I'm a D2 team. If I'm going after D1 recruits and I am the only one who is offering a scholarship and the interest is 'moderate', will i still land the player? Just making sure it doesn't need to be on 'very high' to land the recruit.

If it's the first recruiting session, a D2 can't get higher than Moderate, and of course cannot sign, a D1 recruit.
Once the second recruiting session begins your current effort may move you above Moderate.

It needs to be high or very high to land the recruit. If you're the only school with an offer and you're at moderate, while all other schools are very low, when RS2 begins you will jump up to very high. Also, if you see more sims arrive at very low as the cycles continue, don't feel threatened. If you've already got your offer in, and lead, sims will not pursue. Consider all sims dead once your offer is in and they are very low.

if they are above very low, or you do not have an offer in, sims are still very much at play. In your example, the only thing you have to fear, is other humans getting involved at this point.

Right, other D1 humans lurking are the big threat *especially for players with early and end of period 1 signing tendencies*. All they have to do is sneak into signing range at the lowest level, and they will take the recruit from you before he’ll consider you, even if you have the most effort credit by a lot. Whenever players are a risk for the same reason, though not guaranteed.