“Patience is not passive, on the contrary, it is concentrated strength” -Bruce Lee
Not that long ago—five years at most—the recruiting roadmap I shared with families looked very different. The emphasis was on starting early. Freshman year, if possible. Sophomore year at the latest. The goal was to build exposure, establish relationships, and secure the right fit before roster spots and scholarship opportunities began to disappear. At that time, the timeline was predictable, and the athletes who moved first often had the greatest number of options.
I still encourage families to start their recruiting journey early, but the context of that reality has greatly shifted.
Today, college coaches are finishing their recruiting classes later, and they are doing so with purpose. A major driver of that change is the NCAA Transfer Portal, which has dramatically increased player movement across all levels of college athletics. The numbers reflect just how significant that shift has been. More than 31,000 student-athletes entered the transfer portal in the most recent year across NCAA sports (Honest Game, 2025). In Division I men’s basketball alone, nearly 2,700 players entered the portal in the 2025 cycle (ESPN, 2025), while college football saw more than 10,500 players enter across all divisions (NCAA, 2026). Despite that volume, not every athlete finds the opportunity they expect, with estimates suggesting that roughly 30–40% do not land a comparable situation after entering (MWCConnection analysis, 2025).
Coaches are paying close attention to these trends. They understand that the portal does not always provide the answers they need, and as a result, they are extending their recruiting timelines. Rather than finalizing rosters early, many are choosing to wait, evaluate more options, and remain flexible as new players become available deeper into the cycle. What used to be a front-loaded process has become one that unfolds over a much longer window.
As I write this at the start of May, the effects of that change are clear. Coaches across the country are still actively recruiting, and the level of urgency has not diminished. I continue to hear from them on a consistent basis, and the question remains the same: “Who do you have that’s still available?” This is not limited to a specific division or type of program. It is happening across the board, from Division I to junior college.
At the same time, coaching movement continues to shape the landscape. Programs are still hiring new head coaches well into the spring, and those hires immediately impact recruiting. A new coach inherits a roster that may not align with their system or expectations, which creates an immediate need to evaluate, adjust, and add players. In many cases, those decisions are being made quickly because they don’t have the time to evaluate and wait for better options that may not be available.
That reality is playing out in real time. Over the past week alone, athletes I work with have received offers from programs at every level—Division I, Division II, NAIA, Division III, and junior college. The timing of those offers stands out. It is May, a point in the calendar that was once considered the end of the recruiting calendar, and now opportunities are still being created across the country.
This is the current state of recruiting. The timeline has not disappeared, but it has expanded, and with that expansion comes a different kind of opportunity. Instead of being limited to the early stages, roster movement now creates openings later in the cycle, often tied to transfers, coaching changes, and evolving program needs.
For athletes, this requires a shift in mindset. Those who remain engaged—who continue to communicate, follow up, and express genuine interest—are the ones who stay in the conversation. Coaches trying to solve roster challenges late in the process often turn to athletes they recognize, athletes who have remained consistent, and athletes who have demonstrated a sustained level of interest.
The risk comes when athletes misinterpret the timing. A later stage in the calendar can feel like the end of the process, but in many cases, it is simply a different phase of it. Stepping away too early can mean missing opportunities that are still developing behind the scenes.
Recruiting today is less about when you start and more about how long you stay engaged. The athletes who understand that—and respond to it with consistency—put themselves in position to benefit from a process that is still very much in motion.
If you want a clear, honest assessment of where you stand and how to position yourself in this evolving recruiting landscape, visit coachmattrogers.com and schedule a recruiting evaluation.
