Eyeing a chance at the next level
Coaches put together virtual recruiting fair to help players
The recruiting landscape is still unrecognizable from days before the pandemic as coronavirus is keeping many college scouts at home.
Annapolis High football is looking to help Maryland’s players escape that drought.
The Panthers will host their fourth annual Capital City College Recruiting Fair from Monday through Friday, Jan. 22 to help high school football players learn how to make connections with college coaches. Each session will feature different schools and will each be done virtually.
The schools involved with the two- week fair are: Salisbury University, Western New England University, Geneva College, Alvernia University, William Patterson University, Ferrum College, Washington and Jefferson College, Catholic University, Shenandoah University and Maryland Prep.
In the past, Annapolis hosted players from other Anne Arundel schools, aswell as those from Howard, Frederick, Allegheny and Baltimore counties and the Eastern Shore, in
its cafeteria. By continuing the recruitment fair virtually, Annapolis football coach Nick Good- Malloy hopes players fromall overMarylandwhohaven’t had their days in the sun still have the chance to forge potential athletic futures.
“There was National Signing Day a fewweeks ago, and everybody sees that on TV — who’s going to Ohio State and Notre Dame — and that’s great. But that’s far and few in between studentathletes that sign those big scholarships,” the coach said. “Most kids, from a football standpoint, this is the time they’re getting recruited.”
Because of travel restrictions, coaches and recruiters that would typically roam the country to observe schools in Maryland can’t do the same this year. The NCAA extended a ban on in- person Division I recruiting through April 15, 2021.
By hosting coaches virtually, Annapolis not only carved a path through those impossibilities — it brought more eyes onto players, eyes that might have normally have passed over the Panthers for a team with a better record, especially in a county as large as Anne Arundel.
“You know, if a high school is not really known for having the best football team, that doesn’t mean that they don’t have some good college prospects,” Good- Malloy said.
He continued, “Now, that kid at whatever high school thatwould like to get his name out and meet with some more college coaches, he could come and go talk to each of them.”
Other schools around Anne Arundel are also working to build futures for players despite the current recruiting landscape.
Last week, Arundel wide receivers coach Anthony Taylor Jr. said the Wildcats’ staff began booking daily meetings with college programs, ranging fromsprint football to Division II, to be conducted during break periods between virtual classes.
North County coach Quinten Jones said multiple Knights players attend Annapolis’ recruiting fair every year. In the meantime, the North County staff spend the elongated offseason reaching out to “every college and university in the country from Division I all the way to JUCO [ and Prep schools],” the coach wrote in a message. They also participate in virtual sessions hosted by colleges to strike up connections with coaching staffs.
Jones additionally made sure his players understood that playing in college is not the only option for a good life.
“We also talk to our kids about their other options after high school. Opportunities like trade schools, starting a business, or going straight into the workforce based on their current situation and their personal goals,” Jones wrote. “College isn’t for everyone and we don’t want our kids believing that, that’s their only option for a successful future.”
By no means did Good- Malloy have an easy path to arranging for 10 college coaches to come. Because the NCAA ruled that no college playerwould lose a year of eligibility during 2020- 21, some schools informed the Annapolis coach they would not be bringing in a freshman class due to a limited roster space.
A lack of film for his own players also posed an issue for Good- Malloy, as neither Annapolis or any other Anne Arundel public school football player competed this past year due to the postponed season. Those players, the coach said, are the ones who need their senior seasons to be recognized.
“Any football player can look completely different from his junior year to his senior year. Sometimes, you look at a kid his senior year and you’re like, ‘ Wow. Are you the same kid from last year?’”
There is another disadvantage doing virtual recruitment versus person.
“I still think there’s something lost from that personal touch and shaking hands and seeing each other eye to eye, things like that,” Good- Malloy said. “But there’s definitely some pros to it, too.”
For one thing, it’s free to attend. Football camps used to draw attention from coaches can cost upwards of $ 200 to $ 300.
It’s also open to more than just seniors who need to find colleges as soon as possible. The Panthers want to welcome football players of all grades.
“We always think it’s great for underclassmen to learn about some colleges they might not be aware of. There’s so many great options to continue playing football,” Good- Malloy said.
Student- athletes with questions can contact Good- Malloy at ngood- malloy@ aacps. org. to in