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Recruiting Questions

BuckeyeNut

New Member
I have been playing NCAA 14 religiously for the past two years and have been successful at recruiting the entire time, but the thing that has amazed me up to this point is that I still have yet to discover a JUCO recruit or any way of easily finding one. Am I missing something or do I have to painfully search through the All Recruits menu to find one?

The only reason I ask is because I have recently started an offline dynasty with GSU and I could use some to help while I build the program up. Any tips would be amazing.
 

BuckeyeNut

New Member
Nevermind, I was able to get on to the game today and was able to answer the first part of my question. However, is there an easy way to just locate JUCO players or do I have to actually just look at each position for them manually?
 

JSU Zack

How do I IT?
Nevermind, I was able to get on to the game today and was able to answer the first part of my question. However, is there an easy way to just locate JUCO players or do I have to actually just look at each position for them manually?

IIRC, there's no good way to just search for JUCOs. But what is your main purpose for finding them? In my experience, the JUCO recruits are no better than the incoming freshmen and hurt your overall class due to their low star scores compared to overall rating.
 

bruin228

Well-Known Member
NCAA Moderator
JUCOs are gems more often and those guys are way better than most any freshman you're going to get at a place like GSU. You shouldn't rely on them though. I would get a few a class and try to build your team mostly through freshman that contribute as upperclassmen. That's what I'm doing at USU. Occasionally, you can find some freshman studs that are completely unnoticed. I found a +9 or 10 OLB (81 OVR) 3* whose only scholarship offer is from me and a +8 or 9 CB (75 OVR) that's the same way.

Anyway, there's not a way to just look for JUCO recruits, which is rather stupid but welcome to EA.
 

BuckeyeNut

New Member
JSU: I am looking for JUCOs mainly because I have started at GSU and I have to replace some talent I had on defense rather quickly and the incoming freshmen I can recruit at this time are low to mid 60s at best, so a JUCO may not be the best option for the long run, they will shore up the bad spots in the roster until the freshmen I recruit become better or the incoming freshmen I recruit can start right away and not be like a 63-67 overall.

bruin: That's my main plan at this point. I want to recruit a couple (4-5 at most) a couple of seasons until I no longer have to rely upon them and can rely on the incoming freshmen I recruit.
 

BuckeyeNut

New Member
My other big question I have when it comes to recruiting is for the 3-4. I have recently become fascinated by the 3-4 defense (Curse you Browns and Titans for forcing me to play this in Madden!!) and want to run it in NCAA. However, I am unsure how to recruit for the positions as a whole.

I understand that for the corners and safeties that there should be little-to-no changes as to how I recruit them, mainly just go on preference with the corners for either ZCV or MCV. For the MLBs, I know that SPD, STR, BSH, and PUR are the big ones to look out for. I also know that for the DT that I should look for behemoths to clog the middle and should ABSOLUTELY have high STR, PMV, and BSH. However, when it comes to the other positions, I am a little stumped as to who to aim for. Should I aim more towards recruiting run-stuffing DEs, pass rushering DEs, or one on one side and one on the other?

Also, for OLBs, I am unsure what I should aim for. Should I just recruit a small pass rushing DE and make him a pass rushing LB? Should I go more towards the traditional LB and take a run-stopper as they normally have good BSH and PMV?
 

NavyHog

Well-Known Member
Utopia Moderator
NCAA Moderator
You can turn LBs into stud DEs, but I wouldn't go the other way. I like SPD so I won't recruit a LB unless they have a minimum of 80 SPD.

Are you on XBOX? If so a new OD is starting up if you are interested.
 

BuckeyeNut

New Member
NavyHog: I understand the idea of turning a LB into a DE, but I need as many LBs as I can get. So turning a fast, pass rushing DE into an 3-4 pass rushing LB is not a good idea unless he is fast? The only reason I think that could be a good idea is because I have found some DEs in the past that have some GREAT ACC. Might not always have the best speed, but I equate a good ACC as making up for that sometimes. And unfortunately I do not have XBox. I'm a PS guy.
 

NavyHog

Well-Known Member
Utopia Moderator
NCAA Moderator
That's just my philosophy. All my LBs and DEs must have 70 BSH, that's the biggest thing next to SPD for me. I need my LBs to cover more than stop the run.
 

bruin228

Well-Known Member
NCAA Moderator
JSU: I am looking for JUCOs mainly because I have started at GSU and I have to replace some talent I had on defense rather quickly and the incoming freshmen I can recruit at this time are low to mid 60s at best, so a JUCO may not be the best option for the long run, they will shore up the bad spots in the roster until the freshmen I recruit become better or the incoming freshmen I recruit can start right away and not be like a 63-67 overall.

bruin: That's my main plan at this point. I want to recruit a couple (4-5 at most) a couple of seasons until I no longer have to rely upon them and can rely on the incoming freshmen I recruit.

