How to Recruit to Your Offensive Scheme

Nothing is more fun and exciting than planning out your next dynasty and the schemes you plan to run with your new team.

It is always a big thrill for me, but what is even more fun is recruiting to your chosen style of play.

This post covers what to look for when evaluating offensive prospects.

Since there are too many offenses to list and break down, it seems easier to cover each universal offensive position and see what attributes and ratings matter most for them and the offense they use.

Below is a list of attributes and ratings for every offensive position that I think are important.

For each position I cover four things:

• Prospect attribute
• Rating (Rating acronym)
• My minimum attribute preferences and rating references
• My thoughts on each attribute

For each thought I try to cover the types of offenses that could benefit from that position’s attribute and rating.

Please understand that only some of these preferences matter to certain offenses so don’t feel like you need everyone of these to make your offense work.

Also, I do not list attribute in any order per se as again, it all depends on your chosen offense.

Finally, any ratings I list should match for NCAA 06-11 for the ps2/Xbox.

Quarterbacks

Pass Accuracy – Throw Accuracy (THA) – B or better (B = 82 THA)

If you want to throw the ball to different types of routes of all shapes and sizes, then you need to prioritize a QB’s accuracy.

From Digs, Posts, Flags, Slants, and everything in between, all of these routes work better if your QB’s accuracy is good.

This is even more important for throwing shorter routes. Any offense where half or more of the scheme involves passing requires this attribute.

Think of offenses like the Air Raid, West Coast, Run & Shoot, Pro Style, Fun N Gun, etc.

Arm Strength – Throw Power (THP) – B or better (B = 84 THP)

If you plan on throwing deep, and most offenses feature this at one point or another, then it doesn’t hurt to have a QB that can throw far.

This is pivotal if you want to stretch defenses or punish them for ever thinking about calling Cover 0 against you.

Some offenses prioritize throwing deep, think any Shoot, play action-oriented, and run heavy-type offense.

Like I said, all offenses feature the deep ball (unless you are Butch Jones, don’t get me started) so a QB with a cannon can only help.

40 Time – Speed (SPD) – 4.65 or faster (4.65 = 76 SPD)

If your chosen offense requires a QB to run then you need to focus on QBs with decent speed.

However, having a QB that can run some will help in any offense, at least for scrambling situations.

Ultimately though, any option-type offense needs  a QB with some speed.

Awareness – Awareness (AWR) – Doesn’t matter

I believe QB awareness isn’t that important as you are the awareness when controlling them.

If you find a QB who is smart, just treat it as icing on the cake, but once you are in control of any player, you become that player’s IQ since you are the one making the decisions.

The biggest advantage to having high awareness is that the overall rating places a major importance on this rating.

So if you care about having the highest rated players possible then by all means, recruit smart players.

Size – Height & Weight – 6 feet or taller & heavier the better

Height isn’t the most important aspect of a QB but it doesn’t hurt to talk about it either.

The only time I focus on a QB’s height is when I’m using any type of passing or pro style offense.

If you plan on throwing over the middle at all then it helps to have a QB that can throw it over the line.

Defensive lines will not hesitate to knock down a pass so having a tall gunslinger helps in these situations.

Having a QB that is 6 feet or taller usually does the trick.

Weight isn’t super important either but heavier QBs will fall forward more and are harder to sack.

Halfbacks

40 Time – Speed (SPD) – Faster the better (4.40 = 90 SPD)

Not all offenses need speed as HB, but boy does it help. A fast HB can bail you out of so many sticky situations.

Any offense that requires the HB to run between the tackles doesn’t need to prioritize speed, but I’ve never known a scenario where I told myself, “I wish my HB wasn’t so fast”.

Squat – Break Tackle (BTK) – Stronger the better (535 = 70 BTK for HBs)

An offensive player’s squat numbers directly correlate to their Break Tackle rating so if you want your HB to break tackles, then prioritize this attribute.

Having high squat and bench numbers tend to favor bigger HBs that play better running downhill than trying to outrun defenders so any offense that focuses on running between the tackles and vertically will benefit from a high Break Tackle rating.

