How recruiting rankings are determined

[kamoshika]

The first two reads here are especially informative, IMO.

Few things get college football fans as fired up as recruiting rankings. It's the source of countless message board discussions and arguments. All the major recruiting services -- ESPN, 247Sports, Rivals.com and Scout.com -- have their own set of rankings. They are a good indicator of future success for college football programs, though little is known about what actually goes into building the rankings.

There is a Wizard of Oz feel to the whole process. It is difficult to know who is pulling the strings or why a specific kid is rated a certain way in the rankings. Why is one kid a five-star and another a four-star? Is it based on college or pro potential?

Fans can see the end result in the recruiting rankings, but rarely get to find out the why. Intent on offering transparency, AL.com spoke with national recruiting experts at the four major services to find out what goes into the recruiting rakings process and why they all differentiate.
How are recruiting rankings determined? ESPN, Rivals, Scout and 247 break out the process | AL.com

The star system has become so ingrained in the business of college recruiting over the past decade that it’s gained mainstream acceptance among fans and media. Diehard fans devour recruiting news year-round, and the star system helps feed that machine.

But as recruits revel in their ratings and fans obsess about the quality of teams’ recruiting classes, others, including some who feed the rankings, dismiss them as marketing tools devised from nebulous processes that are subject to influence even by coaches who publicly disavow the ratings.
Feb. 1: Four stars or three? Recruit rating system views are mixed - StarTribune.com

The star ratings are a quick and dirty way for recruiting services to convey the talent level of a specific recruit, ranging from two stars to five stars...It's not hard to figure out that more stars are better, but just what do those stars mean?

If you're a newbie to recruiting -- or if you've never actually looked into it -- here you go.
Rivals, Scout, ESPN, 247: Star rating systems explained

 

[CroKev]

They forgot the part about how a recruit's ranking can be negatively affected by showing interest in UT...





I just couldn't resist.

 

[livefaith]

Rating a player can be especially tough when factoring in these concerns ...

* Players injury history (See Q Dormady, Devante Brooks etc.)
* Players character / family situation ie "staying power" (See Janzen Jackson, Deion Bonner etc.)
* Players academic history (See Travis Henry, C Patterson etc.)

On film and at the camp the prospect might, for example, be far and away the most elite prospect. But throw the shade of the above issues on them and the recruiting gurus are in a crunch. Hard to make a call on a 5* or 4* with questions if they'll be around 3-4 to not be a bust.

 

[fatal1]

ratings don't mean a thing if a player doesn't give it his all. I would rather have a 3 star player that's willing to leave it all on the field than a 5 star player just going thru the motions.

 

[CroKev]

ratings don't mean a thing if a player doesn't give it his all. I would rather have a 3 star player that's willing to leave it all on the field than a 5 star player just going thru the motions.

Why do we always have to come up with these false dichotomies?

Can we all agree that we'd all like to have 4 and 5-stars willing to leave it all on the field?

:hi: