College Camp Season is upon us
Camps Matter. Period.
Camp season is coming.
And if you’re a specialist?
This isn’t optional. This is everything.
June is not when your work starts.
Your work started weeks ago.
Are you behind?
If You’re a 2028 or 2029— This Is Your Foundation Year
Attend Camps.
You need to see where you stack up.
You need to feel the atmosphere.
Hear the whistles. Hear the staff’s yelling.
Stand in line next to other DOGS and realize, “Okay… I belong here,” or, “I’ve got work to do.”
This is your traction year. You’re not chasing an offer tomorrow. You’re building recognition for next season. You’re introducing yourself to staffs. You’re starting relationships that will matter a year from now.
You are planting seeds. There is no pressure for you. You are there to stand out, get noticed, and get on the radar.
If You’re a 2027 — This Is Make or Break
This is foot-in-the-door time.
If you don’t get seen this June, you’re chasing from behind your entire senior year. (hard truth)
You need traction.
You need conversation.
You need clarity on where you stand.
Every staff has a board. Every staff has tiers. Every staff has 10–20 guys they’re truly evaluating.
The only question that matters:
Are you in their Top 5?
Camps are where that gets decided.
The Camp Invite Game (Let’s Get Honest)
Not all invites are created equal.
1️⃣ The Mass Email
“Hey ___! We’d love to have you at camp. Click here to register.”
Scroll to the bottom. See if there is the…
“Unsubscribe.”
That went to thousands. Your name was auto-filled.
It feels good. It’s not real traction.
If you like that school get to work. Start reaching out and make contact.
2️⃣ The Mailed Invite
Better. They found you somewhere. They spent money to send it.
Still marketing.
Now your job starts:
Who is the Special Teams Coordinator?
Who is the director of recruiting or recruiting assistant?
Who handles specialists?
Are they active on X?
Go find them.
Introduce yourself.
Send a short, professional message.
Take a long shot email swing if you find one.
Make it personal.
3️⃣ The Social Media Flyer
You see a camp date posted by another specialist.
It’s a school you love.
Guess what?
You don’t need permission to compete.
If you have zero contact but believe you belong?
Go show them they might miss out on you.
Confidence travels.
Also, when you see another player post his invite and thanking the coach…DUH!!! GO FOLLOW that COACH and Staff member.
4️⃣ The Direct Message from a Coach
Now we’re talking.
“Hey Peter. Been watching your feed. Saw you at the OtU Showcase. We’ve got camp June 15th. Would love to have you.”
BOOM.
Cloud nine.
You run to your parents:
“Sign me up! They want me!”
Slow down.
This is where players mess it up.
Your at the door.
Now we’re trying to get invited in for dinner.
You respond with engagement.
“Coach, thank you for the invite. I love what you all are building there. I’ll run it by my parents and do my best to make it. Are you recruiting a ’27 this cycle? I noticed you’ve got ___ in the specialist room — are you looking to add another in my class? I’d love to shake your hand and compete live.”
Notice what you did?
You showed:
You researched their roster.
You understand recruiting cycles.
You’re not just chasing a T-shirt.
Then…
Turn notifications on.
Wait.
Three or four days? Follow up.
“Coach, I know you’re busy — just wanted to check back with you.”
Professional. Calm. Confident.
If they respond instantly?
Let’s GO.
But keep pressing the conversation:
“Coach, I may try to get there early to walk campus. Will you all be showing facilities after camp if I stand out?”
What you’re really asking is:
How real is this?
Because here’s the cold truth:
Camps are fundraisers.
You can attend 20. You can attend 70.
But only a handful actually matter.
The Hard Lesson We Learned
Freshman to Sophomore summer signed up for 5 and did 2 Camps(injured ankle).
From Junior to Senior year, Trace had 70+ invites.
We signed up for six.
We attended two.
Sophomore to Junior summer? +45 invites. We did 11 camps.
It was a blast. It was exhausting. His leg about fell off.
I made a rule:
If you can talk on the phone to a coach and confirm they are recruiting your class — We go.
If not? We think long and hard.
We narrowed programs down. Cut the list. Cut it again.
One of the hard discussion we had was University of Oklahoma.
His Dream school.
We signed up with the Coach that left a few weeks after sign up for University of Alabama.
Zero traction or contact with the new OU staff or Coach Deakins.
I wanted to skip it.
We went anyway.
Funny how life works.
The Smart Plan
2028’s-2029’s:
Pick 4–5 schools within a 4–8 hour drive.
Schools you genuinely want to know better.
Schools you qualify for academically.
Schools where you’ve introduced yourself.
Maybe hit a Mega Camp with Smaller Schools for great exposure and experience.
Build traction for next year.
2027s:
Go where:
They are recruiting your class.
You’ve had messages or conversation.
You’ve felt real interest.
Aim for phone calls.
Aim for clarity.
Ask and see where you stand.
You don’t need to know if you’re their #1.
You need to know if you’re Top 5 or where they see you.
When You Get There
Stand out.
Not just with your leg.
Shag balls.
Pick up trash.
Be encouraging to guys you’re competing against.
Be coachable.
Make eye contact.
Say “Yes sir.”
Compete.
You don’t have to be perfect.
But you must be noticeable.
Energy. Presence. Professionalism.
Coaches and Staff remember that.
Final Word
Camps matter.
They’re the evaluation tool.
They’re the relationship builder.
They’re the separator.
But only if you have a plan.
Don’t just collect invites and T-Shirts.
Build conversations.
Ask real questions.
Know the roster.
Know the depth chart.
Know your academic fit.
Know where you stand.
If you want to talk through a June game plan, where you are, what schools make sense, how to start those conversations — I’m here to HELP.
This season can change everything.
But only if you plan and attack it.
