Two things can be true at the same time:
You can be good enough to be courted by bigger FBS programs.
And, you can be not good enough to get them to trigger an offer.
Recruiting doesn’t incentivize bluntness. Teams often over-recruit positions knowing that players can only commit to one spot, ultimately. Recruiting is so whacky that sometimes your 6th best option at a position might become your only option.
So, what do teams do? They need to politely build a list of back up, warm options that they are friendly enough with to stay connected throughout recruiting, but not so blatantly friendly that they are categorically misleading them. If their primary options don’t pan out, then it is relatively easy to turn that warm/lukewarm polite interest into something more serious - especially the big name schools with big logos who can jostle kids loose from smaller school commitments.
Teams generally want to feel like they are getting a steal for their recruiting efforts. “This kid could have gone to an SEC school but we snagged him here in the ACC!” or, “This kid could have gone to an Ivy! But, we snagged him here in the NESCAC!” Everyone is recruiting up a level - big fish hunting if you will. In this sense, you are probably going to end up a tier down from the highest levels of polite recruiting interest you are receiving.
Maybe worth restating:
You are likely going to end up one step down from the highest levels of polite recruiting interest you are receiving.
If the highest level of polite recruiting interest is an ACC school, you’re probably a Group of 5 commit.
If the highest level of polite recruiting interest is an Ivy, you’re probably a NESCAC commit.
If the highest level of polite recruiting interest is a G5 school, you’re probably a high FCS commit.
Why would these guys be interested, even politely so, in you if they don’t think they’re going to offer you?
Sometimes it’s knowing that timing, chance and luck throw teams curveballs and coaches know they’ll need viable options and redundancies.
Other times, it’s just not wanting to deal with potential backlash from a parent or kid when you tell them no.
Unfortunately, coaches just don’t have the time or bandwidth to have a proper sit down conversation to educate a player or family on why they’re not a D1 player (it’s unfortunately because most services will just tell you you are)
And so, you’re left needing to read the tea leaves and make decisions with incomplete or ambiguous information. There is nothing wrong with seeing a bigger school as long as you have a coach there directly and consistently speaking with you. But, if you find you can’t get much more than a thumbs up on the 17th DM you’ve sent, you’re probably not their guy. Move on.
Brendan
PS I put together ivycamps.co for just Ivy+ high academic college football camps this summer. There is a free and paid tier, but it’ll have every Ivy, Patriot, NESCAC and other top academic school’s football camps, reviews, travel cost calculator, and coaching contacts all in one spot. If you have an older paid account just DM me I’ll bring you over to the new map no cost.
