Recruiting Interest

[rudyjuly2]

Is it possible to have a recruit become more interested in your program during off season recruiting even if you don't scout or recruit them? I'm only a B+ 4* program so I typically use the interested prospect list when I recruit as well as look at in state prospects. I will take a quick look early in week 1 at overall prospects to see if there are any top players out there where I may have a very full interest bar and a shot at recruiting but then I typically don't bother anymore.

However, in week 5 of my last recruiting session, I went through the overall list a saw a 5* FS that had me with almost a full bar of interest. It was too late to get him but I really could have used him and there is no way I would have missed that when I looked in week 1 (at least I hope so). Do other recruits start liking your program more as other teams lose interest? Do you guys always look at the overall recruit list after every week?

[mcpheje]

It's pretty interesting to think that the game may be smart enough to have the recruits re-assess their interests on their own maybe based on which teams either do or don't show interest, teams that their interested in signing other players at their position, or the fact that a team that they had marginal interest in becoming more attractive because they don't have a quality player at their position and aren't pursuing any.

I've never noticed any proof for this cause I pick the players I'm going after in week 1, maybe re-assess in week 2, and will only look at anyone else after that if I lose out on someone I had targeted.

[Mjphillips]

I do the same as the above poster.

[JimOttoFan]

Quote: Originally Posted by rudyjuly2

Is it possible to have a recruit become more interested in your program during off season recruiting even if you don't scout or recruit them?

Yes.

Quote: Originally Posted by rudyjuly2

I will take a quick look early in week 1 at overall prospects to see if there are any top players out there where I may have a very full interest bar and a shot at recruiting but then I typically don't bother anymore.

I humbly suggest that you take a quick look in week 2 at the green up arrows and red down arrows. These are all the prospects who are currently thinking about your team, no matter where the bar is.

Quote: Originally Posted by rudyjuly2

Do other recruits start liking your program more as other teams lose interest? Do you guys always look at the overall recruit list after every week?

Yes and yes.

Quote: Originally Posted by rudyjuly2

...in week 5 of my last recruiting session, I went through the overall list a saw a 5* FS that had me with almost a full bar of interest. It was too late to get him but I really could have used him and there is no way I would have missed that when I looked in week 1...

Week four is a magical week in terms of recruit interest. As you have related by your example, players get antsy when they are still available late in OSR(off-season recruiting) and my show you some additional interest.

There are very few players who will not exhibit a red or green arrow in week two, and then be interested in week four. Very few, but there are some.

Summary:
•Look for up or down arrows in week two. Scout the most intriguing prospects regardless of the bar or the list. (They react to scouting as if they have been offered a scholarship, pitching program prestige. When you look in week three they will have answered whether they like the PP pitch or not.)

•When you check on them in week three, many of these guys will now light up green and join your interested prospect list. For those that do not, there is still week four.

•Week four is the last week for prospects to light up green and put you on their lists.
They must think, "Ohio State and USC have dropped me, but little rudyjuly still wants me, I hope."
This is when your FS may have raised your bar.

•I have not had too much success signing guys who light up green in week five.


I hope this helps.

[rudyjuly2]

Quote: Originally Posted by JimOttoFan

Summary: •Look for up or down arrows in week two. Scout the most intriguing prospects regardless of the bar or the list. (They react to scouting as if they have been offered a scholarship, pitching program prestige. When you look in week three they will have answered whether they like the PP pitch or not.) •When you check on them in week three, many of these guys will now light up green and join your interested prospect list. For those that do not, there is still week four. I hope this helps.

Thanks a lot. Never knew that. I'm ready to dominate now lol.

Anyway, you said that scouting a prospect is similar to pitching program prestige. I never scout players, just pitch them all the time. Do you scout a lot of players early on and how effective do you think it is? How often do you offer strong pitches to recruits early on? I don't use the top pitch usually until I at least know what the recruit is looking for (playing time, location, etc).

[mcpheje]

There's a recruiting guide that been posted, that is very good (long but good). It covers pretty much all this stuff. Based on that, I've started scouting everyone I'm really interested in and spending less points on them until I find that magic pitch.

Somewhere else someone posted a way to scout and "trick" the game into using something other than PP as the pitch. You basically go into the recruit screen before you scout them, select the pitch you want, select the lowest points, and then cancel out of the screen. Somehow it keeps the pitch and will use that when you scout them.

I'll see if I can find the thread that had the recruiting guide in it.

[Mr. Rad]

Good posts, Jim and Mc. I use similar recruiting tactics.

There is a good recruiting guide on Gamefaqs. It is for current gen, but most of the same ideas carry over to next gen.

[mcpheje]

It is on gamefaqs.com. Lookup NCAA Football 07 in the PS2 section and go to the FAQ link.

The info is good for all platforms from what I've read. I've used the strategies on XBox with good success. Also it doesn't automatically make it really easy either. It just increases your likelihood of signing the players you target. I simply limit myself to only recruiting for the number of open spots and players with Avg or better discipline.

In the 7 years of my dynasty I've only had a top ten class once. My classes are usually ranked between 12-18.