Almost any set rule is wrong.  The pool of recruits will change.  What you can sign will change.  Go for the best you can get - rules of thumb dont hurt,  but dont let them run your process

Posted by dacj501 on 6/18/2011 4:53:00 PM (view original):

Posted by hughesjr on 6/18/2011 12:48:00 PM (view original):

Posted by tianyi7886 on 6/18/2011 3:35:00 AM (view original):

Posted by ethan66 on 6/16/2011 2:38:00 PM (view original):
Start shopping for transfers.  You can usually find some decent ones without resorting to pulldowns, and grab them cheaply even if you have to battle a Simmie.

I personally hate large class sizes, just because it means I'm faced with rebuilding every 4 years when the guts of my team graduate.  If I were you, I'd sign no more than 5 freshmen, redshirt one of them, and get whatever transfers I can get (call their coach to see what Off/Def they're playing, since they won't have as many years to learn your system).

Taking a couple of walk-ons isn't the end of the world when you have that kind of problem.  The good news is that with a full recruiting budget you should be able to target some nice pulldowns to get your team off to a good start.

Why would you only sign purposely 5 FR when you can sign 6 (assuming there aren't great JUCO/transfers on board)? If class size is your concern, RS 1 this yr, RS a So. the following yr and your class size is reduced to 4. 

Redshirting a Sophomore is not usually easy to do without a huge drop in WE (it is possible to do it and have no WE drop, but it is much harder than a freshman).

There is nothing bad about using 6 scholarships worth of money to sign 5 (or even 4) guys and taking 1 or 2 walkons.  You get to spend more money per recruit (6 recruits worth of cash for 4 guys) ... and you get cash for the 2 walkon recruits when they leave too.  This also gets you a better class distribution.

You will likely get better players when taking 4 guys this year and 2 next year with 8 players worth of cash than 6 this year with 6 players worth of cash.

Certainly there is nothing wrong with filling all your schollys every year ... but it is also a valid strategy to take a couple of walkons and focus on a smaller number of better players when you have a bunch of players in one class.

Hughes, I think you missed some important info. Its not taking 4 or 5 and a walkon. He's got 10 openings. Taking 4 or 5 with 5 walkons would be bad. Also, there's no circumstance where he'd be recruiting with "8 players worth of cash" coz the most you get is 6 players worth...

Not that hughes can't defend himself, but the original post led off with 'start shopping for transfers' so there was no need to mention it again. And 6 schollies worth of money this season + 2 schollies worth of money for the walkons next season = 8 schollies worth of money over the two seasons.

Posted by tbarket on 6/20/2011 10:18:00 AM (view original):

Thank you for the advice, I am leaning on the 5 freshman, 2 walkons and Juco transfers.  That way, I can maximize my current budget for 6 on only 5, try to find a couple of transfers that are interested in my school up front, (to save some rucruiting money), and 2 walkons so that I can move 2 scholarships to the following season.  If the Juco's have 2 or 3 years eligibility that will be good as well as I will then be able to spead out the needs per year a little better in the future, 4 years from now I may allow another walk on to get that years need to 4.  Thats about were I would like to keep it.  How soon do any of you send out a scholarship offer?  i have been reading some posts and it seems like the 3rd or 4th contact (phone call to coach / scouting - call to home / invite to campus (scholarship offer)).  Does that sound like a proper strategy?

Yeah, I think that is a good strategy. But don't shy away from signing 6 freshman and then 2 JUCOs / Transfers.

Trust me and tianyi , if you get high potential players, you will end up with a great prestige when they are seniors. You may think that it would stink to lose 6 players in one season, but that will be 6 slots you get to fill with great recruits due to your high prestige for that recruiting season. 

And as fdny suggested, promise a starting spot and minutes to every freshman you have interest in. Every one. 

If I do that, the promise of minutes / starts, would you recommend then not using fatigue for a barometer on subs.  Just set the minutes played and let it go for the first season?

Posted by tbarket on 6/21/2011 2:01:00 PM (view original):
If I do that, the promise of minutes / starts, would you recommend then not using fatigue for a barometer on subs.  Just set the minutes played and let it go for the first season?

Well if they have high stamina (let's say 90 and above), then I would keep them at fairly fresh, but if they are lower, I would just set them at getting tired. 

This is a pure rebuild, play your FR with the most high potential and the people that need the WE boost for 25-30mpg, regardless of their stamina. Your first season should be to maximize growth and enhance their WE, so you can try to win the following 3 seasons.