Junior year recruiting plan for the class of 2028

Why does junior year matter so much in recruiting?

It's the year coaches can finally talk to you and the year your results and film count most. By the end of junior year, many Division I and II coaches have a short list for your class, and your junior season is the last full season they see before most offers.

Division III, NAIA and junior college coaches recruit later and keep going well into senior year (see who is still recruiting seniors), but they watch juniors too.

Your junior season is also the last full season a coach sees before most offers. The marks, stats and film you put up this year are what coaches will judge you on next summer. That's why the plan below starts now, in November, and not next fall. For the whole path from freshman to senior year, see the college recruiting timeline by grade.

If you aren't sure yet which levels to aim for, D1 vs D2 vs D3 vs NAIA vs JUCO lays out the differences in money, academics and time. Most athletes end up with a list that spans two or three levels.

When can college coaches contact juniors in the class of 2028?

For most Division I sports, coaches have been allowed to call, text and email you since June 15, 2026. Division II coaches can write at any time, and their in-person contact opened that day. Division I lacrosse opened in early September, and Division I football in-person contact starts January 1, 2027.

For most Division I sports, coaches have been allowed to call, text and email you since June 15, 2026, after your sophomore year. Division II in-person contact opened the same day, and under the NCAA's Division II recruiting rules Division II coaches can write and call at any time. Division III, NAIA and junior college coaches have fewer limits and may already be writing to you.

A few sports run on their own dates. Division I lacrosse opened in early September of junior year, and Division I football coaches can meet you in person off campus starting January 1, 2027. Every sport and level is laid out in when college coaches can contact you, and the contact, quiet and dead periods for this year are in the 2026-27 NCAA recruiting calendar.

You can write to any coach at any time. If a Division I coach hasn't answered you yet, that isn't a no; it may mean your email hasn't reached the right assistant, or the coach is still watching your results.

What should a junior do each month, November to August?

November: build a fit list of 20 to 40 programs and register with the NCAA or NAIA Eligibility Center. December: send first emails. January to March: follow up and plan visits and camps. April and May: send spring results and test if needed. Summer: camps and showcases. August 1, 2027: Division I written offers can start.

Here is a plan you can start this week. Move a step earlier if your season starts sooner, but don't skip steps.

The months matter less than the order: know where you fit, then write to those coaches, then keep them updated. If you are a senior reading this, the month-by-month senior plan picks up where this one ends, and how coach support works in admissions explains next fall's applications.

What should juniors send college coaches?

Send a short, personal email to the coach who recruits your event or position. Include your name, high school, class of 2028, your best marks or stats with a results or film link, your GPA, your upcoming schedule, one real reason you're interested in that program, and your phone number.

Send a short, personal email to the coach who recruits your event or position, with the facts that coach needs to decide whether to look closer. Our recruiting email template shows how to build each one around a fact about that program, so it doesn't read like a mass email.

If your sport is judged on film, keep it short and lead with your best plays. How to make a recruiting video covers what coaches in each sport want to see.

What should juniors do this winter and spring in each sport?

Send updates when coaches in your sport are watching: after every big indoor and outdoor meet in track and field, with spring 1600m and 3200m times for cross country, ahead of club tournaments in volleyball, and with new film in March and April for lacrosse. Football in-person contact opens January 1, 2027.

Every sport has a different calendar, so the best time to send updates depends on yours.

Track and field athletes can check their marks against the track and field recruiting standards. Sport-by-sport details are on the track and field, cross country, football, volleyball, lacrosse and flag football recruiting pages.

Should juniors take campus visits and go to camps?

Yes, if they're at schools that fit you. An unofficial visit your family pays for is allowed at any time and shows whether you'd want the school without the sport. Pick two or three camps where the coach already knows your name, and ask first whether they'll evaluate your class there.

Yes, if they're at schools that fit you. An unofficial visit, one your family pays for, is allowed at any time, and it's the best way to learn whether you'd want to be at a school without the sport. Email the coach a week or two ahead so they can meet you.

Camps help most when the coach who runs them already knows your name. Pick two or three at schools on your list rather than going to every camp you're invited to. Ask the coach before you sign up whether they'll be evaluating your class at that camp.

Plan visits around your school calendar and your season. Spring break and the early summer are good times for many families.

Is junior year too early to commit?

It isn't too early to talk about it, but it's early to decide. A verbal commitment before senior year isn't binding on you or the school. The binding step is the written offer of athletics aid, which in most Division I sports can't come until August 1 before senior year.

What athletes sign on signing day explains what that agreement means. Until then, a commitment is a plan you and the coach share, so keep your grades up and your options open.

Before you commit anywhere, know what your family would pay after all aid, and ask the hard questions about the roster and your role. Our questions to ask a college coach help you get straight answers.

How can parents help a junior without taking over?

Let your athlete write to coaches and answer the calls, because coaches notice who is doing the talking. Parents handle what a 16-year-old can't do alone: run the family's numbers early, keep one calendar of events and visits, help prepare questions before coach calls, and talk with financial aid offices about cost.

Let your athlete write to the coaches and answer the calls. Coaches want to hear from the athlete, and they notice who is doing the talking. Your job is the parts a 16-year-old can't do alone: the budget, the calendar and the honest conversation about cost.

• Run your family's numbers early, so the list only holds schools you can afford.
• Keep one calendar of meets, games, camps, visits and test dates.
• Help your athlete prepare questions before each coach call, then step back.
• Ask about cost and aid in your own conversations with the financial aid office.

How REACH helps juniors

REACH scores your fit at 1,210 colleges across NCAA Division I, II and III, NAIA and junior college, using your results, your grades and your cost after aid, so you can see which schools are realistic before you write. It puts you in front of each coach with a note written for that team, nothing goes out until you approve it, and parents see every coach message. REACH is independent and not affiliated with the NCAA, NAIA or NJCAA, and it can't promise an offer or a scholarship. It is free to start.

Questions

When should juniors start emailing college coaches?

Now, before your winter or spring season. Division I contact opened for most sports on June 15 after sophomore year, so coaches can write back. Start with programs where your results, grades and cost fit, and send updates as new marks or film come in.

Can college coaches contact juniors?

Yes. For most Division I sports, coaches can call, text and email you starting June 15 after your sophomore year, and Division II opens the same day. Division I lacrosse opens in early September of junior year, and Division III, NAIA and junior college coaches have fewer limits.

Is junior year too early to commit?

You can talk with coaches about committing, but a verbal commitment before senior year isn't binding. In most Division I sports, written offers of athletics aid can start August 1 before senior year. Know your cost after aid before you commit anywhere.

What should a junior do over winter break?

Build or update your list of programs that fit, send first emails to coaches who haven't heard from you, and plan spring and summer camps and visits. If you might play Division I or II, check that you're registered with the NCAA Eligibility Center.

Is it too late to start recruiting as a junior?

No. Many athletes start in junior year and find a good fit, especially at Division II, Division III, NAIA and junior college programs, which recruit well into senior year. Focus on programs where you fit now and write to many of them quickly.