Most high school football players dream of playing at the next level, but the transition between high school and college life can be challenging for incoming freshman athletes. Balancing school, football, and the college lifestyle can catch you off guard if you don’t know what to expect. We want to give you some information so you can be prepared for the next level. We’ve surveyed hundreds of college coaches from all divisions in order to understand what the life of a college football player is like at their school.
If you are an incoming freshman student athlete, CONGRATULATIONS! You are part of the top 7% of all high school seniors playing varsity football. On average, D1 schools bring in between 20-30 freshmen, while D2 schools bring 30-40. At a D3 school there will be 40-80 incoming freshmen on your team. You will most likely be joining a roster of between 80 and 120 players at D1 or D3 schools, and between 100 and 140 players at a D2/NAIA school. That shows that many D3 schools have high attrition rates, with less than 50% returning for their sophomore year.