If you follow college football closely, you’ve probably heard a lot about the transfer portal. Players moving schools. Rosters changing overnight. Coaches rebuilding teams in a single offseason.

It’s easy to look at that and think: Why does high school recruiting even matter anymore?

According to stakeholders in the college football realm, it matters more than ever.

Even in an era of player movement and NIL opportunities, the most successful college football programs still build their foundations through high school recruiting and player development. The portal is a tool. High school recruiting is the base.

And for young athletes with dreams of playing at the next level, that’s great news.

The Portal Is A Shortcut

Some coaches have leaned heavily into the transfer portal, stacking experienced players who can contribute right away. It can work in the short term. It can even lead to big seasons.

But across college football, a clear pattern continues to show up: championship-level teams are still built around players they recruited, developed, and kept in their program.

A Power 4 personnel director recently put it this way:

“No one wants to live in free agency. You want to live in the draft and build your core there.”

• The Athletic

High school recruiting is the draft.

Coaches want players they can develop, mold, and build culture around. They want athletes who grow in their system, not just plug holes for one season.

For recruits, it becomes clear, you are not invisible just because the portal exists.

Why Coaches Still Value High School Recruits

From a coaching and program-building standpoint, high school athletes offer something transfers often can’t:

• Long-term development
• Cultural buy-in
• Roster stability
• Cost efficiency in the NIL era

Developing a player over three to five years allows coaches to teach habits, build trust, and create continuity. It also allows athletes to grow physically and mentally at a pace that fits college football.

That’s why the most consistent playoff contenders still lean heavily on players they signed out of high school. And this can be used in conjunction with using the portal strategically.

What This Means for High School Recruits

If you’re a high school athlete going through the recruiting process, this landscape actually creates opportunity, not fewer chances.

But it also means you have to take your process seriously.

Recruiting isn’t just about highlight tapes or stars next to your name. It’s about showing coaches that you are:

• Dependable
• Coachable
• Developing
• Invested in your future

That starts long before signing day.

Recruiting Is About Positioning Yourself

Here’s something young athletes sometimes miss: coaches are recruiting projection, not just production.

They’re asking:

• Who can this player become in two or three years?
• Will this athlete stay committed to development?
• Do they understand the process?

That’s why things like communication, academics, consistency, and effort matter just as much as game film.

Being proactive by reaching out to schools, updating your profile, and staying organized puts you in a stronger position when opportunities open up.

Actionable Mindset for Young Athletes

You don’t need to have everything figured out right now. But you do need to be intentional.

That means:

• Taking your recruiting process seriously
• Being honest about where you are and where you want to go
• Using tools and platforms that help you stay visible and organized
• Focusing on development, not shortcuts

The athletes who succeed long-term are the ones who treat recruiting like an investment in themselves.

The Big Picture

College football may be changing fast, but one thing hasn’t changed: coaches still believe in building from the ground up.

High school recruiting remains the foundation of championship programs. And that means young athletes who are willing to work, learn, and commit still have real opportunity in front of them.

Your journey matters. Your development matters. And how seriously you take this process today can shape where you land tomorrow.