Post-Grad Recruiting Decisions in the Transfer Portal Era
Post-grad recruiting is no longer about waiting to see what happens. In today’s transfer-portal era, hesitation can cost players real opportunities, and early offers are often more valuable than families realize.
We dug into this topic during a PREP Athletics Podcast conversation with George White, longtime college coach and founder of RecruitU, who has coached at the Division III, Division II, Division I, and NBA levels. His perspective matters because he sees the recruiting squeeze from both sides, and his decision model challenges how many families think about post-grad offers.
Early Offers in a Post-Grad Year: Why the Math Has Changed
Cory:
“So a lot of my clients that do a post-grad year want to play it out and see what offers they get. But sometimes they get offers right when they get there in September. What’s your advice in those situations?”
George:
“I think my decision model has changed in that regard because it’s harder and harder for high school kids these days in recruiting.”
George made it clear that the recruiting environment today is fundamentally different from even two or three years ago.
George:
“If they’re a senior and they get offered by a school that is one of their ideal matching schools, I would be an advocate of accepting the offer versus waiting it out because it’s just so competitive.”
He pointed to a major shift in how colleges recruit.
George:
“Colleges are holding out because they’re focused on recruiting transfers. If you do get an offer early in senior year from a school that’s a fit, I’m a big proponent of taking that.”
This is what the next level demands.
Commit Early or Wait? The Risk of Getting Squeezed
The biggest danger for post-grads who wait is timing.
George:
“You’re rolling the dice for sure. You’re taking a big risk of getting squeezed out because of the transfer issue.”
Cory expanded on what that looks like in real life for prep school players.
Cory:
“If you don’t commit early, now what happens in the prep school world is you’ve got to wait until after the transfer portal settles down in April or May. That’s late. That’s when people really feel the stress.”
By that point, many roster spots are already gone.
George:
“You can’t assume the spring is going to work out. That’s when you really get squeezed.”
How to Leverage an Offer Without Losing It
Games reward what you train every day.
Waiting does not mean doing nothing. George outlined how families should responsibly leverage an early offer.
George:
“That’s when you really have to leverage that offer.”
He gave a clear example of how to handle conversations with other schools.
George:
“You need to go to the other coach and say, ‘Where are you with me? Is this real? I’ve got this offer and I can’t sit on it. I need to know where you are.’”
This applies across the board.
George:
“And if they’re not committal, then I would be a proponent of moving on the offer.”
The key is clarity, not wishful thinking.
This is what playing through contact really looks like.
Why “Bird in Hand” Is Often the Smarter Play
George repeatedly came back to fit over upside.
George:
“That’s why it’s important to identify schools that best fit for you. Ideally, you’re getting an offer from a best-fit school, and that makes the decision much easier.”
He cautioned against committing with a transfer-first mindset.
George:
“I’m not an advocate of selecting a school with the mindset that you’ll just go there and transfer. I’m a big advocate of picking a school with a view to staying there for four years.”
Frequent transfers come with real academic risk.
George:
“We have kids now that have attended four or five schools. The problem with that is they’re probably not going to end up graduating.”
The Post-Grad Reality Families Need to Accept
You don’t rise like this without years of work below the rim.
George stressed that realism matters more than optimism in this environment.
George:
“The number of slots for high school and prep school athletes has contracted. You have to accept that reality and not fight it.”
He explained that even strong players are being pushed down levels.
George:
“Even mid-Division I level players are getting pushed down. You can’t fight that.”
This makes early offers from fit schools more valuable than ever.
Cory’s Closing Take: Choosing Certainty Over Stress
Post-grad recruiting decisions don’t have a single right answer, but they do require expert guidance and honest risk assessment. An early offer from the right school can remove enormous stress and give families clarity in an increasingly unstable system.
If you’re weighing a post-grad offer and unsure whether to commit or wait, reach out. These decisions are too important to navigate alone, and every situation deserves a personalized strategy.
If you’re looking into prep school, reach out to us at PREP Athletics. We’re here to help you explore your potential and make choices that align with your athletic and academic future. We’ve also got a long list of resources to get you started in the right direction, so check out our latest prep basketball updates on YouTube or our podcast to dive deeper.