If you're at D2 and D3, my recommendation is to blow it all swinging big at pull downs and such -- if you get the players, awesome. If not, the players you will have access to in HD 3.0 will at/above the level of what you're reaching for here for teams at those divisions. I'm definitely willing to take walk-ons into the new game though at lower divisions.
Not sure what I'd advise for a D1 program, so I'll defer to those with the experience up there.