If you’re wondering when to start the college recruiting process, you’re not alone. Most parents think recruiting starts junior year—but that’s actually too late for many sports.

The truth? The college recruiting timeline begins much earlier than you think, and missing key windows can mean missed opportunities for your athlete.

Let’s break down exactly what you need to do at every grade level to keep your athlete on track for college recruiting success.

College coaches operate on strict recruiting calendars set by the NCAA. Different sports have different contact rules, evaluation periods, and signing windows. If you don’t understand the high school recruiting process timeline, you could miss critical opportunities to get your athlete in front of the right coaches.

For example, many D1 coaches begin identifying prospects as early as freshman year in sports like volleyball, soccer, and lacrosse. In revenue sports like football and basketball, verbal commitments are happening earlier than ever—sometimes before junior year even starts.

That’s why having a clear college athletic recruiting timeline is essential.

Freshman Year (9th Grade): Build Your Foundation

This is when the college recruiting process officially begins. Start by:

• Registering with the NCAA Eligibility Center
• Creating online recruiting profiles (NCSA, sport-specific platforms)
• Taking a professional photo in uniform
• Starting a highlight video collection
• Researching college programs that match your athlete’s academic and athletic level

Coaches can’t contact you yet, but they’re watching. Get on their radar early by attending camps at target schools.

Sophomore Year (10th Grade): Get Visible

Now it’s time to be proactive in the when to start college recruiting conversation:

• Update your recruiting profiles with new stats and video
• Email 10-15 coaches using our proven templates (grab them in our free recruiting playbook)
• Attend college camps and showcase events
• Create a one-page athlete profile to hand out at tournaments
• Take the PSAT for academic benchmarking

Junior Year (11th Grade): Go All-In

This is the most critical year in the college recruiting timeline:

• Email coaches weekly with game schedules and updates
• Take official campus visits
• Attend elite-level camps and showcases
• Update highlight videos every month
• Take the SAT/ACT (most programs want scores by summer)
• Respond to coach interest within 24 hours

Senior Year (12th Grade): Close the Deal

By now, you should have offers on the table. Focus on:

• Making official visits (you get 5 per NCAA rules)
• Comparing scholarship offers
• Signing your National Letter of Intent during early or regular signing periods
• Finalizing financial aid packages

Following this college recruiting timeline is easier when you have the right tools. That’s why we created a free College Recruiting Playbook with grade-by-grade checklists, email templates that get coach responses, and insider strategies from former college coaches.

Download your Free Playbook here 

Need professional marketing materials? Our Athlete Recruiting Bundle includes ready-to-use Canva templates: one-page athlete profiles, business cards, highlight cards with QR codes, and tournament schedules. Everything is editable so you can create polished, professional materials in minutes—not hours.

Get the Recruiting Bundle