The college football world most of us grew up in no longer exists.

Recruiting has always been the lifeblood for any program looking to have legitimate success, but this day & age is as cut throat as it's ever been. if you're not committed to the process 24/7, 365, odds are there are other teams that are going to poach the talent you want.

Such is the life of a college football coach and recruiter. This time of year with spring ball over, graduations taking place and no "real" football on deck until July, you would think that coaching staffs or recruiting directors take a little time for some family or just to unwind.

They do, but not nearly as much as you think.

On Tuesday, I swung over to Alumni Stadium to catch up with Director of Football Recruiting Jason Tudryn, who is still pretty much living in his office despite this being the one portion of the calendar with the most down time there is in a college football calendar. While Tudryn can't be on the road, the other coaches most certainly are.

The recruiting scene has certainly changed over the years, but the importance of this time of year has not. Particularly, the relationship building.

"It hasn't changed a ton," Tudryn said. "What's changed a lot is the amount of people you have to go through in a kid's life. A lot of kids are playing AAU, 7-on-7, all that stuff, so, that wasn't really a thing (when I first started), but high school coaches are still really important."

One of the main things Tudryn has noticed is the amount of talent that's out there now. If you look back 20-25 years, the "five-star" system wasn't nearly as packed with elite talent as it is now, something that makes life easier and harder, depending on how you look at it.

"There's so much more talent now," he said. "Kids are camping, training, have private trainers. You've really got to dig and find out about guys because there's just so many more of them, but there's also a lot of people in their circles as well."

No matter who is scouting what region, the staff is always in constant communication with each other trying to make sure all bases are covered.

"Everyone has a plan when they go out," Tudryn explained. "Probably 90% of the kids we're going to see are kids we've already evaluated going back, maybe even a season or two. We've got a small team of guys that are constantly grinding through film and then coaches are doing the same in their areas and in their position groups. So, you've got a target of guys you're going out to see and you can report back. Stuff will come up like, 'oh, he's actually 6'4" instead of 6'3"' and stuff like that."

Then, there are those diamonds in the rough that often turn up this time of year as well. That's what makes this time of year so crucial for the future of any program.

"Sometimes, you'll bump into a school and you didn't know about a kid, because he transferred schools or whatever it may be, and then you're watching and say 'wow, where has he been?' It's all part of the process."