Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
MT football adjusting on the fly in recruiting
5/8/2020 5:00:00 PM | Football
MURFREESBORO - This is generally the time of year when Middle Tennessee Head Football Coach Rick Stockstill and his staff are flooding high schools throughout the southeast evaluating prospects and beginning the recruiting process for future Blue Raiders.
That is not the case in 2020; however, as COVID-19 has greatly impacted all forms of the recruiting process including the elimination of the spring evaluation period that runs April 15 through May 31.
"We have 168 evaluation days where our coaches generally get the opportunity to go into high schools, talk to coaches and watch practices," Stockstill said. "This is usually an opportunity for us to go see all of the prospects on our board and to make further in-depth evaluations along with finding new prospects."
Unofficial visits and junior days also have been canceled, impacting both the college coaches as well as the prospects.
"These are usually huge opportunities for us to have prospects on campus and to meet them face-to-face," Stockstill said. "It is as much of an opportunity for them to evaluate us and see everything that we have to offer them as it is an opportunity for us to evaluate them and begin building relationships with them."
Eli Miller, director of player personnel for Middle Tennessee football, said the Blue Raider coaching staff is watching more film than ever but the impact of losing coveted evaluation days still takes a toll.
"We aren't getting to have prospects on campus nor are our coaches able to go out and see prospects perform live during spring ball," Miller said. "It hurts us just as much as it hurts these high school kids not being able to be evaluated by college coaches. While we can still sit at home and watch more film than we ever have, nothing compares to being able to see a prospect in person."
As of now, Middle Tennessee football camps scheduled for the first two weeks of June have not been cancelled. These include three elite camps, 7-on-7 passing camp, kicking camp, OL/DL camp and a youth camp. Many of these camps provide great opportunities for in-person evaluation. This year it may be the only opportunity during the spring or summer months.
"Right now we have not officially canceled our summer camps," Miller said. "We are hopeful that we can still hold them; however, safety will be our number one concern in determining whether we have camps or not. Summer camps are a huge opportunity for us to get prospects on campus and to evaluate them in person. It allows our coaches to work one-on-one with prospects and really provides us the best evaluation on a prospect. It also gives prospects the opportunity to see the coaching and teaching styles of our coaches and determine if that is someone they would like to be coached by for the next four-to-five years."
Stockstill has been immersed in game film while also spending as much time as possible on phone calls with high school coaches to gain information on potential future Blue Raiders.
"We are continuing to get as much information on prospects as we can, along with trying to get any new names we may not be aware of," Stockstill said. "I feel that we are in a good spot from a recruiting standpoint given the circumstances. Unfortunately, this is just the time where you wish you could see them in person and get your in-person evaluation to go along with your film evaluations from the last few months."
As tough as the new norm is on coaches, it is equally hard on the prospects who are looking to make important decisions regarding their future.
"As hard and as difficult as it has been for us as coaches and staff to adjust on the fly and figure things out, it is just as hard, if not harder, for these prospects," Miller said. "Most of these prospects have no idea what the recruiting process is like even before all of this started. Now they are having to navigate the recruiting process all while they have their own challenges going on in their life dealing with his pandemic."
In the meantime, coaches continue to be creative in their approach during this new norm of evaluating prospects.
That is not the case in 2020; however, as COVID-19 has greatly impacted all forms of the recruiting process including the elimination of the spring evaluation period that runs April 15 through May 31.
"We have 168 evaluation days where our coaches generally get the opportunity to go into high schools, talk to coaches and watch practices," Stockstill said. "This is usually an opportunity for us to go see all of the prospects on our board and to make further in-depth evaluations along with finding new prospects."
Unofficial visits and junior days also have been canceled, impacting both the college coaches as well as the prospects.
"These are usually huge opportunities for us to have prospects on campus and to meet them face-to-face," Stockstill said. "It is as much of an opportunity for them to evaluate us and see everything that we have to offer them as it is an opportunity for us to evaluate them and begin building relationships with them."
Eli Miller, director of player personnel for Middle Tennessee football, said the Blue Raider coaching staff is watching more film than ever but the impact of losing coveted evaluation days still takes a toll.
"We aren't getting to have prospects on campus nor are our coaches able to go out and see prospects perform live during spring ball," Miller said. "It hurts us just as much as it hurts these high school kids not being able to be evaluated by college coaches. While we can still sit at home and watch more film than we ever have, nothing compares to being able to see a prospect in person."
As of now, Middle Tennessee football camps scheduled for the first two weeks of June have not been cancelled. These include three elite camps, 7-on-7 passing camp, kicking camp, OL/DL camp and a youth camp. Many of these camps provide great opportunities for in-person evaluation. This year it may be the only opportunity during the spring or summer months.
"Right now we have not officially canceled our summer camps," Miller said. "We are hopeful that we can still hold them; however, safety will be our number one concern in determining whether we have camps or not. Summer camps are a huge opportunity for us to get prospects on campus and to evaluate them in person. It allows our coaches to work one-on-one with prospects and really provides us the best evaluation on a prospect. It also gives prospects the opportunity to see the coaching and teaching styles of our coaches and determine if that is someone they would like to be coached by for the next four-to-five years."
Stockstill has been immersed in game film while also spending as much time as possible on phone calls with high school coaches to gain information on potential future Blue Raiders.
"We are continuing to get as much information on prospects as we can, along with trying to get any new names we may not be aware of," Stockstill said. "I feel that we are in a good spot from a recruiting standpoint given the circumstances. Unfortunately, this is just the time where you wish you could see them in person and get your in-person evaluation to go along with your film evaluations from the last few months."
As tough as the new norm is on coaches, it is equally hard on the prospects who are looking to make important decisions regarding their future.
"As hard and as difficult as it has been for us as coaches and staff to adjust on the fly and figure things out, it is just as hard, if not harder, for these prospects," Miller said. "Most of these prospects have no idea what the recruiting process is like even before all of this started. Now they are having to navigate the recruiting process all while they have their own challenges going on in their life dealing with his pandemic."
In the meantime, coaches continue to be creative in their approach during this new norm of evaluating prospects.
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