I have noticed a change in strategy the past couple of years among FCS teams in their recruiting strategy. Some of the better FCS teams have begun to offer early scholarships (junior season of high school) to kids who are 2-star, 3-star, and even an occasional 4-star recruit. They rarely gain a commitment from these kids, but the philosophy of doing so is intriguing, and I think it occasionally pans out.
Here are the perceived advantages of offering a kid with little chance of landing him:
1) If the coaches spend some time early-on developing a strong relationship with this kid, they may sway a kid late to sign who did not get an offer from a FBS school that he expected to receive an offer from. He may actually turn down another FBS school which he had no interest in for the Griz, because "the devil you know if safer than the devil you don't know".
2) Some of these kids will sign with an FBS school, but two years later, when they realize that they are not going to get much PT, they may seek out Montana as a transfer drop-down.
