Coaches have a different path and star system is window dressing only. They recruit for athlete type, capabilities demonstrated on the field as assessed by their coaches and the HS coaches, attitude and grit, personal interaction at camps and visits, and look for the right fit in the scheme and culture. Star rating is a ball pein hammer when coaches are watchmakers.

5 star athletes have a high probability of performing well, and it is usually a no brainer to see and evaluate their level, even for journalists who've never played seriously (see desnews, sltrib and ksl sports reporters/insiders). 3-4 star are all over the map in their production on the field.

Fans love to strain at those star ratings though and often want to fire coaches for not achieving the average star rating of big boys who know how to recruit like Utah, Florida State and USC (how did they perform this year?).