How the hell does this work? As far as I understood you are suppose to use scouting trips. I have never been able to pull down a recruit no matter how many scouting trips I perform the most I have done was 10 on numerous occaisions. I usually get access to them after they drop down for everyone.
I am a bit frustrated because I recently lost out on a recruit I was targeting who was pulled down to sign with a slightly lower prestige school.  After talking with the coach I discovered the fact that I invested more in scouting trips (5 vs. 2) and am slightly closer in distance; I also called 13 times and sent 10 letters. Not sure what other actions the other guy performed maybe there are techniques I don't know about.  I kept getting responses that he wanted a 'big time program', so I figured that meant he was going to hold out for DI or a high prestige DII.  Then he drops down and signs with a lower prestige DII school for seemingly less effort.

https://www.whatifsports.com/hd/RecruitProfile/Ratings.aspx?rid=3501161

The problem with slow playing the scouting trips is that you risk that he may be pulled down or drop down to someone else that wants him.   The most simple method is this:

1. Coach Call (1) in cycle 1.  Read it!  Is it (a) No, (b) Backup, or (c) yes.   Only if (b), then:
2. Send 10 Scouting Trips; 1 Scholarship offer; & 1 HV.  The HV will be rejected, but that's fine.  You may, optionally, send some calls & letters, but those aren't mandatory.  If he's still at (b), then:
3. Send 3 ST + 1 HV each cycle until his scholarship message changes.  (The HV will often be rejected even on the cycle he starts to consider you).  

Things that can screw this up:

1. A higher division team is scouting him, but does not show up on the considering list.
2. For that matter, a higher prestige or higher division team is already on the considering list.

Distance doesn't affect pulldown/dropdown directly.  Under 70 may take an (a) and make it a (b) or a (c) response to the coach call.  That's good news.  However, distance only matters as it substantially impacts the cost of the scouting trips.   Try sending 13 scouting trips to pulldown someone at 600 miles at D2!

Ok cool thanks for the play book, there are things I can do better. It still makes no sense to me that a lower prestige with less recruiting effort should be be able to pull down over a higher prestige though.

My first reaction is you may need more than the 10 scouting trips.

Also, prestige helps but the other guy having "slightly lower prestige" isn't a big deal.

Distance also doesn't matter much except for costs.

Keep in mind scouting trips used to pull someone down are worth less recruiting effort than scouting trips with someone who is already at your level or is already pulled or dropped down to that level.

Posted by shelman16 on 10/27/2015 1:23:00 PM (view original):
Ok cool thanks for the play book, there are things I can do better. It still makes no sense to me that a lower prestige with less recruiting effort should be be able to pull down over a higher prestige though.

My guess is that he (the other coach) wasn't totally forthcoming with all the effort that he put into the recruit.

Thanks for the info guys. I will definitely have better strategy in the future.

"Keep in mind scouting trips used to pull someone down are worth less recruiting effort than scouting trips with someone who is already at your level or is already pulled or dropped down to that level."

Bistiza I have never seen or heard this. Thanks for that info.

Posted by rogelio on 10/27/2015 1:11:00 PM (view original):
The problem with slow playing the scouting trips is that you risk that he may be pulled down or drop down to someone else that wants him.   The most simple method is this:

1. Coach Call (1) in cycle 1.  Read it!  Is it (a) No, (b) Backup, or (c) yes.   Only if (b), then:
2. Send 10 Scouting Trips; 1 Scholarship offer; & 1 HV.  The HV will be rejected, but that's fine.  You may, optionally, send some calls & letters, but those aren't mandatory.  If he's still at (b), then:
3. Send 3 ST + 1 HV each cycle until his scholarship message changes.  (The HV will often be rejected even on the cycle he starts to consider you).  

Things that can screw this up:

1. A higher division team is scouting him, but does not show up on the considering list.
2. For that matter, a higher prestige or higher division team is already on the considering list.

Distance doesn't affect pulldown/dropdown directly.  Under 70 may take an (a) and make it a (b) or a (c) response to the coach call.  That's good news.  However, distance only matters as it substantially impacts the cost of the scouting trips.   Try sending 13 scouting trips to pulldown someone at 600 miles at D2!

Thanks for this.

Posted by emy1013 on 10/27/2015 4:25:00 PM (view original):

Posted by shelman16 on 10/27/2015 1:23:00 PM (view original):
Ok cool thanks for the play book, there are things I can do better. It still makes no sense to me that a lower prestige with less recruiting effort should be be able to pull down over a higher prestige though.

My guess is that he (the other coach) wasn't totally forthcoming with all the effort that he put into the recruit.

Emy's probably right here. Remember we are playing a fake game with made up names on the internet. How much do you really trust anything someone in competition with you tells you about how they just beat you?
Also, he probably didn't pull anyone down with 2 scouting trips.
He may have put his effort in the same cycle the guy decided to drop on his own.