For elite prospects around the country, the college recruiting process can start earlier than you even expect.
There are many talented student-athletes all across the country, but only about 1.3% of them receive full-ride scholarships to the Division I college of their choice.
Locally, there are some student-athletes who will have their pick of the bunch due to some factors out of their control, such as genetics, but also the elite talent level they possess.
Spring Gove's Laila Campbell and Trinity's Messiah Mickens are two of them. Both have racked up multiple Division I offers.
In Campbell's case, she is the two-time state track and field champion, along with a New Balance National Championship.
On the other hand, Mickens is a 6-foot, 225-pound freshman who dominated on the football field. It's easy to see why some things are just meant to be.
"It’s the DNA that is in you," said Trinity Head Coach Jordan Hill. "Then it is the work that you put in and the mindset that you have, especially for our guy being so young. Having that right mindset shows a lot of maturity and what you want to do is hone those skills and get better."
Mickens has seen his recruitment skyrocket after his freshman season with offers from schools such as Penn State and Michigan State.
Campbell is one of the best sprinters in the country, and her choices involve SEC, PAC 12 and ACC schools as well.
"Kentucky was the first top-tier track school to bring us on an official visit," said Spring Grove Head Coach and Laila's father Brian Campbell. "Once that visit got out there on social media, then the floodgates opened. Social media and exposure played a huge role, so once you get that first visit from a big program, they are going to come in and they are going to come in fast."
Do not let the stars' recruiting process get you down. These two are just a few examples of the best of the best there is to offer. For some sports, size, height and weight really matter for getting recruited.
"It's simple: size matters," said recruiting professional Rick Wire. "For football, volleyball and basketball, size matters. In some sports, it's time, speed, distance—like track and swimming."
The final part of this series will look at the importance of not getting caught up with only Division I options and why schools on the lower level are just as competitive academically and athletically if you want to play collegiate sports.