Recruiting guide
All-State vs All-Conference in recruiting
Benchmarks verified September 16, 2026. Every number names its source. Free, no account, nothing gated.
Honors are the other half of a recruiting profile, next to measurables. The mapping from honor to division is published, and it is consistent across positions.
NCSA's honors ladder
| Division | Published standard |
|---|---|
| D1 FBS / FCS | Multiple years competing at the All-State level |
| D2 | Multiple years competing at the All-Conference level |
| D3 / NAIA | At or just below All-Conference; starting experience often substitutes for honors |
Source: ncsasports.org football recruiting guidelines. The ladder holds across QB, RB, WR, TE, OL, DL, LB, K and P; at FBS, tight ends and receivers add "in some cases, the All-American level."
The three things this explains
One: All-Conference is a D2 honor, not a consolation prize — a two-year All-Conference player is on the D2 board by NCSA's own ladder. Two: All-State is the D1 marker, and one year of it does not equal the ladder's "multiple years." Three: at D3 and NAIA, NCSA folds the two divisions into a single tier where starting experience replaces honors — a two-year starter with no awards still reads as a D3/NAIA recruit.
Lance O's Recruiting Network groups D1 FCS, D2, D3, NAIA and JUCO into one bracket for most positions, which is a reminder that these are guidelines for a first sort, not a ceiling on any one player.
Source: lanceosrecruitingnetwork.com team benchmarks.
What a coach sees in the honor itself
All-State and All-Conference lists are named and archived — a coach can check one in a search. An honor on a profile that cannot be found in a list is worse than no honor. Name the team, the year and the selecting body exactly as the list names them.