How does the NCAA define whether a prospect is considered a recruited athlete?
A prospect is considered a recruited athlete if the college takes one of the following actions:
If they provide the prospect with an official visit.
If they have an off-campus contact with the prospect or the prospect’s parents or legal guardians.
If they offer the prospect a National Letter of Intent or an athletic scholarship agreement.
If they initiate a telephone conversation with the prospect or his parents or legal guardians more than one time.
Ironically, a coach can have frequent e-mail conversations with a prospect but that athlete will still not be defined as a recruited athlete if the coach does not use any of the four actions above to encourage the prospect to attend the college and join their athletic program.
http://informedathlete.com/ncaa-rules-definintion-of-a-recruited-athlete/