graphics, long introductions and unnecessary effects. YOUR FILM SHOULD SHOWCASE YOUR FOOTBALL ABILITY, NOT YOUR VIDEO EDITING SKILLS! 3️⃣ UNDERSTAND WHY FULL GAME FILM MATTERS. College coaches may request complete games because they want to evaluate what happens between the highlights. They may look for: ✅ Effort when the ball isn't coming your way. ✅ Blocking and tackling consistency. ✅ How you respond after making a mistake. ✅ Assignment discipline. ✅ Technique against quality competition. ✅ Conditioning and performance throughout the game. A FIVE-SECOND HIGHLIGHT CAN SHOW TALENT. A COMPLETE GAME CAN HELP SHOW WHETHER THAT TALENT IS CONSISTENT. 4️⃣ DON'T HIDE YOUR WEAKNESSES. WORK ON THEM. Every high school prospect has areas that need improvement. If your film reveals inconsistent tackling, poor footwork or missed assignments, use that information to become a better player. College coaches understand that young athletes are still developing. What matters is whether you demonstrate the ability and willingness to improve. 5️⃣ KEEP YOUR FILM UPDATED THROUGHOUT THE SEASON. If you're a Class of 2027 prospect, your senior film should be a major part of your recruiting outreach. Don't continue sending sophomore or junior highlights if your current film better represents your development. For 2028 and 2029 prospects, continue building a quality varsity film library as opportunities become available. Always make sure your film links work and that coaches can access them without unnecessary restrictions. COLLEGE COACHES ARE EVALUATING THE PLAYER, NOT THE PRODUCTION! 📋 YOUR ASSIGNMENT THIS WEEK Prospects, complete a recruiting film audit. ✅ Review your current highlight video. ✅ Make sure your strongest plays appear early. ✅ Clearly identify yourself in every clip. ✅ Remove unnecessary introductions and effects. ✅ Have at least one recent complete game available when possible. ✅ Ask your position coach to identify three areas you need to improve. ✅ Update your recruiting profile with your latest film.