What is a college recruiter actually looking for when evaluating high school athletes?

For Episode 28, we sat down with former college recruiter Paul Granados, who brings firsthand experience from the other side of the recruiting process.

Now coaching at Bishop O’Connell High School, Paul joined us to look back on his time in college recruiting and break down what athletes, parents and high school coaches need to understand about how recruiting really works.

In Episode 28, we talk about:

🔍 What college recruiters are actually evaluating

🎥 How recruiters find athletes and evaluate their film

📚 Why academics can open — or close — recruiting opportunities

🤝 The importance of relationships between college and high school coaches

📱 Communication and how athletes should approach recruiters

🏈 What separates recruitable athletes from talented football players

👨‍👩‍👦 What parents need to understand about the recruiting process

🎓 Finding the right college fit beyond the name on the jersey

🧠 Recruiting lessons Paul learned from sitting on the college side of the table

There’s a difference between knowing what you THINK recruiters want and hearing it from someone who actually did the job.

For athletes trying to reach the next level, parents navigating recruiting, and high school coaches helping their players get opportunities — this conversation gives you the perspective from the other side.

👇 If you could ask a former college recruiter ONE question, what would it be?

🎙️ Episode 28 of the LEVEL UP Podcast — available now on YouTube, Spotify & Apple Podcasts.

#HighSchoolFootball #FootballRecruiting #CollegeFootball #StudentAthlete #LEVELUPPodcast