Maybe you put stock in that bullshit. I don't.
ND recruits always are marked up because an additional star or two gives ND fans who buy the recruiting services a chubby. ND fans are, and always have been, the most loyal consumers of the white noise the services sell.
These days, ND is recruiting guys who think they can't make it at Alabama or Ohio State. Guys who are key players for us, like Rochelle and Jarron Jones, had beaucoup stars, but would never even see the field at Alabama.
ND is a punch line, not a destination, for top 50 types since the frozen five fiasco. We even have to get in line behind Stanford for good players who are susceptible to the "40 year decision" pitch.
Top ten recruiting classes...don't make me laugh.