the college recruiting process: sophomore year

Freshman year was all about laying the groundwork: getting your academics in order, starting to collect film, and deciding if you truly love your sport. Now, as a sophomore, the college recruiting process starts to get real. This year is the pivotal transition from preparation to proactive action. College coaches will begin to notice you, and you need to be ready. This isn't just about waiting for a phone call; it's about making a series of smart, strategic moves that will set you up for success in your junior year, which is the most critical time for recruiting.

This is your playbook for sophomore year, designed to help you take control and turn potential into opportunity.

The Mindset: What to Think About

Sophomore year is for making key decisions. You're no longer just a high school athlete; you're a prospective college recruit. Your approach needs to reflect this.

1. Honestly Assess Your Level: This is the most difficult but necessary task of your sophomore year. You need to get an honest sense of whether you are a Division 1, Division 2, Division 3, NAIA, or Juco-level recruit. This requires an objective eye. Talk to your high school or club coach, who has likely seen players go through the process. Attend showcases and compare your skills to other athletes. This isn't about crushing your dreams; it’s about making a plan that’s grounded in reality, so you can focus on the schools that are truly interested in you. Remember that assessing your level during your sophomore year isn’t comparing yourself to seniors and where they’re going. It’s about comparing yourselves to other sophomores in the country. Depending on the sport athletes who are going D1 are probably in the top 100-300 athletes in their grade level at their position in the whole country.

2. Get Serious About Your School List: It's time to refine the "dream school" list you started as a freshman. Begin to seriously research universities based on more than just their team's record. Consider their academic programs, size, location, and overall campus culture. Think about what a school’s athletic conference means for your level of competition. Start building a list that includes a mix of "dream schools," "target schools" that are a great fit, and "safety schools" that you would be happy to attend. In RecruitReach, you’re able to favorite schools and tag them as Safety, Target, or Reach.

The Action Plan: What to Do

With your mindset in place, here are the concrete, actionable steps you need to take this year.

1. Maintain Your Academic Excellence: The coursework gets tougher in your sophomore year. You must continue to prioritize your grades. College coaches will be looking at this year's transcript to gauge your academic seriousness and your ability to handle a heavier workload. Make sure you are still on track with your NCAA-approved core courses.

2. Create Your First Polished Highlight Reel: The footage you collected as a freshman and a sophomore needs to be put to work. This year, you should create your first "real" highlight reel. This video should be concise (3-5 minutes), show your best plays first, and include a clear intro slide with all of your key stats and contact information. Be sure to make yourself easy to spot on the screen by circling yourself at the beginning of each clip.

3. Get Exposure: Attend Camps and Showcases: For team sports, this is among the most important actions you can take as a sophomore. College coaches rely on camps and showcases to see a lot of talent in one place. Be strategic about the events you attend. Go to showcases that have a history of attracting coaches from schools on your target list. You are not just going to compete; you are going to get seen.

4. Prepare for Direct Coach Contact: For most Division 1 sports, coaches can begin making phone calls to you and sending you emails and texts starting on June 15th after your sophomore year. For others, it's later in the year. Regardless of the exact date, you need to be ready. You should have an email address ready and a phone number that is free of distracting voicemail messages. You should also start preparing for these conversations by having a list of questions to ask and being ready to talk about your goals and interests. Use RecruitReach to help you understand how to write emails and handle phone conversations. Poor email and phone communication is among the top pain points college coaches have with high school recruits.

5. Register with the NCAA Eligibility Center: If you haven’t already, do this now. Don't wait until your junior or senior year. Registering now ensures you are on the right track with your academics. It allows your guidance counselor to send your transcripts and test scores directly to the NCAA, and it's a mandatory step for any athlete who wants to play D1 or D2.

What Not to Do in Your Sophomore Year

• Don't Send a Bad Highlight Reel: A poor-quality or unedited highlight video can hurt your chances more than it helps. Take the time to do it right.

• Don't Expect an Offer Right Away: While verbal offers can start coming in, they are rare for sophomores. The majority of athletes will not have an offer this early. Your job is to get on coaches' radars and build relationships for the future.

• Don't Stop Improving: Your skills and physical attributes are still developing. Use this year to get stronger, faster, and more skilled.

Sophomore year is the time to put your plan into motion. By making a realistic assessment of your abilities, creating a professional profile and highlight reel, and proactively seeking out exposure, you are turning yourself from a hopeful high school athlete into a serious college prospect. The work you do now will directly influence the opportunities that come your way as a junior and beyond.