How to Get Recruited for College Football in 2026

College football is the most heavily recruited sport in the US, spanning 765 NCAA and NAIA programs nationally across FBS (138), FCS (128), D-II (161), D-III (244), and NAIA (94). The recruiting landscape changed dramatically with the transfer portal and NIL, but the fundamentals remain: coaches need players who fit their system physically, academically, and schematically.

RawRecruit tracks football programs across all 6 division levels. Our Fit Score algorithm evaluates your height, weight, speed, and GPA against position-specific roster averages at each school, so you know exactly where you fit before you send a single email.

Quarterback: Height (6'1"+), arm strength, football IQ, leadership. FBS programs want 6'2"+ QBs; FCS and D-II are more flexible on height if you have accuracy and mobility.

Running Back: Burst, vision, pass-catching ability. Weight varies by scheme: power backs at 215+ lbs, scat backs at 185-200 lbs. My brother Kyle was 5'10" 205 at Rutgers, undersized by FBS standards but perfect for their system.

Wide Receiver: Speed (4.4-4.6 forty), route-running, hands. Height matters less than separation ability. Slot receivers can be 5'9"-5'11"; outside receivers typically 6'0"+.

Offensive Line: Size is king. FBS tackles are 6'4"+ and 290+ lbs. Guards and centers can be shorter. D-II and D-III are more flexible. 6'1" 270 can play at those levels.

Defensive Line: Length, explosiveness, motor. DE/Edge rushers need speed (4.6-4.8) and length (6'3"+). DT/Nose tackles need mass (280+) and anchor strength.

Linebacker: Versatility. ILBs are 6'0"-6'2" and 220-240 lbs with instincts. OLBs need speed to cover and rush. The position is evolving toward athletic, coverage-capable players.

Defensive Back: Speed is non-negotiable (4.4-4.6 range). CBs are typically 5'10"-6'1". Safeties can be slightly bigger (6'0"-6'2"). Ball skills and hip fluidity matter more than raw size.

Special Teams: Kickers, punters, and long snappers are recruited differently, often through specialist camps (Kohl's, Rubio, Ray Guy) rather than traditional film evaluation.

Spring Contact Period (April 15 to May 29, 2027): Coaches can meet prospects in person and watch spring practices and camps. This is your chance to get on their radar if you're a junior.

Summer camps: There is no June contact period. Most of June is a quiet period, so coaches see you at camps and on visits to their own campus. Attend camps at your target schools.

Fall Evaluation Period (September 1 to November 29, 2026): Coaches attend high school games. Friday nights under the lights matter. Make sure coaches know your game schedule.

Early Signing Period (December 2 to 4, 2026): Division I programs, FBS and FCS, can sign the class of 2027. If you have an offer, this is when you lock it in.

National Signing Day (February 3, 2027): The NCAA's Regular Period opens for Division I and II football. Programs fill remaining spots, and each school sets its own final date. Opportunities still exist, especially at FCS, D-II, and NAIA levels.

Transfer portal: Division I players can enter the portal during January 4 to 13, 2027. There is no regular spring window. Roster movement opens spots for high school recruits.

Told your junior is already behind? See what the NCAA calendar actually says.

NCAA rules no longer set a scholarship limit for Division I football. Since July 1, 2025, schools in the House settlement have a roster limit of 105 instead. Schools that did not opt in still can't go above the old 2024-25 limits, 85 in FBS and 63 in FCS, without taking on the settlement's terms.

FBS (138 schools): The highest level. Power 4 (SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, ACC) and Group of 5 conferences.

FCS (128 schools): Division I with a playoff system. Ivy League schools play FCS football. The Ivy League offers no athletic or academic scholarships. Competitive programs like North Dakota State consistently produce NFL players.

D-II (161 schools): D-II allows up to 36 scholarship equivalencies in football, usually split into partial awards. Strong balance of athletics and academics. Athletes can add academic scholarships on top of a partial athletic award.

D-III (244 schools): No D-III school offers athletics scholarships, and many D-III athletes receive merit-based or need-based aid. Athletes play for the love of the game plus academic aid. Includes elite academic institutions like MIT, Emory, and Williams. If academics are your priority and you want to play, D-III is ideal.

NAIA (94 schools): The NAIA caps football aid at 24 full scholarships' worth per team. Year-round recruiting with no dead periods. More personal recruiting experience. Programs like Lindsey Wilson and Grand View are perennial powerhouses.

JUCO: Two-year programs. Excellent pathway for athletes who need to develop academically or athletically.

Yes: a two-way lineman moving to defensive end has a real path onto a D-II, D-III or NAIA roster. On 2025-26 college rosters, the median D-III defensive end is listed at 6'2" and 225 pounds, 50 pounds lighter than the median D-III offensive lineman at 275.

• Film sells the move. Cut a reel of his defensive snaps only: the first step off the ball, his hands on a pass rush, and plays he chases down from the back side.
• Three years of starts count. Starting on both sides shows he can carry a full load of snaps. Put it in the first line of every email.
• Aim where the sizes fit. D-II and NAIA ends are listed a little heavier than D-III ends, and D-I ends heavier again. Build his list around D-II, D-III and NAIA programs.

Start with programs whose current ends are close to his size: find programs where he fits.