A college coach watching recruiting film is not a fan. They are looking for reasons to stop watching so they can get to the next one. Your player's video has to survive that.
The first thirty seconds
Put the best three or four clips first. Not the prettiest goal, the clips that show the qualities your player is being recruited for. If your player is a centre back, open with a duel won and a line-breaking pass, not a set-piece header.
Identify the player, always
A circle or arrow at the start of every clip, and a freeze frame on the first one. If a coach has to search the screen for your player, they will not.
Length
Three to five minutes. Anything longer says the player could not pick their best moments. Anything shorter says there were not enough of them.
What to leave out
Music. Slow motion. Montages. Clips against weak opposition. Clips where the quality of the pass to your player is the impressive part. Coaches see through all of it.
Why full-match film matters more
Highlight film opens the door. Full-match film gets the offer. Staffs want to see what your player does when they do not have the ball, how they respond after a mistake, and how they play in the last twenty minutes. Have at least two full matches available, against strong opposition, and be ready to send them the same day a coach asks.
The profile that goes with it
Film without a profile is a video with no context. Graduation year, position, height, club, GPA, test scores, coach contacts, and a link to the full matches. All on one page, in the format staffs are used to reading.
