[socalstanfan1]

Increasing the number of stars awarded to a player often happens, I think, when that player starts as nearly a complete unknown before being offered by a major program.  And before we jump to the conclusion that this is just some kind of "grade inflation" to borrow a term from academia, I think in recruting this may make some sense.  Cotton is a great example (as is Thomas Oser).

My understanding is that neither Cotton nor Oser promoted themselves by attending recruitment camps and other events.  In Cotton's case the lack of publicity was probably even greater since he hails from one of the smallest states in the country, hardly a place where recruiters (or recruit website writers) will travel unless they hear of someone spectacular.  (At least in Oser's place, though he plays at a school that is not an athletic power, he is located in LA, and thus might be noticed by scouts coming to check out other players).  So Cotton and Oser begin getting publicity after they begin making the rounds to Universities, and begin to recieve offers.  I think it makes perfect sense for a recruitnik, who has never seen or heard of a player, to assume that if a college program that has had success in developing players has offered someone like Cotton, that he probably deserves some more recognition.  Hopefully, the evaluator does not just arbitrarily pick a star value.  But maybe he gets some film, or talks to some coaches, or calls the local press in Idaho, and after hearing some information, gives the rating a bump.  To me, that seems reasonable, and doesn't mean that Cotton's evaluation is over-valued, but maybe the new star rating is more accurate than the original.

[socalstanfan1]

Increasing the number of stars awarded to a player often happens, I think, when that player starts as nearly a complete unknown before being offered by a major program.  And before we jump to the conclusion that this is just some kind of "grade inflation" to borrow a term from academia, I think in recruting this may make some sense.  Cotton is a great example (as is Thomas Oser).

My understanding is that neither Cotton nor Oser promoted themselves by attending recruitment camps and other events.  In Cotton's case the lack of publicity was probably even greater since he hails from one of the smallest states in the country, hardly a place where recruiters (or recruit website writers) will travel unless they hear of someone spectacular.  (At least in Oser's place, though he plays at a school that is not an athletic power, he is located in LA, and thus might be noticed by scouts coming to check out other players).  So Cotton and Oser begin getting publicity after they begin making the rounds to Universities, and begin to recieve offers.  I think it makes perfect sense for a recruitnik, who has never seen or heard of a player, to assume that if a college program that has had success in developing players has offered someone like Cotton, that he probably deserves some more recognition.  Hopefully, the evaluator does not just arbitrarily pick a star value.  But maybe he gets some film, or talks to some coaches, or calls the local press in Idaho, and after hearing some information, gives the rating a bump.  To me, that seems reasonable, and doesn't mean that Cotton's evaluation is over-valued, but maybe the new star rating is more accurate than the original.