Most European players learn how US recruiting works a year too late.
Tell me his grades, his age, his size and his level. I will tell you, in writing, which US divisions are realistic, when his eligibility clock opens, and what he should do this season.
The eligibility clock
Your clock opens at the earlier of your first full-time enrolment anywhere, or the academic year after your 19th birthday.1 Club football does not start it.
If you are planning a year at a German university first, read this twice.
Juco starts the clock. It never resets it.1
Plenty of families believe the opposite and plan two years around it. I went from junior college to Division I myself. For the right athlete it is a strong route, but it has to be part of a plan, not a fallback.
The NCAA Eligibility Center decides every individual case. The report tells you where you stand before you ask them.
What does next year do to his clock?
Move the slider to the plan he has after school.
Club football does not start the clock. The age trigger still applies: it opens in the academic year after his 19th birthday, whatever he is doing.
Division I rules, simplified.1 Not a ruling on any individual athlete.
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Take the free check
Ten minutes. Grades, date of birth, size, level and film. We convert his grades, check his clock and give a score out of 11: Green, Amber, Amber-Red or Red.
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Order the report if it helps
From $29. Which divisions fit, whether junior college makes sense for him, film guidance for his position and a 90-day plan. Delivered within 48 hours.
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Contact coaches with something real
With film, I watch his tape, break down his reps by timestamp and write a coach email off his own film. Not a template.
When does his clock open?
Enter his date of birth. This shows the latest point the age rule opens it. Enrolling full-time anywhere before then opens it sooner.
Approximate. Uses the 1 September cut-off for the age rule.1 The NCAA Eligibility Center makes the actual ruling.
If you are the parent, this part is for you.
You are the one paying, and the one who needs to be sure. These are the questions European families ask most, and the ones general US recruiting services were not built to answer.
- Is it already too late?
- In Division I the eligibility clock is now tied to age. A gap year, an extra school year or a semester at a home university can use up time nobody said was being spent. The free check shows where his clock stands today.
- Does his club season count against him?
- No. Club football in Europe does not start the clock. Junior college in the US does, and it never resets. Many families have this backwards.
- Will his grades count in America?
- European grades have to be converted, and the NCAA Eligibility Center is the only body that decides eligibility. In our scoring, the transcript counts as much as his size.3 German, French and Polish grades are converted in the check. Other systems are checked by hand.
- Is Division II the safer route?
- Not any more. Division II has adopted the same age-based model as Division I, starting with 2026-27 enrollees.2 Advice that treats D2 as a safe harbour is working from old rules.
- Are camps and showcases worth the money?
- They are worth far more once his film, grades and target list are in order. The report tells you what to have ready before you pay for travel.
- Who is actually telling us the truth?
- You get an honest read, including a Red result if that is where he stands. Atlantic Grid is independent and is not a placement service. No promises of a scholarship, and no one paid to send him anywhere.
“Honestly, it surprised me how fast I got the report and how much thought you put into it. It was really helpful, and showed me some aspects that I wasn't even aware of, like how to check for academic eligibility and the importance of an online presence on X. I've already updated my tape and profiles based on it.”
“That report is insane. I appreciate your work and time so much!”
“Thank you a lot for checking my highlights and sending back that report... The ready email just to copy it's a perfect idea, I'm thankful for it too.”
“Thank you so much for putting this report together. I really appreciate the time and effort you put into it. The feedback is super helpful, and I'm grateful that you took the time to do this for me.”
Built by someone who made the jump himself.
“Juco to Division I, then eight years as a pro in Europe. Atlantic Grid is the roadmap I never had.”
I understand US college recruiting not as an agency and not as a service, but as someone who has lived it on both sides of the Atlantic. I still coach defensive backs. Every report goes out with my name on it.
More about Robby- Junior collegeButte College
- Division ISacramento State
- Professional, EuropeEight years: GFL, Italy, ELF
- CoachingDefensive backs
What it costs
No agency fees. No $2,000 packages. Everything is $79 or less, because European families should not have to pay American agency prices for this information.
Eligibility checkScore out of 11 and a bandFree
- About 10 minutes, no card needed
- Grades, clock, size, film and level of play
- Green, Amber, Amber-Red or Red
Starter ReportThe full written assessment$29
- Full eligibility audit
- Division fit: D1, D2, D3 and NAIA
- Juco pathway analysis
- Film guidance for his position
- 90-day action plan
- Delivered in 48 hours
Report + CallRecommendedReport, film pages and a 30-minute call$49
- Everything in the Starter Report
- Recruiting profile card
- Film breakdown, his reps by timestamp
- Coach outreach email written off his film
- 30-minute call with Robby
- Game film required. Delivered within 48 hours of the film being confirmed watchable
Full SupportAll of the above, plus 30 days of email access$79
- Everything in Report + Call
- 30 days of direct email access to Robby
- He reviews coach emails before they are sent
- The plan is adjusted as coaches respond
- Game film required. Delivered within 48 hours of the film being confirmed watchable
Prices in USD. Full refund if you cancel before preparation starts. See Terms.
Your film, read properly.
Send your tape. I watch it and break down your technique rep by rep: what is working, what is costing you, and exactly how to fix it. Football only. No eligibility forms, no recruiting theory, just your game.
Contents of a film review
- Player snapshotWhat your tape says about you, calibrated honestly against your level
- What is workingYour real strengths, timestamped, plus the raw tools that project up
- Technical breakdownEvery core phase of your position graded, with the fix for each gap
- Development planDrills mapped to your actual flaws, each with the standard that tells you when you have it
- Your next cutHow to re-edit your film and what to capture in upcoming games
- Two-day turnaroundThe clock starts when your film is confirmed watchable, not at payment
Know where he stands before the season ends.
Notes
- NCAA Division I age-based eligibility model, adopted June 2026. The clock starts at initial full-time enrolment at any college, including junior college or an international institution, or under the age rule, whichever comes first. It runs continuously once started. Checked 15 October 2026.
- NCAA Division II emergency legislation, August 2026, effective 2026-27. First-time enrollees in 2026-27 may be evaluated under both models. Checked 15 October 2026.
- The Atlantic Grid score is out of 11: academics 3.0, size 3.0, eligibility clock 2.0, film 1.5, starting status and level of play 1.0, coach contact 0.5.