The State Of College Recruiting

​Findings:
TBR surveyed 120 D1, D2, D3, JUCO, and NAIA Coaches on the current state of college recruiting. 27.5% of colleges started offering 2026 kids in the Fall of 2024.  93.9% of the colleges offering 2026 in the Fall are D1 colleges. 65% of colleges have not completed their 2025 class yet. 92.8% that have completed the 2025 class are D1 colleges. Academic results, the transfer portal, and the current season had the biggest impacts on recruiting 2026 students-athletes. From this we conclude that the majority of college coaches are waiting until SAT/ACTs are complete and their season is finished until they begin exploring 2026s and the transfer portal. The transfer portal and academic results will have a profound domino effect and impact on ALL colleges. Finally, the college coaches noted the best way to get seen is through travel baseball tournaments, HS baseball games, and Camps.  A combination of all these tools seems to be common. 

RESULTS

We asked in order of importance with 1 being not very important and 5 being the most important, what is having an impact on recruiting 2026 kids. Each response with a mean AND median of over 3 matters to coaches. Anything below is likely of little relevance. 

70% of College coaches believe this is the new normal:

Straight From The Coaches Mouth…
Here are 10 answers from coaches on the open-ended question of the survey.
What are your thoughts on the recruiting environment and what it will look like for future classes?
Coach 1 Division 2: We have no idea and anyone that tells you they do are lying. You have to just be honest with families and coaches. Tell them this is the way it is today and could change.
Coach 2 JUCO: I hope it that it would stabilize for all parties involved.
Coach 3 JUCO: HS recruiting will be limited for the underdeveloped, under-sized players who want to go play mid-major baseball. Mid-major programs will continue to find their players through the portal and juco ranks. The upper tier guys and the guys who are willing to go NAIA/D2/D3 will find a school. The 165 lbs HS player who throws 85/86 is not a D1 recruit in 2025/2026.
Coach 4 Division 2: A lot more is strictly becoming analytically based and will only continue to do so. Social Media will enlarge presence program and institutionally.
Coach 5 JUCO: There is little to no room in d1 rosters so hs kids get squeezed big time unless elite, JUCO especially if it doesn't count, is a big big route then the best jucos w development piece will be a huge part
Coach 6 D1: High end HS players will be unaffected. It’s the second tier and below that will be impacted. Less opportunity at the opt-in schools. More of a need for young players to find the right fit and all need to consider that they aren’t attending a school for four years and that transferring might need to be a part of their end game if they want to play D1. I.E. play D3 or D2, go D1. Play at a mid major to get to a P4, etc.
Coach 7 D1: Little high school, all jc portal
Coach 8 D1: There will likely be more quality players available to us as a high academic low scholarship team
Coach 9 NAIA: An abundance of high school age kids have unrealistic expectations regarding the level of opportunity playing at the next level, parents and players to often prioritizing a D1 offer/opportunity rather than the best fit and best interest for the player and their skill level. Opportunities are limited when coaches can fill a need with experienced more mature player and see little need to take a chance on a potential one dimensional high school experienced player
Coach 10 D1: Everyone wants to be older, so I think more schools are going to recruit juco and portal more than HS/Travel ball games.

TBR would like to thank all the college coaches that participated in the survey!