July 1st marked the initial contact period for the class of 2016 athletes to be recruited. We reached out to some of our top 2015 standouts to get their take on the process and offer advice. University of Tennessee signee Ari Cogdell talks about what he went through and his first weeks in Knoxville!
When did coaches first start reaching out to you and how did you manage that?
Coaches started reaching out to me as soon as July 1st hit. I remember the first school that called me was Texas Christian University. Side Note, just because a school calls you first doesn't mean that is the school meant for you. It means you're top priority of their recruiting board and they are willing to give you a lot of scholarship money, but I'll speak of that later. I managed the coaches calls one by one. It gets overwhelming as a lot of coaches contacting you at such a high frequency and you're trying to enjoy your summer, but being wanted is always a good thing so business is meant to be handled. A majority of the coaches will talk the same game to you. Also, if the calls will get overwhelming and interfering with your time you can politely ask the coaches to call another time as they would completely understand where they know a lot of coaches will be calling you.
Did you have an official visit? How did it work and what was it like?
Yes, I maxed out all of my official visits to Florida, Tennessee, Mississippi State, Kansas State, and Texas Tech. The official visit process first works by scheduling a visit with the school. When the day comes you would either fly or if you drive the school will refund you in gas money. The first people you would meet is the coach and your host. Then you will have an itinerary to follow through where you meet the athletic trainer, the head & other event coaches, the team, the athletic director, the strength & conditioning coach, and nutritionist. It will be a busy day as you complete your schedule and you chill with the team until they take you to the football game. Your host will usually take you around the city to get you familiar and take you somewhere with the team. On my visits we went to the movies, went bowling, and paintballing.
What did you look for in schools when you narrowed your options down?
As you are being recruited you should create a list checklist in things you look for in a school you would want to go to. Throughout all my visits I listed things of pros and cons of the university and compare altogether at the end. Essentially wherever you feel at "home" and all the resources they have will benefit you to get your college degree and excel in your event that will most likely be the school for you. Also, do not be afraid to ask a lot of questions when you're on your visits because you want to seem interested and engaged. A coach once told me that It didn't seem like i was interested in the school so he stopped calling me. SHOW INTEREST.
What ultimately made you decide on your college?
I looked at the rich history that the University of Tennessee had and it's safe to say they were if not the top they were the top few organizations in the country from the 90s and early 2000s on the mens side. As they made changes and new top & highly accredited coaches with great resumes got hired here I saw a vision on the turn around of a once powerhouse school. That's something I want to be apart of. Top schools in the country like Texas A&M, Florida, LSU, Oregon etc. when you go there you're just going to be another fast track athlete bred from a powerhouse. You will feel more worthy at a school and nationwide going through adversity and a team as a whole having a breakthrough season and hanging up with the big schools. In a nutshell, I saw a bright light at the end of the tunnel. There were new great coaches, the team had great chemistry, the school switched over to Nike, I felt that the training they had for me was similar to my high school training which worked perfectly for me, and built a relationship with the coaches.
Looking back on your recruiting experience, do you have any tips for those athletes who will be recruited in the future?
As I was going through my recruiting experience my high school coach, the famous Coach Knowles told me "Go where you are celebrated, not tolerated" he would preach this to me everyday and I'm here to transfer the message. Also DON'T PUT ALL YOUR EGGS IN ONE BASKET! Lastly, make sure the coaches that are recruiting you, that there word is bond, and when they offer you verbally pay attention to the black & white documents, because that's what matters.
I started my summer classes three weeks ago at the University of Tennessee. You will have to learn how to manage your time in college as you have lengthy schedules everyday. I can say the first week was the busiest week ever, but once you get the hang of things it gets better. Don't be overwhelmed by everything because there are a lot of resources & everything you need at the Student-Athlete Development Center. Also, handle your leisure time wisely and be aware of your surroundings. Another thing is don't procrastinate, it's not high school there is a much rigorous work load.
