How many players to to start recruiting each season?

[StormJH1]

Quote: Originally Posted by ghettoqball

I used to think filling up the board was the way to go, but I'm starting to fall in with the camp that thinks keeping the board small (for the x2 bonus) is the way to go. I started off with a 3 star school, so I couldn't compete with the big schools, and I only landed a few 4 stars and then mostly 3 stars. Now I have a 4 star school, and I had a chance at landing quite a few better players, and I missed out on most of them. I think the x2 bonus would have landed me a couple more of the big guys I was targeting. This is what I think... you can sign MORE prospects if you fill up your board, but you have a chance at BETTER prospects if you keep the board small and just go after the guys you want the most.

Can you explain this? Why does filling up your board prevent you from getting the x2 bonus? I thought I had seen that even though I'm always filled up to 35?

I thought that the prevailing view was that the "smaller board" approach was a myth, and that you basically get free recruiting points just for putting guys on the tail end of your board. In other words, you're wasting free recruiting points by using an abbreviated board (unless there's some proven reason why having fewer recruits gets you MORE points).

[Pogo27]

Quote: Originally Posted by StormJH1

Can you explain this? Why does filling up your board prevent you from getting the x2 bonus? I thought I had seen that even though I'm always filled up to 35? I thought that the prevailing view was that the "smaller board" approach was a myth, and that you basically get free recruiting points just for putting guys on the tail end of your board. In other words, you're wasting free recruiting points by using an abbreviated board (unless there's some proven reason why having fewer recruits gets you MORE points).

It seems like you're going to get the same amount of recruits with x2 every week. If you have a shorter board, it's more likely that the x2 will be dropped on to one of the recruits you're focusing on, but with a full board, these may be dropped on guys you don't even call.

With a board of just 10 recruits, I think I've had as many as 6 x2s in a week. Maybe more.

[Pull n Pray]

When it happens, three recruits get it. No more, no less. But if you only have 10 recruits on your board, then it is guaranteed that all 3 x2 bonuses go to recruits that you will be spending 1 hour with. If you have 35 players on your board, then there is a good chance the x3 bonus will goto players don't call at all.

[ghettoqball]

Quote: Originally Posted by StormJH1

Can you explain this? Why does filling up your board prevent you from getting the x2 bonus? I thought I had seen that even though I'm always filled up to 35? I thought that the prevailing view was that the "smaller board" approach was a myth, and that you basically get free recruiting points just for putting guys on the tail end of your board. In other words, you're wasting free recruiting points by using an abbreviated board (unless there's some proven reason why having fewer recruits gets you MORE points).

pretty much what pogo27 and pull n pray said. When you see one guy has the x2 thing, it means that there are two others on the board who also have it in the same week. If you have your board full, there is a good chance that it might be with someone who you don't call. I'm using Michigan State, and in my second season I'm a 4* school. I'm competing for a lot of prospects with schools like Michigan, Ohio State, and Notre Dame, and needless to say... I'm losing a lot of them. If I could have gotten more of those x2 bonuses, I'm sure I would have landed a few more of the high prospects I was going for. I just barely missed out on the only two 5* prospects that were interested in me (lost one to michigan, one to Notre Dame). If I would have gotten a x2 bonus on either one at the right time, I would have landed them.

I don't think anyone knows FOR SURE which way is better, but I'm beginning to lean towards the keeping the board small approach.

[Artof_War]

Quote: Originally Posted by Pull n Pray

I like to schedule my visits pretty early (like week 6 or 7). Even still, I occasionally have seen schools take my recruits away by scheduling week 4 visits. If possible, I try to save my scholarship offer for when I am stuck on a bad topic and have no more topic changes left (just like I do with my promises). But I like to have made the scholarship offer by the time he visits (could get a committ). And while you generally should only use promises when you have no more topic changes left for the call, the last thing you want is for a recruit to committ to another school while you are still sitting on a promise you could have made. When it gets to crunch time, through everything you have at him. During the offseason, don't bother finding a recruits interest in a pitch (which I always do first during the regular season). There just isn't enough time to bother with that. You need to get up on his list to even have the opportunity to schedule a visit with him. Once, you have a visit scheduled, then you can use the "find interest" to prepare for the visit. Or just write down the scores you get when you blindly hard sell a pitch and choose your visit topics based on that. But writing stuff down is a pain in the ***. I know it would help, but I don't actually do it. I just try to remember the scores if I can.

Thanks man. Your posts are like a quick recruiting How-To. Very helpful.

[Pull n Pray]

You're welcome

[canes21]

I like to usually just add 15-20 recruits to my board. I like to in their top 3 too. With Miami I will sometimes go after guys I am 7th on because I can sometimes land them, but in my Buffalo dynasty I have 23 recruits on my board and I am in the top 3 for each one with over half I am number one on.

I usually try and find recruits I need. If I have 3 JRs and 2 SRs at a position, I will recruit some players in that spot even if the game tells me not to. That way I can get some young talent in there by the time the JRs are all graduated. I also like to recruit in positions I am weak in.

Even though I may have 5 WR's, the best one may only be a 71, so I want to improve that position and try and find a good few recruits that I have a chance to land and improve my squad.

Once my board is made up of my choice recruits I reorder it by interest. Then when it comes to calling recruits, I like to spend the same time with every recruit. I usually don't offer scholarships unless I am their number one or I am in desperate need of points= on that particular recruit. I also don't schedule visits until I am in their top 3 or if I need the points badly to still stand a chance.

This method has helped me get a handful of 5 stars in 3 weeks with Miami. With Buffalo I already have 3 2 stars committed to me through 3 weeks.

[Artof_War]

Quote: Originally Posted by Pogo27

Can't ignore needs. Some years, you may have a lot of needs, in which case it's important to target a lot of players. In other seasons, you may only have one or two listed needs. In the case where you have far fewer needs, it's best to target fewer, but BETTER recruits. When you're playing as a good school, it's easier to get great recruits every year. But when you're playing as a smaller school, in these years with fewer needs, you can really focus on getting some top recruits that will really improve your program. You can spend 1 full hour a week on 10 recruits above the average quality of the players on your program.

Good point.