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June 26, 2026 · 7 min read

What Should Be in a College Recruiting Profile (Coach-Approved Checklist)

Your recruiting profile is the first thing — sometimes the only thing — a college coach will look at. The goal isn't to impress with design. The goal is to give a coach everything they need to evaluate you in under 60 seconds.

Here's the exact checklist, based on what college coaches across multiple sports actually use to decide whether to keep watching. (For the evaluation lens behind the checklist, see what college coaches look for in recruits.)

The non-negotiables (top of profile)

Full name, graduation year, position or event, height and weight (current, dated), GPA (unweighted), test scores, club/high school team, and head coach contact info. This block goes at the top, scannable in two seconds.

If a coach has to scroll to find your grad year, you've already lost half your audience.

Verified measurables

Sport-specific stats that matter for evaluation — vertical jump, 40 time, mile time, PRs, stat lines, ratings. Every number should be paired with the source: combine, sanctioned meet, official competition, verified test.

Self-reported numbers without a source get discounted. A 12.0 lift recorded in your gym is not the same as a 12.0 lift at a national event. Coaches know the difference.

Video — short, fast, focused

Two videos: a 2–3 minute highlight reel with your best plays first, and at least one full game or competition link. No music intro, no slow motion graphics, no 30-second team logo.

Coaches watch the first 15 seconds. If your best play isn't there, they're done.

Academic info that matters

GPA (unweighted and weighted), SAT/ACT scores, intended major, AP/Honors classes, and class rank if it's strong. Academic fit is half the recruiting decision — coaches need to know you'll be admissible.

Competition schedule

An up-to-date list of upcoming events, with location and date. Coaches plan their evaluation trips weeks in advance. A profile with no schedule is a profile they can't see live.

If your schedule changes, the profile updates automatically — that's where a live recruiting profile beats a PDF. A PDF goes stale the day you send it.

Coach contact info

Club coach, high school coach, and any positional coach a college coach might want to call. Phone and email for each. References are what convert interest into offers — coaches don't offer without talking to someone who can vouch for you.

What to leave out

Long personal statements about your dreams of playing college sports. Coaches assume that.

Generic 'character' descriptions ('hard worker, great teammate'). Every athlete writes that. Show it with how your coaches describe you in their reference.

Heavy design, stock photos, motivational quotes. They make the profile feel marketed instead of evaluated.

Outdated stats. A PR from sophomore year on a senior profile is worse than no PR at all.

Why a live profile beats a PDF

PDFs are snapshots. The moment you hit a new PR, win a tournament, or commit to a new club, your PDF is wrong — and you have no way to push the update to the 40 coaches you already emailed.

A profile link that you update once and that always shows current info is a structural advantage. Coaches see the latest stats, the latest video, the latest schedule, every time they click. That's what Playbook profiles are built to do.