You’re a DB Going To Rivals Camp This Week – What Do You Do?

It’s springtime, and that means camp season. One of the biggest stops in the offseason is the Rivals Camp Series, which travels across the country hunting for the top high school talent. If you are a defensive back attending one of these for the first time, the pressure of your performance and what it means for your future can be overwhelming. This article will help you prepare and keep things in perspective.

The Weekend Structure

The Rivals event consists of two parts: the Combine on Saturday and the Invite-Only Camp on Sunday. If you did not receive an invite but really want to participate, Saturday’s Combine is your shot. However, be aware that you must be exceptional at the Combine to earn that Sunday invite.

What happens at the Combine? Since it is a true combine, you will perform drills that test your speed, agility, and explosiveness:

• 40-Yard Dash
• Short Shuttle (5-10-5)
• L-Cone (3-Cone Drill)
• Vertical Jump
• Broad Jump

These results are attached to your profile for college football coaches and fans to see. If you know you don’t excel in these areas, you are better off not attending unless you simply want to see where you stand. Beware: poor results—especially in the 40—can follow you for the rest of your high school career. If you are unhappy with your results, you can request to have them removed within a 48-hour period. More information on this can be found on the Rivals Combine Series website.

From my perspective, if you aren’t running a 4.7 or below in the 40-yard dash, it’s best not to have it on your profile—and a 4.7 is already pushing it.

How do you prepare? If the Combine is this week, there isn’t much “training” left to do. Your best option is to be well-rested. Review your technique for these drills, but keep the volume low. Well-rested legs are your biggest asset. If you have not been exposed to these drills before, chances are you won’t test well—these drills are highly technical.

A Dose of Reality: If you show up to the Combine and you are exceptionally tall (6’1″+) with good size (180 lbs+), and you weren’t previously on their radar, there is a chance you can earn an invite by testing moderately well. If you blow them away with a sub-4.5 forty and a 35-inch+ vertical, you will definitely catch their eye. Go there with zero expectations other than to compete and find out where you are physically.

If You Have Been Invited to the Camp

The Sunday Camp focuses more on football-related activities. This includes individual defensive back drills, 1-on-1s against wide receivers, and 7-on-7 work.

By now, you should have been exposed to DB techniques and have an understanding of coverages. If you have been fortunate enough to train with me, you should have a firm grasp of the basics. This will allow you to stand out in individual drills, provided you observe the Camp Etiquette I constantly preach:

• Hustle out when it’s your turn for a drill.
• Jog back to the end of the line when your rep is finished.
• Make eye contact with the coach when he is speaking to the group or to you directly.
• Pay attention to the drills while others are performing them and take mental notes.

Try to be at the front of the line. Coaches remember the first guy. Be vocal with your encouragement and show leadership. If speaking up isn’t your thing, lead by example and ENERGY! With 300 athletes on the field, “looking the part” is half the battle.

Competition Period When it’s time to compete, approach it with confidence. If you’ve trained in our system, you know how to play both off-man and press-man. Being able to play high-level off-man will turn a coach’s head because most high school DBs simply don’t know how.

Pay close attention when coverages are explained for the 7-on-7 portion. Nothing will get you “canceled” faster than being the guy who doesn’t know his assignment. Lock in and focus.

Finally, you impress no one by hanging out in the back of the line. GET YOUR REPS. You don’t want to hear your parents yelling from the stands because you were too scared to compete. A bad camp doesn’t mean you won’t get recruited; it just means you have more work to do. Conversely, a great camp doesn’t mean that Mario Cristobal or Ryan Day will inbox you on Monday. It just means you are on the right path. Keep working.