the.com/five star athletes
the recruiting industry's way of promising a teenager he's already historic.
means the top rating tier in high school sports recruiting, meant to predict future college and pro stardom before the kid can legally drink.
from born from recruiting services like Rivals and 247Sports in the late 1990s and 2000s, who borrowed hotel-style star ratings to rank unproven teenagers, turning scouting into a public spectacle and a pipeline for hype.
rarity by designunder 1 percent of recruits nationally earn five stars
bust rateplenty flame out despite the hype, no refunds issued
industry incentivestar ratings drive traffic, subscriptions, and coaching job security
for instance
lebron james — skipped the ranking system entirely, was already a magazine cover in high school
trevor lawrence — five star qb, national champion at clemson, no.1 nfl pick 2021
johnny manziel — five star hype, heisman winner, cautionary tale by 25
bronny james — five star label debated as much for lineage as game