I have just ignored these players in the past. However, given the situation I currently have at Campbell, I can't afford to ignore anyone. How does the process work with such players? Do they sign like a normal recruit, and then just have to sit out a season? Or is it more complicated than that.

you may sign them and then they dont show up to your campus.

There are, I believe, 2 options:

1) They sign with you, but must sit out a year. They retain 4 years of eligibility, so it is almost like a RS.

2) They go JUCO. Basically, you pour effort into them, but they may opt for JUCO. Next recruiting period, they are eligible to be recruited once more. Unfortunately, you only get a small advantage on them, and others are free to recruit them, so you battle twice.

Obviously, it is very risk/reward. If you can land one, it is great. You can get a stud, usually on the cheap, and get a free RS on him. Or, you blow a third of your budget on him, and he goes JUCO. Then you open yourself up to losing him again, this time to a rival.

its not really a RS since he doesn't practice that first year...
a lot of kids do go juco, but the odds aren't all that bad. I've signed many ineligibles over the seasons. But as caesari says, they may sign but never report and opt for junior college instead, sometimes on the other side of the country, so the cost to recruit them next time around as sophomores might not be worth it...

Thanks for the info, guys. It sounds like the financial risk might not be worth the potential reward. Small schools like Campbell can't afford to just see 1/3 of the recruiting budget go "poof!" like that.

I have had absolute **** luck recruiting ineligibles. about 25% have shown up to campus for me.

I am 3/3 having them show up, so either the odds are pretty good or I am lucky

I get most of mine.  They tend to sign cheaper and (at lower divisions) you can pull down better players.  Look for guys with higher WE because you can't RS them.

Question: If they do show up, does one have to give them a higher than normal SH? I was looking at one that had a HS GPA of 2.7 but apparantly could not pass his SAT's. and always wondered about that...

this may need to be verified, but I'm sure I have read/been told that by throwing more money at the ineligible makes him more likely to show up on campus. in other words, don't spend the minimum to get him considering you and then just forget about him. spending some extra at the end of recruiting should increase the probability that the recruit shows up

you dump all of your practice into study hall for that player if they show up.  they can't practice and don't improve so it would be a waste not to do so.  also the player does not necessarily retain 4 years of eligibility like someone said.  they have to maintain at least a 2.7 gpa over their 4 years at D1 (at D2 they do automatically get their 4 years).  if they do get a 2.7 then they can come back for a 5th season.  

I was able to sign a kid who went JuCo on me for $110 the next year. Turned out pretty well, but also no guarantee they stay close enough to recruit at the lower levels.

Posted by milwood on 8/4/2012 10:04:00 AM (view original):
this may need to be verified, but I'm sure I have read/been told that by throwing more money at the ineligible makes him more likely to show up on campus. in other words, don't spend the minimum to get him considering you and then just forget about him. spending some extra at the end of recruiting should increase the probability that the recruit shows up

CS confirms this, but there is still a lot of randomness