It's 5pm. Signings start in 3 hours at 8pm and you're the only team on a guy. When the 8pm signings roll around you realize that your guy didn't sign and instead a much more prestigious school has jumped in on your target at literally the last possible second. You of course are screwed because most of the other potentially helpful recruits are signed or locked into battles. 

Just another part of the game, or a dirty tactic?

Posted by dw172300 on 2/6/2012 8:38:00 AM (view original):
It's 5pm. Signings start in 3 hours at 8pm and you're the only team on a guy. When the 8pm signings roll around you realize that your guy didn't sign and instead a much more prestigious school has jumped in on your target at literally the last possible second. You of course are screwed because most of the other potentially helpful recruits are signed or locked into battles. 

Just another part of the game, or a dirty tactic?

part of the game. defend your recruits.

Always remember this too- life happens.  Just because someone jumps on during the last day isn't always a dirty intention.  There have been times that I haven't been able to recruit until signing day, and I'm sure that's happened to others.

As dacj501 said, defend your recruits, as until they are signed, no one has any given 'right' to a player.

Just part of the game.

What if someone does that to 2 of your guys / just happened to me!

Part of the game, I just did this with my D2 team. I wanted to make sure I had all my guys sign and then went hard after a recruit at the 5 p.m signing and now I am in a battle. If I lose it no big deal, I will take a walk-on. If I win then I get a great player.

i hate it - but i understand it's part of the game.

that's why i always save extra cash and/or have a backup guy considering me.

last year i had 4 open spots - i had 6 guys considering me. on signing day. made life simple.

I would not think twice about taking one guy from someone but I would never take multiples....... Just doesn't seem right!

I try not to take more than one guy from the same coach - that said, if I really like 2 of someone's players and they are weak I'd do it...

Welcome to the way D1 recruiting works these days.

Part of the game just as in real recruiting.  Until the recruit signs an LOI, he is free game with or without a verbal committment.

I had someone poach me 3 years in a row, though not at the last minute. It is part of the game, but it gets annoying when the same guy does it year after year. Kind of made me think that he was watching who I was recruiting then jumping on them. The second year, one of his conference mates jumped on a second guy I really wanted. That's what made me try booster gifts. Then I really screwed myself because I lost both guys and got caught using booster gifts and went back to a D- prestige. Turns out the second guy that went after me also used booster gifts and got caught, but at least he got the player.

It is part of the game though, and I have learned to keep a decent amount of cash in reserve, and to pad my recruits that I really want.

Funny, the Big 10 coaches just had a meeting this week. . It seems they were upset because Urban Meyer poached recruits that had verbally committed to conference schools.