Finally, I’m not sure what correlates to the Carry (CAR) rating but most high-squat HBs tend to have high Carry ratings too.

Hands – Catch (CTH) – A- or better (A- = 65 CTH for HBs)

If your offense has HBs catching the ball then having good hands is a must. The last thing you want is your HB dropping passes.

One thing to remember is that even with an A grade for a HB’s hands, his true Catch rating may be in the 70s, that’s just the way they are designed it for this position.

The good news is, I’ve ran offenses where the HB has 65+ Catch rating and they don’t drop that many passes.

The Air Raid and West Coast-type offenses come to mind where they would prioritize this rating.

Awareness – Awareness (AWR) – Smarter the better

I believe HB awareness is somewhat important, mainly for pass blocking and catching passes.

The ability to pick up blitzes and turn their head to catch the ball goes a long a way.

The more physical attributes are more important, but it never hurts to have smart players.

Size – Height & Weight – Depends on the offense

Height and weight matter in the ps2 games so it doesn’t hurt to have bigger HBs as they are simply harder to tackle and tend to fall forward.

Height isn’t as important for a HB as weight. Offenses that have HBs running downhill more tend to favor heavier backs.

The attributes above matter more but I’ve never been mad when a HB was too tall or too big, icing on the cake if you ask me.

There’s a reason why bigger players are rated higher in recruiting rankings.

Fullbacks

Let me preface this by saying I think FBs are not created/programmed well in these games.

Most decent size HBs are stronger, faster, and can do pretty much everything else better than natural FBs.

For most offenses that required a FB, I recommend moving bigger non-first year HBs (try Tight Ends too) over after to FB.

Having said all of that, normal FBs can be useful in any offense that needs a FB primarily to block and catch a pass from time to time.

Think pro style-type offenses along with the Veer & Shoot.  The following attributes will relate to natural FBs.

40 Time – Speed (SPD) – Faster the better

It simply doesn’t hurt if  your FB can run some. Even if he is blocking most of the time, being able to go to his main blocker quicker will be a big help.

Most run plays with a FB blocking usually has the FB finding the playside safety.

This means the FB has to run at least 10 yards down the field to make that block so a faster FB can lead to bigger gains.

Squat – Break Tackle (BTK) – Stronger the better

An offensive player’s squat numbers directly correlate to their Break Tackle rating so if you want your FB to run the ball and break tackles, then prioritize this attribute.

Having high squat and bench numbers tend to favor bigger FBs that play better running downhill than trying to outrun defenders so any offense that focuses on running between the tackles and vertically will benefit from a high Break Tackle rating.

Hands – Catch (CTH) – A- or better (A- = 65 CTH for FBs)

If your offense has FBs catching the ball then having good hands is a must. The last thing you want is your FB dropping passes.

One thing to remember is that even with an A grade for a FB’s hands, his true Catch rating may be in the 70s, that’s just the way they designed it for this position.

Just like HBs, having a Catch rating in the upper 60s can still be used effectively.

Awareness – Awareness (AWR) – Smarter the better

I believe FB awareness is more important than a HB’s Awareness because of them being able to block more and effectively.

The ability to pick up blitzes and knock over defenders during a run play is crucial.

The more physical attributes are more important, but it never hurts to have smart FBs.

Size – Height & Weight – taller and heavier the better

As we have already established, height and weight helps and if you plan on blocking a lot with your FBs, might as well get the biggest guys you can find.

Wide Receivers

Hands – Catch (CTH) – B or better (A- = 76 CTH for WRs)

WRs are meant to catch passes so you might as well find guys that can catch. This is true for any offense.

If you run the ball a lot then you can prioritize other attributes listed below but WRs dropping passes is never fun, regardless of scheme.

40 Time – Speed (SPD) – Faster the better

Not all offenses need speed as WR, especially run-heavy attacks, but it never hurts to have speed on the outside.

You simply can’t teach speed as not only can a fast WR make a difference on offense, but on specially teams as well. Fast WRs tend to have good agility too. Let’s keep it simple and just say speedy WRs can work in any offense.

