So, I've toyed with it a bit on here, but what type of success have you all seen the two options below? Try to take signing preference out of your thinking.
2. What about when you're an underdog?
3. When you're the favorite to win a recruit?

Option 1 - Put everything you have and can into a recruit nearly all up front (by the latest the first signing session).
Option 2 - Gradually spend throughout the whole process.

Which division?

D1

What is your team prestige?

B- and recruiting against an A prestige on one recruit and B one another.

Here's my approach.

1. Figure out how many dudes I can go all in for
2. Go all in on the best that number of guys I think I can win.


I go heavy early to scare people off.

In a little more detail.....


If I have enough cash, I usually target 2 early guys. There are almost at least always 2 guys I have scouted that i consider multiple year starter level. I don't F around with these guys. I will max out these dudes and make every promise I am comfortable with.

Then I readjust....in a perfect world I signed the first two guys and I can try to take a chance on a stud. I will pump resources into him like a something in a something. I'll go balls out to get to 19% because I know I don't need him.

Usually, it's more like, 'Crap, I still need a PG (or 3rd post or perimeter shooter or insert role here)'. If those guys are true role players and there aren't any D1 teams on them, I will try to get cute and sign them cheap. Once I secure a full"ish" team, I immediately go back to way to aggressive mode and take chances like it's 1994.

Full disclosure, I am not really good at D1 but it does make recruiting super fun!

The problem if you go hard and fast is you can blow your entire load too early, and then your left with nothing but limpness.

Don't spend it all, problem solved. I really do recommend focusing on two targets, at D1 this usually isn't more than 1/2 of your budget.

If you target one you, and if you are reading this and taking my advice you aren't a top tier coach, probably have a less than 50% chance of landing a high caliber player. If you target 3 or more, your AP's are so split you are hurting your chances to sign the early's and then you can't catch up to the end of 1 guys. And you have spent so much of your budget you really only have one more chance like mully was talking about.

Yeah I rarely send 1-19 HV to a recruit. Sometimes I will get lucky and have someone at C+ prestige actually be smart and not try to battle A+ Illinois after I put on 6-7 HV. But most of the time they go all in too and I have to knock them down to moderate.

I know my recruiting has been D2 and D3 but I typically recruit slow and then see which recruits I need most that I'm in a battle for so I'm not wasting my resources on players I'm recruiting as a luxury player and end up missing out on the critical recruits.