9th grade
Grades count from day one. Start filming games, not just the highlights you already like. Make a plan for the NCAA Eligibility Center so the paperwork is not a surprise later.
For parents
A football family’s year-by-year guide
What to handle each grade, and how the film should look, without a sales pitch. Dates stay general on purpose. Contact windows move, and a coach’s calendar is not a promise.
By grade
Recruiting timeline
10th grade
Cut a first highlight film. Go to camps that fit the level you are actually playing, and start a real list of target schools — ones whose roster, academics, and distance make sense for your family.
11th grade
Register with the NCAA Eligibility Center. Send film to coaches. Take official and unofficial visits when the family is ready. Take the SAT or ACT if a school on the list still asks for it.
12th grade
Keep the fall film current. Sort offers and visits honestly. Know which signing period you are in, and get final transcripts in on time.
The tape
Film checklist
- 3–5 minutes
- Best plays in the first 30 seconds
- An intro slide with name, position, class, school, height/weight, GPA, and contact
- A spot shadow or arrow on the player before each play
- No music required
- Game film over practice
- Posted on Hudl or YouTube with a shareable link
Ready when you are
A shared profile link opens the card and film with no account. The board listing still waits for a person at RTR to review it.