Recruiting Tips Guide?

[PatriotJames]

I'm sure someone has made a thread or researched somewhere. Anyone know of some tips? I'm starting as Iowa State and recruiting 65 overall guys, I know I should be able to get better but I'm afraid to go after higher guys.

I know buying the time savers would help but I feel that's more cheating. Just looking for some tips for a newbie.

Thanks

[Speedy_Bronco]

Re: Recruiting Tips Guide?

Getting 65 OVR guys is actually pretty good for a 2-Star school. I mean, they're not supposed to be Marcus Lattimore right out of the gates.

[c_griffin212]

Re: Recruiting Tips Guide?

I never recruit the full 35 slot allotment. I only sign the number of players I need. So if I have 12 seniors graduating one season I'll recruit around 16 players at a time and won't sign more than 12. This allows you to devote a lot of time to a few players so you don't spread yourself too thin and you don't have to keep cutting a bunch of guys at the end of every season. Don't just sign 25 every year.

Your a lot more likely to land a guy if your devoting 30-50 minutes to him every week than if you're only giving him 20 a week. You should be able to sign some pretty talented guys if you focus on fewer players.

Also, don't get too attached to guys. If you get behind 300 or 400 points on a guy, it might be time to drop them.

[Ramminyou]

Re: Recruiting Tips Guide?

When filling your board in the preseason, look for 4* and highly ranked 3* recruits who still are still in a Top Ten interest level and who only have one team currently listed. You will often times jump to number 2 on their list and be unopposed for weeks while you recruit (but not always). These recruits will often times be busts or have OVR at the lower end of their caliber. However, they will still be rated in the high 60's or even low 70's a lot of times. You can try this with 5*'s but typically even the busts will be recruited by the good schools, so don't waste your time too much.

And if you have the time left, don't be afraid to take a chance scouting low 3* and 2* players. Never know who will be that huge gem.

[TimLawNYC]

Re: Recruiting Tips Guide?

I never recruit the full 35 slot allotment. I only sign the number of players I need. So if I have 12 seniors graduating one season I'll recruit around 16 players at a time and won't sign more than 12. This allows you to devote a lot of time to a few players so you don't spread yourself too thin and you don't have to keep cutting a bunch of guys at the end of every season. Don't just sign 25 every year.

The usefulness of this strategy depends on the quality of the team you're starting out with. I usually start my dynasties at a low-ranked 1-star school, and when you start out with a bad team you just need to upgrade every position as quickly as possible. In that case, you want to sign as many guys as possible in the early seasons, because even 2-star and some 1-star recruits will be upgrades over guys that are already on your roster. So when you start with a bad team, fill your recruiting board to the max and try to sign 25 players each year, without worrying so much about their overall ratings.

When your team is better, you can start focusing on bringing in stud players, and when you're only trying to upgrade or fill holes at a few positions, it is better to keep your recruiting board small and dedicate tons of time to each hand-picked recruit, as c_griffin212 suggests.

[vthokie725]

Re: Recruiting Tips Guide?

look for jucos then when ur team is better sign 4 stars in the latter years

[Mr.Coach Mode]

Re: Recruiting Tips Guide?

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OVR: 0
Join Date: Aug 2011








</td><td style="border-right-color: rgb(57, 57, 57); border-right-width: 1px; border-right-style: solid;" id="td_post_2044222010" class="alt1"><!-- icon and title -->Re: Recruiting 101
<hr style="color: rgb(57, 57, 57);" SIZE="1"><!-- / icon and title --><!-- message -->I usually keep 35 prospects on my board particularly under certain conditions.
1. I still have plenty of scholarships to offer.
2. I am #1 and have have a substancial lead on all of my needed positions.
3. I am behind other teams in points but have the only offer for that prospect. I have been way behind on a prospect then late in the season start rising again because the CPU teams must stop recruiting that prospect. I have moved up in interest for recruits that I removed from my board as well put them back on my board. I will quick call ten minutes just to keep some interest in recruits with no offers even though I am way behind. I have landed four star recruits this way. When you are competing with a CPU team with interest in several recruits at the same position. Odds are the CPU team is looking to get one not two of the recruits at a certain position on the board. So stay the second choice on both of them chances are you will get one.
4. When choosing recruits look at their ratings and more importantly your pitch screen to see how high your playing time and play style rate for the recruits position. These two ratings seem to matter a lot to four and five star recruits. You can thump bigger schools when comparing these two when you are better here. Your pitch screen ratings will reveal the key to landing some 4-5 star players. Having A+ playing time, A+ play style, A+ proximity to home and a pipeline bonus enables you to compete for any recruit who values those things. Use compare teams alot when its in your favor to do so and yields big points.
5. Never give up on your/other teams soft commits when you are close. I have stolen and lost soft commits they are not definite commits.
6. Load your board with good/interested and pipeline players first.
7. I personally offer scholly and no redshirt, and playing time early a strong head start on points seems to matter in my opinion. I imagine the CPU teams consider your point lead when dropping interest in recruits.
8. Like others have said go after recruits who can play other positions. A slow but strong safety may get little interest and be an easy recruit to move to linebacker. A fast but weak OL could become a fullback. LB switch to DL. Some WR can become TE vice versa etc. TEs usually make better fullbacks then the FBs on the board. Go after athletes who can play several positions.
9. Especially for OL and DL recruit the best T, G, C. and plug them in the OL or DE, DT, in the DL where ever their is an open roster spot. Same with LBs and DBs. Speed, strength, and skills combined, trump awareness ratings reduced by switching their positions.
10. Go after four and five stars even when they are busts they are often still better then three star recruits and they do progress.
11. Use at least 40 minutes on your most needed recruits weekly. Once you are over 500 points in the lead drop to 10 per week and reallocate time to other recruits. Watch out for another team catching up you may need to up your time to stay ahead.

