[CTcard]

This 2013 class example sure suggests the bar was lowered quite a bit on whoever the best QB prospects were, just so they could have 5 and 4 star recruits.  Maybe the reality is - as it seems - that there simply weren't any 5 star QBs in 2013, and the 4 stars should have been 3 stars.

That is not entirely true.
There were several guys further down the list who turned out to be decent. There were clearly evaluation issues (as there always are).

So, there was,
#21 Jared Goff (3 year starter at cal. First pick in the draft)
#23 Kenny Hill (partial starter at Texas AM, two year starter at TCU)
#27 Danny Etling (Purdue signee, now starter at LSU)
#40 Sefo Liufau (holds many Colorado career records)
#44 Davis Webb (Texas Tech signee, cal transfer, with NY Giants)
#53 Luke Del Rio (Bama signee, now Florida starting QB)
#71 Baker Mayfield (walked onto Texas Tech, walked onto Oklahoma, now a H-award favorite)
#93 Jesse Ertz (Kansas State, now 2 year starter)

Without looking anything up, it is my impression that it was a down year overall at the QB position. But the point is a little more than that.

[CTcard]

This 2013 class example sure suggests the bar was lowered quite a bit on whoever the best QB prospects were, just so they could have 5 and 4 star recruits.  Maybe the reality is - as it seems - that there simply weren't any 5 star QBs in 2013, and the 4 stars should have been 3 stars.

That is not entirely true.
There were several guys further down the list who turned out to be decent. There were clearly evaluation issues (as there always are).

So, there was,
#21 Jared Goff (3 year starter at cal. First pick in the draft)
#23 Kenny Hill (partial starter at Texas AM, two year starter at TCU)
#27 Danny Etling (Purdue signee, now starter at LSU)
#40 Sefo Liufau (holds many Colorado career records)
#44 Davis Webb (Texas Tech signee, cal transfer, with NY Giants)
#53 Luke Del Rio (Bama signee, now Florida starting QB)
#71 Baker Mayfield (walked onto Texas Tech, walked onto Oklahoma, now a H-award favorite)
#93 Jesse Ertz (Kansas State, now 2 year starter)

Without looking anything up, it is my impression that it was a down year overall at the QB position. But the point is a little more than that.