Idris Solomon for The New York Times
In the hallway of his family’s apartment in Valley Stream, N.Y., last month, Noah Bodden overturned a large green trash bag, spilling out several pounds of recruiting letters.
The envelopes bore the insignia of many prominent college football programs across the country, like Louisiana State, Baylor, Oregon, Tennessee and Arizona State. Some included handwritten notes from coaches to Bodden, one of the most promising high school quarterbacks in the country.
“You will make our team better the first day you step on campus,” one coach wrote.
It was all very flattering for Bodden (the first syllable “Bo” rhymes with “snow”), especially considering the power and prestige behind the outreach from teams that regularly play on national television and have extravagant facilities.