Sean Patterson’s Recruitment Advice


Sean Patterson knows what the recruitment process is like from both a student-athlete and recruiter perspective.

He played college football at Duquesne University in Pennsylvania before playing professionally in Germany for a year. Following his stint abroad, Sean knew he wanted to get into coaching. He eventually landed at Louisiana State University as an Offensive Quality Control Assistant. In 2015, he started as the Director of Recruiting Operations at the University of Mississippi. As the director, Patterson traveled around the country scouting recruits for the Division I program.

What Recruiter’s look for

In the stress of going through the recruitment process, Patterson says it’s important to never lose sight of the basics.

“Every recruiter is looking for high-character prospects. You want athletes that are going to come in, have a team-first mentality, have high character, take a businesslike approach and be professional about what they do,” he says.

Keeping up with your high school transcript is just as vital as a player’s performance. Patterson appreciates the ease and simplicity of the SDS platform. It’s easy enough so players can upload their transcripts, performance videos, and personal interviews to their profile. Recruiters can get a sense of the whole player through the SDS platform.

Patterson doesn’t buy into the mantra, if you’re good enough they will find you. Patterson says it pertains to very small percentage. 

“There’s just not enough time for college recruiters to get out there and see everyone,” Sean acknowledges.

He believes that an app like Signing Day Sports would have helped him had it been available when he was a prospect. He was a strong high school player, but he didn’t get many college offers. While his parents helped as much they could, they didn’t have the resources to send him to camps around the country to get in front of recruiters. He chose to play at Duquesne on a partial academic scholarship. Although Sean went on to have a record-breaking career there and has no regrets, he believes he would have had more offers if he had something like Signing Day Sports.

“Recruiting is ultimately based on program needs. We’re all looking for prospects that fit our respective schemes. Our outlook can change as rapidly as monthly on a need basis,” Patterson says.

Patterson’s recruitment advice 

Ultimately, the decision on who to sign comes down to the coaches. Sean believes that prospects should cast a wide net and not limit themselves to only one division or type of school. It could be that you’re a great player but not what a particular program needs at that time. It’s also important to go with your gut when weighing offers.

“Finding the right fit for you is of the upmost importance. Even if you’re a top recruit in the country, there’s still a real chance that you may be picking a school that’s just not the right fit,” he says. “You should go somewhere where you’re wanted.”

Ultimately, it’s all about being the best you can be at your craft, keeping character at the forefront, and learning and growing through each experience on and off the field.

And Patterson recruitment advice for parents: “Enjoy the process, enjoy this time, enjoy watching your kid play football on Friday nights because it doesn’t last forever.”

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