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Rivals Camp Series: Frequently Asked Questions

Who attends Rivals Camp Series events (including the Quarterback Challenge)?

Rivals Camps Presented by Under Armour are a series of regional camps for elite athletes. Invitations are sent to college football prospects with FBS offers, or players who are the cusp of receiving one. Rivals Camps are geared toward current juniors but sophomores and freshmen are eligible. Top performers could qualify for a spot in the Rivals Five-Star Challenge, an annual event that has been held at NFL stadiums such as Chicago's Soldier Field and Baltimore's M&T Bank Stadium. Rivals Camp events are limited up to the top 175 players in that region. Camp capacity is 180 players, while capacity at QB Challenges is 80. Walk-ups are not guaranteed a spot.

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What is the cost to attend a Rivals Camp Series event?

All Rivals events are free to participants. There is no registration or participation fee. However, prospects will have to provide their own transportation to and from camps. All player costs (airfare, hotel, food and beverage) are covered at the Rivals Five-Star Challenge Presented by Under Armour.

How can a player register for a Rivals Camp?

Coaches who would like to nominate a player can send information as well as a video link to RivalsFootballCamps@yahoo.com. Any player interested in nominating himself can also send information to RivalsFootballCamps@yahoo.com.

What happens at a Rivals Camp?

Players will have their photo taken and do media interviews. After a dynamic warmup, players will participate in position specific drills (QBs, RBs, WR/TEs, OLs, DLs, LBs and DBs) with highly qualified and experienced coaches to work on football skills and techniques and then do one-on-ones. The one-on-ones are the highlight of the camp where WRs will go against DBs, RBs square off with LBs and OLs battle DLs. QBs will alternate throwing to WRs and RBs at different times. Camps will run from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

What happens at a Rivals Quarterback Challenge?

The first part of the Quarterback Challenge will focus on coaching. Quarterbacks will receive instruction to help improve their technique, and will get the opportunity to demonstrate their skill levels in accuracy, velocity, ability to throw on the run and downfield vision. The challenge will also include an accuracy competition with quarterbacks throwing to targets all over the field under the direction of the coaches. The four winners of the Quarterback Challenge -- along with eight others from across all four challenges -- will win a trip to compete in the finals of the Rivals Quarterback Challenge. Quarterback Challenges will run from 9 a.m. until early afternoon.

What are the player benefits for attending a camp?

Players participating in the Rivals Camp Series Presented by Under Armour will be given the chance to earn national exposure from Rivals.com by competing against the best. Video and action photos will be taken, players will be evaluated by numerous Rivals.com analysts at each event, and athletes will learn more about what it takes to compete at the highest level and gauge their current abilities against others at the same position.

What should players bring to the Rivals Camp?

Players participating in the Rivals Camp Series Presented by Under Armour will need to bring a pair of cleats, a mouth guard and, just in case, a pair of extra socks. Under Armour will be providing shorts, a compression and other products. Hydration and recovery products will be provided by Gatorade. Players are encouraged to eat a healthy breakfast before participating in the Rivals Camp. Check out the latest football cleats from Under Armour.

Who are the coaches at the camp?

Al Luginbill, the former San Diego State head coach, supervises and selects coaches for the camps. Luginbill has coached at the college and professional level and will use his contacts and connections to bring in the finest and most respected coaches in the industry. Position coaches at Rivals camps are former NFL and college coaches. Position coaches are assisted by high school coaches and former NFL players from the surrounding area.

If a player is already being recruited, should he still attend the camp?

Yes. The Rivals Camp Series Presented by Under Armour is a tremendous way to attract attention of schools from the around the country who will be reading articles and watching video on Rivals.com. The camp also is a great way to be coached and taught by some of the best, improve your technique and compete against top players from your area. Players might qualify to earn a spot in our prestigious national camp and show our analysts and college coaches around the country that they are a competitor.

What level of competition should a player expect a camp?

Players at the Rivals Camp Series Presented by Under Armour should expect to go against the very best in their region. Rivals.com is the biggest and best recruiting website in the country and top prospects are always trying to improve their ranking as well as their stock with college recruiters. Colleges cannot attend camps in person -- per NCAA rules -- so they view the action through the stories and lists written by our analysts, and by the video shot by our team. The best of the best will be attending these events.

Would a poor performance at a camp hurt my ability to be recruited?

A poor performance at the Rivals Camp Series Presented by Under Armour will not hurt your ability to be recruited as our team of writers focus on the top performers at each event and don't call out poor performers. However, we provide no promises when it comes to our national rankings and we expect some players to raise their stock with our analysts while the stock of others could drop. However, the teaching a player receives at the camp and the opportunity to gauge his current skill set against the very best is what makes these camps invaluable. We have a saying in the camp business, "You can't get better sitting at home." -- and we expect the best of the best to want to prove they belong in that select company.

Will attending a camp potentially help my ability to be recruited?

A good performance at the Rivals Camp Series Presented by Under Armour can certainly help your ability to be recruited as colleges pay attention to top performer lists as well as video from the events. We have seen interest from colleges increase dramatically for prospects that do well at camps like ours. Once again however, we provide no promises when it comes to our national rankings and we expect some players to raise their stock with our analysts while the stock of others could drop.

Does attending a camp potentially help get me an invite to the exclusive Rivals Five-Star Challenge?

Yes, as mentioned above, top performers can qualify for a spot in the Rivals Five-Star Challenge Presented by Under Armour. Regional camps are one of the best ways to prove that you belong at this prestigious national event.

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