Lemming Prep Insider Mailbag Part 1
This is a new segment I’m debuting where athletes, parents, coaches, anyone has a chance to ask me any questions they want whether its tips on recruiting, my thoughts on an upcoming game or even what I thought of the last season of Game of Thrones. As long as its relevant to high school football/recruiting or just plain entertaining I’ll consider it for this series.
RULES:
All questions are anonymous so nobody will know who asked it besides me.
No questions involving anything negative about a player, coach or team.
Please keep it appropriate.
What’s your opinion on high school football transfers for football purposes only, i.e. For an athlete (many times this is the QB) to leave a program for a new opportunity? Could be because he wanted to play in a new system, to be the starter, or to gain more exposure for recruiting purposes.
It’s a bummer to hear of a kid putting in all the work for a program just to see him transfer. I highly encourage every kid to work harder than the guy in front of him, but in some cases, such as playing behind a 5 star QB, its hard to overtake that kid’s spot. Some may think the athlete is letting down his teammates/coaches, but there are rare circumstances such as starting behind a really good kid that I can totally understand a kid transferring as its his recruitment that he must worry about.
What’s your thoughts on satellite camps? Are they true recruiting/scholarship opportunities for the athlete, as they are sold that way? Or are they just cloaked as money making opportunities for the schools hosting them?
This is a very highly debated topic and a great question to ask. I have spoken to and met with quite a few athletes that have earned scholarships at satellite camps so I think they are great opportunities for athletes to gain exposure. With that being said there are not enough scholarships for all athletes in attendance. Sure, the schools may make a quick buck, but schools don’t guarantee scholarships for athletes that attend satellite or any camps for that matter. So yes, I do support satellite camps.
Will my recruitment pick up more my junior year?
That is a very broad question, but in general, junior year is the biggest year for recruiting. I tell all recruits the same thing: If you work hard, are a good student, a team player and are a good player on the field then college coaches and recruiting coordinators will find you.
My son has a few D2 and D3 offers and has been contacted by some D1 schools. Why isn’t he in your top 25 OL?
First off, OL is the deepest position this year in Illinois. Second, I do not rank players off of offers. However, even if your son is not in my rankings it does not mean he is a bad player rather I’m just higher on other players. Don’t let him not being in my rankings discourage him. In fact, I hope it motivates him to work harder and force me to put him on my next ranking.
Do you think Richmond-Burton is as good as their preseason #9 rank in 4A according to the Northwest Herald AP poll?
I just looked up the preaseason Poll and it is as follows….
1. Phillips
2. Althoff Catholic
3. Rochester
4. Breese Mater Dei
5. Geneseo
6. Marengo
7. Manteno
8. Johnsburg
9. Richmond-Burton
I think the ranking is fair, but in my opinion, I would have had Richmond-Burton a few spots lower. I think Richmond-Burton is a good team, but teams I like as much if not a little bit more than them are Plano, Quincy Notre Dame, Coal City, St. Edward and Columbia. Another team that I think can really surprise some people this year is Ridgewood. Richie Zacharias just transferred in this year and is a very underrated QB. I think he can lead this team to a deep playoff run.
Should an introductory email include highlight links?
Yes 100%. Your highlight tape is like your resume; you always want to get your highlight tape in front of college coaches first as that is the easiest method of them to evaluate you.