My Mississippi State Gun-Run offense is proof of this.

Vertical – Jump (JMP) – 40 inches are better (40.1 = 87 JMP)

I don’t pay enough attention to a recruit’s vertical yet how high a player can jump can be very helpful, especially at WR.

A simple example are Go routes where your WR is in a jump-ball situation.

The ability to jump higher than his defender can only help your chances of a successful catch.

I think any offense can benefit from jumping-jack WRs but any offense that really likes to throw deep like play action, Shoot, and option-type offenses would want these types of players.

Awareness – Awareness (AWR) – Smarter the better

I’m honestly not sure how important Awareness if with a WR, but I guess it doesn’t hurt if they’re smart.

I’ve thrown to dumb WRs in the past with no issues.

The only thing I can think of is similar to FBs in that they can find defenders to block quicker.

Size – Height & Weight – taller and heavier the better nut not always essential

Height can be very beneficial. Just like the Jump attribute, being tall can only help on those jump balls.

Plus, it is simply harder for a Cornerback to defend a WR that is several inches taller than him. In terms of weight, run-heavy type offenses will need bigger WRs just so they can block better than smaller guys. Not every WR needs to be huge.

I’ve won many individual awards with smaller WRs.

Bench & Squat – Strength (STR) & Break Tackle (BTK) – Stronger the better

There’s a reason most teams covet WRs that are also strong. It really is no different than height and weight.

Bigger, stronger guys can simply block better and are harder to tackle.

Pro style and run-heavy offenses tend to enjoy having strong WRs on the field.

Tight Ends

Hands – Catch (CTH) – B or better (similar to WRs)

If your offense needs a TE that can catch the ball, then you need to prioritize this attribute above all else.

There are many offenses that like having a receiving TE so it is up to you if your offense needs them.

Think pro style, Power Shoot, and a myriad of spread offenses that covet these types of TEs.

40 Time – Speed (SPD) – Faster the better (4.69 = 74 SPD)

Any offense I mentioned above would also want their receiving TE to have some speed as well so Speed and Catch work well together.

Vertical – Jump (JMP) – 40 inches are better (40.1 = 87 JMP)

A good jumping TE is like having a Power Forward going for rebounds and alley oops, if you throw jump-balls to TEs, then you might as well get TEs that can actually jump.

Awareness – Awareness (AWR) – Smarter the better

Awareness for a TE might be more important compared to a WR but if you think about it, a TE is essentially a mix between a FB and WR.

It never hurts to have smart TEs as these guys tend to block a little better.

Size – Height & Weight – taller and heavier the better

Just like WRs, height can be very beneficial for TEs. And just like the Jump attribute, being tall can only help on those jump balls.

Plus, it is simply harder for a LB or Safety to defend a TE that is several inches taller than him.

In terms of weight, run-heavy type offenses will need bigger TEs just so they can block better than smaller guys.

And if you find a TE that is quick, tall, and heavy the  you just hit the jackot!

Bench & Squat – Strength (STR) & Run Block (RBK) – Stronger the better

A strong TE is usually a good blocking TE so if you plan to block with your TEs more than throw to them, then find the strongest TEs you can.

Run-heavy offenses and any offense that doesn’t feature a TE can benefit with strong TEs.

Tackles

Size – Height & Weight – 6 feet or taller & 300 lb or heavier

Like I’ve mentioned a couple of times, height and weight matters in these games and the size of a player has never been more important than for offensive linemen.

Specifically for Tackles, being very tall and rangy helps both in the run game but especially in the pass game.

It doesn’t hurt if they are heavy which make them harder to get pushed around. You can never go wrong with monstrous tackles.

Most offenses outside of maybe pass-happy schemes can benefit from these big boys.

Bench & Squat – Strength (STR) & Run Block (RBK) – Stronger the better (460 Bench & 665 Squat = 85 STR & RBK)

Keep it simple here and find Tackles that are strong, especially if you run an offense that features the run game at all.

Awareness – Awareness (AWR) & Pass Block (PBK) – Depends

A run-heavy attack doesn’t need the smartest Tackles. However, and I can’t prove this, but I believe Awareness plays a big factor in pass protection.

Being able to protect the QB, especially at the Tackle position, is pivotal, so if your offense requires you to throw at least 50% of the time, I would prioritize smart Tackles.

40 Time – Speed (SPD) – Faster the better, maybe?

Normally I wouldn’t mention Speed when talking about Tackles, but the more you use power run concepts, the more it helps if your Tackles can move a little bit to pick a block when pulling.

Run plays like QB Choice and QB Wrap in NCAA Football 07 and later feature a pulling Tackle so it is something to think about if you use these concepts at all.

The only problem I’ve found is most Tackles you recruit are so slow anyways so it might not make a difference.

Either way, it is worth mentioning.

Guards

Size – Height & Weight – 6 feet or taller & 300 lb or heavier

Guards are no different than Tackles, being very tall helps both in the run game but especially in the pass game.

It doesn’t hurt if they are heavy which make them harder to get pushed around. You can never go wrong with huge Guards.

In fact, weight matters more to Guards than any other position in my opinion.

I always go after the same type of Guard, the biggest I can find that can push defensive linemen.

Bench & Squat – Strength (STR) & Run Block (RBK) – Stronger the better (460 Bench & 665 Squat = 85 STR & RBK)

Keep it simple here and find Gaurds that are strong, especially if you run an offense that features the run game at all.

If you have ever noticed, most run plays end badly based on how poor a Guard blocked so prioritize size, regardless of offense, with Guards.

Awareness – Awareness (AWR) & Pass Block (PBK) – Not as important

I don’t care as much about Awareness for Guards as I do with Tackles.

It’s cool if they’re smart for pass blocking, but I care way more about size and strength with these guys.

40 Time – Speed (SPD) – Faster the better, maybe?

Just like Tackles, unless you plan on using power run concepts via pulling Guards, don’t worry about this attribute.

Centers

Awareness – Awareness (AWR) & Pass Block (PBK) – Smarter the better

I list Awareness first only because I think this attribute effects how many high snaps you may have.

I have no proof of this, but if your offense has your QB in the Shotgun a lot, having little to no high snaps will help and a high awareness Center will help with that.

Size – Height & Weight – 6 feet or taller & 300 lb or heavier 

Just like Guards and Tackles, being very tall helps both in the run game but especially in the pass game.

It doesn’t hurt if they are heavy which make them harder to get pushed around. You can never go wrong with big Centers.

Bench & Squat – Strength (STR) & Run Block (RBK) – Stronger the better (460 Bench & 665 Squat = 85 STR & RBK)

Again, keep it simple here and find Centers are are strong, especially if you run an offense that features the run game at all.

40 Time – Speed (SPD) – Faster the better, maybe?

The only time I can see Speed being helpful for a Center is if he runs to the second level to block a Linebacker or Safety.

Other than that, other attributes are more important.

Other Attributes & Ratings

You may have noticed that I barely mentioned other offensive attributes and/or ratings. Let’s talk about these.

Agility & Acceleration hasn’t been mentioned simply because you can’t determine on a prospect’s profile what correlates to either one. Having agile players is great but since we have no way of knowing what actually effects both, I wouldn’t worry about them.

Stamina & Injury are in the same boat, there is no way to find out what these will look like for a prospect until you get them on the team so I wouldn’t worry about these either.

Carry was briefly mentioned as there is no proof of what vital correlates to it. The closest thing is a prospect’s Squat numbers so feel free to go by that.

Finally, you may be wondering where I found some of these stat conversions. Most of them came from Evil Dave’s recruiting guide. That chart is below.

I also found other stat conversions on my own that I hope to share a fully expanded version of these in the future.

Conclusion

Hopefully this post helps you determine the type of talent you need to run the offense you want.

Like I said in the beginning, there are too many offenses to list and break down so covering attributes and ratings instead simplified this process.

I hope to write a similar post on defense in the near future.