Year 3 is when it starts to pick up, at least it has been for me. I'm starting to get some solid freshman and may even get 1-2 4* this year.

It seems like you have the basics down for the 3-4. The types of OLB and DE you want depends on what type of front you're going to use for the most part. Do you know what front you plan on basing out of?

Honestly, as much as I like the idea of a 3-4 or 3-3-5, I don't find the 3 down front defenses very effective in 14 at stopping the run.
 

BuckeyeNut

New Member
Bruin: Truthfully, I am unsure as to what you mean by what front am I running. Do you mean like an "Odd" or "Even" front or do you mean a 2-gap or 1-gap?

As far as the effectiveness in the game, I do understand that it does have it's issues against the run, but I am normally very stout against the run because I am rather aggressive on defense. My philosophy on defense is pressure bursts pipes, so I will attack until you make a mistake. I also normally have my safeties play closer to the LOS and normally predicate on speed to make up for passing situations. That's why I want LBs as opposed to DL...speed over strength.
 

bruin228

Well-Known Member
NCAA Moderator
Bruin: Truthfully, I am unsure as to what you mean by what front am I running. Do you mean like an "Odd" or "Even" front or do you mean a 2-gap or 1-gap?

As far as the effectiveness in the game, I do understand that it does have it's issues against the run, but I am normally very stout against the run because I am rather aggressive on defense. My philosophy on defense is pressure bursts pipes, so I will attack until you make a mistake. I also normally have my safeties play closer to the LOS and normally predicate on speed to make up for passing situations. That's why I want LBs as opposed to DL...speed over strength.

Yeah, Odd, Even, Under, Over, etc. Those are going to dictate what type of coverages you have behind your front, what gaps your LBs are responsible for, blah blah blah. The nice thing about the 3 down defenses is you can play an Odd front all the time, which means you can play whatever coverage you want behind it.
 

BuckeyeNut

New Member
Yeah I was thinking of a little bit of a mixture of odd and under fronts so I am not always lining up the same way. I do like that with the odd you can disguise the blitz and have either OLB come on a 4-man blitz with very little tell as which one is coming. I am more familiar with the under however.
 

BuckeyeNut

New Member
My big thing now is running the 4-2-5 defense, but I have issues recruiting for that now. DL is obvious as is Corners and FS being coverage (Blitz Happy after all), but I have issues with the LB's and the SS's. I am unsure if I should worry about just MLB and ROLB and not really worry about LOLB.

Also, when recruiting SS's, should I go more for a Heavy hitting guy or more of a coverage guy. I understand that the joker SS is supposed to be a LB/SS hybrid, but I am unsure if I should shade more towards the Coverage SS side or the hitting LB side of the hybrid.
 

Gooksta

Well-Known Member
My big thing now is running the 4-2-5 defense, but I have issues recruiting for that now. DL is obvious as is Corners and FS being coverage (Blitz Happy after all), but I have issues with the LB's and the SS's. I am unsure if I should worry about just MLB and ROLB and not really worry about LOLB.

Also, when recruiting SS's, should I go more for a Heavy hitting guy or more of a coverage guy. I understand that the joker SS is supposed to be a LB/SS hybrid, but I am unsure if I should shade more towards the Coverage SS side or the hitting LB side of the hybrid.
I think it comes down to preference.. do you go nickel at all to get a 3rd db on the field on passing downs? Also, do you play man or zone more? If man go cover

If you use nickel you can go heavy hitter imo
 

BuckeyeNut

New Member
I think it comes down to preference.. do you go nickel at all to get a 3rd db on the field on passing downs? Also, do you play man or zone more? If man go cover

If you use nickel you can go heavy hitter imo
I mainly stay in the 4-2-5 and don't play much of the regular nickel defenses. I also try and mix up what I am doing, but I run a more blitz-happy defensive scheme in order to cause mistakes. I like to blitz anyone and that's a reason I went with the 4-2-5 because the blitzes are insane and there is great coverage behind them. I just don't want to recruit incorrectly and only get coverage SS's that will be gashed by running backs when they are at the line.
 
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