[Extra Point]

I think we are making the assumption that coaches pay a lot of attention to rankings when they decide who to recruit. Shaw says he pays none.

It is the other way around. The people who give out star ratings rely heavily on the number and quality of the recruits' scholarships. When the stars for a recruit are lower or higher than expected, it is because these "experts" are reluctant to make big deviations from their initial assessment.

[Extra Point]

I think we are making the assumption that coaches pay a lot of attention to rankings when they decide who to recruit. Shaw says he pays none.

It is the other way around. The people who give out star ratings rely heavily on the number and quality of the recruits' scholarships. When the stars for a recruit are lower or higher than expected, it is because these "experts" are reluctant to make big deviations from their initial assessment.