I know that mlb scouts value projectability a lot, but how much do college coaches value projectability? Does it vary for d1 d2 d3 juco?
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College project ability is more about what the kid can be next year or the year after rather than the more long term outlook of the pros. For both my kids project ability was about adding weight that's all muscle. My son was 6', 160 junior year of high school. By second year of college he was 6'2", 195. My daughter went from 5'10", 140 to 155. One coach projected her at 175. The comment she made afterwards can't be repeated here. It had something to do with shaving her head and using the male version of her name.
I agree that Colleges look at future growth in a much smaller window, as they need quicker ROI. My 2017 is 6' 3 but a shredded 160 lbs on a good day. Long legs and arms but needs to add more muscle. Hit 88 this summer and with more physical maturity should hit 90+ next summer.
Top D1 programs recruit for kids who can contribute right away. The lower level the program (in all divisions) the more "projectability" is probably taken into account. D3's tend to get more underdeveloped kids as they don't have roster limits and can afford to allow for kid to develop.