Football Recruiting Advice for Long Snappers

Another series of articles that I am going to continue doing is breaking down the recruiting knowledge that I have for different positions in both basketball and football. While some may feel that recruiting is all the same, that is definitely not the case at all. The recruiting process for a quarterback, lineman, linebacker, or kicker is very different. That is why I plan on focusing on a variety of positions to help with basketball recruiting and football recruiting.

When talking about the long snapper position, this is not a spot that you will be seeing headlines in the newspaper unless something bad happens.  But it is an art that only a small amount of people can do.  You may not know their headlines but long snappers in the NFL are earning a lot of money and have extended careers in the pros as well.

The first thing that I must mention is that the majority of long snappers will likely be walking on and spending the majority of their college career not on a scholarship if they play at the Division I level.  But the doors that you can open if you can snap are amazing.  A few years back there was an athlete who only played special teams and snapped.  That ability ended up getting him a walk on spot at one of the top schools in the Big Ten.

College coaches hold camps for special team players during the summer and that is when most kicker, punters, and long snappers come and try to impress the coaches.  These camps are rarely talked about but they happen more often than you really think.  If you are hoping for an eventual walk on spot as a long snapper, you should try to get to at least a few of these camps.

The reason that it is so important to get to these camps is because the coaches need to see you in person to see your ability.  Film rarely ever does justice for special team athletes and the long snapper is part of that group.  As I have mentioned before, at the very least, try to get to one day of a few camps if possible.

When putting video together, I wouldn’t put all that much time into the process.  The reason, again, is because it is vital that the coaches want to see you in person.  While a coach of special team players can see a good snapper, they will want to see them in person if they are eventually serious about that athlete walking on.

So when doing the highlight video, just show your snaps throughout the season.  If you were an athlete and played another position, make sure to include it as well.  However, either include after the snaps or in a separate highlight reel.  College coaches do not want to be watching film forever so they need to get to the point quickly.

As far as recruiting goes, it will be different than at other positions.  College coaches are normally not storming the country looking for the best long snapper.  And at last count, I don’t recall Rivals or Scout ranking the best long snappers in the nation.

Being able to snap the ball takes a lot of skill.  You will not receive much attention but if you are good enough, you could be put on scholarship at the end of your college career.

Previous recruiting specific articles to look at:

• Football Recruiting Advice for Quarterbacks
• Football Recruiting Advice for Running Backs
• Football Recruiting Advice for Wide Receivers
• Football Recruiting Advice for Tight Ends
• Football Recruiting Advice for Offensive Linemen
• Football Recruiting Advice for Defensive Tackles
• Football Recruiting Advice for Defensive Ends
• Football Recruiting Advice for Linebackers
• Football Recruiting Advice for Defensive Backs
• Football Recruiting Advice for Safeties
• Football Recruiting Advice for Kickers/Punters
• Basketball Recruiting Advice for Point Guards
• Basketball Recruiting Advice for Shooting Guards
• Basketball Recruiting Advice for Small Forwards
• Basketball Recruiting Advice for Power Forwards
• Basketball Recruiting Advice for Centers
• Important Factors in Accepting an Athletic Scholarship: Location
• Important Factors in Accepting an Athletic Scholarship: Athletic Facilities
• Important Factors in Accepting an Athletic Scholarship: The Coaching Staff
• Important Factors in Accepting an Athletic Scholarship: Academics
• Important Factors in Accepting an Athletic Scholarship: Cost
• Important Factors in Accepting an Athletic Scholarship: Weather