Recruiting guide
Bench press and vertical jump for recruits
Benchmarks verified September 16, 2026. Every number names its source. Free, no account, nothing gated.
Straight answer first: no major recruiting publisher publishes 185-pound bench rep standards or vertical jump minimums for recruits. We checked the main guideline pages — NCSA's football recruiting guidelines, Go Big Recruiting's position boards, The Kicking Coach's benchmarks. None of them list rep counts or a jump number. If a site quotes you "you need 15 reps at 185 for D1," it is not sourced.
What is published: absolute strength numbers
Lance O's Recruiting Network publishes absolute-pound strength benchmarks by position:
| Position | Bench | Squat |
|---|---|---|
| D1 FBS offensive line, tight end | 300+ lbs | 450+ lbs |
| D1 FBS defensive line and other line positions | 350+ lbs | 500+ lbs |
Source: lanceosrecruitingnetwork.com team benchmarks. These are D1 FBS numbers for line positions — the top of the published range, not a general recruit standard.
What coaches actually weigh
The same sources that skip lifting numbers do publish the measurables that decide offers: height, weight and forty time, by division and position. Go Big Recruiting's boards and NCSA's honors guidelines cover those in full — see the D2 linebacker page for the pattern. Lifting numbers support a profile; they do not carry one. A coach who sees a 300-pound bench and a 4.9 forty reads the 4.9 first.
If your numbers are only in a gym log
Combine and camp numbers are the verifiable kind — run at a published event, on timing the coach trusts. A bench number you logged in the school weight room is the weakest claim on a profile. Put it in, listed as self-reported, and let the forty and the film carry the page.