Recruiting Confidential issue on newsstands Friday, January 28.

The focus on high school recruiting is at an all-time high. So what is it like to be the most sought-after football player in the country? In ESPN The Magazine’s Recruiting Confidential issue, South Pointe (S.C.) High’s defensive end Jadeveon Clowney and 24 other top preps from 1986 to present weigh in on what it truly means to be the nation’s No. 1 high school football recruit, in “25 x 1.” Some of the highlights:

–  Jadeveon Clowney (2011): “At first, it’s a big thrill when coaches like Nick Saban and Steve Spurrier call. But by the middle of the year, that feeling wore off. Now I just let the calls go to voicemail. What else can they tell me? I would say, though, that Alabama and South Carolina have done the best job of recruiting me.”

–  Ted Ginn Jr. (2004): “I cherished all of that stuff—the games, traveling all over the place. It’s something most kids don’t ever get to experience.

–  Tim Couch (1996): “I learned that coaches will tell you a lot of stuff to get you to sign, but once they have you on campus, they’ve got you. That’s why you can’t make decisions based on what they’re saying.”

       –  Amani Toomer (1992): “Being a top recruit is both a gift and a curse. On the plus side, you get more opportunities than an ordinary recruit to play right away. But upperclassmen were a little jealous because I was getting more attention.”

       –  Ricky Watters (1987): “I almost lost my mind. Everyone started treating me differently. Restaurants I couldn’t afford were throwing free food at me… Boosters were offering me cars.”

Cover

Also in the Recruiting Confidential issue: the results of The Mag’s recruiting survey—answered by 50 elite football prospects—on everything from the charm of hostesses to playing for pay. And… In “Unhealthy Climate,” The Mag writers Luke Cyphers and Kate Fagan investigate the veiled homophobic language some women’s college hoops coaches allegedly use to sway recruits from going to certain schools.

Recruiting Confidential Issue Features:

Get Your Fax Straight

Amazingly, a dubious office relic still plays a crucial role in college football recruiting. By Kevin Collier

Force Out

College baseball coaches divide fewer than 12 scholarships among 27 players. That’s some tough accounting. By Jeff Bradley

Fortress of Aptitude

A nondescript, gray warehouse outside downtown Indianapolis might be the most powerful place in college sports. By Seth Wickersham

Looking Good in those Genes

Sports prowess runs in these six families. As told to Stacey Pressman

In the Year 2014…

Forget 2011. We’re already handing out the Heisman, Lombardi, Outland and more to the class of ’14.

The File

After getting our hands on a letter of intent, we’re ready to sign off on a notorious document in college sports. By Shaun Assael

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Media contact: Rob Tobias, 860-766-2240