Rivals' Midwest recruiting analyst Josh Helmholdt breaks down the college football recruiting process in his just-completed Recruiting 101 series.

Helmholdt, who has been covering recruiting since 2003, offers an inside look at both the basics and more advanced topics associated with how college programs recruit and sign prospects. It's a must-read for those who are new to the recruiting process, to those have been following it for years.

Here is Helmholdt's six-part series:

The calendar

The offer

The commitment

The rankings, part 1

The rankings, part 2

The signing periods