Somewhat. You have to be very careful with scouting dollars in D3 because they're really limited. You can get pinned in a corner. And perhaps that's why I'm finding recruiting in D3 more taxing than I am in D2. Since our conference is full, and none of us have a big bucket of scouting money, we're forced to battle for recruits as we cross paths too frequently. In my D2, with much more scouting money and far fewer nearby competitors, I tend to just avoid battles by scouting further out when necessary.
This is why I think I tend to believe D1 isn't like comparing oranges and goats with my D3 experience. If you want a top player in D1, you have to fight for him. No one is walking away. And, to be fair, losing said top player is a bigger blow. The reason I'm OK battling for players in D3 is because my back-up plan can be better. If I want the #103 SG, and lose a fight for him, I could "settle" for #168. Not as good but not a program crusher. If I'm fighting for the #3 SG in D1, odds are my absolute best back-up plan is the #103 SG that my schlub D3 covets. HUGE difference.
Too long but to summarize, I don't think D1 recruiting is really that different. You want the best you can get for the least amount of resources but losing a battle is far worse.