When should recruiting process start?

As a scout, I'd say focus on development in freshman year but start building a target list. Sophomore year is when you can start reaching out to coaches.

NCAA rules changed recently. Coaches can't reach out until junior year, but you can contact them anytime. Start with camps at schools he's interested in.

We started "soft" recruiting sophomore year - just going to camps and making connections. Junior year is when it got serious.