Today’s interviewee is Carrollton coach Joey King talking about college recruiting. King took the Carrollton job this offseason after spending a season each on the staffs of Coastal Carolina and South Florida. King previously was head coach at Cartersville, where he won two state titles and developed several college players, including NFL quarterback Trevor Lawrence. This is the first in a series of Four Questions interviews that draw on the experiences of former college coaches who are now Georgia head coaches. King began addressing this topic by saying, “The biggest piece of advice that I would give to a high school player looking to be recruited would be to make yourself recruitable.” Below, King describes four ways to do that.
Carrollton coach Joey King, on recruiting
1. “Make the grades! Don’t keep it close! EXCEL in the classroom! One of the things that I learned as a college coach is that there are hundreds, maybe thousands, of kids that are just as good as the next guy (I’m not talking five-star). If your grades are bad and another guy’s aren’t, then a college coach will move on! They have to!”
2. “Allow coaches to find you and access your film. Yes, we could find you regardless, but make it easy for them. Set your social media profiles where a college coach can find you. Include your most recent HUDL link as a pinned hyperlink close to the top of your page. Include your first and last name (not just a nickname). Include your high school (there may be a bunch of John Smith’s, but not many John Smith’s at ABC High School).”
3. “Love ball and be of high character. It helps you as a recruit to communicate clearly and be a respectful person. Especially with NIL being new on the scene and the transfer portal being a thing, college coaches are looking to make an investment that will last. If you just love recruiting and don’t love ball, college football will chew you up and spit you out, so make sure you are good people and that you love ball.”
4. “Keep all doors open and when you feel like you find a good fit, if you can commit, then commit. I recruited several guys that were looking for bigger and better and then didn’t get it. When they came back to us, we were already full. Be clear and transparent in your communication, though. If you are not interested in a school for whatever reason, tell the coach. Ask for the same from a coach that is recruiting you. Ask them where you really stand with them, where you are on their board, etc. I always thought that was fair when a kid would ask. Not every coach will tell you the truth though!”
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