In the weeks between the end of a school year and the beginning of summer football practices, college coaches often travel to football camps around the country to see recruits in action and to provide instruction.
On June 5, 2025, Olivet Nazarene University is set to host its first-ever football Mega Camp this summer under the direction of Head Football Coach Avante Mitchell. The event will welcome an elite football coaching staff from colleges all over the country to recruit and develop talented athletes.
“A Mega Camp has large numbers,” said Mitchell. “We’re looking to host 500 or more student athletes. We’ve got great fields, both our gameday field and practice fields, and excellent facilities to accommodate everyone.” 
Coach Mitchell and his staff have leveraged connections across all four power conferences, along with Notre Dame Football and others, to create an impressive roster of visiting coaches from multiple staffs. “We are expecting to have representation from coaches from the Big Ten, SEC and MAC. We’ve got some great Division II and NAIA colleges as well and expect to get commitments from other major Division I schools. We’re planning on 20 or more schools in attendance.”
The one-day event is open to students of all football positions in 8th through 12th grade. This comprehensive camp will offer participants instruction from elite coaches, combine-format testing such as broad jump and speed measurements and opportunities to showcase their talents in one-on-one positional competitions. Sports media in attendance will include 247 Sports, Prep Redzone and Rivals, giving student athletes the potential for exposure to college programs across the nation.
Mega Camp Format Opens Recruiting Opportunities to High School Athletes
Mega Camps are effective because they are mutually beneficial, both to athletes and coaches. Football programs can be limited by coaching staff size, travel budgets and a finite number of days to recruit. Mega camps give coaches the opportunity to view many athletes at once and build individual connections at the same time.
“As a coach, when you attend these camps,” Mitchell shared, “you get to see how coachable a young man is, their personality, how they compete. It’s a one-on-one opportunity to get to know that student. It might be the first time you connect with a student and he performs well and catches your eye, so it could be the beginning of the recruitment process right there. On the other hand, it may be the point in the recruitment process where opportunities are secured. You may want to see a player on the field one more time and extend that offer to play collegiate football.”
“Most definitely there will be some offers extended at this camp” he emphasized.
While this summer marks the inaugural event, Mitchell plans to make the Mega Camp an annual tradition at Olivet Nazarene University.
“This is our inaugural year and a great time for student athletes to get out here and show out,” Mitchell stated.
For more information about ONU Football, visit onutigers.com. To register for the 2025 Avante Mitchell Mega Camp, click here.