In my second year with one star UMASS I was 18th in recruiting on HEISMAN. So go for the 4-5 stars as long as they like what you have to pitch.





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[PatriotJames]

Re: Recruiting Tips Guide?

I want to know how you guys use the scouting feature? Is there a way to tell if the guy is a gem/bust before you scout? 3 hours doesn't seem like much time to scout ANYONE unless I were to focus on just 10-15 players.

The strategy I'm using is once I get to about 80% or so, I stop scouting that player (unless a key attribute is missing like pass block for a lineman).

Any other thoughts/ideas?

[kcarr]

Re: Recruiting Tips Guide?

The usefulness of this strategy depends on the quality of the team you're starting out with. I usually start my dynasties at a low-ranked 1-star school, and when you start out with a bad team you just need to upgrade every position as quickly as possible. In that case, you want to sign as many guys as possible in the early seasons, because even 2-star and some 1-star recruits will be upgrades over guys that are already on your roster. So when you start with a bad team, fill your recruiting board to the max and try to sign 25 players each year, without worrying so much about their overall ratings.

When your team is better, you can start focusing on bringing in stud players, and when you're only trying to upgrade or fill holes at a few positions, it is better to keep your recruiting board small and dedicate tons of time to each hand-picked recruit, as c_griffin212 suggests.

Now I will disagree here. At a small school those 8 to 10 good, handpicked players can probably help you out more than at a big school. I am playing with fau and I will have to say that from what I have seen you need to bring in a couple bigtime players early in the recruiting season. Not like 4 or 5 stars, but good 3 star players, and just concentrate one 10 or 12 of then until you have them pretty much wrapped up. After that the 1s and 2s will still be there and you .can fill your roster out and improve your overall roster talent

[Deegeezy]

Re: Recruiting Tips Guide?

I want to know how you guys use the scouting feature? Is there a way to tell if the guy is a gem/bust before you scout? 3 hours doesn't seem like much time to scout ANYONE unless I were to focus on just 10-15 players.

The strategy I'm using is once I get to about 80% or so, I stop scouting that player (unless a key attribute is missing like pass block for a lineman).

Any other thoughts/ideas?

I don't like to know too much right away. I only allow myself to use 10 minutes per week during the season on each player on my board. By the time the season ends, they're all at about 75 to 85% recruited, which for me is perfect. I like their to be just a SMALL bit of mystery ratings-wise before a player is officially on the team.

During the preseason, I allow myself up to 30 minutes per player.

[shigogouhou]

Re: Recruiting Tips Guide?

Don't forget to re-check for players partway through the season! Anybody Top 8 or Top 10 midway through the season is a good chance for you to steal, because that usually means nobody's been recruiting them. They're just sitting on a few boards, maybe getting 10 minutes a week as the backup plan to the team's more preferable recruiting option.
You jump in and throw 30+ minutes, scholarships, promises and positive comparisons at those kids and you'll start "stealing" commitments from far superior schools. (This also helps you improve in that now those good schools are relying on their #3 or worse option at that position the rest of the recruiting season!)

[Mr.Coach Mode]

Re: Recruiting Tips Guide?

You can't absolutely know who the gems or busts are before you scout them. Possibly when you see big schools going after an average rated recruit that could be a tipoff. If you scout a recruit even 50% a gem or bust recruit will start to rise or drop in ratings so you don't usually need to see them at 100% i also stop around 80% to guess which they may be. I wouldn't be overly concerned even the busts are usually still 3 star players and they progress each year.

[jarato]

Offensive lineman are the easiest gems to find. Their run blocking and strength letter grades are usually less than (a letter grade below) what's listed for their bench and squat numbers. There's a chart in one of the forums topics that breaks down the equivalent letter grade and rating for 40 time , bench , and squat numbers.

[Deegeezy]

Re: Recruiting Tips Guide?

Don't forget to re-check for players partway through the season! Anybody Top 8 or Top 10 midway through the season is a good chance for you to steal, because that usually means nobody's been recruiting them. They're just sitting on a few boards, maybe getting 10 minutes a week as the backup plan to the team's more preferable recruiting option.
You jump in and throw 30+ minutes, scholarships, promises and positive comparisons at those kids and you'll start "stealing" commitments from far superior schools. (This also helps you improve in that now those good schools are relying on their #3 or worse option at that position the rest of the recruiting season!)

This is exactly how I landed my 4 star ATH who is now my starting QB. Good tip.

[Executor]

Re: Recruiting Tips Guide?

even the busts are usually still 3 star players and they progress each year.

Does that mean that 1- and 2-star players do not progress at all?