for low d1, its not that there are recruits that can't be 'seen', but you do have 'drop-downs' in terms of, say, 1-star or 2-star players who take a while to consider lesser schools. i havent played low d1 since the update however so i'm not sure who, exactly, will talk to you.
but yes, it's very important in d1 to get a jump on the competition. not only will you get a decent number of recruits uncontested when you're the first guy on them, but considering credit has a larger impact at d1 due to the amount of cash being spent.