College soccer recruits face delayed recruiting timelines into March due to NCAA roster cap uncertainty. Keep applying to dream schools, stay visible through game footage, and contact Division II and III programs as backup options since the transfer portal will be chaotic. The right coach and education matter more than the division level.
The biggest issue I'm running into right now with my 2025s— for my 2025s, you guys keep being told that you are not in their recruiting plan. What does that mean? So that doesn't mean that they don't want to recruit you. It just means that right now the NCAA doesn't really know exactly how the rules are going to pan out. Some schools, it turns out, are going to be able to opt out of the roster cap. Other schools are not going to, and the coaches genuinely don't know. I've heard from coaches at all levels of the D1 level literally texting our students, look, we really like you, we just don't know what's going to happen with the rules yet, so we just have to sit tight. So this will be the first year in my opinion, where the recruiting process for Division 1 schools won't be completely finished for domestic players until March. Usually for internationals, they get recruited on the later side. So for domestic players, I don't think it's going to get done until March. So right now, if you're 25 and you've been talking to D1s and you're a D1-level player, you haven't gotten an offer, normally I would say, yeah, there's something going wrong. Now I might tell you, look, are you following up and watching your game? Have you applied to the school? Make sure you freaking apply, even if they're not responding to you. If it's your dream school, please, for the love of goodness' sake, apply to school. Then the next, you should email Division 3, Division 2 schools. The transfer portal this year is going to be absolutely staying. I got a message recently from a mother-daughter who plays for UW, one of the best schools in the country, and she's literally super concerned about her daughter redshirting this year and next year being cut because the transfer portal is going to be freaking nuts. So please reach out to D2, D3s as a backup. Otherwise, you might not be able to play college soccer at all. And I know it sounds like, well, I would rather— if you'd rather quit soccer than play Division 2 or Division 3, it's about finding the right coach and getting the right education. If you want more help, comment call, and I'll schedule a call with you and your family.
