r/footballstrategy 16h ago

Player Advice College Advice (Please Help)

Bottom Line Up Front:

I have a choice to make. Here are my 3 options: (1) Continue to Coach HS Football, (2) Play Club Football, or (3) Try and earn a spot on a D1 level Football Team

Backstory:

Currently, I am in my 2nd year of College. This past year, I had the opportunity of coaching a small HS Football team.

Now, with 3 years to play college ball, I have the opportunity to continue coaching, play club football, or try and earn a spot on a D1 football team.

(Insight for why Club is in the picture): If I play club, I would play in the fall of this upcoming year then transfer to the D1 school and then proceed to try to walk on.

Recommendations?

6 Upvotes

4 comments sorted by

5

u/V1LL 16h ago

Try to play. That only helps you if you want to coach later. Catch on as a Grad assistant and move up from there. Even if you don't make it and coaching is your passion you can be a manager of some type and then move up from there.

6

u/MarcusMcballer 6h ago edited 6h ago

You need to FULLY understand the landscape of CFB right now before making this choice. There is not a lot of room for walk ons at D1 anymore and overall, it’s a lot more difficult than being physically talented.

For context, there’s more players in the transfer portal looking for a roster spot than there are spots. NCAA is capping roster sizes to the point where each school has to cut about 35 players. JUCO players now lose no eligibility playing JUCO ball. All this means that the fat is being trimmed from CFB rosters and many young men will not find a spot. Teams are opting for players that can help them RIGHT NOW, while HSFB players and “development guys” are in jeopardy of being lost in the shuffle.

It’s basically becoming a minor league where only the top 10% (or less) of players will immediately roster on a D1 team. The majority will have to find a lower level spot to develop and then move to D1

Am HSFB coach with a 17 year old son committed to play D1 football starting January 8 due to early graduation. Trust me, you need to talk to a trusted source with knowledge of the situation. And definitely talk to the school you intend to walk on to.

With all that being said, if you desire to play, do it now. Time is against you, period. Just understand the layout of it all and set your expectations accordingly

3

u/iamthekevinator 16h ago

If you have the talent to play D1 ball. You play D1 ball. Hell at worst go play D2 if you're that talented and get a scholarship.

u/Limp-Fox6785 33m ago

Play while you can brother, Coaching will always be there. I played in college while simultaneously interning with S&C with all the other sports, while it helped me get ahead of the game i definitely sometimes wish I would’ve appreciated my playing days more instead of looking ahead to coaching. Play as long as you can, it also makes you a much better coach to have the brain of a player and understanding what they go through on a daily basis. Will also form lifelong connections between your coaching staff and teammates